Model generation theorem proving with interval constraints

We investigate how the deduction paradigm of model generation theorem proving can be enhanced with interval-and extraval-based constraints leading to more efficient model generation in for some finite domain problems

Extreme High Yield of Tropical Rice Grown Without Fertilizer on Acid Sulfate Soil in South Kalimantan, Indonesia

Extreme High Yield of Tropical Rice Grown Without Fertilizer on Acid Sulfate Soil in South Kalimantan, Indonesia (E Purnomo, Y Hashidoko, T Hasegawa and M Osaki): Local rice arieties are commonly grown by the farmers located in acid sulfate soil area of South Kalimantan. In South Kalimantan, more than 100 local rice varieties can be found. In 1999, a farmer found one hill (with 5 tillers) rice plant near a canal, later called Padi Panjang. The rice had panicle length of 50 cm. The panicle length of common local rice varieties are 25 cm. Since the finding, the farmer multiplied the seed for 3 years to get a reasonable amount of seeds for nearby farmers to use. In 2004, there were 25 farmers grow the Padi Panjang by themselves. Their paddocks are widely spread out in Aluh-Aluh and Gambut districts. We take this opportunity to investigate yield variation of the Padi Panjang that may be affected by soil properties variability. Ten paddocks out of the 25 paddock were selected. At harvest time (in July-August), we measured the rice yield and collected soil sample from the 10 paddocks. We found that the soil condition in the selected paddocks were marginally suitable for growing improved rice. Without fertilizer, however, the rice yield varied from 3.21 to 8.09 Mg ha-1. We also observed that the rice yield variations associated with tillers number. We did not find any correlation between rice yields with some selected soil properties, except it was observed that the tillers number was negatively correlated with soil electrical conductivity (EC). The extreme yield of Padi Panjang might be explained the involvement of N fixing bacteria and P solubilizing bacteria, large rooting system and the ability of Padi Panjang root in modifying the rhizosphere soil

Efficacy of shared decision making on treatment satisfaction for patients with first-admission schizophrenia: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Shared decision making is a promising model for patient-centred medicine, resulting in better clinical outcomes overall. In the mental health field, interventions that consider the patient-centred perspective—such as patient quality of life, involvement in the treatment, treatment satisfaction, and working alliance—have increased and better clinical outcomes discovered for patients with schizophrenia. However, few studies have examined the efficacy of shared decision making for schizophrenia treatment. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of a shared decision making intervention compared to treatment as usual on patient satisfaction at discharge for first-admission patients with schizophrenia. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a randomised, parallel-group, two-arm, open-label, single-centre study currently being conducted in an acute psychiatric ward of Numazu Chuo Hospital, Japan. We are recruiting patients between 16 and 65 years old who are admitted to the ward with a diagnosis of schizophrenia without prior experience of psychiatric admission. Fifty-eight participants are being randomised into a shared decision making intervention group or a treatment as usual control group in a 1:1 ratio. The intervention program was developed based on a shared decision making model and is presented as a weekly course lasting the duration of the patients’ acute psychiatric ward stay. The primary outcome measure is patient satisfaction at discharge as assessed by the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. Due to the study’s nature, neither the patient nor staff can be blinded. DISCUSSION: This is the first randomised controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of shared decision making for patients with early-treatment-stage schizophrenia. The intervention program in this study is innovative in that it includes both of the patient and staff who are involved in the treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT01869660

Artificial neural network approach for selection of susceptible single nucleotide polymorphisms and construction of prediction model on childhood allergic asthma

BACKGROUND: Screening of various gene markers such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and correlation between these markers and development of multifactorial disease have previously been studied. Here, we propose a susceptible marker-selectable artificial neural network (ANN) for predicting development of allergic disease. RESULTS: To predict development of childhood allergic asthma (CAA) and select susceptible SNPs, we used an ANN with a parameter decreasing method (PDM) to analyze 25 SNPs of 17 genes in 344 Japanese people, and select 10 susceptible SNPs of CAA. The accuracy of the ANN model with 10 SNPs was 97.7% for learning data and 74.4% for evaluation data. Important combinations were determined by effective combination value (ECV) defined in the present paper. Effective 2-SNP or 3-SNP combinations were found to be concentrated among the 10 selected SNPs. CONCLUSION: ANN can reliably select SNP combinations that are associated with CAA. Thus, the ANN can be used to characterize development of complex diseases caused by multiple factors. This is the first report of automatic selection of SNPs related to development of multifactorial disease from SNP data of more than 300 patients

Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators Do Not Inhibit the Synthesis of Inflammatory Mediators Induced by Tumor Necrosis Factor-α in Synovial Fibroblasts

Background : Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, a proinflammatory cytokine, is involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The omega-3 unsaturated fatty acid-derived metabolites resolvin (Rv) D1, RvE1, and maresin-1 (MaR1) have been reported as anti-inflammatory lipid mediators and are known as specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs). In this study, we aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of SPMs on TNF-α-induced responses in synovial fibroblasts. Methods: We investigated the effects of SPMs on gene expression and/or production of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1), interleukin (IL)-6, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3, which are involved in TNF-α-induced synovitis in RA or OA synovial fibroblasts, by quantitative real-time PCR. We also investigated the effects of SPMs on the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway by western blotting. Anti-inflammatory effects of SPMs were evaluated by applying SPMs to cultured synovial fibroblasts, followed by TNF-α stimulation. Results: The induction of COX-2, mPGES-1, IL-6, and MMP-3 by TNF-α in synovial fibroblasts was not suppressed by omega 3-derived SPMs regardless of their origin such as RA or OA. SPMs had no effect on lipid mediator receptor gene expression induce by TNF-α and did not inhibit the TNF-α-activated MAPK signaling pathway. The production of COX-2 and IL-6 protein was significantly decreased by p38 inhibitor. Conclusion: Despite reports on the anti-inflammatory effect of omega 3-derived SPMs, its anti-inflammatory effect on TNF-α-induced responses was not observed in synovial fibroblasts. The reason may be that SPMs have no suppressive effect on p38 activation, which plays an important role in the production of inflammatory cytokines in synovial fibroblasts

The Tottori-Ken Seibu earthquake and exacerbation of asthma in adults

The aim of the study was to characterize patients at risk for exacerbations of their asthma as a result of the Tottori-Ken Seibu earthquake and to identify factors that predict exacerbation of asthma after an earthquake. Aretrospective cohort study-analysis was conducted of 156 asthmatic patients, aged 18 to 89 years, who were out-patients of Tottori University Hospital and who had completely recorded their asthmatic symptoms and measured their peak expiratory flow (PEF) rates for more than one year prior to the earthquake. Seventeen (11%) patients who experienced the earthquake were identified as having an exacerbation within one month after the earthquake. Diurnal variability of PEF during the month after the earthquake was compared to values during a matched month one year previously. When factors associated with exacerbation were identified by a review of the medical case notes and the contribution of these factors to the exacerbation was determined using multivariate analysis, airflow limitation was shown to be independently associated with exacerbation after the earthquake. Acute asthma attacks are more likely to occur within the first week after the earthquake event without diurnal PEF variability. Asthma is likely to worsen after an earthquake

Subcutaneous Nodule on the Right Palm of a Young Boy : A Quiz

Abstract is missing (Quiz