Top down, bottom up structured programming and program structuring

New design and programming techniques for shuttle software. Based on previous Apollo experience, recommendations are made to apply top-down structured programming techniques to shuttle software. New software verification techniques for large software systems are recommended. HAL, the higher order language selected for the shuttle flight code, is discussed and found to be adequate for implementing these techniques. Recommendations are made to apply the workable combination of top-down, bottom-up methods in the management of shuttle software. Program structuring is discussed relevant to both programming and management techniques

Simulación y control predictivo del sistema de transporte de gas en una gran zona industrial

El artículo describe un enfoque para el control operativo y de supervisión de un sistema de transmisión de gas para grandes zonas industriales utilizando un modelo de control predictivo, así como métodos analíticos y de simulación. El control operativo y de supervisión del sistema de transporte de gas cubre el horizonte temporal de varias horas a varios días e implica la realización de varias acciones cíclicamente repetidas. Los autores proponen un modelo predictivo de series de tiempo del parámetro de consumo de gas considerando las condiciones climáticas de temperatura, que se amplía con base en la contabilidad de las relaciones de correlación entre los volúmenes de consumo de cada consumidor. Los métodos de control utilizados en la actualidad, reaccionando a las desviaciones actuales del régimen planificado, a priori no permiten lograr los mejores resultados. Se puede lograr un aumento significativo en la estabilidad del control y una reducción en el costo del combustible y los recursos energéticos utilizando el método de control basado en modelos predictivos. En este caso, el modelo de objeto de control se utiliza para predecir su comportamiento dentro del horizonte de tiempo seleccionado, y las acciones de control óptimas se seleccionan sobre esta base. El proceso de predecir y seleccionar acciones de control se repite periódicamente, cambiando constantemente los límites del horizonte temporal. El método descrito para cambiar el diagrama de flujo consiste en cambiar todos los flujos al mismo tiempo o en una transición preventiva y suave basada en la introducción de un diagrama de flujo ponderado para varios modos estacionarios, siempre que su desajuste se minimice en intervalos de tiempo vecinos. correspondiente a los intervalos de constancia de las solicitudes de consumo

Intimal smooth muscle cells are a source but not a sensor of anti-inflammatory CYP450 derived oxylipins

AbstractVascular pathologies are associated with changes in the presence and expression of morphologically distinct vascular smooth muscle cells. In particular, in complex human vascular lesions and models of disease in pigs and rodents, an intimal smooth muscle cell (iSMC) which exhibits a stable epithelioid or rhomboid phenotype in culture is often found to be present in high numbers, and may represent the reemergence of a distinct developmental vascular smooth muscle cell phenotype. The CYP450-oxylipin - soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) pathway is currently of great interest in targeting for cardiovascular disease. sEH inhibitors limit the development of hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis and aneurysm formation in animal models. We have investigated the expression of CYP450-oxylipin-sEH pathway enzymes and their metabolites in paired intimal (iSMC) and medial (mSMC) cells isolated from rat aorta. iSMC basally released significantly larger amounts of epoxy-oxylipin CYP450 products from eicosapentaenoic acid > docosahexaenoic acid > arachidonic acid > linoleic acid, and expressed higher levels of CYP2C12, CYP2B1, but not CYP2J mRNA compared to mSMC. When stimulated with the pro-inflammatory TLR4 ligand LPS, epoxy-oxylipin production did not change greatly in iSMC. In contrast, LPS induced epoxy-oxylipin products in mSMC and induced CYP2J4. iSMC and mSMC express sEH which metabolizes primary epoxy-oxylipins to their dihydroxy-counterparts. The sEH inhibitors TPPU or AUDA inhibited LPS-induced NFκB activation and iNOS induction in mSMC, but had no effect on NFκB nuclear localization or inducible nitric oxide synthase in iSMC; effects which were recapitulated in part by addition of authentic epoxy-oxylipins. iSMCs are a rich source but not a sensor of anti-inflammatory epoxy-oxylipins. Complex lesions that contain high levels of iSMCs may be more resistant to the protective effects of sEH inhibitors

Oral Health Activities of Early Head Start and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Programs

Guidelines recommend that Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs (MSHS) address the dental needs of children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers. This study describes parent- and child-oriented oral health activities of North Carolina’s MSHS programs and compares them with non-migrant Early Head Start (EHS) programs using data collected from a questionnaire completed by teachers and family services staff. MSHS staff reported engaging in more oral health activities than EHS staff, which was confirmed by results of logit and ordered logit regression models. Despite promising findings about the engagement of MSHS staff, participation in oral health activities is lower than recommended. Differences between EHS and MSHS programs might be due to differing needs of enrolled children and families or to different approaches to meeting the needs of families

Mechanistic definition of the cardiovascular mPGES-1/COX-2/ADMA axis

Aims: Cardiovascular side effects caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which all inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, have prevented development of new drugs that target prostaglandins to treat inflammation and cancer. Microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) inhibitors have efficacy in the NSAID arena but their cardiovascular safety is not known. Our previous work identified asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an inhibitor of eNOS, as a potential biomarker of cardiovascular toxicity associated with blockade of COX-2. Here we have used pharmacological tools and genetically modified mice to delineate mPGES-1 and COX-2 in the regulation of ADMA. Methods and Results: Inhibition of COX-2 but not mPGES-1 deletion resulted in increased plasma ADMA levels. mPGES-1 deletion but not COX-2 inhibition resulted in increased plasma prostacyclin levels. These differences were explained by distinct compartmentalisation of COX-2 and mPGES-1 in the kidney. Data from prostanoid synthase/receptor knockout mice showed that the COX-2/ADMA axis is controlled by prostacyclin receptors (IP and PPARβ/δ) and the inhibitory PGE2 receptor EP4, but not other PGE2 receptors. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that inhibition of mPGES-1 spares the renal COX-2/ADMA pathway and define mechanistically how COX-2 regulates ADMA

Oral Health Activities of Early Head Start Teachers Directed toward Children and Parents

Objectives—This cross-sectional study examined Early Head Start (EHS) teachers’ oral health program activities and their association with teacher and program characteristics. Methods—Self-complete questionnaires were distributed to staff in all EHS programs in North Carolina. Variables for dental health activities for parents (4 items) and children (4 items) were constructed as the sum of responses to a 0-4 Likert-type scale (never to very frequently). Ordinary least squares regression models examined the association between teachers’ oral health program activities and modifiable teacher (oral health knowledge, values, self-efficacy, dental health training, perceived barriers to dental activities) and program (director and health coordinator knowledge and perceived barriers to dental activities) characteristics. Results—Teachers in the parent (n=260) and child (n=231) analyses were a subset of the 485 staff respondents (98% response rate). Teachers engaged in child oral health activities (range=0-16; mean=9.0) more frequently than parent activities (range=0-16; mean=6.9). Teachers’ oral health values, perceived oral health self-efficacy, dental training, and director and health coordinator knowledge were positively associated with oral health activities (P<0.05). Perceived barriers were negatively associated with child activities (P<0.05). Conclusion—The level of oral health activity in EHS programs is less than optimal. Several characteristics of EHS staff were identified that can be targeted with education interventions. Evidence for effectiveness of EHS interventions needs to be strengthened, but results of this survey provide encouraging findings about the potential effects of teacher training on their oral health practices