Abstract

Abstract
The pressure measured in the intervertebral discs is a response to the loads acting on the spine. External loads, such as the reaction forces resulting from locomotion, manual handling and collisions are probably the most relevant in studying spine trauma. However, the physiological functions such as breathing and hearth rate also participate in subtle variations of intradiscal pressure that can be observed only in vivo at resting. Present work is an effort to measure the effect of breathing on intradiscal pressure of an anesthetized sheep.

Abstract
The literature on the National Systems of Innovation (NSI) is a relatively new field of research that has spread remarkably in the past 20 years. This article offers a complementary, quantitative description of the state-of-the-art of the literature based on bibliometric methods, by explicitly addressing the roots, evolution and influence of NSI literature. The exercise shows that over time the rate of published articles was quite irregular and that contributions on NSI have not (yet) converged to an integrated analytical framework. Although historically detailed descriptions on NSI showed a noticeable increase in the more recent period (20062010) analyses using more formal and diversified quantitative methodologies for assessing the performance of NSI remained lacking, reflecting its persisting methodological weaknesses. The roots of the NSI literature can be found at the core of innovation studies by certain well-known scholars in the area of economics of innovation and science policy research. Even though publications on NSI are falling in relative importance and are highly concentrated on a small set of countries (United Kingdom, Denmark, and the United States), their influence is global. They are cited by authors affiliated in organisations around the world, notably in Latin America and Asia. Such an influence goes far beyond the area of innovation studies and has resonated in fields such as economic geography, environmental studies, international business and managerial sciences. This demonstrates that the NSI literature is not self-referential.

Abstract
Currently, software tends to assume increasingly critical roles in our society so assuring its quality becomes ever more crucial. There are several tools and processes of software testing to help increase quality in virtually any type of software. One example is the so called Model-Based Testing (MBT) tools, that generate test cases from models. However, most of these tools have a configuration phase, where test input data is provided manually by the tester, which influences the quality of the test suite generated. By adding coverage analysis to MBT tools it is possible to give feedback and help the tester to define the configuration data needed to achieve the most valuable test suite as possible. This paper presents a tool, PARADIGM-COV, that produces coverage information both over the PARADIGM model elements (to assess if input data is adequate to cover the test goals and assess if preconditions are achievable), and during test case execution (to identify the parts of the model/code that were actually exercised).

Abstract

Abstract
This paper deals with a control strategy of multilevel converter topologies for integration of distributed generation (DG) resources into the power grid. The proposed control plan is based on the direct Lyapunov control (DLC) technique, which is an appropriate tool for the analysis and definition of a stable operating condition for DG link in the power grid. The compensation of instantaneous variations in the reference current components in ac side and dc voltage variations of cascaded capacitors in dc side of the interfacing system is considered properly, which is the main contribution and novelty of this paper in comparison with other control methods. By utilization of the proposed control technique, DG can provide continuous injection of active power in fundamental frequency from the dispersed energy sources to the grid. In addition, reactive power and harmonic current components of nonlinear loads can be provided with fast dynamic response, by setting a multiobjective reference current component in the current loop of DLC-based model. Therefore, achieving sinusoidal grid currents in phase with load voltages are possible, while the required power from the load side is more than the maximum capacity of interfaced multilevel converter. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy in DG technology during dynamic and steady-state operating conditions.