Transport aircraft loading and balancing system: Using a CLIPS expert system for military aircraft load planning

The requirement for improving aircraft utilization and responsiveness in airlift operations has been recognized for quite some time by the Canadian Forces. To date, the utilization of scarce airlift resources has been planned mainly through the employment of manpower-intensive manual methods in combination with the expertise of highly qualified personnel. In this paper, we address the problem of facilitating the load planning process for military aircraft cargo planes through the development of a computer-based system. We introduce TALBAS (Transport Aircraft Loading and BAlancing System), a knowledge-based system designed to assist personnel involved in preparing valid load plans for the C130 Hercules aircraft. The main features of this system which are accessible through a convivial graphical user interface, consists of the automatic generation of valid cargo arrangements given a list of items to be transported, the user-definition of load plans and the automatic validation of such load plans

Evolution de la ressource en eau dans la vallée du Merguellil (Tunisie centrale)

International audienceLa plaine de Kairouan (Tunisie centrale) se trouve au débouché des trois grandes vallées du Zéroud, du Merguellil et du Nebhana. Dans ce contexte semi-aride (pluies moyennes entre 200 et 400 mm.an−1), l'intensification de l'irrigation au cours des dernières décennies a suscité une forte croissance de la demande en eau. En même temps, différents aménagements affectent l'ensemble du fonctionnement hydrologique : multiples ouvrages de conservation des eaux et des sols, petits et moyens, d'une part, grands barrages de protection contre les crues sur les trois oueds majeurs d'autre part. La distribution de l'eau B la surface du bassin-versant et dans le sous-sol a donc considérablement évolué et change encore. Dans la plaine du Merguellil, à l'aval du barrage el Haouareb, la nappe alluviale quaternaire est devenue la seule ressource en eau disponible. Elle est actuellement exploitée sans réel contrôle, ce qui conduit à une baisse sensible de son niveau (de 0,25 à 1 m par an). Elle n'est plus alimentée comme en régime naturel par les crues de l'oued, désormais entièrement bloquées par le barrage. Elle ne reçoit plus que les apports des nappes latérales et le flux souterrain passant sous le barrage. L'avenir du développement agricole régional dépend de manière évidente de la maîtrise de la ressource souterraine et donc de sa bonne connaissance. Malgré de multiples mesures de terrain et études entreprises depuis plusieurs décennies, il reste encore de nombreuses incertitudes qui rendent le bilan actuel de la nappe très incertain, à la fois sur les flux entrants et sortants. La surexploitation est nette et générale et aucune solution alternative simple n'apparaît. Le risque d'augmentation à long terme de la minéralisation existe mais ce problème est moins grave et moins immédiat que la baisse piézométrique

Effect of thiamethoxam on cockroach locomotor activity is associated with its metabolite clothianidin

BACKGROUND: In the present study, the effect of thiamethoxam and clothianidin on the locomotor activity of American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (L.), was evaluated. Because it has been proposed that thiamethoxam is metabolised to clothianidin, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used to evaluate the amount of clothianidin on thiamethoxam-treated cockroaches. RESULTS: One hour after neonicotinoid treatment, the time spent in the open-field-like apparatus significantly increased, suggesting a decrease in locomotor activity. The percentage of cockroaches displaying locomotor activity was significantly reduced 1 h after haemolymph application of 1 nmol g(-1) neonicotinoid, while no significant effect was found after topical and oral administration. However, at 24 and 48 h, all neonicotinoids were able to reduce locomotor activity, depending on their concentrations and the way they were applied. Interestingly, it was found that thiamethoxam was converted to clothianidin 1 h after application, but the amount of clothianidin did not rise proportionately to thiamethoxam, especially after oral administration. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that the effect of thiamethoxam on cockroach locomotor activity is due in part to clothianidin action because (1) thiamethoxam levels remained persistent 48 h after application and (2) the amount of clothianidin in cockroach tissues was consistent with the toxicity of thiamethoxam

