Fuzzy Environment Mapping for Robot Navigation Based on Grid Computing

In order to navigate autonomously, a mobile robot needs to build an environment map where the robot is navigating. Currently, the sensors are mounted on the robot to detect if the obstacles exist and then the map immediate surrounding of the robot is built to help for navigation path planning. The map created by this method is a local map that may cause global navigation problem which a global coverage map is needed to solve such a problem. In this study, a sensor network is deployed for building global environment map. All the sensor locations are assumed known. The navigation space is divided into grids and a grid is to be detected if obstacles exist by one or a number of sensors. Fuzzy set concept is used to introduce a tool useful for sensor perception. Those sensors work as a team to explore all the space and then the global fuzzy map is constructed. The experiments show that the fuzzy map is more practical and helps the path planning problem to be solved more efficiently

Clonal dissemination of invasive and colonizing clonal complex 1 of serotype VI group B Streptococcus in central Taiwan

Background/PurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate clinical presentation, serotype distribution and genetic correlation of group B streptococcus (GBS) diseases. Since serotype VI prevalence far exceeded that reported in prior studies, genetic relationship of isolates was further analyzed.MethodsGBS isolates obtaining from patients with invasive diseases and pregnant women with colonization between June 2007 and December 2010 were analyzed. All isolates were tested for serotypes by multiplex PCR assay and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Serotype VI isolates were further analyzed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST).ResultsA total of 134 GBS isolates were recovered from blood of 126 patients with invasive disease (94.0%) and anogenital swabs of 8 pregnant women (6.0%). Most common serotype was Ib (21.6%), followed by V (20.1%), VI (18.7%), III (15.7%), II (11.9 %), Ia (11.2%), and IX (0.7%). Serotype VI was also the leading type in infants with early onset disease (EOD; 3/8, 37.5%) and colonizing pregnant women (3/8, 37.5%). PFGE distinguished 33 pulsotypes, reflecting genetic diversity among GBS isolates. Among 25 serotype VI isolates tested, 14 were ST-1, seven were ST-679, three were ST-678, one was ST-681, and distributed into four PFGE pulsotypes. ST-678, ST-679, and ST-681 were novel sequence types; ST-678 and ST-679 are single-locus variants of ST-1 that belongs to clonal complex (CC) 1.ConclusionCC1 dissemination of serotype VI GBS thus emerges as an important invasive pathogen in infants and nonpregnant adults in central Taiwan. Serotype prevalence of GBS must be continuously monitored geographically to guide prevention strategy of GBS vaccines

Bidirectional referral system between National Taiwan University Hospital medical center and Zhongxiao Branch community hospital of Taipei City Hospital: focus on patient satisfaction

Abstract The policy of bidirectional referral between National Taiwan University Hospital and Taipei City Hospital has been launched due to the over-crowding of the emergency department at National Taiwan University Hospital. This research aims to evaluate patient satisfaction with the bidirectional referral. Sixty-six patients have been referred from the emergency department of National Taiwan University Hospital to Taipei City Hospital, Zhongxiao campus from April 2015 to December 2017. The selection criteria of the subjects for bidirectional referral include the management of patients classified as triage classification 2 or 3. Exclusion criteria are as follows: incomplete patient records and patients who chose hospice care. Sixty-six patients completed the questionnaires. Multivariate regression was used to evaluate the determinants of overall satisfaction scores of the bidirectional referral. The two overall satisfaction scores of patients were high (> 7). Three independent variables, (1) overall satisfaction scores of medical care at Taipei City Hospital, Zhongxiao campus, (2) waiting times for examination, treatment, and test, and (3) a positive question regarding quality improvement of delivered care for patients and family explained 69.3% adjusted variability of the overall satisfaction scores of bidirectional referrals. Therefore, the policy of bidirectional referrals and direct admission into the wards of Taipei City Hospital, Zhongxiao campus, from the emergency department of National Taiwan University Hospital met the criteria for patient satisfaction and public accountability

