Artificial Immune Systems - Models, algorithms and applications

Copyright © 2010 Academic Research Publishing Agency.This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Artificial Immune Systems (AIS) are computational paradigms that belong to the computational intelligence family and are inspired by the biological immune system. During the past decade, they have attracted a lot of interest from researchers aiming to develop immune-based models and techniques to solve complex computational or engineering problems. This work presents a survey of existing AIS models and algorithms with a focus on the last five years.This article is available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fun

Visibility and potential of solar energy on horizontal surface at Kuwait Area

In this paper, an overview of the production and consumption of Kuwait electrical energy, installed capacity and peak loads are presented. The results show that Kuwait has a serious situation because of the electrical energy lacking and load peaking. Based on the fact that Kuwait has enough budgets to transform all the power station powered by oil with renewable energy sources turning to greener Kuwait. The paper also is identifying and analyzing the geographical and temporal variability of solar energy inside Kuwait. The fundamental solar models are modified to estimate and identify daily and hourly solar radiation on horizontal surfaces on the basis of the more readily available meteorological data. The presented results prove that Kuwait has an abundance of solar energy capability in terms of almost cloudless atmosphere for nine months and twelve hours solar time a day over the year. The daily global and monthly averaged solar intensity on horizontal surface at Kuwait area is ranging from 3 Wh/m2 in winter to 8 kWh/m2 in summer. Monthly averaged clear sky solar radiation on horizontal surfaces at Kuwait area is ranging from 500 W/m2/day to 1042 W/m2/day

Artificial immune systems based committee machine for classification application

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.A new adaptive learning Artificial Immune System (AIS) based committee machine is developed in this thesis. The new proposed approach efficiently tackles the general problem of clustering high-dimensional data. In addition, it helps on deriving useful decision and results related to other application domains such classification and prediction. Artificial Immune System (AIS) is a branch of computational intelligence field inspired by the biological immune system, and has gained increasing interest among researchers in the development of immune-based models and techniques to solve diverse complex computational or engineering problems. This work presents some applications of AIS techniques to health problems, and a thorough survey of existing AIS models and algorithms. The main focus of this research is devoted to building an ensemble model integrating different AIS techniques (i.e. Artificial Immune Networks, Clonal Selection, and Negative Selection) for classification applications to achieve better classification results. A new AIS-based ensemble architecture with adaptive learning features is proposed by integrating different learning and adaptation techniques to overcome individual limitations and to achieve synergetic effects through the combination of these techniques. Various techniques related to the design and enhancements of the new adaptive learning architecture are studied, including a neuro-fuzzy based detector and an optimizer using particle swarm optimization method to achieve enhanced classification performance. An evaluation study was conducted to show the performance of the new proposed adaptive learning ensemble and to compare it to alternative combining techniques. Several experiments are presented using different medical datasets for the classification problem and findings and outcomes are discussed. The new adaptive learning architecture improves the accuracy of the ensemble. Moreover, there is an improvement over the existing aggregation techniques. The outcomes, assumptions and limitations of the proposed methods with its implications for further research in this area draw this research to its conclusion

Weakness of Vocabulary Teaching Strategies in Modern Classes

There have been growing concerns over several weaknesses faced in teaching and learning vocabulary. One of these weaknesses is the weakness of vocabulary teaching strategies. Many scholars and educators have felt the impact of this weakness all through their careers to an extent of giving, or failing to know which trend or strategy to employ. Several studies have been made in order to find out why there is a weakness in vocabulary teaching strategies and to meet the growing demand to solve this issue. There is a growing influence of Vocabulary being more than the word used to the context in which it is used.  This article’s main focus is to discuss the weakness of vocabulary teaching in modern classes as well as all issues that rotate around this subject. It explores issues like; the complexity of teaching vocabulary (task size), differences between written and spoken vocabulary, and limited word sources like dictionaries and issues like word parts and context, as well as the failure to embrace diversity. It also gives several recommendations to effective teaching of vocabulary in modern classes. Keywords: vocabulary teaching, teaching strategies, modern classes, weaknesses of teachin

Quantification of atherosclerotic plaque in the elderly with positron emission tomography/computed tomography

