Task-Oriented Active Sensing via Action Entropy Minimization

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.In active sensing, sensing actions are typically chosen to minimize the uncertainty of the state according to some information-theoretic measure such as entropy, conditional entropy, mutual information, etc. This is reasonable for applications where the goal is to obtain information. However, when the information about the state is used to perform a task, minimizing state uncertainty may not lead to sensing actions that provide the information that is most useful to the task. This is because the uncertainty in some subspace of the state space could have more impact on the performance of the task than others, and this dependence can vary at different stages of the task. One way to combine task, uncertainty, and sensing, is to model the problem as a sequential decision making problem under uncertainty. Unfortunately, the solutions to these problems are computationally expensive. This paper presents a new task-oriented active sensing scheme, where the task is taken into account in sensing action selection by choosing sensing actions that minimize the uncertainty in future task-related actions instead of state uncertainty. The proposed method is validated via simulations

Sodium–glucose co‐transporter 2 inhibitors in heart failure: beyond glycaemic control. The position paper of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology

Heart failure (HF) is common and associated with a poor prognosis, despite advances in treatment. Over the last decade cardiovascular outcome trials with sodium–glucose co‐transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus have demonstrated beneficial effects for three SGLT2 inhibitors (empagliflozin, canagliflozin and dapagliflozin) in reducing hospitalisations for HF. More recently, dapagliflozin reduced the risk of worsening HF or death from cardiovascular causes in patients with chronic HF with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus. A number of additional trials in HF patients with reduced and/or preserved left ventricular ejection fraction are ongoing and/or about to be reported. The present position paper summarises recent clinical trial evidence and discusses the role of SGLT2 inhibitors in the treatment of HF, pending the results of ongoing trials in different populations of patients with HF

Effects of salicylic acid pretreatment on the seed germination, seedling growth and leaf anatomy of barley under saline conditions

In this work, the effects of salicylic acid pretreatment on the seed germination, seedling growth (coleoptile percentage, radicle length, coleoptile length, radicle number and fresh weight) and leaf anatomy of barley under saline conditions were studied. In parallel with concentration rise, salt stress inhibited the germination and seedling growth of barley seeds. The inhibitive effect of salt on seed germination and seedling growth was alleviated in varying degrees, and dramatically, by salicylic acid pretreatment. On the other hand, it was determined that the mentioned plant growth regulator affected in different degrees on the various parameters of leaf anatomy of barley seedlings, and this difference was statistically important

A new 4-D chaotic hyperjerk system, its synchronization, circuit design and applications in RNG, image encryption and chaos-based steganography

Hyperjerk systems have received significant interest in the literature because of their simple structure and complex dynamical properties. This work presents a new chaotic hyperjerk system having two exponential nonlinearities. Dynamical properties of the chaotic hyperjerk system are discovered through equilibrium point analysis, bifurcation diagram, dissipativity and Lyapunov exponents. Moreover, an adaptive backstepping controller is designed for the synchronization of the chaotic hyperjerk system. Also, a real circuit of the chaotic hyperjerk system has been carried out to show the feasibility of the theoretical hyperjerk model. The chaotic hyperjerk system can also be useful in scientific fields such as Random Number Generators (RNGs), data security, data hiding, etc. In this work, three implementations of the chaotic hyperjerk system, viz. RNG, image encryption and sound steganography have been performed by using complex dynamics characteristics of the system

Fotokatalizörlerin anti-mikrobiyal etkinliğinin klinik ve laboratuar ortamda değerlendirilmesi

