436 research outputs found

    A Projection-Based Approach for Real-Time Assessment and Playability Check for Physics-Based Games

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    Abstract. This paper introduces an authoring tool for physics-based puzzle games that supports game designers through providing visual feedback about the space of interactions. The underlying algorithm accounts for the type and physical prop-erties of the different game components. An area of influence, which identifies the possible space of interaction, is identified for each component. The influence areas of all components in a given design are then merged considering the com-ponents ’ type and the context information. The tool can be used offline where complete designs are analyzed and the final interactive space is projected, and online where edits in the interactive space are projected on the canvas in realtime permitting continuous assistance for game designers and providing informative feedback about playability.

    Design of Extended Channel Ge-source TFET for Low Power Applications

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    In this paper, a novel design of a TFET structure using Ge-source and extending a part of the channel into the source is proposed. The DC performance is analyzed by evaluating the ON current, ION/IOFF ratio and subthreshold swing (SS). Moreover, the high-frequency performance is inspected in terms of transconductance (gm) and unit-gain cutoff frequency (fT). All simulations are performed utilizing 2D SILVACO TCAD. It is demonstrated that the ON current and the cut-off frequency can be simultaneously improved by appropriate design of the proposed structure

    Milk yield and composition of crossbred Sahelian × Anglo-Nubian goats in the semi-intensive system in Mali during the preweaning period

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    The aim of this study was to evaluate milk yield and its composition during the preweaning period for Sahelian goats (SG) and Anglo-Nubian (AN) crossbred depending on some factors. The experiments were conducted from January to December 2008 for 44 suckled and hand-milked does, randomized, and divided into two equal groups: SG (n022) and F1 Anglo-Nubian × Sahelian goats (1/2AN; n0 22). The does and their offsprings were kept in a pen where they stayed indoors for 45 days before they were allowed outdoors when the weather was suitable. Each category received supplemental feeds depending on the season (rainy season, dry cold season, and dry hot season). The average daily milk yield was recorded weekly from parturition to 100 days of age. Individual milk samples were taken for chemical analysis in connection with the yield measurements twice per month from the fourth week of lactation throughout the different seasons (rainy, cold dry, and hot dry). The daily milk yield differed between breed types (P0 0.001) during the preweaning, while the effect of kids' sex on daily milk production was not significant. Litter size affected milk yield up to day 60 (P00.032) where does with twins producing more milk than those with single kid. However, at day 100, both groups had similar (P00.001) milk production. Total milk yield at weaning increased by 103 % in 1/2AN over SG. The highest concentration of total solids of milk was (12.76 %) recorded in the hot dry season. The results of this study indicate that crossbreeding native Sahelian goats with high potential Anglo-Nubian buck improved milk production and its composition

    Atención prenatal durante embarazo y su efecto sobre resultados maternos y fetales

