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Rebecca J Bartlett Ellis,1 Angela Andrews,2 Charles D Elomba,1 Laura M Remy,3 Sunny Yoo Ruggeri,4 Cynthia L Russell,4 Todd M Ruppar5 1Science of Nursing Care Department, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA; 2Primary Care and Health Systems, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL, USA; 3Optum Infusion Services, Kansas City, MO, USA; 4School of Nursing and Health Studies, Kansas City, Missouri, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA; 5Department of Adult Health and Gerontological Nursing, Rush University, Chicago, IL, USACorrespondence: Rebecca J Bartlett Ellis, Science of Nursing Care Department, Indiana University, 600 Barnhill Drive, NU 120, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA, Tel +1 317 274 0047, Email rjbartle@iu.eduPurpose: Before the COVID-19 pandemic and the disruptions it brought, medication adherence was already a challenging and complex health behavior. The purpose of this study was to describe patients’ interactions in clinic, pharmacy, and home contexts and associated medication management and adherence during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.Patients and Methods: A survey questionnaire was developed using the Medication Adherence Context and Outcomes framework and distributed via social media between May and July 2020 targeting adults taking a daily prescribed medication. Survey questions assessed sociodemographics, interactions with healthcare providers, clinics, pharmacies, medication management experiences, habit strength, and life chaos perceptions during the pandemic. Medication adherence was assessed by the self-report BAASIS© scale to measure implementation, discontinuation, and overall nonadherence.Results: A total of 134 adults from the United States, mean age 50.0 (SD 16.1) years were included in this analysis. Respondents took a median of 3.50 (interquartile range 4) daily medications. Delays in seeing a provider were reported by 47 (35.1%). Pharmacy encounters were impacted; 25 (18.7%) indicated their method for obtaining medication changed. Medication nonadherence was reported among 62 (46.3%) and was significantly greater among those who delayed prescription refills (p=0.032), pillbox users (p=0.047), and those who experienced greater life chaos (p=0.040) and lower habit strength (p< 0.001) in the early phase of the pandemic.Conclusion: Although the early phase of the pandemic affected access to care for nearly one-third of the sample, distance-accessible care options and strategies to obtain needed services without being in-person supported respondents medication management. Helpful strategies included provider accessibility, telehealth, home delivery/mail-order, drive-thru’s, 90-day supplies, and online/automatic refills. Methods to develop and reestablish habits are critical. Care providers in clinic and pharmacy settings can educate and remind patients about services like distance-accessible technologies and online ordering of medications and establishing routines to support medication adherence.Keywords: COVID-19, habits, medication adherence, medication non-adherence, pandemics

Black men who have sex with men (MSM) have a 1 in 2 lifetime risk of acquiring HIV infection; yet are underrepresented in biomedical HIV prevention behaviors. In-depth interviews were conducted wit...

Rapid phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) requires the enrichment of live bacteria from patient samples, which is particularly challenging in the context of life-threatening bloodstream infections (BSIs) due to low bacterial titers. Over two decades, an extensive array of pathogen-specific biomolecules has been identified to capture live bacteria. The prevailing biomolecules are immune proteins of the complement system, antibodies, aptamers, phage proteins, and antimicrobial peptides. These biomolecules differ by their binder generation technologies and exhibit highly variable specificities, ranging from bacterial strains to most pathogenic bacteria. Here, we summarize how these diverse biomolecules were identified, list examples of successfully reported capture assays, and provide an outlook on the use of nanobodies raised against conserved surface-accessible proteins as promising biomolecules for pathogen capture.

Across the animal kingdom, multivalency discriminates antibodies from all other immunoglobulin superfamily members. The evolutionary forces conserving multivalency above other structural hallmarks of antibodies remain, however, incompletely defined. Here, we engineer monovalent either Fc-competent or -deficient antibody formats to investigate mechanisms of protection of neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) and non-neutralizing antibodies (nnAbs) in virus-infected mice. Antibody bivalency enables the tethering of virions to the infected cell surface, inhibits the release of virions in cell culture, and suppresses viral loads in vivo independently of Fc gamma receptor (FcγR) interactions. In return, monovalent antibody formats either do not inhibit virion release and fail to protect in vivo or their protective efficacy is largely FcγR dependent. Protection in mice correlates with virus-release-inhibiting activity of nAb and nnAb rather than with their neutralizing capacity. These observations provide mechanistic insights into the evolutionary conservation of antibody bivalency and help refining correlates of nnAb protection for vaccine development.

