Model Checking Unbounded Artifact-Centric Systems

Copyright © 2014, Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (www.aaai.org). All rights reserved.Artifact-centric systems are a recent paradigm for representing and implementing business processes. We present further results on the verification problem of artifact-centric systems specified by means of FO-CTL specifications. While the general problem is known to be undecidable, results in the literature prove decidability for artifact systems with infinite domains under boundedness and conditions such as uniformity. We here follow a different approach and investigate the general case with infinite domains. We show decidability of the model checking problem for the class of artifact-centric systems whose database schemas consist of a single unary relation, and we show that that the problem is undecidable if artifact systems are defined by using one binary relation or two unary relations

A physical activity intervention for children with type 1 diabetes- steps to active kids with diabetes (STAK-D): a feasibility study

Background This study describes the development and feasibility evaluation of a physical activity intervention for children with type 1 diabetes called ‘Steps to Active Kids with Diabetes’ (STAK-D). It aims to explore the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention and study design. Methods Thirteen children aged 9-11 years and their parents were recruited from one paediatric diabetes clinic. A process evaluation was conducted alongside a two-arm randomised feasibility trial, including assessment of rate of recruitment, adherence, retention, data completion and burden, implementation fidelity and adverse events. Qualitative interviews with children (n=9), parents (n=8), healthcare professionals (n=3) and STAK-D volunteers (n=8) explored intervention acceptability. Interviews were analysed thematically. Results Rate of recruitment was 25%, with 77% retention at 3-month follow-up. Study burden was low, data completion was high and the intervention was delivered as per protocol. No serious adverse event was reported. Engagement with intervention materials was generally good, but attendance at group activity sessions was low due to logistical barriers. Interview analysis identified preferred methods of recruitment, motivations for recruitment, barriers and facilitators to adherence, the experience of data collection, experience of the STAK-D programme and its perceived benefits. Conclusions STAK-D was feasible and acceptable to children, their parents and healthcare professionals, but group sessions may present logistical issues. Recruitment and retention may be improved with a clinic-wide approach to recruitment. Trial registration This trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02144337 (16/01/2014). Keywords Children, feasibility study, intervention, paediatric diabetes, physical activity, process evaluation, self-efficacy, type 1 diabete

Virtual Reality and Anxiety Disorders Treatment: Evolution and Future Perspectives

Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that allows the simulation of different real-life situations on a tridimensional computer-generated environment where the user can interact with the environment as if he/she were the real world. VR has potential as an exposure technique for treating anxiety disorders because VR and real objects have similar characteristics, which creates the illusion that the user is immersed and engaged with objects in the real world. Regarding the efficacy of using virtual reality exposure-based therapy (VR-EBT), for more than two decades, there has been sufficient empirical evidence regarding VR-EBT for treating anxiety disorders. Finally, this chapter ends with some directions and perspectives for future VR-EBT developments and treatments protocols

The life cycle approach in creation of eco-innovative solutions

W publikacji przedstawione zostało teoretyczne podejście do zarządzania środowiskowego oparte na ocenie aspektów środowiskowych innowacyjnych rozwiązań technologicznych, produktów i usług w pełnym cyklu ich życia. Stosowanie tego podejścia na wczesnym etapie kreowania rozwiązań innowacyjnych, jest bardzo przydatne w ocenie ich jakości środowiskowej. Zostało ono sprawdzone w praktyce na przykładzie oceny technologii produkcji bardzo wytrzymałego kompozytu posiadającego podwyższone własności przewodzenia termicznego. Wykorzystanie tego podejścia pozwoliło na określenie oddziaływań środowiskowych nowej technologii w odniesieniu do istniejących rozwiązań oraz zidentyfikowanie kluczowych czynników wpływających na jakość środowiskową zaprojektowanego materiału kompozytowego.The publication presents the theoretical approach to environmental management based on the assessment of environmental aspects of innovative technological solutions, products and services in their full life cycle. Applying this approach at an early stage of technologies development is very useful in assessing their environmental quality. The Life Cycle Approach has been tested in practice on the example of assessment of the production of innovative, very durable composite material with increased thermal conduction properties. The use of this approach allowed to determine the environmental impacts of new material in relation to existing technological solutions and to identify key factors affecting environmental quality of composite material

Comparative studies of lubricating and insulating properties of mould powder at the Pokoj steelworks

26.00; Translated from Polish (Hutnik (Katowice) 1987 v. 54(6) p. 164-169)Available from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:9022.06(BISI-Trans--26546)T / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo