CoRiMaS—An Ontological Approach to Cooperative Risk Management in Seaports

For today’s global value chains, seaports and their operations are indispensable components. In many cases, the cargo handling takes place in close proximity to residential and/or environmentally sensitive areas. Furthermore, seaports are often not operated by a single organization, but need to be considered as communities of sometimes hundreds of internal and external stakeholders. Due to their close cooperation in the cargo handling process, risk management should be a common approach among the internal stakeholders as well in order to effectively mitigate and respond to emerging risks. However, empirical research has revealed that risk management is often limited to the organization itself, which indicates a clear lack of cooperation. Primary reasons in this regard are missing knowledge about the relations and responsibilities within the port and differing terminologies. Therefore, we propose an ontology (CoRiMaS) that implements a developed reference model for risk management that explicitly aims at seaports with a cooperative approach to risk management. CoRiMaS has been designed looking at the Semantic Web and at the Linked Data model to provide a common interoperable vocabulary in the target domain. The key concepts of our ontology comprise the hazard, stakeholder, seaport, cooperation aspect, and risk management process. We validated our ontology by applying it in a case study format to the Port of Hamburg (Germany). The CoRiMaS ontology can be widely applied to foster cooperation within and among seaports. We believe that such an ontological approach has the potential to improve current risk management practices and, thereby, to increase the resilience of operations, as well as the protection of sensitive surrounding areas.</jats:p

STS-99 Shuttle Radar Topography Mission Stability and Control

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) flew aboard Space Shuttle Endeavor February 2000 and used interferometry to map 80% of the Earth's landmass. SRTM employed a 200-foot deployable mast structure to extend a second antenna away from the main antenna located in the Shuttle payload bay. Mapping requirements demanded precision pointing and orbital trajectories from the Shuttle on-orbit Flight Control System (PCS). Mast structural dynamics interaction with the FCS impacted stability and performance of the autopilot for attitude maneuvers and pointing during mapping operations. A damper system added to ensure that mast tip motion remained with in the limits of the outboard antenna tracking system while mapping also helped to mitigate structural dynamic interaction with the FCS autopilot. Late changes made to the payload damper system, which actually failed on-orbit, required a redesign and verification of the FCS autopilot filtering schemes necessary to ensure rotational control stability. In-flight measurements using three sensors were used to validate models and gauge the accuracy and robustness of the pre-mission notch filter design

The Impact of New Technologies on Learning: A Literature review on Mobile Collaborative Learning

Mobile Collaborative Learning (MCL) has recently caught the attention of the research community because of its potential impact on improving learners\u27 effectiveness and performance. Nevertheless, to be really effective, the potential of MCL-based solutions is still largely unexplored, as well as further research is needed to develop improved learning environments. This literature review aims to discuss the possible impact of MCL, looking at a number of typical parameters, such as user satisfaction, perceived ease-of-use, perceived usefulness, impact on the affective and cognitive domain, and perceived enjoyment. The literature review has pointed out that, by adopting the MCL approach, learners improve their motivation, as well as their cognitive skills. It points out a positive impact also at an affective level. Additionally, we found that MCL currently targets education at any level, including university and school level. Last but not least, it seems to positively affect also learning outcomes, namely learners’ performance. On the negative side, the study found a lack of research attention on possible difficulties, constraints, and barriers. Finally, learning environments are expected to become more and more sophisticated in the next future (e.g. by using augmented reality), and mobile technology is expected to play an even more relevant rol

engineering human renal epithelial cells for transplantation in regenerative medicine