The article provides practical means to monitor batteries that work in the so-called float cycling regime. The main interest of the case study is destined for autonomous solar applications. The problem of the state-of-charge estimation of lead-acid storage unit is studied. Two approaches are considered and compared: the sliding mode technique and the fuzzy logic modelling. Based on the grounds of observers design theory, it was shown that the sliding mode technique exhibits robustness properties in the face of parameters imprecision and unknown non-linear behaviour. The fuzzy logic modelling approach allows designing the monitoring scheme using the reduced number of available information. An evolutionary programming technique is applied to adjust the parameters of the fuzzy logic resolution scheme. The results are compared with reference state-of-charge measurements taken from an industrial battery charge regulator. The developed models are potentially extensible to other types of storage units.

In the United States, nearly 500,000 men who have sex with men (MSM) are at risk of contracting HIV. Men who have sex with men constitute 70% of all new cases of HIV in the United States; within this population, the incidence of HIV infection is the highest among Black MSM. Our integrated review synthesized published behavioral interventions designed to enhance the uptake of and adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for the prevention of HIV in the Black MSM population. A search of 4 electronic databases revealed only 7 studies whose samples included Black MSM. Adherence to PrEP medication declined over time across all studies. No statistically significant changes in safer sexual behaviors were reported. Few studies described theory-driven interventions. Effective interventions are needed to enhance the uptake of PrEP and to reinforce behaviors that prevent HIV transmission among Black MSM.

This study determined if a SystemCHANGE™ intervention was more efficacious than attention control in increasing immunosuppressive medication adherence and improving outcomes in adult kidney transplant recipients during a 6-month intervention phase and subsequent 6-month (no intervention) maintenance phase. The SystemCHANGE™ intervention taught patients to use person-level quality improvement strategies to link adherence to established daily routines, environmental cues, and supportive people. Eighty-nine patients (average age 51.8 years, 58% male, 61% African American) completed the 6-month intervention phase. Using an intent-to-treat analysis, at 6 months, medication adherence for SystemCHANGE™ (median 0.91, IQR 0.76-0.96) and attention control (median 0.67, IQR 0.52-0.72) patients differed markedly (difference in medians 0.24, 95% CI 0.13-0.30, P < .001). At the conclusion of the subsequent 6-month maintenance phase, the gap between medication adherence for SystemCHANGE™ (median 0.77, IQR 0.56-0.94) and attention control (median 0.60, IQR 0.44-0.73) patients remained large (difference in medians 0.17, 95% CI 0.06-0.33, P = .004). SystemCHANGE™ patients evidenced lower mean creatinine and BUN at 12 months and more infections at 6 and 12 months. This first fully powered RCT testing SystemCHANGE™ to improve and maintain medication adherence in kidney transplant recipients demonstrated large, clinically meaningful improvements in medication adherence. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT02416479.

Background Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in systemic sclerosis (SSc). While factors associated with the presence of ILD in SSc (SSc-ILD) are identified, those associated with ILD outcome are still debated and studies assessing the evolution of SSc-ILD on HRCT are scarce. Yet, it is important to identify patients at risk of SSc-ILD worsening because those patients are thought to benefit the most from immunosuppressants. Objectives Thus, the aims of our study were: to describe the evolution of HRCT extension and patterns of SSc-ILD, to identify baseline prognosis factors of ILD outcome on serial HRCT and to investigate whether the evolution of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) parameters correlated with the evolution on HRCT. Methods We included 58 SSc patients with HRCT proven ILD, with at least two available HRCT, and collected clinical, biological data and PFT at baseline. We collected all HRCT and PFTs available during follow-up. We modelized PFTs and HRCT evolution using linear mixed model with random coefficients. Results Mean ILD extension at baseline was 32.3%±28.7%. During a mean follow-up of 5.3±4.9 years, we found a significant mean progression of ILD extension of 0.92%±0.36% per year (p=0.018). Male sex, anti-topoisomerase 1 antibodies, diffuse cutaneous SSc were associated with faster progression of ILD extension. Limited ILD according to Goh et al. staging system, and a coarseness score at zero (meaning 100% of ground glass opacification) were associated with a faster progression of ILD extension. We also found a significant decline of DLCO, FVC and TLC during follow-up. There was a significant correlation between the progression of ILD extension on HRCT and the decline of DLCO, but not with the evolution of FVC. Conclusions Male patients, patients with diffuse SSc/antitopoisomerase 1, patients with less severe and less extensive ILD at baseline were more likely to experiment a faster progression of ILD extension on serial HRCT. To our knowledge, this is the first study that clearly highlighted the diffuse form of SSc/presence of antitopoisomerase 1 as a worsening factor of SSc-ILD on HRCT. FVC might not be the best mirror of ILD progression while DLCO significantly correlated with change in ILD extension. Our study helps to define the profile of patients who are going to experience a progression of ILD on HRCT during follow up. Disclosure of Interest None declared

In a large number of scenarios and missions, the technical, operational and economical advantages of UAS-based photogrammetry and remote sensing over traditional airborne and satellite platforms are apparent. Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) or combined optical/SAR operation in remote areas might be a case of a typical "dull, dirty, dangerous" mission suitable for unmanned operation – in harsh environments such as for example rain forest areas in Brazil, topographic mapping of small to medium sparsely inhabited remote areas with UAS-based photogrammetry and remote sensing seems to be a reasonable paradigm. An example of such a system is the SARVANT platform, a fixed-wing aerial vehicle with a six-meter wingspan and a maximumtake- of-weight of 140 kilograms, able to carry a fifty-kilogram payload. SARVANT includes a multi-band (X and P) interferometric SAR payload, as the P-band enables the topographic mapping of densely tree-covered areas, providing terrain profile information. Moreover, the combination of X- and P-band measurements can be used to extract biomass estimations. Finally, long-term plan entails to incorporate surveying capabilities also at optical bands and deliver real-time imagery to a control station. This paper focuses on the remote-sensing concept in SARVANT, composed by the aforementioned SAR sensor and envisioning a double optical camera configuration to cover the visible and the near-infrared spectrum. The flexibility on the optical payload election, ranging from professional, medium-format cameras to mass-market, small-format cameras, is discussed as a driver in the SARVANT development. The paper also focuses on the navigation and orientation payloads, including the sensors (IMU and GNSS), the measurement acquisition system and the proposed navigation and orientation methods. The latter includes the Fast AT procedure, which performs close to traditional Integrated Sensor Orientation (ISO) and better than Direct Sensor Orientation (DiSO), and features the advantage of not requiring the massive image processing load for the generation of tie points, although it does require some Ground Control Points (GCPs). This technique is further supported by the availability of a high quality INS/GNSS trajectory, motivated by single-pass and repeat-pass SAR interferometry requirements.

Techniques available for corneal lamellar refractive surgery are laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) using a microkeratome or femtosecond laser incision followed by excimer laser corneal ablation, and femtosecond laser-assisted refractive lenticule extraction (ReLEx). These treatments are nowadays considered to be safe and effective standard procedures for surgical correction of mild to moderate ametropia. Possible complications include too small or decentered optical zones, intraoperative flap cutting errors and postoperative inflammation (e.g. diffuse lamellar keratitis, DLK), epithelial or flap folds, epithelial ingrowths or iatrogenic ectasia. The occurrence of complications may be significantly reduced by compliance to corresponding standards of indication and treatment that are based on current scientific knowledge.

Shunt currents are an important factor which must be considered when designing a stack for flow batteries. They lead to a reduction of the coulombic efficiency and can cause furthermore a critical warming of the electrolyte. Shunt currents inevitably appear at bypass connections of the hydraulic system between the single cells of a stack. In this work the shunt currents of a five-celled mini stack of a vanadium flow battery with external hydraulic system and their effects are investigated directly. The external hydraulic system allows the implementation of current sensors for direct measurement of the shunt currents; moreover, the single bypass channels can be interrupted by clamping the tube couplings and with it the shunt currents between the cells when the pumps are off. Thus the shares of losses by cross contamination and by shunt currents are quantified separately by charge conservation measurements. The experimentally gained data are compared to a shunt current model based on a equivalent circuit diagram and the linear equation system derived from it. Experiments and model data are in good agreement. The effects of shunt currents for different flow frame geometries and number of cells in a stack are simulated and presented in this work.

Background Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) is a frequent manifestation of Lyme disease in children and its current diagnosis has limitations. The elevation of the chemokine CXCL13 in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of adult patients with LNB has been demonstrated and suggested as a new diagnostic marker. Our aim was to evaluate this marker in the CSF of children with suspected LNB and to determine a CXCL13 cut-off concentration that would discriminate between LNB and other central nervous system (CNS) infections. Methods For this single-center retrospective case-control study we used a diagnostic-approved ELISA to measure CXCL13 concentrations in the CSF of 185 children with LNB suspicion at presentation. Patients were classified into definite LNB (cases), non-LNB (controls with other CNS affections), and possible LNB. A receiver-operating characteristic curve was generated by comparison of cases and controls. Results CXCL13 was significantly elevated in the CSF of 53 children with definite LNB (median 774.7 pg/ml) compared to 91 control patients (median 4.5 pg/ml, p

In vehicle positioning applications, the confidence level in the position and velocity estimates can be even more significant than accuracy. In this study, a probabilistic interval method is proposed, which combines, through union and intersection operations, the information from a possibly uncertain predictor (the vehicle model) and measurement sensors. The proposed method is compared to Kalman filtering and to guaranteed interval estimation in the context of railway vehicles where security is the key objective.

Resume La pratique de l’echographie pleurale par le pneumologue en routine reste anecdotique. Pourtant son interet a ete demontre dans toutes les pathologies pleurales. Elle est necessaire a la realisation sure de tout geste pleural invasif et permet d’ameliorer le rendement de ces gestes. Son apprentissage est rapide et simple. C’est un outil indispensable a utiliser au lit du patient par le praticien lui-meme. En 2010, la British Thoracic Society (BTS) recommande l’utilisation de l’echographie dans la prise en charge diagnostique de tous les epanchements pleuraux et pour la realisation des ponctions en raison d’un meilleur rendement diagnostique que la radiographie thoracique et de la diminution des complications de la ponction.

Resume Le TEP scanner permet de distinguer les pathologies pleurales benignes et malignes (valeur seuil du SUV = 2,2), et d’ameliorer la stadification du mesotheliome avec notamment une bonne efficacite sur l’atteinte ganglionnaire mediastinale. Il peut egalement etre utilise dans la reponse therapeutique ainsi que pour guider les biopsies pleurales. Sans remplacer la pleuroscopie, le TEP scanner s’insere dans le processus d’exploration d’une pathologie pleurale et peut eviter l’escalade diagnostique invasive.

Castleman disease is a rare disorder of the lymphoid system which can be classified into two clinical groups, monocentric disease versus multicentric disease, and two histological types, the hyaline vascular form versus the plasma cell form. We report three cases of monocentric Castleman disease. The first one is a classical form of Castleman's disease. The second one is characterized by an uncommon radiological presentation, with a calcification within the tumor. The third one is a plasma cell form with monoclonal proliferation associated with a monoclonal gammapathy. These three cases highlight the polymorphic clinical and radiological features of Castleman disease. They underlie the difficulty of surgical resection due to the tumor vascularization. Other diagnosis hypothesis and associated diseases will also be discussed (HIV, Kaposi's sarcoma, POEMS syndrome).

This study presents an effective procedure for the determination of a biologically inspired, black-box model of cultures of microorganisms (including yeasts, bacteria, plant and animal cells) in bioreactors. This procedure is based on sets of experimental data measuring the time-evolution of a few extracellular species concentrations, and makes use of maximum likelihood principal component analysis to determine, independently of the kinetics, an appropriate number of macroscopic reactions and their stoichiometry. In addition, this paper provides a discussion of the geometric interpretation of a stoichiometric matrix and the potential equivalent reaction schemes. The procedure is carefully evaluated within the stoichiometric identification framework of the growth of the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus on cheese whey. Using Monte Carlo studies, it is also compared with two other previously published approaches.