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    Aim: to evaluate the antenatal care booking during pregnancy and its effects on maternal and fetal outcomes. (in pre-eclamptic patients) Methods: This study was conducted to evaluate the importance of antenatal care booking on pre-eclampsia risk factors and its effect on maternal and fetal outcomes. It was carried on 150 pregnant women diagnosed with pre-eclampsia attending the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The included women were interviewed and Number of antenatal care visits was recorded. Blood pressure control, cardiotocography (CTG), ultrasonographic and Doppler evaluations and administration of methyldopa were also reported. INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE Hypertension is a frequently encountered complication of pregnancy. It may predate a pregnancy or develop during the antenatal, intrapartum or post-partum course. In some cases it is associated with proteinuria, and this usually indicates a multi-system disease known as pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is a major cause of maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity. Its incidence ranges from 2-10%, depending on the population studied and definitions of pre-eclampsia. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines on antenatal care has reduced the number of antenatal visits recommended for healthy woman at low risk. 2 As the randomized controlled trials on which this recommendation was based were never powered to identify important outcomes such as mortality, and as the failure to identify and act on known risk factors at booking contributes to deaths from pre-eclampsia, it is important to define risk at the beginning of pregnancy. The importance of antenatal care booking of risk factors for early onset pre-eclampsia has been greatly underestimated. Many risk factors that can be assessed at antenatal care booking including history (age, parity, previous pre-eclampsia, family history of pre-eclampsia, multiple pregnancy, and pre-existing medical conditions as; insulin dependent diabetes (IDDM), chronic hypertension, renal disease, autoimmune disease and antiphospholipid syndrome) and physical examination (body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, and proteinuria). This prospective study was carried out to reach an overall estimate for the importance of antenatal care booking of the risk of pre-eclampsia. This provides an evidence base from which healthcare professionals can assess each pregnant woman's risk of pre-eclampsia at her booking visit and tailor her antenatal care according to need. Methods: This study was conducted to evaluate the importance of antenatal care booking on pre-eclampsia risk factors and its effect on maternal and fetal outcomes. It was carried on 150 pregnant women diagnosed with pre-eclampsia attending the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The included women were interviewed and Number of antenatal care visits was recorded. Blood pressure control, cardiotocography (CTG), ultrasonographic and Doppler evaluations and administration of methyldopa were also reported. Results: There were significantly higher incidence rate and higher risk of postpartum hemorrhage, eclampsia and ICU admission among women with inadequate booking visits than among women with adequate booking visits. Overall, there was 12-folds higher risk of bad maternal outcome among women with inadequate booking visits than among women with adequate booking visits (P<0.0001). There were also significantly higher incidence rate and higher risk of bad fetal and neonatal mortality among women with inadequate booking visits than among women with adequate booking visits. Overall, there was 53-folds higher risk of bad fetal outcome among women with inadequate booking visits than among women with adequate booking visits (P<0.0001). Conclusions: The antenatal care booking visits during pregnancy have significant effects of on maternal and fetal outcomes among pre-eclamptic patient

    Evaluation of the Level of Histamine 1 and 2 Receptors with Some Biochemical Variables in Patients with Hepatitis C Virus Infection

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    The current study was carried out at Ibn - Sina Hospital in Nineveh Governorate, where the relationship between histamine receptors1&amp;2, liver enzyme functions, Albumin, and Alkaline phosphate was studied in patients with hepatitis C virus type. Samples were taken from patients diagnosed with hepatitis C, 60 of whom were compared with 30 controls. Take 5ml of blood, separate it with a centrifuge, and test the serum. The sample size was equal for Men and Women, and the age range was 18 to 78 years. ALT (GPT), Albumin, Alkaline phosphates, and histamine-2 receptor levels were statistically significant, while AST (GOT) and histamine-1 receptor levels were not statistically significant

    Preference learning with evolutionary Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline model

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    Study of microRNAs-21/221 as potential breast cancer biomarkers in Egyptian women

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    microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in cancer prognosis. They are small molecules, approximately 17–25 nucleotides in length, and their high stability in human serum supports their use as novel diagnostic biomarkers of cancer and other pathological conditions. In this study, we analyzed the expression patterns of miR-21 and miR-221 in the serum from a total of 100 Egyptian female subjects with breast cancer, fibroadenoma, and healthy control subjects. Using microarray-based expression profiling followed by real-time polymerase chain reaction validation, we compared the levels of the two circulating miRNAs in the serum of patients with breast cancer (n = 50), fibroadenoma (n = 25), and healthy controls (n = 25). The miRNA SNORD68 was chosen as the housekeeping endogenous control. We found that the serum levels of miR-21 and miR-221 were significantly overexpressed in breast cancer patients compared to normal controls and fibroadenoma patients. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that miR-21 has greater potential in discriminating between breast cancer patients and the control group, while miR-221 has greater potential in discriminating between breast cancer and fibroadenoma patients. Classification models using k-Nearest Neighbor (kNN), Naïve Bayes (NB), and Random Forests (RF) were developed using expression levels of both miR-21 and miR-221. Best classification performance was achieved by NB Classification models, reaching 91% of correct classification. Furthermore, relative miR-221 expression was associated with histological tumor grades. Therefore, it may be concluded that both miR-21 and miR-221 can be used to differentiate between breast cancer patients and healthy controls, but that the diagnostic accuracy of serum miR-21 is superior to miR-221 for breast cancer prediction. miR-221 has more diagnostic power in discriminating between breast cancer and fibroadenoma patients. The overexpression of miR-221 has been associated with the breast cancer grade. We also demonstrated that the combined expression of miR-21 and miR-221can be successfully applied as breast cancer biomarkers
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