Abstract Cellular transplantation may treat several human diseases by replacing damaged cells and/or providing a local source of trophic factors promoting regeneration. We utilized human renal epithelial cells (hRECs) isolated from cadaveric donors as a cell model. For efficacious implementation of hRECs for treatment of kidney diseases, we evaluated a novel encapsulation strategy for immunoisolation of hRECs and lentiviral transduction of the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) as model gene for genetic engineering of hRECs to secrete desired trophic factors. In specific, we determined whether encapsulation through conformal coating and/or GFP transduction of hRECs allowed preservation of cell viability and of their trophic factor secretion. To that end, we optimized cultures of hRECs and showed that aggregation in three-dimensional spheroids significantly preserved cell viability, proliferation, and trophic factor secretion. We also showed that both wild type and GFP-engineered hRECs could be efficiently encapsulated within conformal hydrogel coatings through our fluid dynamic platform and that this resulted in further improvement of cell viability and trophic factors secretion. Our findings may lay the groundwork for future therapeutics based on transplantation of genetically engineered human primary cells for treatment of diseases affecting kidneys and potentially other tissues

Minimally Invasive Stent Screw-Assisted Internal Fixation Technique Corrects Kyphosis in Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures with Severe Collapse: A Pilot "Vertebra Plana" Series.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Fractures with "vertebra plana" morphology are characterized by severe vertebral body collapse and segmental kyphosis; there is no established treatment standard for these fractures. Vertebroplasty and balloon kyphoplasty might represent an undertreatment, but surgical stabilization is challenging in an often elderly osteoporotic population. This study assessed the feasibility, clinical outcome, and radiologic outcome of the stent screw-assisted internal fixation technique using a percutaneous implant of vertebral body stents and cement-augmented pedicle screws in patients with non-neoplastic vertebra plana fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-seven consecutive patients with vertebra plana fractures were treated with the stent screw-assisted internal fixation technique. Vertebral body height, local and vertebral kyphotic angles, outcome scales (numeric rating scale and the Patient's Global Impression of Change), and complications were assessed. Imaging and clinical follow-up were obtained at 1 and 6 months postprocedure. RESULTS Median vertebral body height restoration was 7 mm (+74%), 9 mm (+150%), and 3 mm (+17%) at the anterior wall, middle body, and posterior wall, respectively. Median local and vertebral kyphotic angles correction was 8° and 10° and was maintained through the 6-month follow-up. The median numeric rating scale score improved from 8/10 preprocedure to 3/10 at 1 and 6 months (P < .001). No procedural complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS The stent screw-assisted internal fixation technique was effective in obtaining height restoration, kyphosis correction, and pain relief in patients with severe vertebral collapse

Infarto agudo do miocárdio na cardiomiopatia chagásica crônica: relato de dois casos com coronárias sem lesões obstrutivas

This report describes two patients with chronic Chagas' Heart Disease who developed clinical and laboratorial signs of myocardial infarction. Both patients presented sudden oppressive chest pain, without precipitating factor. In the first case, the highest MB-CK value was 65 IU, 22 hours after the beginning of the pain. On the second case, it was 77 IU at 18 hours after the beginning of the pain. In both cases ECG changes suggesting non-transmural infarction were present. The 99mTc PYP myocardial scintigram of the first case was positive. Coronary angiograms performed on the 18th and 9th day, respectively, after the acute infarction did not display obstructive lesions. Possible mechanisms causing myocardial infarction with normal coronary arteries in Chagas' Disease may include: embolic event's, particularly when there is associated congestive heart failure; coronary thrombosis and coronary spasms.São relatados dois pacientes com doença de Chagas, forma cardíaca crônica, que desenvolveram Infarto Agudo do Miocárdio (IAM). Ambos, apresentaram dor precordial súbita em opressão, sem fatores precipitantes. No primeiro o pico de CKMB foi 65 U após 22 horas do início da dor e no segundo foi de 77U após 18 horas. O ECG em ambos evidenciou apenas alterações sugerindo IAM não transmural. A cintilografia miocárdica com 99mTc-PYP foi positiva no primeiro caso. ¹ coronariografia realizada respectivamente no 16.º e 9.° dia não evidenciou lesões obstrutivas. São discutidos os possíveis mecanismos de IAM com coronárias sem lesões obstrutivas na doença de Chagas tais como: eventos embolíticos, trombóticos e espásticos

Restoration of Hypoglycemia Awareness After Islet Transplantation

OBJECTIVE—To determine the impact of islet transplantation (ITx) on hypoglycemia awareness in patients with unstable type 1 diabetes and its relation to islet function