A Machine Learning Pipeline and Application for Automatic Classification of Clinical Documents

Healthcare industry has many associated services including research on various trends or patterns in diseases and patients’ life style. With the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), it is made possible that problems in healthcare domain can be solved by using Machine Learning (ML) techniques. One such problem considered in this paper is known as clinical document classification. Existing methods in this area lack a systematic approach in filtering out false positives. In this paper we proposed a ML framework that considers pipelining of ML models at multiple levels. In the first level, clinical documents that do not have any content related to smoking are discarded. In the second level, the documents that talk about known smoking cases are retained. In the third level clinical document are classified into two categories such as currently smoking and past smokers. We proposed an algorithm known as Learning based Clinical Document Classification (LbCDC). This algorithm makes use of three models in pipeline in order to perform classification of clinical documents at multiple levels of granularity. Our experimental results revealed that the proposed system is efficient in clinical document classification

A questionnaire based study on the knowledge, attitude and the practices of pharmacovigilance among the postgraduate students at a tertiary care hospital in south India

Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are common cause of morbidity in the practice of medicine. Pharmacovigilance is the science of detection, assessment and understanding and prevention of adverse effects or any drug related problems. Post graduates are perhaps the first to notice ADRs in outpatient/inpatient setup as they spend most of the time bedside. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of postgraduates about Pharmacovigilance.Methods: A prevalidated and pretested questionnaire with 20 questions related to KAP of pharmacovigilance is administered to postgraduate students after obtaining their consent. All the completed and returned questionnaires were analysed for results using appropriate statistics.Results: 180 pretested questionnaires were distributed among postgraduates out of which, 122 were returned from postgraduates of all major medical and surgical allied departments. 90.2 % defined pharmacovigilance correctly, 83.6% thought reporting ADRs is a professional obligation, while only 65.6% knew regarding the existence of national pharmacovigilance program. 58.4% have experienced ADRs, of which only 24.6% reported ADR to pharmacovigilance centre. Major reasons for under reporting are lack of time to report and difficulty to decide whether ADR has occurred or not.Conclusions: In this study, the knowledge and attitude related to Pharmacovigilance is good amongst postgraduates, but practical implementation in reporting of ADRs is poor. Sensitization programs on pharmacovigilance practice in tertiary care hospitals and regular review meetings to ensure ADR reporting to pharmacovigilance centre will strengthen the health care setup

Complex Periodic Potentials with a Finite Number of Band Gaps

We obtain several new results for the complex generalized associated Lame potential V(x)= a(a+1)m sn^2(y,m)+ b(b+1)m sn^2(y+K(m),m) + f(f+1)m sn^2(y+K(m)+iK'(m),m)+ g(g+1)m sn^2(y+iK'(m),m), where y = x-K(m)/2-iK'(m)/2, sn(y,m) is a Jacobi elliptic function with modulus parameter m, and there are four real parameters a,b,f,g. First, we derive two new duality relations which, when coupled with a previously obtained duality relation, permit us to relate the band edge eigenstates of the 24 potentials obtained by permutations of the four parameters a,b,f,g. Second, we pose and answer the question: how many independent potentials are there with a finite number "a" of band gaps when a,b,f,g are integers? For these potentials, we clarify the nature of the band edge eigenfunctions. We also obtain several analytic results when at least one of the four parameters is a half-integer. As a by-product, we also obtain new solutions of Heun's differential equation.Comment: 33 pages, 0 figure

Contracting for Services in the U.S. Army: An Empirical Study of Current Management Practices

An analysis of the implications of different deficiencies of services acquisitions in the U.S. Army, as well as the effectiveness of current contract management processes and recommendations for improvement.This article presents the results of our empirical study of current management practices in services acquisition in the U.S. Army. In this study, we developed and used a web-based survey to collect primary data on the acquisition strategy, procurement methods, and contract types used at army installations. Specifically, we studied the current management practices in such areas as life cycle approach, project management, organization/management structure, and training provided to services acquisition personnel

Managing the Service Supply Chain in the Department of Defense: An Empirical Study of Current Management Practices

Sponsored Report (for Acquisition Research Program)This paper presents the results of our ongoing research on the management of services acquisition in the Department of Defense. In this empirical study we developed and used a web-based survey to collect data on the acquisition strategy, procurement methods, and contract types used at Air Force and Navy installations. Specifically, we studied the current management practices in such areas as life cycle approach, project management, organization/management structure, and training provided to services acquisition personnel. We find that the majority of the services contracts awarded and administered conformed to our expectation. For example, most service contracts are competitively bid, fixed-priced awards without any type of contract incentive. However, we found that the Air Force and Navy use different contracting approaches''specifically in the areas of organizational level of acquisition offices (regional versus installation), the use of project teams, leaders of the acquisition effort (program personnel versus contracting officers), and managers of the services requirement (program personnel, contracting officers, and customer organizations). We analyzed the implications and impact of different approaches on the effectiveness of the contract management process and make recommendations on improving the management of services acquisition in the Department of Defense.Naval Postgraduate School Acquisition Research ProgramApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Profile of elderly inmates of old age homes of Patan district, Gujarat, India: a cross sectional study