Effect of Core-Shell Ag@TiO2 Volume Ratio on Characteristics of TiO2-Based DSSCs

This paper aims to develop photoanode material required by dye-sensitized solar cells. The material prepared is in the form of Ag@TiO2 core-shell-type nanocomposites. This material is used to replace the titanium oxide powder commonly used in general DSSCs. The prepared Ag@TiO2 core-shell-type nanocomposites are mixed with Degussa P25 TiO2 in different proportions. Triton X-100 is added and polyethylene glycol (PEG) at 20 wt% is used as a polymer additive. This study tests the particle size and material properties of Ag@TiO2 core-shell-type nanocomposites and measures the photoelectric conversion efficiency and IPCE of DSSCs. Experimental results show that the DSSC prepared by Ag@TiO2 core-shell-type nanocomposites can achieve a photoelectric conversion efficiency of 3.67%. When Ag@TiO2 core-shell-type nanocomposites are mixed with P25 nanoparticles in specific proportions, and when the thickness of the photoelectrode thin film is 28 μm, the photoelectric conversion efficiency can reach 6.06%, with a fill factor of 0.52, open-circuit voltage of 0.64V, and short-circuit density of 18.22 mAcm−2. Compared to the DSSC prepared by P25 TiO2 only, the photoelectric conversion efficiency can be raised by 38% under the proposed approach

Fuzzy Environment Mapping for Robot Navigation Based on Grid Computing

In order to navigate autonomously, a mobile robot needs to build an environment map where the robot is navigating. Currently, the sensors are mounted on the robot to detect if the obstacles exist and then the map immediate surrounding of the robot is built to help for navigation path planning. The map created by this method is a local map that may cause global navigation problem which a global coverage map is needed to solve such a problem. In this study, a sensor network is deployed for building global environment map. All the sensor locations are assumed known. The navigation space is divided into grids and a grid is to be detected if obstacles exist by one or a number of sensors. Fuzzy set concept is used to introduce a tool useful for sensor perception. Those sensors work as a team to explore all the space and then the global fuzzy map is constructed. The experiments show that the fuzzy map is more practical and helps the path planning problem to be solved more efficiently

Regression-Based Association Analysis with Clustered Haplotypes through Use of Genotypes

Haplotype-based association analysis has been recognized as a tool with high resolution and potentially great power for identifying modest etiological effects of genes. However, in practice, its efficacy has not been as successfully reproduced as expected in theory. One primary cause is that such analysis tends to require a large number of parameters to capture the abundant haplotype varieties, and many of those are expended on rare haplotypes for which studies would have insufficient power to detect association even if it existed. To concentrate statistical power on more-relevant inferences, in this study, we developed a regression-based approach using clustered haplotypes to assess haplotype-phenotype association. Specifically, we generalized the probabilistic clustering methods of Tzeng to the generalized linear model (GLM) framework established by Schaid et al. The proposed method uses unphased genotypes and incorporates both phase uncertainty and clustering uncertainty. Its GLM framework allows adjustment of covariates and can model qualitative and quantitative traits. It can also evaluate the overall haplotype association or the individual haplotype effects. We applied the proposed approach to study the association between hypertriglyceridemia and the apolipoprotein A5 gene. Through simulation studies, we assessed the performance of the proposed approach and demonstrate its validity and power in testing for haplotype-trait association

Performance of ChatGPT on Stage 1 of the Taiwanese medical licensing exam

Introduction Since its release by OpenAI in November 2022, numerous studies have subjected ChatGPT to various tests to evaluate its performance in medical exams. The objective of this study is to evaluate ChatGPT's accuracy and logical reasoning across all 10 subjects featured in Stage 1 of Senior Professional and Technical Examinations for Medical Doctors (SPTEMD) in Taiwan, with questions that encompass both Chinese and English. Methods In this study, we tested ChatGPT-4 to complete SPTEMD Stage 1. The model was presented with multiple-choice questions extracted from three separate tests conducted in February 2022, July 2022, and February 2023. These questions encompass 10 subjects, namely biochemistry and molecular biology, anatomy, embryology and developmental biology, histology, physiology, microbiology and immunology, parasitology, pharmacology, pathology, and public health. Subsequently, we analyzed the model's accuracy for each subject. Result In all three tests, ChatGPT achieved scores surpassing the 60% passing threshold, resulting in an overall average score of 87.8%. Notably, its best performance was in biochemistry, where it garnered an average score of 93.8%. Conversely, the performance of the generative pre-trained transformer (GPT)-4 assistant on anatomy, parasitology, and embryology was not as good. In addition, its scores were highly variable in embryology and parasitology. Conclusion ChatGPT has the potential to facilitate not only exam preparation but also improve the accessibility of medical education and support continuous education for medical professionals. In conclusion, this study has demonstrated ChatGPT's potential competence across various subjects within the SPTEMD Stage 1 and suggests that it could be a helpful tool for learning and exam preparation for medical students and professionals