In the next years, air-source heat pumps may become an important renewable-energy heating system in the temperate countries. These machines may be subject to changes in the operation conditions in order to maintain their performance in the face of variations in the outdoor climate and these changes may impact on the heat pump at the cycle level. In order to optimize the control of such machines, a dynamic model is mandatory. Therefore we illustrate the potentialities of a dynamic, lumped-parameter model, which is composed of moving-boundary exchanger sub-models and static compressor and expansion valve sub-models. Firstly, it is seen that the model succeeds in designing the installation as well as in controlling the superheating. Secondly, simulation results illustrate how a change of system parameters could affect the transient behaviour of the machine, thus requiring some adaptation of the controller parameters. Future developments will be devoted to model validation through experience, to design of a robust superheating controller and to model utilization towards fault diagnosis.

Resume Les avancees du diagnostic antenatal, essentiellement des techniques d’imagerie, permettent d’anticiper la prise en charge des malformations pulmonaires et donc d’informer et de rassurer les parents. Les techniques operatoires se sont elles aussi modiflees au profit d’actes moins invasifs. Les sequestrations pulmonaires sont exceptionnellement a l’origine d’anasarque antenatal necessitant un drainage in utero. Les autres sequestrations sont traitees par embolisation radiologique, vers 2 mois de vie. Les kystes bronchogeniques sont resecables, en dehors des lesions menacantes (comme le kyste de la carene), a la fin de la premiere annee de vie. Certaines formes de malformations adenomatoides kystiques sont severes et necessitent une prise en charge neonatale voire antenatale. Pres de la moitie des autres formes regressent apres la naissance. Les formes symptomatiques de l’enfant et de l’adulte necessitent une exerese chirurgicale. L’emphyseme lobaire geant est parfois de diagnostic antenatal plus delicat, lorsqu’il existe un retentissement chez l’enfant, une chirurgie d’exerese est indiquee.

Resume Le developpement de l’arbre tracheo-bronchique et du parenchyme pulmonaire s’effectue de la 4 e a la 16 e semaine de grossesse, a partir d’un bourgeon derive de l’œsophage primitif. La principale malformation secondaire a un defaut de cette differenciation precoce est l’atresie de l’œsophage, qui est aussi une maladie tracheale. Une anomalie du developpement des enveloppes composant la paroi thoracique peut aboutir a une alteration du developpement pulmonaire. Dans le cas par exemple d’une hernie congenitale du diaphragme, on observe une hypoplasie pulmonaire, des divisions bronchiques anormales et des anomalies vasculaires. Ces anomalies tres precoces du developpement pulmonaire s’inscrivent le plus souvent dans un contexte poly-malformatif. Elles ont des consequences a long terme non seulement respiratoires, mais egalement extra-respiratoires, imposant un suivi pluri-disciplinaire prolonge. D’autres anomalies plus tardives dans le developpement pulmonaire conduisent a des malformations localisees. Leur expression clinique est variable : malformation adenomatoide kystique (MAKP), sequestration, atresie bronchique, emphyseme lobaire. Elles ont probablement une origine commune, par obstruction organique ou fonctionnelle. Les malformations graves s’expriment precocement, et sont souvent severes voire letales. Les autres peuvent rester longtemps asymptomatiques. Les complications sont le plus souvent infectieuses, et relevent d’une prise en charge chirurgicale. D’autres complications sont beaucoup plus rares, comme l’association MAKP et cancer pulmonaire.

Kearns-Sayre syndrome is a rare mitochondrial disease which usually occurs sporadically with the presence of ptosis and the clinical triad of chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia, atypical retinitis pigmentosa and cardiac conduction disorders. We show on the example of a young patient with unexplained atypical acquired ptosis and eye movement disorders, the correct interpretation of the diagnostic findings. Of importance is the early detection of potentially life-threatening complications which can lead to sudden cardiac death.

In this paper, experimental investigations of an adaptive RST control scheme for the regulation of the ethanol concentration in fed-batch cultures of S. cerevisiae is presented. Our main objective is to prove efficiency and robustness of this controller in experimental applications ranging from laboratory to industrial scales. The controller only requires one on-line measurement signal, making it easily implementable in an industrial environment. Disturbance rejection is ensured thanks to an on-line parameter adaptation procedure, which delivers as a side product an estimate of the growth rate that can be used for process monitoring purposes. The robustification of the controller is achieved in a simple way, using the observer polynomial.

