Effect of Combined Sympathetic and Vagal Stimulation on Heart Rate in the Dog

journal articleBiomedical Informatic

Dietary treatment of Crohn’s disease: perceptions of families with children treated by exclusive enteral nutrition, a questionnaire survey

Background: Diet is strongly associated with the aetiology of Crohn’s Disease (CD) and exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is the primary induction treatment in paediatric CD. This study explored opinions around the use of EEN and alternative novel, solid food-based diets (SFDs) expressed by paediatric patients with CD, previously treated with EEN and their parents. Methods: This anonymous questionnaire surveyed families of CD patients treated with EEN over 1 year. Two questionnaire forms were completed; one asking the patients’ opinions and another referring to their main carer. This questionnaire explored participants’ demographic characteristics; acceptability of a repeat EEN course to treat a future flare (EEN repeat); their opinion on how difficult EEN would be compared to an example SFD; and their intention to participate in a future clinical trial assessing the therapeutic efficacy of an SFD in CD. Results: Forty-one families of CD patients were approached with 29 sending replies (71%). Most of our participants were positive on completing another EEN course, however the majority would choose an SFD alternative (Patients: 66, Parents:72%). Both patients and their parents rated EEN to be more difficult to adhere to compared to an example SFD (p < 0.05), and their ratings were strongly correlated (EEN:r = 0.83, SFD:r = 0.75, p < 0.001). The majority of our respondents would agree to participate in a clinical trial assessing an SFD’s effectiveness (Patients:79, Parents:72%) for the management of active CD. Conclusions: While patients with CD and their families would accept an EEN repeat, the majority would prefer an SFD alternative. CD families surveyed are supportive of the development of solid food-based dietary treatments

Optical Fiber Strain Sensors for Cable Nondestructive Evaluation

Optical fiber strain sensors embedded within load-bearing cables may pose an effective and inexpensive approach to extending the service life and load capacity of such cables. Currently cables must be replaced according to a conservative schedule based on mean-time-before-failure statistics in order to prevent failure of the cable. Real-time, in-service measurement of cable mechanical parameters by optical fiber sensors may prevent premature and expensive retirement of cables, and will minimize exposure of personnel to catastrophic cable failure. Also, the cable may be rated for greater load capacities, since active monitoring means that conservative rating is not necessary

Airline fare competition : econometric evidence of oligopolistic coordination

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1990.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 96-97).by Richard R. Barth.M.S

Super-Resolution Enhancement of Digital Video

SR from digital video is a relatively new field, in only its third decade of existence. There is no doubt that as imaging sensor technologies, optical fabrication techniques, and computational algorithms mature, SR will find its way into digital video products such as cameras and digital cable set-top boxes. These papers on the fundamental SR topics of image registration, regularization, photometric diversity, detector nonuniformity, compression, optical design, and performance metrics serve as pioneers in the dynamic and evolving field of SR image reconstruction research and development. We are proud to present them to the image and video processing research community. (Refers to papers appearing in the same issue of the EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing in which this editorial appeared.

Adam Smith and the theory of punishment

A distinctive theory of punishment plays a central role in Smith's moral and legal theory. According to this theory, we regard the punishment of a crime as deserved only to the extent that an impartial spectator would go along with the actual or supposed resentment of the victim. The first part of this paper argues that Smith's theory deserves serious consideration and relates it to other theories such as utilitarianism and more orthodox forms of retributivism. The second part considers the objection that, because Smith's theory implies that punishment is justified only when there is some person or persons who is the victim of the crime, it cannot explain the many cases where punishment is imposed purely for the public good. It is argued that Smith's theory could be extended to cover such cases. The third part defends Smith's theory against the objection that, because it relies on our natural feelings, it cannot provide an adequate moral justification of punishment