Identification of the transition rule in a modified cellular automata model: the case of dendritic NH4Br crystal growth

A method of identifying the transition rule, encapsulated in a modified cellular automata (CA) model, is demonstrated using experimentally observed evolution of dendritic crystal growth patterns in NH4Br crystals. The influence of the factors, such as experimental set-up and image pre-processing, colour and size calibrations, on the method of identification are discussed in detail. A noise reduction parameter and the diffusion velocity of the crystal boundary are also considered. The results show that the proposed method can in principle provide a good representation of the dendritic growth anisotropy of any system

Identification of excitable media using a scalar coupled map lattice model

The identification problem for excitable media is investigated in this paper. A new scalar coupled map lattice (SCML) model is introduced and the orthogonal least squares algorithm is employed to determinate the structure of the SCML model and to estimate the associated parameters. A simulated pattern and a pattern observed directly from a real Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction are identified. The identified SCML models are shown to possess almost the same local dynamics as the original systems and are able to provide good long term predictions

Spatio-temporal modelling of wave formation in an excitable chemical medium based on a revised FitzHugh-Nagumo model

The wavefront profile and the propagation velocity of waves in an experimentally observed Belousov-Zhabotinskii reaction are analyzed and a revised FitzHumgh-Nagumo(FHN) model of these systems is identified. The ratio between the excitation period and the recovery period, for a solitary wave are studied, and included within the model. Averaged travelling velocities at different spatial positions are shown to be consistent under the same experimental conditions. The relationship between the propagation velocity and the curvature of the wavefront are also studied to deduce the diffusion coefficient in the model, which is a function of the curvature of the wavefront and not a constant. The application of the identified model is demonstrated on real experimental data and validated using multi-step ahead predictions

Leiomyosarcoma of the Mesentery

The mesentery is a common site of metastasis from gastrointestinal, pancreatic, and biliary cancers. Primary mesenteric cancers are rare and usually mesenchymal and benign. Mesenteric leiomyosarcoma is a rare, malignant smooth muscle sarcoma with an incidence of 1:350000. It usually arises from the vasculature of the mesentery. The ileum of the small bowel is the most common site of origin. Due to its low incidence, preoperative diagnosis is difficult. This is a report of a 71-year-old woman who presented with several months of a lower abdominal mass and recent onset of associated abdominal discomfort. An earlier colonoscopy 8 months previously was unremarkable. A recent abdominal and pelvic computed tomography scan revealed a necrotic mass in the central mesentery. She underwent surgical resection of the mass to include the overlying segment of the small intestine and had an uneventful convalescence. Mesenteric leiomyosarcoma is a rare tumor that is diagnosed based on histological examination with immunohistochemistry. As a result, there is minimal information on its clinical presentation, pathology, and treatment

Induction and Amplification of Non-Newtonian Gravitational Fields

One obtains a Maxwell-like structure of gravitation by applying the weak-field approximation to the well accepted theory of general relativity or by extending Newton's laws to time-dependent systems. This splits gravity in two parts, namely a gravitoelectric and gravitomagnetic (or cogravitational) one. Due to the obtained similar structure between gravitation and electromagnetism, one can express one field by the other one using a coupling constant depending on the mass to charge ratio of the field source. Calculations of induced gravitational fields using state-of-the-art fusion plasmas reach only accelerator threshold values for laboratory testing. Possible amplification mechanisms are mentioned in the literature and need to be explored. The possibility of using the principle of equivalence in the weak field approximation to induce non-Newtonian gravitational fields and the influence of electric charge on the free fall of bodies are also investigated, leading to some additional experimental recommendations

Más allá de la accesibilidad física: la influencia de la comunicación digital y el uso de la tecnología sobre el turismo: análisis bibliométrico

En los últimos años el incremento de la digitalización en la sociedad, supone un reto para que cualquier persona independientemente de su discapacidad, pudiera desenvolverse en este medio sin ningún tipo de barreras tecnológicas. La información accesible se convierte en otra barrera para el viajero con alguna discapacidad en el momento de la planificación de un viaje. Por lo tanto, la comunicación y la información disponible mediante las nuevas tecnologías, contribuyen a que la experiencia turística sea más accesible y satisfaga las necesidades en lo que se define como “Turismo para todos”. Por ello, el principal objetivo de esta investigación es realizar un análisis bibliométrico a través de Web of Science (WoS) sobre los artículos publicados relacionados con la influencia de la comunicación digital y el uso de la tecnología en el turismo. Se ha analizado un total de 290 artículos, mediante el programa VOSviewer y SciMAT.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Intratumoral Injection of Propionibacterium acnes Suppresses Malignant Melanoma by Enhancing Th1 Immune Responses

Malignant melanoma (MM) is an aggressive cutaneous malignancy associated with poor prognosis; many putatively therapeutic agents have been administered, but with mostly unsuccessful results. Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) is an aerotolerant anaerobic gram-positive bacteria that causes acne and inflammation. After being engulfed and processed by phagocytes, P. acnes induces a strong Th1-type cytokine immune response by producing cytokines such as IL-12, IFN-γ and TNF-α. The characteristic Th2-mediated allergic response can be counteracted by Th1 cytokines induced by P. acnes injection. This inflammatory response induced by P. acnes has been suggested to have antitumor activity, but its effect on MM has not been fully evaluated

Noncutaneous malignant melanoma: a prognostic model from a retrospective multicenter study

Abstract Background We performed multicenter study to define clinical characteristics of noncutaneous melanomas and to establish prognostic factors patients who received curative resection. Methods Of the 141 patients who were diagnosed of non-cutaneous melanoma at 4 institutions in Korea between June 1992 and May 2005, 129 (91.5%) satisfied the selection criteria. Results Of the 129 noncutaneous melanoma patients, 14 patients had ocular melanoma and 115 patients had mucosal melanoma. For mucosal melanoma, anorectum was the most common anatomic site (n = 39, 30.2%) which was followed by nasal cavity (n = 30, 23.3%), genitourinary (n = 21, 16.3%), oral cavity (n = 14, 10.9%), upper gastrointestinal tract (n = 6, 4.7%) and maxillary sinus (n = 5, 3.9%) in the order of frequency. With the median 64.5 (range 4.3-213.0) months follow-up, the median overall survival were 24.4 months (95% CI 13.2-35.5) for all patients, and 34.6 (95% CI 24.5-44.7) months for curatively resected mucosal melanoma patients. Adverse prognostic factors of survival for 87 curatively resected mucosal melanoma patients were complete resection (R1 resection margin), and age > 50 years. For 14 ocular melanoma, Survival outcome was much better than mucosal melanoma with 73.3% of 2 year OS and 51.2 months of median OS (P = .04). Conclusion Prognosis differed according to primary sites of noncutaneous melanoma. Based on our study, noncutaneous melanoma patients should be treated differently to improve survival outcome.Peer Reviewe

Elucidating the Mechanism of Fatigue Crack Acceleration Following the Occurrence of an Underload

Fatigue Crack Growth Rate (FCGR) is altered by a single anomalous load exceeding cyclic maximum (Overload) or compressive load below cyclic minimum (Underload). The authors study fatigue crack acceleration due to a single compressive Underload using residual stress mapping (by synchrotron XRD) and crack closure analysis (by DIC). The relative influence and duration of these two principal causes of FCGR alteration are revealed. Validated FEA model is used for parametric analysis of the effect of baseline cyclic loading ratio and magnitude of Underload on the cyclic J-integral.</p