To the Editors : Thoracic lymphadenopathy in sarcoidosis usually displays characteristic and well-known features, such as a symmetrical hilar distribution and a noncompressive nature. However, compressive lymphadenopathy is known as an atypical yet possible presentation of the disease. Several case reports and reviews have previously reported compressions of lobar or segmental bronchi, pulmonary artery branches, superior vena cava or the left laryngeal recurrent nerve 1–4. To the best of our knowledge, compression of the heart has never been described. We report here the clinical, morphological and functional characteristics of four cases of sarcoidosis with venoatrial compression caused by voluminous subcarinal lymph nodes. The diagnosis of sarcoidosis had been made according to the American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS)/World Association of Sarcoidosis and other Granulomatous Disorders (WASOG) criteria 5. One patient had stage one disease on diagnosis (Lofgren's syndrome) and eventually evolved to stage two. Three patients had stage two sarcoidosis; one of them displayed characteristic skin involvement, another one cervical lymphadenopathy and possible muscular involvement. In the third patient, disease was limited to the thorax, and evolved into stage four during follow-up. Venoatrial compression became apparent on computed tomography (CT) scans performed during follow-up. All patients complained of increased shortness of breath on exercise at that time. CT scan (fig. 1⇓) showed enlarged subcarinal lymphadenopathy, compressing the left atrial posterior wall, giving it a straight or convex shape. Extrinsic compression of one or several pulmonary veins was also noticed for three patients, inducing stenosis of up to 50% (table 1⇓). Parenchymal involvement of sarcoidosis was also increased in all patients, but remained moderate for patients one and four. For these two patients, the pulmonary functional tests …

In this work, attention is focused on two on-line optimization strategies for a batch MMA polymerization process, based on a physical process model and temperature measurements. Several model uncertainties are considered, including the variation of the heat transfer coefficient between the cooling jacket and the reactor medium as well as unknown parameters in the description of the gel effect. The first strategy is based on a worst-case analysis (formulated as a min–max problem), leading to an open-loop control scheme. The possibility to combine this scheme with a feedback controller is also evaluated. The second strategy is based on a scheduled optimization approach, i.e., the model parameters are periodically re-estimated on-line, and optimal trajectories are re-evaluated.

State estimation methods allow the vehicle position and velocity to be reconstructed by combining information from sensors and vehicle model. From a security point of view, position and velocity have to be known with a high level of confidence in order, for example, to avoid vehicle collision. In this paper, a confidence interval observer is developed to enclose positioning variables with some confidence degree (or integrity level). Based on a vehicle model and intervals bounding, with some associated probability, the uncertain initial conditions, inputs, model parameters and measurements, a predictor provides intervals for the state estimate trajectory between two measurement times. At each measurement time, confidence intervals from the sensors and the predictor are combined with union and intersection operations so as to satisfy the specified integrity level. Finally, the shortest non-empty intervals are chosen among the safe intervals. This method is illustrated with simulation tests based on an autonomous underwater vehicle described by a nonlinear model.

Techniques available for corneal lamellar refractive surgery are laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) using a microkeratome or femtosecond laser incision followed by excimer laser corneal ablation, and femtosecond laser-assisted refractive lenticule extraction (ReLEx). These treatments are nowadays considered to be safe and effective standard procedures for surgical correction of mild to moderate ametropia. Possible complications include too small or decentered optical zones, intraoperative flap cutting errors and postoperative inflammation (e.g. diffuse lamellar keratitis, DLK), epithelial or flap folds, epithelial ingrowths or iatrogenic ectasia. The occurrence of complications may be significantly reduced by compliance to corresponding standards of indication and treatment that are based on current scientific knowledge.

In this study, attention is focused on the design of a scheduled-optimization strategy for a batch MMA polymerization process. The objective of this strategy is to track an optimal temperature, despite uncertainties in the heat transfer and the gel ***effect. This strategy makes use of an (uncertain) physical model and on-line temperature measurements. The uncertain parameters are re-estimated on line, so as the optimal temperature trajectory. The good decoupling (in time) between the two major disturbances allows good performance to be achieved.

