A BIOCHEMICAL MULTI-SPECIES QUALITY MODEL OF A DRINKING WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR SIMULATION AND DESIGN

Drinking Water Distribution Systems (DWDSs) play a key role in sustainable development of modern society. They are classified as critical infrastructure systems. This imposes a large set of highly demanding requirements on the DWDS operation and requires dedicated algorithms for on-line monitoring and control to tackle related problems. Requirements on DWDS availability restrict the usability of the real plant in the design phase. Thus, a proper model is crucial. Within this paper a DWDS multi-species quality model for simulation and design is derived. The model is composed of multiple highly inter-connected modules which are introduced to represent chemical and biological species and (above all) their interactions. The chemical part includes the processes of chloramine decay with additional bromine catalysis and reaction with nitrogen compounds. The biological part consists of both heterotrophic and chemo-autotrophic bacteria species. The heterotrophic bacteria are assumed to consume assimilable organic carbon. Autotrophs are ammonia oxidizing bacteria and nitrite oxidizing bacteria species which are responsible for nitrification processes. Moreover, Disinfection By-Products (DBPs) are also considered. Two numerical examples illustrate the derived model’s behaviour in normal and disturbance operational states

Young women's use of a microbicide surrogate: The complex influence of relationship characteristics and perceived male partners' evaluations

This is the post-print version of the article. The official published version can be found at the link below.Currently in clinical trials, vaginal microbicides are proposed as a female-initiated method of sexually transmitted infection prevention. Much of microbicide acceptability research has been conducted outside of the United States and frequently without consideration of the social interaction between sex partners, ignoring the complex gender and power structures often inherent in young women’s (heterosexual) relationships. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to build on existing microbicide research by exploring the role of male partners and relationship characteristics on young women’s use of a microbicide surrogate, an inert vaginal moisturizer (VM), in a large city in the United States. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 young women (18–23 years old; 85% African American; 47.5% mothers) following use of the VM during coital events for a 4 week period. Overall, the results indicated that relationship dynamics and perceptions of male partners influenced VM evaluation. These two factors suggest that relationship context will need to be considered in the promotion of vaginal microbicides. The findings offer insights into how future acceptability and use of microbicides will be influenced by gendered power dynamics. The results also underscore the importance of incorporating men into microbicide promotion efforts while encouraging a dialogue that focuses attention on power inequities that can exist in heterosexual relationships. Detailed understanding of these issues is essential for successful microbicide acceptability, social marketing, education, and use.This study was funded by a grant from National Institutes of Health (NIHU19AI 31494) as well as research awards to the first author: Friends of the Kinsey Institute Research Grant Award, Indiana University’s School of HPER Graduate Student Grant-in-Aid of Research Award, William L. Yarber Sexual Health Fellowship, and the Indiana University Graduate and Professional Student Organization Research Grant

Increasing the Effectiveness of Vaginal Microbicides: A Biophysical Framework to Rethink Behavioral Acceptability

Microbicide candidates delivered via gel vehicles are intended to coat the vaginal epithelium after application. The coating process depends on intrinsic biophysical properties of the gel texture, which restricts the potential choices for an effective product: the gel first must be physically synthesizable, then acceptable to the user, and finally applied in a manner promoting timely adequate coating, so that the user adherence is optimized. We present a conceptual framework anchoring microbicide behavioral acceptability within the fulfillment of the product biophysical requirements.We conducted a semi-qualitative/quantitative study targeting women aged 18-55 in Northern California to assess user preferences for microbicide gel attributes. Attributes included: (i) the wait time between application and intercourse, (ii) the gel texture and (iii) the trade-off between wait time and gel texture. Wait times were assessed using a mathematical model determining coating rates depending upon the gel's physical attributes.71 women participated. Results suggest that women would independently prefer a gel spreading rapidly, in 2 to 15 minutes (P<0.0001), as well as one that is thick or slippery (P<0.02). Clearly, thick gels do not spread rapidly; hence the motivation to study the trade-off. When asked the same question 'constrained' by the biophysical reality, women indicated no significant preference for a particular gel thickness (and therefore waiting time) (P>0.10) for use with a steady partner, a preference for a watery gel spreading rapidly rather than one having intermediate properties for use with a casual partner (P = 0.024).Biophysical constraints alter women's preferences regarding acceptable microbicide attributes. Product developers should offer a range of formulations in order to address all preferences. We designed a conceptual framework to rethink behavioral acceptability in terms of biophysical requirements that can help improve adherence in microbicide use ultimately enhancing microbicide effectiveness

Architecture, qualité et lignes de produits : établissement d'une architecture de référence dans un domaine applicatif: établissement d'une architecture de référence dans un domaine applicatif

Dans un même domaine fonctionnel, il peut exister de nombreux systèmes aux fonctions très proches. Seules les exigences non fonctionnelles et certaines contraintes vont apporter certains points de variations à ces applications. Dans la pratique, il en résulte des solutions architecturales différentes pour résoudre des problèmes proches. Le génie logiciel aborde donc ces problèmes liés à la conception et au développement de lignes ou de familles de produits, à la recherche d’économie de temps et de coûts par la planification de la réutilisation de composants logiciels.Dans ce contexte, ce mémoire a pour objectif d'expérimenter la méthode élaborée par l'équipe de chercheurs en collaboration avec le professeur Levy pour l'établissement d'une architecture de référence d'une famille de produits, tout en garantissant la qualité des systèmes développés. Le but de la méthode proposée est de valoriser les connaissances acquises pour la conception de nouveaux systèmes proches. Elle donne des outils pour gérer les exigences et la variabilité des systèmes sur des bases formelles, par des matrices de connectivité.Ce mémoire cherche à illustrer les avantages et inconvénients apportés par la méthode en l'appliquant à une étude de cas, tout en proposant des outils pour faciliter sa mise en oeuvre

Left ventricular ejection fraction, left atrial size, BMI correlation with atrial fibrillation recurrence frequency and anticoagulant prescribing trends according to the CHA2DS2-VASc scale.

Aim: to evaluate the left ventricular ejection fraction, left atrial size, BMI relationship with atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence frequency, and anticoagulant prescribing trends according to the CHA2DS2-VASc scale score.Objectives of the study: to determine the relationship between the left ventricular ejection fraction, the left atrial (LA) size, the body mass index, and the frequency of episodes of atrial fibrillation. To evaluate the relationship between the CHA2DS2-VASc scale score and the administration of anticoagulants after the episode of AF.Methods: retrospective analysis of data on patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Evaluated: atrial fibrillation frequency per year, BMI, CHA2DS2-VASc scale score, prescription of anticoagulant after atrial fibrillation episode. Cardiac echoscopy data: left atrium diameter, left ventricular ejection fraction. Results: 120 patients with atrial fibrillation, hypertension and ischemic heart disease were included in the study. Among them there were 47 men and 73 women. 23 (19.2%) patients had normal weight, 97 (80.2%) were overweight or obese. For the majority of subjects (52, 43.3%), atrial fibrillation occurred once or less a year, 48 (40%) - two or three times a year, 18 (15%) - five or six times a year, and 2 (1.7%) - more than six times a year. The scores of the CHA2DS2-VASc scale ranged from 1 to 7. 83 (69.2%) patients received anticoagulants after the episode of AF. Preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (IF>50%) was diagnosed in 88 (73,3%) patients. Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (IF≤50%) was found in 32 (26,7%) subjects. The average LA size was 42.12 mm. LA size ≥50 mm was found in 22 (18,3%) patients and LA size 0,05). An increase in CHA2DS2-VASc scale score was associated with more frequent prescription of anticoagulants after AF episode (p<0,05)

Mathematical model of quadrocopter for control design purposes

Celem pracy jest budowa użytkowego modelu matematycznego quadrocoptera (QC) z uwzględnieniem urządzeń wykonawczych (UW) oraz identyfikacja jego parametrów. Zadanie identyfikacji sprowadzono do rozwiązania trzech zadań optymalizacji. Wynikiem prac jest model QC uwzględniający wpływ zmian napięcia zasilania na działanie UW.The goal of the paper is to deliver the utility model of quadcopter (QC) dynamics. The focus is on including the information of powersource voltage drop in actuator system model and its parameter identification. The identification problem is initially set up as an optimisation task in function space due to the impact of the actuators. Under the stated assumptions regarding the actuator system model the identification problem is consequently decomposed into three independent optimisation tasks defined in the model parameter space. The designed laboratory experiments deliver inputoutput data sets used to solve the proposed optimisation tasks. Solving the optimisation tasks results in an utility model for control design purposes that encompasses the nonlinearity of the actuator system and the effects of the powersource voltage drop. The latter is obtained by interpolation of the discrete results into the continuous voltage domain by line fitting under the stated assumption. The obtained model features are considered key factors for the control system design to follow in the future work

Stability of Softly Switched Multiregional Dynamic Output Controllers with a Static Antiwindup Filter: a Discrete-Time Case

This paper addresses the problem of model-based global stability analysis of discrete-time Takagi–Sugeno multiregional dynamic output controllers with static antiwindup filters. The presented analyses are reduced to the problem of a feasibility study of the Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs), derived based on Lyapunov stability theory. Two sets of LMIs are considered candidate derived from the classical common quadratic Lyapunov function, which may in some cases be too conservative, and a fuzzy Lyapunov function candidate, which has been proven to significantly reduce the conservatism level, although at the cost of increasing the number of LMIs. Two numerical examples illustrate the main result