Aim This study aims at investigating and testing the tentative antimicrobial efficacy; in vitro and in- hospital applications of apatite coated ferrum titanate which is one of the new generation photocatalysts. Material and Methods 30 sterile petri dishes were kept under florescent light for 4 days following the application of 20 ppm apatite coated ferrum titanate aerosol. 0.5 McFarland (1.5X108 CFU/mL -CFU=colony forming unit) Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 0.5 McFarland Acinetobacter baumannii were cultured on 10 separate dishes. 10 unprocessed dishes were used as controls. Samples were evaluated for bacterial survival rate (CFUX100/CFU) after application. In the second step, same photocatalyst aerosol was applied as 0.012 L/m2 with the specific kit on the surfaces of different units within the hospital. Particle count was measured and compared before and one-month after the photocatalyst application by lumimeter. Results Bacterial survival rate was significantly lower on photocatalyst applied surfaces versus control for Pseudomonas aeruginosa after second day of application (p<0.001) (60±8% / 95±9%). This difference continued up to the 4th day gradually (3. day: 35±5% / 90±9%; 4. day:22±5% / 85±8%). Bacterial survival rate was significantly lower on photocatalyst applied surfaces versus control for Acinetobacter baumannii after the second day of application (55±7% / 87±8%) (p<0.01). This difference continued up to the 4th day gradually (3. day:40±5% / 80±8%; 4. day:15±5% / 78±7%). Particle count on photocatalyst applied surfaces diminished 97.15% in operating room, 95.61% in ICU, 98.30 in physicians' room, 94.13% in wards and 97.04% in hospital kitchen. Conclusions As a result of our pioneering study on the evaluation of photocatalyst, we think that it may be one of the economic and safe alternative methods of hospital sterilization based on bactericidal and bacteriostatic efficacy confirmed in both laboratory and clinical applications

Ma students' perceptions of professor's ability to use clil strategies

The last two decades have witnessed a huge growth in the number of English-language academic programmes that are aimed at attracting foreign students to European universities. As a result, there appeared a necessity to implement an educational technology providing successful communication and academic results. Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is an educational technology that provides an opportunity for successful acquisition of both content and language. The paper describes the way Master students of Kazan Federal University evaluated professor's ability to use content and language integrating strategies in teaching CLIL study course. The content and language integrating strategies include: using cognitively demanding authentic materials including videos, flash, web-quests, podcasts from English resources; active scaffolding aimed at reducing cognitive and linguistic load; intensive interaction and productive foreign language usage; integrating cultural component into content; developing higher order thinking skills when learning a foreign language. The article defines a number of challenges when implementing CLIL study course that require further research

A Simple Chaotic Flow with Hyperbolic Sinusoidal Function and Its Application to Voice Encryption

In this article, a new chaotic system with hyperbolic sinusoidal function is introduced. This chaotic system provides a new category of chaotic flows which gives better perception of chaotic attractors. In the proposed chaotic flow with hyperbolic sinusoidal function, according to the changes of parameters of the system, the self-excited attractor and two forms of hidden attractors are occurred. Dynamic behavior of the offered chaotic flow is studied through eigenvalues, bifurcation diagrams, phase portraits, and spectrum of Lyapunov exponents. Moreover, the existence of double-scroll attractors in real word is considered via the Orcard-PSpice software through an electronic execution of the new chaotic flow and illustrative results between the numerical simulation and Orcard-PSpice outcomes are obtained. Lastly, random number generator (RNG) design is completed with the new chaos. Using the new RNG design, a novel voice encryption algorithm is suggested and voice encryption use and encryption analysis are performed

Resorbable plate-screw systems: Clinical applications

PubMed: 15688268BACKGROUND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results we obtained from 37 patients referred to our clinics with resorbable plate-screw systems which have been claimed as biodegradable fixation materials and used in craniofacial, maxillofacial and orthopedic reconstructive procedures owing to their advantages such as biocompatibility, adequate biomechanical resistance, longer dwelling time, elimination through physiological routes without causing any foreign body reaction and/or significant sequaleae. METHODS: Resorbable plate-screw systems used in 37 patients between 2000-2003 for various craniofacial reconstructive procedures were evaluated as for their efficacy, and biocompatibility. RESULTS: Adequate fixation was obtained in all patients, excluding one case operated for mandibula fracture whose reconstruction was completed with titanium plate-screw system. No serious complication was seen except a granuloma and sinus formation on subciliary incision in one patient. CONCLUSION: Owing to their improved polylactic acid/polyglycolic acid ratio resorbable plate-screw systems which contain varying compositions of polylactic acid and polyglycolic acid copolymers are ideal fixation materials used favourably in maxillofacial, craniofacial and orthopedic reconstructive surgery in that they make effective fixation and have further advantages such as biocompatibility, adequate biomechanical resistance against distraction and compression forces in the early postoperative period, longer dwelling time and elimination from the body through physiological routes without causing any foreign body reaction or significant sequaleae