An evaluation of OMG SysML 1.0a standard conformance between modelling tools

The SysML is a recent introduction to modelling languages for the systems engineering domain. Modelling tools are offering support for its notation. Studies related to the UML have indicated that modelling tools lack compliance to the UML language. This issue may apply equally to the SysML and the aim of this research is to investigate that language compliance issue. The first phase of this research is concerned with the compliance of current modelling tools to the SysML l.0a Final Adopted Specification (PAS). It consists of a comparative evaluation of candidate tools based on an ideal framework derived from the language specification. The second research phase consists of an interpretive evaluation. It is concerned with the ability of SysML modelling tools to consistently represent a modelling problem and this problem is derived from the language specification. This research may benefit future studies in the field of modelling tool evaluations, particularly studies on the effects of modelling tools with varying compliance to the SysML specification

The development and assessment of behavioural markers to support counter-IED training

This article describes the method used to develop and test a checklist of behavioural markers designed to support UK military forces during Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) training. IEDs represent a significant threat to UK and allied forces. Effective C-IED procedures and techniques are central to reducing risk to life in this safety critical role. Behavioural markers have been developed to characterise and assess non-technical skills which have been shown to be important in maintaining high performance in other safety critical domains. The aims of this study were two-fold. Firstly to develop a method which could be used to capture and assess operationally relevant behavioural markers for use in C-IED training relating primarily to non-technical skills. Secondly, to test the user acceptance of the behavioural marker checklist during military training activities. Through engagement with military subject matter experts, operationally relevant and observable behaviours seen in C-IED training have been identified and their links to stronger and weaker performance have been established. Using a card-sort technique, the content validity of each of the markers was assessed in addition to their detectability in an operational context. Following this assessment, a selection of the most operationally relevant and detectable behaviours were assimilated into a checklist and this checklist was tested in C-IED training activities. The results of the study show that the method used was effective in generating and assessing the behavioural markers using military subject matter experts. The study also broadly supports the utility and user-acceptance of the use of behavioural markers during training activities. The checklist developed using this methodology will provide those responsible for delivering instruction in C-IED techniques and procedures with a straightforward process for identifying good and poor performance with respect to non-technical skills. In addition it will provide a basis for the provision of focussed feedback to trainees during debrief

Mapping for Maternal and Newborn Health: The Distributions of Women of Childbearing Age, Pregnancies and Births.

The health and survival of women and their new-born babies in low income countries has been a key priority in public health since the 1990s. However, basic planning data, such as numbers of pregnancies and births, remain difficult to obtain and information is also lacking on geographic access to key services, such as facilities with skilled health workers. For maternal and newborn health and survival, planning for safer births and healthier newborns could be improved by more accurate estimations of the distributions of women of childbearing age. Moreover, subnational estimates of projected future numbers of pregnancies are needed for more effective strategies on human resources and infrastructure, while there is a need to link information on pregnancies to better information on health facilities in districts and regions so that coverage of services can be assessed. This paper outlines demographic mapping methods based on freely available data for the production of high resolution datasets depicting estimates of numbers of people, women of childbearing age, live births and pregnancies, and distribution of comprehensive EmONC facilities in four large high burden countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Tanzania. Satellite derived maps of settlements and land cover were constructed and used to redistribute areal census counts to produce detailed maps of the distributions of women of childbearing age. Household survey data, UN statistics and other sources on growth rates, age specific fertility rates, live births, stillbirths and abortions were then integrated to convert the population distribution datasets to gridded estimates of births and pregnancies.These estimates, which can be produced for current, past or future years based on standard demographic projections, can provide the basis for strategic intelligence, planning services, and provide denominators for subnational indicators to track progress. The datasets produced are part of national midwifery workforce assessments conducted in collaboration with the respective Ministries of Health and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to identify disparities between population needs, health infrastructure and workforce supply. The datasets are available to the respective Ministries as part of the UNFPA programme to inform midwifery workforce planning and also publicly available through the WorldPop population mapping project

Pim kinases phosphorylate multiple sites on Bad and promote 14-3-3 binding and dissociation from Bcl-X(L)