Background: Population aging is both a medical as well as a social problem. The situation of the elderly still worsens when there is presence of chronic diseases, physical incapacity and financial stringency. An exceptional increase in the number and proportion of older adults in the country, rapid increase in nuclear families, and contemporary changes in psychosocial matrix and values often compel this segment of society to live alone or in old age homes. The objective of study was to know the medico-social profile of the inmates of an old age homes.Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted from January to December 2014 to assess the socio-demographic profile, pattern of morbidities and quality of life of elderly residing in old age homes. Total 4 old age homes and 203 elderly people were included in the study after taking verbal and written consent of the elderly people and permission from the managers of all the old age homes. A semi structured and pretested questionnaire was prepared to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics and morbidity pattern. Data was collected and analyzed by appropriate statistical software.Results: Around 65% of elderly people were in the age group of 65 to 79 years. 58% of the males and 39.1 % of the females were suffered from cataract, whereas 39.8 of the males and 39.1 % females were suffered from hypertension. Next common morbidity was diabetes present in 28.4 of the males and 18.3 % of the females followed by joint pain present in 20.5% of the males and 23.5% of the females. No significant difference was found among morbidities of the males and females (x2=2.85, p=0.35). 30.8% of the males and 28.75% of the females were hypertensive. Around 27% of the males and 36% of the females were obese and 18% of males and females were pre-obese according to BMI value. There was no significant difference in the BMI among males and females.Conclusions: The study highlighted a high prevalence of morbidity and health related problems in old age group.

Machine Learning in Medical Field: An Application of Auxiliary Tumor Treatment

These years, with artificial intelligence and machine learning becoming the hotspot of research,several applications have emerged in each of these areas. It exists not only as a kind of academicfrontier but also something close to our life. In this trend, the combination of medical care andmachine learning becomes more and more tighter. The proposal of its main idea also greatlyalleviated the existing situation of unbalanced medical distribution and resources strain. This papersummarizes some application of machine learning and auxiliary tumor treatment in the process ofmedical resource allocation and puts forward some new methods of application to realize it closer tohuman life in the era of artificial intelligence and the explores a good situation of mutual combinationof medical industry and computer industry, which is benefit both

Investigation of Supercritical Water Phenomena for Space and Extraterrestrial Application

The cost of carrying or resupplying life support resources for long duration manned space exploration missions such as a mission to Mars is prohibitive and requires the development of suitable recycling technologies. Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) has been identified as an attractive candidate for these extended missions because (i) pre-drying of wet waste streams is not required, (ii) product streams are relatively benign, microbially inert, and easily reclaimed, (iii) waste conversion is complete and relatively fast, and (iv) with proper design and operation, reactions can be self-sustaining. Initial work in this area at NASA was carried out at the Ames Research Center in the 1990 s with a focus on understanding the linkages between feed stock preparation (i.e., particle size and distribution) of cellulosic based waste streams and destruction rates under a range of operating temperatures and pressures. More recently, work in SCWO research for space and extra-terrestrial application has been performed at NASA s Glenn Research Center where various investigations, with a particular focus in the gravitational effects on the thermo-physical processes occurring in the bulk medium, have been pursued. In 2010 a collaborative NASA/CNES (the French Space Agency) experiment on the critical transition of pure water was conducted in the long duration microgravity environment on the International Space Station (ISS). A follow-on experiment, to study the precipitation of salt in sub-critical, trans-critical and supercritical water is scheduled to be conducted on the ISS in 2013. This paper provides a brief history of NASA s earlier work in SCWO, discusses the potential for application of SCWO technology in extended space and extraterrestrial missions, describes related research conducted on the ISS, and provides a list of future research activities to advance this technology in both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial applications

Spontaneous Ignition of Hydrothermal Flames in Supercritical Ethanol Water Solutions

Results are reported from recent tests where hydrothermal flames spontaneously ignited in a Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) Test Cell. Hydrothermal flames are generally categorized as flames that occur when appropriate concentrations of fuel and oxidizer are present in supercritical water (SCW); i.e., water at conditions above its critical point (218 atm and 374 C). A co-flow injector was used to inject fuel, comprising an aqueous solution of 30-vol to 50-vol ethanol, and air into a reactor held at constant pressure and filled with supercritical water at approximately 240 atm and 425 C. Hydrothermal flames auto-ignited and quickly stabilized as either laminar or turbulent diffusion flames, depending on the injection velocities and test cell conditions. Two orthogonal views, one of which provided a backlit shadowgraphic image, provided visual observations. Optical emission measurements of the steady state flame were made over a spectral range spanning the ultraviolet (UV) to the near infrared (NIR) using a high-resolution, high-dynamic-range spectrometer. Depending on the fuel air flow ratios varying degrees of sooting were observed and are qualitatively compared using light absorption comparisons from backlit images

An elementary model for an advancing autoignition front in laminar reactive co-flow jets injected into supercritical water

In this paper we formulate and analyze an elementary model for the propagation of advancing autoignition fronts in reactive co-flow fuel/oxidizer jets injected into an aqueous environment at high pressure. This work is motivated by the experimental studies of autoignition of hydrothermal flames performed at the high pressure laboratory of NASA Glenn Research Center. Guided by experimental observations, we use several simplifying assumptions that allow the derivation of a simple, still experimentally feasible, mathematical model for the propagation of advancing ignition fronts. The model consists of a single diffusion-absorption-advection equation posed in an infinite cylindrical domain with a non-linear condition on the boundary of the cylinder and describes the temperature distribution within the jet. This model manifests an interplay of thermal diffusion, advection and volumetric heat loss within a fuel jet which are balanced by the weak chemical reaction on the jet's boundary. We analyze the model by means of asymptotic and numerical techniques and discuss feasible regimes of propagation of advancing ignition fronts. In particular, we show that in the most interesting parametric regime when the advancing ignition front is on the verge of extinction this model reduces to a one dimensional reaction-diffusion equation with bistable non-linearity. We hope that the present study will be helpful for the interpretation of existing experimental data and guiding of future experiments.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figure