Corruption, global environmental degradation and multinational corporations – Is there a correlation?

The findings of this thesis suggest that there appears to be a bad spiral. In countries with a lot of natural resources and poorly developed socio-economic structures, there is a present tendency to lower environmental protection laws in order to attract foreign investors by creating market oriented regulations. Investors and managers of multinational corporations will reduce production costs by moving the production to countries with lower environmental protection. This perceived bad spiral results in a disincentive for the least developed countries in the world to raise their environmental standards. In combination with the overarching impediment of corruption, the development of international environmental law applied to multinational corporations seems constrained, and the global environmental degradation still remains. There is empirical research showing the results of increased pollution in developing countries with high levels of corruption, in comparison to developing countries with lower levels of corruption. Specifically, a correlation has been found between corruption and environmental degradation on a micro level. These findings taken up on a macro level might show that the development in international environmental law with a focus on multinational corporations is similar to that seen in the example of Wal-Mart in Mexico. By assessing the complex structure of corruption and the plethora for it, in combination with the global environmental protection in international law focused on multinational corporations, there might be ways of decreasing the level of corruption and therefore increase the international environmental protection by giving the regulations greater impact through making the rule of law impartial. The way is still long, but the end-goal is not out of reach

An Integrated CP/OR Method for Optimal Control of Modular Hybrid Systems

This paper concerns the optimal control of modular hybrid systems synchronized by shared variables. Instead of synchronizing the discrete dynamics of the system into one global mode before optimization, Constraint Programming (CP) is used to model the discrete dynamics of each modular system separately. Integrated in the CP solver are also classic Operations Research (OR) models in the form of Nonlinear Programs (NLPs) approximating the continuous dynamics of the system. Using CP considerably decreases the number of NLPs which must be solved, compared to that of using a traditional mixed integer nonlinear programming approach

Scheduling model for systems with complex alternative behaviour

In this paper we propose a flexible model for scheduling problems, which allows the modeling of systems with complex alternative behaviour. This model could for example facilitate the step from process planning model to optimization model. We show how automatic constraint generation can be performed for both Constraint Programming and Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) models. Also, for the MILP case, a new formulation for mutual exclusion of resources is proposed. This new formulation works well for proving optimality in systems with multiple capacity resources. Some benchmarks for such job shop scheduling problems as well as systems with a large number of alternatives are also presented

Energy optimization of trajectories for high level scheduling

Minimization of energy consumption is today an issue of utmost importance in manufacturing industry. A previously presented technique for scheduling of robot cells, which exploits variable execution time for the individual robot operations, has shown promising results in energy minimization. In order to slow down a manipulator's movement the method utilizes a linear time scaling of the time optimal trajectory. This paper attempts to improve the scheduling method by generating energy optimal data using dynamic time scaling. Dynamic programming can be applied to an existing trajectory and generate a new energy optimal trajectory that follows the same path but with another execution time. With the new method, it is possible to solve the optimization problem for a range of execution times in one run. A simple two-joint planar example is presented in which energy optimal dynamic time scaling is compared to linear time scaling. The results show a small decrease in energy usage for minor scaling, but a significant reduction for longer execution times

Optimization of Hybrid Systems with Known Paths

In this paper we study a subset of hybrid systems and present a generalized method for their optimization. We outline Hybrid Cost Automata (HCA), an extension to Hybrid Automata, where discrete and continuous cost expressions are added. The class of hybrid systems with known spatial paths is dened in the context of HCA. This type of system is common in industry where for example AGVs transport goods from one location to another, or manipulators move between joint coordinates. The optimization is performed using Dynamic Programming as a preprocessing step, whereafter Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming is used for scheduling. A case study of a four robot cell is presented with energy consumption used as a minimization criterion

Optimization of operation sequences using constraint programming

In this paper, we connect the dots: design and optimization of production systems. A possible link between these two areas, is a previously presented modeling language, Sequence Planner Language (SPL). It has been demonstrated how relevant information can be extracted from production systems modeling applications, and converted into SPL. We show how the SPL model can be converted into a constraint programming model for optimization. Also, a useful abstraction concept, work-equivalence, is introduced to enable alternative model formulations. A case study consisting of an aero engine structure assembly plant is presented, in which the efficiency of the resulting constraint programs is investigated. The formulations enabled by abstraction are shown to perform better than the standard formulation

A transient outward current in a mammalian central neurone blocked by 4-aminopyridine

It is becoming increasingly clear that nerve cells in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) have a very complex electroresponsiveness. They exhibit not only time- and voltage-dependent Na+ and K+ conductances, analogous to those in the squid giant axon1, but also a variety of other conductances that have a significant role in the control of cell excitability. Of the outward currents, there are, in addition to the delayed rectifier, the Ca2+-activated K+ current2,3 which underlies the long-lasting spike afterhyperpolarization, and the M current4, a non-inactivating K+ current evoked by membrane depolarization and blocked by muscarinic, cholinergic agonists. We demonstrate here the existence in a mammalian central neurone (hip-pocampal CA3 pyramidal cells) of yet another outward current, which is transient and may be carried by K+ ions. Further, the experiments show that this current is substantially reduced by the convulsant 4-aminopyridine (4-AP)5, resulting in a marked increase in cell excitability