L'athérosclérose est une maladie cardiovasculaire inflammatoire qui est devenue la première cause de morbidité et de mortalité dans les pays développés et parmi les principales causes d’invalidité au monde. Elle se caractérise par l’épaississement de la paroi vasculaire artérielle suite à l'accumulation de lipides et le dépôt d'autres substances au niveau de l’intima (endothélium) pour former la plaque d’athérome. Avec l'âge, cette plaque peut grossir, se calcifier et ainsi rétrécir le calibre de l'artère pour diminuer son débit et à un stade avancé de la maladie, elle peut se rompre et obstruer les petites artères dans n'importe quelle partie du corps causant des complications aigues, y compris la mort soudaine. L'objectif de cette thèse est de pouvoir détecter l'inflammation de la plaque athérosclérotique quantitativement avec la TEP/TDM dans le but de prévenir son détachement. Les mesures avec la TDM et la TEP avec le 18F-FDG ont été acquises chez des sujets humains âgés de 65 à 85 ans. Des analyses quantitatives ont été conduites sur les images de TDM en fonction de l'intensité et des étendues des calcifications, et sur les images de la TEP pour évaluer le métabolisme des plaques. L'effet des traitements par les statines a aussi été étudié. Au-delà la couverture de cette étude de façon détaillée au niveau physiologique en corrélant différents paramètres des plaques, et au niveau méthodologique en utilisant de nouvelles approches pour l'analyse pharmacocinétique, il en ressort principalement la suggestion de la détection de la vulnérabilité de la plaque artérielle par la TDM, plus disponible et moins coûteuse, en remplacement des analyses biochimiques, surtout la protéine C-réactive (CRP) considérée être la méthode standard.Abstract : Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory cardiovascular disease considered the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries and among the leading causes of disability worldwide. It is characterized by the thickening of the arterial vascular wall due to the accumulation of lipids and the deposition of other substances in the intima (endothelium) to form atheroma plaque. With age, this plaque can grow larger, calcify and thus narrow the size of the artery to decrease blood flow and at an advanced stage of the disease, it can rupture, be transported by blood and block the small arteries in any part of the body causing acute complications, including sudden death. The objective of this thesis was to be able to detect the inflammation of the atherosclerotic plaque quantitatively with PET/CT in order to prevent its detachment. Measurements with CT and PET with 18F-FDG were acquired in human subjects aged 65 to 85 years. Quantitative analyzes were performed on CT images based on the intensity and extent of calcifications, and on PET images to assess plaque metabolism. The effect of statin treatments has also been studied. Beyond the coverage of this study in a detailed manner at the physiological level by correlating different parameters of the plaques, and at the methodological level by using new approaches for pharmacokinetic analysis, it mainly emerges the suggestion for the detection of the vulnerability of the arterial plaque by CT alone, more available and less expensive, replacing biochemical analyzes, especially Creactive protein (CRP) considered to be the standard method

Why do physiotherapists do what they do? A study of Kuwaiti physiotherapists

Background and Purpose - Physiotherapy has an important role in the management of numerous musculoskeletal (MSK) problems. In terms of evidence-based physiotherapy practice, little is known about the reasons for selection of treatment techniques by MSK physiotherapists or whether their treatments are evidence based. This survey aimed to explore the reasons for the choice of treatment techniques by Kuwaiti MSK physiotherapists and to identify the extent of using the evidence base from research findings as a basis for physiotherapy practice. Methods - A self-reported questionnaire accompanied with participant information sheet was distributed to 139 MSK physiotherapists in seven hospitals in Kuwait. The questionnaire was modified from that used in a previous study for use with Kuwaiti MSK physiotherapists to include modalities that were known to be used there by the lead author. It was piloted prior to distribution on three Kuwaiti MSc students for content and face validity. Results - One hundred six of 139 therapists responded, of whom 22% were male and 78% were female. The study showed that undergraduate education was the main influence for all treatment techniques used by Kuwaiti MSK physiotherapists. The use of research findings as a basis for choice of treatment techniques was very limited. The use of research was not related to post-qualification education or years of professional experience. Conclusion - The findings of this study demonstrate that current physiotherapy practice in Kuwait is more reliant on undergraduate education and less on research evidence for the choice of treatment techniques. This has implications for undergraduate physiotherapy curricula, suggesting that evidence-based practice must be keenly espoused