Visual Ontology Cleaning: Cognitive Principles and Applicability

In this paper we connect two research areas, the Qualitative Spatial Reasoning and visual reasoning on ontologies. We discuss the logical limitations of the mereotopological approach to the visual ontology cleaning, from the point of view of its formal support. The analysis is based on three different spatial interpretations wich are based in turn on three different spatial interpretations of the concepts of an ontology.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia TIN2004-0388

Is upper gastrointestinal radiography a cost-effective alternative to a Helicobacter pylori “Test and Treat” strategy for patients with suspected peptic ulcer disease?

Current clinical consensus supports an initial Helicobacter pylori (HP) “test and treat” approach when compared to immediate endoscopy for patients with suspected peptic ulcer disease. Alternative diagnostic approaches that incorporate upper GI radiography (UGI) have not been previously evaluated. We sought to determine the cost effectiveness of UGI compared to a HP test and treat strategy, incorporating recent data addressing the reduced prevalence of HP, lower cost of diagnostic interventions, and reduced attribution of PUD to HP. METHODS : Using decision analysis, three diagnostic and treatment strategies were evaluated: 1) Test and Treat —initial HP serology, treat patients who test positive with HP eradication and antiulcer therapy; 2) Initial UGI series —treat all patients with documented ulcer disease with HP eradication and antiulcer therapy; and 3) Initial UGI series, HP serology if ulcer present — treat ulcer and HP based on diagnostic test results. RESULTS : The estimated cost per ulcer cured for each strategy were as follows: test and treat, $3,025; initial UGI,$3,690; and UGI with serology, $3,790. The estimated cost per patient treatment were: test and treat,$498; initial UGI, $610; and UGI with serology,$620. When UGI reimbursement was decreased to less than $50, the UGI strategies yielded a lower cost per patient treated than the test and treat strategy. CONCLUSION : At the current level of reimbursement, UGI should not be considered a cost-effective alternative to the HP test and treat strategy for the initial evaluation of patients with suspected peptic ulcer disease.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73722/1/j.1572-0241.2000.01837.x.pd

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Physicochemical changes in stabilized, orientated polypropylene films during the initial stages of thermal oxidation

Orientated, stabilized, isotactic polypropylene films have been oven‐aged at 130°C for times shorter than required for their embrittlement. The structural changes occurring during this induction period have been studied using tensile tensiometric, density, thermal analytical (DTA and TGA), and infrared spectrophotometric techniques. After an initially rapid annealing, films show similar time‐dependent changes in tensile, density‐derived crystalline and thermogravimetric behaviors. Comparison with vacuum‐aged sample properties shows that these changes reflect the effects of oxidative attack of polypropylene chains. Infrared examination shows that, even after the longest aging times studied and close to the induction period for embrittlement, the presence of oxidized chain groups is only just discernible. Oven aging reduces post‐fusion oxidative onset and maximum mass loss temperatures determined by TGA. Kinetic analysis demonstrates that the apparent activation energies and Arrhenius factors are reduced during aging as the post‐fusion oxidation mechanism becomes more complex. The results suggest that, during the induction period, changes in both physical and chemical structural features of orientated polypropylene occur which have possible importance in determining the lifetime of the polymer in use

The effects of stress, environment and polymer variables on the durabilities of oriented polypropylene tapes

The combined roles of temperature, applied stress, relative humidity and exposure time have been investigated with respect to the degradation and changes in properties of a selection of oriented polypropylene tapes. Tapes were studied, having a range of average molecular weights and antioxidant types and one commercial sample contained carbon black. After ageing under ambient and elevated temperatures (90–130°C) and selected loads, for periods up to and including their failure, tapes were analysed for changes in tensile physico-chemical and thermal analytical property changes. Results are explained in terms of oxidative scission of polymer chains, which caused subsequent physical structural reorganisation. While application of low and medium stresses had little effect on these changes, stresses above 10% breaking stress seriously enhanced physico-chemical deterioration and shortened the times-to-failure. The effects of relative humidity were similar to those of increased temperature in that rates of degradation were enhanced. The presence of carbon black reduced stress sensitivity of tapes to degradation when loaded below 10% stress levels, and improved creep resistance, but showed poorer ageing performance at higher stress levels