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The relationship between exhaled volatile organic compounds and lung function change in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Get PDFVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath have shown promise as biomarkers in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We analysed breath from 57 people with IPF using thermal desorption–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry to identify VOCs related to lung function change over 12 months. A LASSO regression model selected 63 VOCs associated with relative change in forced vital capacity (8 with correlation coefficient (CC) ≥0.20 on Spearman’s rank analysis), and 28 associated with relative change in diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide % predicted (12 with CC ≥0.20). Secondary analyses demonstrated a correlation between VOCs and baseline lung function parameters and association with survival. This study suggests that there may be a volatile signature of prognosis in IPF that merits further validation
Search for the anomalous events detected by ANITA using the Pierre Auger Observatory
Get PDFA dedicated search for upward-going air showers at zenith angles exceeding 110° and energies E>0.1 EeV has been performed using the Fluorescence Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The search is motivated by two “anomalous” radio pulses observed by the ANITA flights I and III that appear inconsistent with the standard model of particle physics. Using simulations of both regular cosmic-ray showers and upward-going events, a selection procedure has been defined to separate potential upward-going candidate events and the corresponding exposure has been calculated in the energy range [0.1–33] EeV. One event has been found in the search period between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2018, consistent with an expected background of 0.27 ± 0.12 events from misreconstructed cosmic-ray showers. This translates to an upper bound on the integral flux of (7.2±0.2)×10[sup]−21 cm[sup]−2 sr[sup]−1 y[sup]−1 and (3.6±0.2)×10−20 cm[sup]−2 sr[sup]−1 y[sup]−1 for an E[sup]−1 and E[sup]−2 spectrum, respectively. An upward-going flux of showers normalized to the ANITA observations is shown to predict over 34 events for an E[sup]−3 spectrum and over 8.1 events for a conservative E[sup]−5 spectrum, in strong disagreement with the interpretation of the anomalous events as upward-going showers
Raziskovanje vloge odprtih izobraževalnih praks pri preoblikovanju podobe izobraževanja odraslih v regiji Ohangwena v Namibiji
Get PDFNamibia was colonised for more than 30 years until early 1989 when it gained its independence. As many adults do not get opportunity to get formal education. Soon after independence the National Literacy Programme of Namibia was introduced to provide a basic literacy and numeracy to individuals who missed out of education during liberation struggle. Up to date, the adult literacy programmes were as it was introduced in 1992 without much improvement. Limited access, materials and inflexible schedules are significant barriers. Open Educational Practices (OEP) are recognised globally as means to improve delivery, practices, and quality of adult education. This study aims to explores open educational practices on how it can transform adult education by creating access, improve programmess through open educational resources and open education policies. The study used mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative and focus group discussion on data collection. The findings indicate that open educational practices can effectively improve adult education programmes in Namibia by providing flexible, inclusive, market-driven curricula accessible to various learning opportunities. The study proposed innovative technological approaches through open educational practices to use mobile learning applications, e-learning practices, blended learning and learning management systems to transform adult education and lifelong learning in Namibia.Namibija je bila kolonizirana več kot 30 let, dokler ni leta 1989 pridobila neodvisnosti. Ker številni odrasli niso imeli možnosti pridobiti formalne izobrazbe, je bila kmalu po osamosvojitvi uveden Nacionalni program pismenosti Namibije, ki je posameznikom, ki so izgubili izobrazbo med osvobodilnim bojem, zagotovil osnovno pismenost in znanje računanja. Do danes so bili programi za odrasle, kot so bili uvedeni leta 1992, brez večjih izboljšav. Omejen dostop, materiali in nefleksibilni urniki so pomembne ovire. Odprte izobraževalne prakse (OEP) so svetovno priznane kot sredstvo za izboljšanje izvajanja, praks in kakovosti izobraževanja odraslih. Namen te študije je raziskati odprte izobraževalne prakse o tem, kako lahko preoblikujejo izobraževanje odraslih s ustvarjanjem dostopa, izboljšanjem programov z odprtimi izobraževalnimi viri in politikami odprtega izobraževanja. V študiji so bile uporabljene mešane metode kvantitativnih in kvalitativnih ter fokusnih skupin za zbiranje podatkov. Ugotovitve kažejo, da lahko odprte izobraževalne prakse učinkovito izboljšajo programe izobraževanja odraslih v Namibiji s zagotavljanjem fleksibilnih, vključujočih, tržno usmerjenih učnih načrtov, dostopnih različnim učnim priložnostim. Študija je predlagala inovativne tehnološke pristope z uporabo odprtih izobraževalnih praks za uporabo mobilnih učnih aplikacij, e-učenja, mešanega učenja in sistemov za upravljanje učenja za preoblikovanje izobraževanja odraslih in vseživljenjskega učenja v Namibiji
Application of Chelex-100 and SPR-IDA resin in combination with the optimized beam deflection spectrometry for high sensitivity determination of iron species in sediment pore water
No full textTheoretical and experimental studies of thermal parameters of annealed polybutyl methacrylate-siloxane protective coatings by means of nondestructive photothermal radiometry and photothermal beam deflection methods
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A time-evolving optimization model for an intermodal distribution supply chain network
No full textEnticed by the promise of larger sales and better access to customers, consumer goods compa- nies (CGCs) are increasingly looking to evade traditional retailers and reach their customers directly–with direct-to-customer (DTC) policy. DTC trend has emerged to have major im- pact on logistics operations and distribution channels. It oers significant opportunities for CGCs and wholesale brands to better control their supply chain network by circumventing the middlemen or retailers. However, to do so, CGCs may need to develop their omni-channel strategies and fortify their supply chains parameters, such as fulfillment, inventory flow, and goods distribution. This may give rise to changes in the supply chain network at all strategic, tactical and operational levels.
Motivated by recent interests in DTC trend, this master thesis considers the time-evolving supply chain system of an international healthcare company with preordained configuration. The input is bottleneck part of the company’s distribution network and involves 20% ≠ 25% of its total market. A mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) multiperiod optimization model is developed aiming to make tactical decisions for designing the distribution network, or more specifically, for determining the best strategy for distributing the products from manufacturing plant to primary distribution center and/or regional distribution centers and from them to customers. The company has got one manufacturing site (Mfg), one primary distribution center (PDP) and three dierent regional distribution centers (RDPs) worldwide, and the customers can be supplied from dierent plants with various transportation modes on dierent costs and lead times. The company’s motivation is to investigate the possibility of reduction in distribution costs by in-time supplying most of their demand directly from the plants. The model selects the best option for each customer by making trade-os among criteria involving distribution costs and lead times. Due to the seasonal variability and to account the market fluctuability, the model considers the full time horizon of one year.
The model is analyzed and developed step by step, and its functionality is demonstrated by conducting experiments on the distribution network from our case study. In addition, the case study distribution network topology is utilized to create random instances with random parameters and the model is also evaluated on these instances. The computational experiments on instances show that the model finds good quality solutions, and demonstrate that significant cost reduction and modality improvement can be achieved in the distribution network. Using one-year actual data, it has been shown that the ratio of direct shipments could substantially improve. However, there may be many factors that can impact the results, such as short-term decisions at operational level (like scheduling) as well as demand fluctuability, taxes, business rules etc. Based on the results and managerial considerations, some possible extensions and final recommendations for distribution chain are oered.
Furthermore, an extensive sensitivity analysis is conducted to show the eect of the model’s parameters on its performance. The sensitivity analysis employs a set of data from our case study and randomly generated data to highlight certain features of the model and provide some insights regarding its behaviour