Slowly developing depression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor mediated responses in young rat hippocampi

BACKGROUND: Activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) type glutamate receptors is essential in triggering various forms of synaptic plasticity. A critical issue is to what extent such plasticity involves persistent changes of glutamate receptor subtypes and many prior studies have suggested a main role for alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptors in mediating the effect. Our previous work in hippocampal slices revealed that, under pharmacological unblocking of NMDA receptors, both AMPA and NMDA receptor mediated responses undergo a slowly developing depression. In the present study we have further adressed this phenomenon, focusing on the contribution via NMDA receptors. Pharmacologically isolated NMDA receptor mediated excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) were recorded for two independent synaptic pathways in CA1 area using perfusion with low Mg(2+ )(0.1 mM) to unblock NMDA receptors. RESULTS: Following unblocking of NMDA receptors, there was a gradual decline of NMDA receptor mediated EPSPs for 2–3 hours towards a stable level of ca. 60–70 % of the maximal size. If such an experimental session was repeated twice in the same pathway with a period of NMDA receptor blockade in between, the depression attained in the first session was still evident in the second one and no further decay occurred. The persistency of the depression was also validated by comparison between pathways. It was found that the responses of a control pathway, unstimulated in the first session of receptor unblocking, behaved as novel responses when tested in association with the depressed pathway under the second session. In similar experiments, but with AP5 present during the first session, there was no subsequent difference between NMDA EPSPs. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that merely evoking NMDA receptor mediated responses results in a depression which is input specific, induced via NMDA receptor activation, and is maintained for several hours through periods of receptor blockade. The similarity to key features of long-term depression and long-term potentiation suggests a possible relation to these phenomena. Additionally, a short term potentiation and decay (<5 min) were observed during sudden start of NMDA receptor activation supporting the idea that NMDA receptor mediated responses are highly plastic

Fibromodulin Interacts with Collagen Cross-linking Sites and Activates Lysyl Oxidase

The hallmark of fibrotic disorders is a highly cross-linked and dense collagen matrix, a property driven by the oxidative action of lysyl oxidase. Other fibrosis-associated proteins also contribute to the final collagen matrix properties, one of which is fibromodulin - its interactions with collagen affect collagen cross-linking, packing, and fibril diameter. We investigated the possibility that a specific relationship exists between fibromodulin and lysyl oxidase, potentially imparting a specific collagen matrix phenotype. We mapped the fibromodulin-collagen interaction sites using the Collagen II and III Toolkit peptide libraries. Fibromodulin interacted with the peptides containing the known collagen cross-linking sites and the MMP-1 cleavage site in collagens I and II. Interestingly, the interaction sites are closely aligned within the quarter-staggered collagen fibril, suggesting a multivalent interaction between fibromodulin and several collagen helices. Furthermore, we detected an interaction between fibromodulin and lysyl oxidase - a major collagen cross-linking enzyme - and mapped the interaction site to 12 N-terminal amino acids on fibromodulin. This interaction also increases the activity of lysyl oxidase. Altogether, the data suggest a fibromodulin-modulated collagen cross-linking mechanism, where fibromodulin binds to a specific part of the collagen domain and also forms a complex together with lysyl oxidase, targeting the enzyme towards specific cross-linking sites.SK and KR were supported by grants from the Swedish Cancer Foundation, the Swedish Research Council, the Alfred Österlund Foundation, the Crafoord Foundation, the Magnus Bergvall Foundation, and the Åke Wiberg Foundation; AB, DB and RWF by grants from the Wellcome Trust (094470/Z/10/Z) and British Heart Foundation (RG/15/4/31268).This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology] via http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M115.69340

Advanced Analysis Techniques for Intra-cardiac Flow Evaluation from 4D Flow MRI

Time-resolved 3D velocity-encoded MR imaging with velocity encoding in three directions (4D Flow) has emerged as a novel MR acquisition technique providing detailed information on flow in the cardiovascular system. In contrast to other clinically available imaging techniques such as echo-Doppler, 4D Flow MRI provides the 3D Flow velocity field within a volumetric region of interest over the cardiac cycle. This work reviews the most recent advances in the development and application of dedicated image analysis techniques for the assessment of intra-cardiac flow features from 4D Flow MRI.Novel image analysis techniques have been developed for extraction of relevant intra-cardiac flow features from 4D Flow MRI, which have been successfully applied in various patient cohorts and volunteer studies. Disturbed flow patterns have been linked with valvular abnormalities and ventricular dysfunction. Recent technical advances have resulted in reduced scan times and improvements in image quality, increasing the potential clinical applicability of 4D Flow MRI.4D Flow MRI provides unique capabilities for 3D visualization and quantification of intra-cardiac blood flow. Contemporary knowledge on 4D Flow MRI shows promise for further exploration of the potential use of the technique in research and clinical applications