BACKGROUND: Pim-1, 2 and 3 are a group of enzymes related to the calcium calmodulin family of protein kinases. Over-expression of Pim-1 and Pim-2 in mice promotes the development of lymphomas, and up-regulation of Pim expression has been observed in several human cancers. RESULTS: Here we show that the pim kinases are constitutively active when expressed in HEK-293 cells and are able to phosphorylate the Bcl-2 family member Bad on three residues, Ser112, Ser136 and Ser155 in vitro and in cells. In vitro mapping showed that Pim-2 predominantly phosphorylated Ser112, while Pim-1 phosphorylated Ser112, but also Ser136 and Ser155 at a reduced rate compared to Ser112. Pim-3 was found to be the least specific for Ser112, and the most effective at phosphorylating Ser136 and Ser155. Pim-3 was also able to phosphorylate other sites in Bad in vitro, including Ser170, another potential in vivo site. Mutation of Ser136 to alanine prevented the phosphorylation of Ser112 and Ser155 by Pim kinases in HEK-293 cells, suggesting that this site must be phosphorylated first in order to make the other sites accessible. Pim phosphorylation of Bad was also found to promote the 14-3-3 binding of Bad and block its association with Bcl-X(L). CONCLUSION: All three Pim kinase family members predominantly phosphorylate Bad on Ser112 and in addition are capable of phosphorylating Bad on multiple sites associated with the inhibition of the pro-apoptotic function of Bad in HEK-293 cells. This would be consistent with the proposed function of Pim kinases in promoting cell proliferation and preventing cell death

Development of a CHO production medium utilizing proteomic and metabolomics analysis

productivity. Metabolomics and proteomic analysis was conducted on two medium formulations with disparate growth and production characteristics. Medium formulation 1 (M1) demonstrates moderate peak VCD with a high specific productivity (qP) over a 14 day growth performance assay utilizing a recombinant IgG producing CHO-S cell line and DG44 cell line. Medium formulation 2 (M2) demonstrates a high peak VCD with moderate qP under the same conditions and cell line. A comparative analysis of metabolite abundance and enzyme regulation identified that M1 had greater flux in the sorbitol pathway verses glycolysis, the TCA cycle was upregulated to a greater degree than M2. A Design of Experiment (DoE) study was developed to increase the specific productivity of M1 without decreasing the VCD to M2 levels resulting in a superior volumetric titer. Simultaneously, we utilized traditional empirical approaches to increase the qP of M2 in a parallel set of experiments. We describe here the path to develop the medium, metabolic and proteomic pathways which were found to be important, and a comparison of results based on the traditional empirical path verses the hypothesis based advanced cellular analytics path

Parvovirus B19 infection in sickle cell disease: An analysis from the Centers for Disease Control haemoglobinopathy blood surveillance project

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155921/1/tme12671_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155921/2/tme12671.pd

The effect of oxygenate fuels on PN emissions from a highly boosted GDI engine

Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines are increasingly available in the market. Such engines are known to emit more Particulate Matter (PM) than their port-fuel injected predecessors. There is also a widespread use of oxygenate fuels in the market, up to blends of E85, and their impact on PN emissions is widely studied. However the impact of oxygenate fuels on PN emissions from downsized, and hence highly-boosted engines is not known. In this work, PN emissions from a highly boosted engine capable of running at up to 35 bar Brake Mean Effective Pressure (BMEP) have been measured from a baseline gasoline and three different oxygenate fuels (E20, E85, and GEM – a blend of gasoline, ethanol, and methanol) using a DMS500. The engine has been run at four different operating points, and a number of engine parameters relevant to highly-boosted engines (such as EGR, exhaust back pressure, and lambda) have been tested – the PN emissions and size distributions have been measured from all of these. The results show that the oxygenate content of the fuel has a very large impact on its PN emissions, with E85 giving low levels of PN emissions across the operating range, and GEM giving very low and extremely high levels of PN emissions depending on operating point. These results have been analysed and related back to key fuel properties

Health literacy and its association with adherence in pediatric liver transplant recipients and their parents

ObjectiveNon- adherence to pediatric regimens is a common concern. Low health literacy is correlated with poor outcomes in adults but is understudied in pediatrics. The current project aimed to determine the relationship between health literacy, adherence, and outcomes in pediatric liver transplant recipients. Hypotheses included a) parent and patient health literacy would be positively correlated; and b) low patient and/or parent health literacy would be negatively correlated with adherence and health outcomes.Patients and MethodsEligible participants were recruited during routine follow- up visits in a pediatric liver transplant clinic. Parents and patients (>13 years old) completed 2 measures of health literacy. Patients - ¥18 years completed health literacy measures without corresponding parent surveys. Adherence variables and health outcomes were obtained from medical records.ResultsSeventy- nine patients across two sites completed the study. Variance in classification of health literacy between measures was observed; however, most parents (82%- 100%) scored within an - adequate literacy- range. More adolescents scored in lower health literacy ranges relative to the parents. Markers of SES were positively correlated with health literacy. Parent health literacy was negatively associated with biopsy- proven rejection episodes and the number of hospitalizations; however, it was not associated with measures of tacrolimus adherence. There were no relationships observed between parent and adolescent health literacy.ConclusionsHealth literacy is an important consideration in managing patient care; however, available measures demonstrate variability in capturing the skills of patients. Effective communication strategies may ameliorate admittedly small, but negative, impacts of limited health literacy on outcomes.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156215/2/petr13726_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156215/1/petr13726.pd