Global Egr1-miRNAs Binding Analysis in PMA-Induced K562 Cells Using ChIP-Seq

Although much is known about microRNAs' regulation in gene expression and their contributions in cell fate, to date, globally lineage-(cell-) specific identification of the binding events between a transcription factor and its targeting microRNA genes is still waiting for elucidation. In this paper, we performed a ChIP-Seq experiment to find the targeting microRNA genes of a transcription factor, Egr1, in human erythroleukemia cell line K562. We found Egr1 binding sites near the promoters of 124 distinct microRNA genes, accounting for about 42% of the miRNAs which have high-confidence predicted promoters (294). We also found EGR1 bind to another 63 pre-miRNAs. We chose 12 of the 187 microRNAs with Egr1 binding sites to perform ChIP-PCR assays and the positive binding signal from ChIP-PCR confirmed the ChIP-Seq results. Our experiments provide the first global binding profile between Egr1 and its targeting microRNA genes in PMA-treated K562 cells, which may facilitate the understanding of pathways controlling microRNA biology in this specific cell line

Hydropower production benefits more from 1.5°C than 2°C climate scenario

Hydropower plays an important role as renewable and clean energy in the world's overall energy supply. Electricity generation from hydropower represented approximately 16.6% of the world's total electricity and 70% of all renewable electricity in 2015. Determining the different effects of 1.5°C and 2°C of global warming has become a hot spot in water resources research. However, there are still few studies on the impacts of different global warming levels on gross hydropower potential. This study used a coupled hydrological and techno‐economic model framework to assess hydropower production under global warming levels of 1.5°C and 2°C, while also considering gross hydropower potential, power consumption and economic factors. The results show that both global warming levels will have a positive impact on the hydropower production of a tropical island (Sumatra) relative to the historical period, however, the ratio of hydropower production versus power demand provided by 1.5°C of global warming is 40% higher than that provided by 2°C of global warming under RCP6.0. The power generation by hydropower plants shows incongruous changing trends with hydropower potential under the same global warming levels. This inconformity occurs because the optimal sites for hydropower plants were chosen by considering not only hydropower potential but also economic factors. In addition, the reduction in CO2 emissions under global warming of 1.5°C (39.06×106 t) is greater than that under global warming of 2°C (10.20×106 t), which reveals that global warming decreases the benefits necessary to relieve global warming levels. However, the hydropower generation and the reduction in CO2 emissions will be far less than the energy demand when protected areas are excluded as potential sites for hydropower plants, with a sharp decrease of 40‐80%. Thus, government policy‐makers should consider the tradeoff between hydropower generation and forest coverage area in nationally determined contributions

Family physician involvement in cancer care follow-up: the experience of a cohort of patients with lung cancer.

PURPOSE There has been little research describing the involvement of family physicians in the follow up of patients with cancer especially during the primary treatment phase We undertook a prospective longitudinal study of patients with lung cancer to assess their family physician s involvement in their follow up at the different phases of cancer METHODS In 5 hospitals in the province of Quebec Canada patients with a recent diagnosis of lung cancer were surveyed every 3 to 6 months whether they had metastasis or not, for a maximum of 18 months to assess aspects of their family physician s involvement in cancer care RESULTS Of the 395 participating patients 92% had a regular family physician but only 60% had been referred to a specialist by him/her or a colleague for the diagnosis of their lung cancer A majority of patients identified the oncology team or oncologists as mainly responsible for their cancer care throughout their cancer journey except at the advanced phase where a majority attributed this role to their family physician At baseline only 16% of patients perceived a shared care pattern between their family physician and oncologists but this pro portion increased with cancer progression Most patients would have liked their family physician to be more involved in all aspects of cancer care CONCLUSIONS Although patients perceive that the oncology team is the main party responsible for the follow up of their lung cancer they also wish their family physicians to be involved Better communication and collaboration between family physicians and the oncology team are needed to facilitate shared care in cancer follow u

Design of biobased supply chains on a life cycle basis: A bi-objective optimization model and a case study of biobased polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

Bioplastics are considered a sustainable alternative to (partly) substitute fossil-based plastics. Nevertheless, it is still uncertain if the use of biomass for the production of bioplastics can mitigate the environmental impact of fossil-based plastics and simultaneously provide economic benefits. An optimization model is proposed to design biobased supply chain networks that account for economic (total costs) and environmental (greenhouse gas emissions) criteria. Life cycle costing and life cycle assessment were used to evaluate the economic and environmental costs of the biobased polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production using sugar beet and wheat as feedstock. The 100% biobased PET production evidenced higher economic and environmental costs than the 30% biobased PET production. The feedstock selection played a key role, whereas the use of wheat for both 30% and 100% biobased PET had the highest costs and greenhouse gas emissions. It is highlighted that the economic performance of the biobased terephthalic acid (PTA) production, the feedstock selection (sugar beet), and the carbon tax scenario (>100 €/t CO2) are key parameters for designing a sustainable biobased PET supply chain