State estimation methods allow the vehicle position and velocity to be reconstructed by combining information from sensors and vehicle modelling. In a railway application, measurement signals from several sensors are available at asynchronous times, e.g., signals from odometers, radars and accelerometers. A Kalman filter can be easily designed based on a linear discrete-time model. However, in the train security package, only one accelerometer is available and moreover, this accelerometer is sensitive to rail track gradient. To circumvent the problem of estimation bias, a robust filter is developed, which takes uncertainties on the acceleration measurements and asynchronous data into account.

The Schenberg gravitational wave detector is almost completed for operation at its site in the Physics Institute of the University of Sao Paulo, under the full support of FAPESP (the Sao Paulo State Foundation for Research Support). We have been working on the development of a transducer system, which will be installed after the arrival of all the microwave components and the completion of the transducer mechanical parts. The initial plan is to operate a CuAl6% two-mode parametric transducer in a first operational run at 4.2 K with nine transducers and an initial target sensitivity of h ~ 2 × 10−21 Hz−1/2 in a 50 Hz bandwidth around 3.2 kHz. Here we present details of this plan and some recent results of the development of this project.

Resume Les reconstructions sont une forme de traitement ou post-traitement s’appliquant aux donnees brutes ou aux images natives pour rehausser leur impact diagnostique, simplifier leur analyse ou les synthetiser. En scanographie, seule technique envisagee dans cette revue, les reconstructions se situent a la charniere de deux affirmations apparemment contradictoires : a) l’information est contenue dans les coupes transversales ; b) le traitement d’images scanographiques va rendre obsolete cette segmentation multiplanaire d’un volume anatomique et lesionnel. En 2004, la verite chevauche les deux constats, expliquant, selon la maladie exploree, la preeminence de l’une ou de l’autre. Le prescripteur ne doit pas rester etranger aux fulgurantes avancees technologiques de ces dernieres annees. Il ne doit pas se deconnecter des divers moyens de les exploiter, ne serait ce qu’en prevision des prochaines applications fonctionnelles, metaboliques et moleculaires.

Due to the lack of reliable and/or inexpensive hardware sensors in cement grinding, development of software sensors is particularly significant for control and monitoring purposes. In this study, a nonlinear distributed-parameter, full-horizon observer is designed, which allows the contents of the mill to be described in terms of hold-up and particle size distribution. When measurements are available at relatively high sampling rates and at, at least, two spatial locations along the mill, fast observer convergence is obtained. However, in practical situations where measurements can be collected at the mill outlet only and with a relatively low sampling rate, the observer convergence deteriorates, as the sampling rate decreases, performance becomes similar to an asymptotic (simulation) observer. The robustness of the software sensor can be improved by on-line identification of some time-varying parameters, such as the material grindability. These several concepts are discussed and tested in simulation based on a realistic process model. Copyright © 2004IFAC

The presence of helminth eggs (Ascaris eggs) in sewage sludge may constitute a sanitary risk when used as agricultural fertiliser. Sanitisation of sewage sludge can be achieved by treatment with quick lime, a process that destroys sludge pathogens in two ways: pH increase and temperature rise. Among the pathogens of epidemiological relevance, Ascaris eggs are the most resistant to liming, and, hence, may serve as indicators of hygienic quality of biosolids. This research aims at defining, between 50 degrees C and 60 degrees C, the time required in the case of limed sludge to obtain a product with a negligible level of viable Ascaris eggs. To achieve this objective, investigations on inactivation kinetics of Ascaris eggs were conducted in the following products: contaminated milk of lime; naturally contaminated sludge treated with slaked lime and heat; naturally contaminated sludge treated with quick lime; and sludge treated at full scale with quick lime. For the inactivation kinetics where a negligible level of Ascaris eggs was reached, the inactivation threshold was determined. Depending on the experimental situation, the inactivation threshold period was found to fluctuate between 5 and 75 min at 55 degrees C and between 1 and 8 min at 60 degrees C.

Due to the lack of reliable and/or inexpensive hardware sensors in cement grinding, development of software sensors is particularly significant for control and monitoring purposes. In this study, a nonlinear distributed-parameter, full-horizon observer is designed, which allows the contents of the mill to be described in terms of hold-up and particle size distribution. When measurements are available at relatively high sampling rates and at, at least, two spatial locations along the mill, fast observer convergence is obtained. However, in practical situations where measurements can be collected at the mill outlet only and with a relatively low sampling rate, the observer convergence deteriorates and, as the sampling rate decreases, performance becomes similar to an asymptotic (simulation) observer. The robustness of the software sensor can be improved by on-line identification of some time-varying parameters, such as the material grindability. These several concepts are discussed and tested in simulation based on a realistic process model.

Resume Les performances diagnostiques d’un examen scanographique de l’embolie pulmonaire sont indissociables des parametres de realisation. Quelle que soit la specialisation du medecin qui l’analyse, il doit examiner prealablement les choix techniques d’acquisition, d’injection, de reconstruction et d’irradiation. Le « gating » cardiaque et le traitement d’images appliques a la morphologie et la fonction sont evoques parce qu’ils vont entrer dans les pratiques courantes, principalement dans l’expertise pre-operatoire de la thombo-embolie chronique. Les connaissances techniques elementaires permettent, en effet, de deduire les possibilites et les limites diagnostiques de l’examen. Ce prealable technique ne necessite pas de connaissance physique, informatique ou technologique avancee. Il permet, par ailleurs, de choisir dans le plateau technique de son propre environnement l’equipement le plus en adequation avec le diagnostic recherche. Si l’on n’est pas entraine a sa lecture, l’interpretation d’une angioscanographie des vaisseaux pulmonaires necessite les bases techniques ci-dessus evoquees et des bases anatomiques precises jusqu’aux limites ou l’analyse peut etre poussee : vaisseaux de 4e et 5e generations. Differentes methodologies d’analyse sont developpees. Elle prennent en compte les parametres techniques, affranchissent le lecteur des contraintes d’une lecture serielle et l’incitent a replacer son analyse de chaque coupe dans un volume d’acquisition. Les diagnostics differentiels sont egalement tres dependants de la technique qui est tres peu operateur-dependante mais qui reste machine-dependante. Ils se rarefient avec la lente modernisation du parc des equipements. Des bases physiologiques et physiopathologiques permettent d’en comprendre et d’en memoriser la majorite.

In previous work, the feasibility of developing high performance AlN/diamond surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices has been demonstrated using the unpolished nucleation side of freestanding CVD diamond. This process shows the advantage of avoiding the diamond polishing, which is a tedious and a time-consuming technological step. As alternative, we propose the use of a diamond substrate obtained by two stages of growth in pulsed MPACVD to constitute two superposed layers. The first one was deposited at optimal conditions with 2% CH4 in H2 gas mixture, leading to a high diamond quality. The second diamond layer is used as a support in order to get a freestanding diamond. It has a lower quality because it's obtained by increasing the CH4 content, thus the growth rate. The first diamond layer combined with piezoelectric film defines the SAW properties. Its thickness is chosen as a function of the acoustic wave penetration depth in order to limit their propagation only in the first diamond layer. Aluminium inter-digital transducers (IDTs) were deposited by conventional contact UV photolithography on the nucleation side of the freestanding diamond. Piezoelectric ZnO film was then deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering to obtain the ZnO/IDT /diamond structure. Electrical characterization of the SAW device exhibits high filtering properties. The following parameters are obtained with 32 μm wavelength, 3 μm ZnO and 25 μm diamond first layer thickness: acoustic phase velocity: vϕ=9696 m/s, electromechanical coupling coefficient: K2=0.75%, temperature coefficient of frequency: TCF=29 ppm/°C.

Modeling and parameter identification are important prerequisites for state estimation and control of complex biological systems in bioengineering. Due to the great variety of cell lines and the rapidity of developments in genetics, biosystems have to be investigated in a fast and efficient way to identify the major metabolic phenomena. This paper proposes a systematic modeling procedure, which enables the description of the most important experimental settings and biological effects in terms of stoichiometry, kinetics and metabolic regulation. This procedure is successfully applied to the real case of a perfused mammalian cell culture of non-transfected CHO-K1 cells in suspension.

We studied the niobium re-entrant cavity utilized by the Australian group in the Niobe gravitational wave detector. Instead of using their non-contact re-entrant cavity, we plan to change it to a closed one to be used in the parametric transducers of the Brazilian Mario Schenberg detector. The performance of the transducer depends on some cavity parameters such as the electrical Q and the electrical coupling. We measured the resonant frequency and the loaded electrical Q as a function of the probe position in a closed niobium ~15 GHz cavity operating at 4.2 K.