63 research outputs found
Bounded Rational Decision-Making with Adaptive Neural Network Priors
Bounded rationality investigates utility-optimizing decision-makers with
limited information-processing power. In particular, information theoretic
bounded rationality models formalize resource constraints abstractly in terms
of relative Shannon information, namely the Kullback-Leibler Divergence between
the agents' prior and posterior policy. Between prior and posterior lies an
anytime deliberation process that can be instantiated by sample-based
evaluations of the utility function through Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC)
optimization. The most simple model assumes a fixed prior and can relate
abstract information-theoretic processing costs to the number of sample
evaluations. However, more advanced models would also address the question of
learning, that is how the prior is adapted over time such that generated prior
proposals become more efficient. In this work we investigate generative neural
networks as priors that are optimized concurrently with anytime sample-based
decision-making processes such as MCMC. We evaluate this approach on toy
examples.Comment: Published in ANNPR 2018: Artificial Neural Networks in Pattern
Recognitio
Assessment of cardiac remodeling in asymptomatic mitral regurgitation for surgery timing: a comparative study of echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Early surgery is recommended for asymptomatic severe mitral regurgitation (MR), because of increased postoperative left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in patients with late surgery. On the other hand, recent reports emphasized a "watchful waiting" process for the determination of the proper time of mitral valve surgery. In our study, we compared magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transthoracic echocardiography to evaluate the LV and left atrial (LA) remodeling; for better definitions of patients that may benefit from early valve surgery.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Twenty-one patients with moderate to severe asymptomatic MR were evaluated by echocardiography and MRI. LA and LV ejection fractions (EFs) were calculated by echocardiography and MRI. Pulmonary veins (PVs) were measured from vein orifices in diastole and systole from the tangential of an imaginary circle that completed LA wall. Right upper PV indices were calculated with the formula; (Right upper PV diastolic diameter- Right upper PV systolic diameter)/Right upper PV diastolic diameter.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In 9 patients there were mismatches between echocardiography and MRI measurements of LV EF. LV EFs were calculated â„60% by echocardiography, meanwhile < 60% by MRI in these 9 patients. Severity of MR evaluated by effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA) didn't differ with preserved and depressed EFs by MRI (p > 0.05). However, both right upper PV indices (0.16 ± 0.06 vs. 0.24 ± 0.08, p: 0.024) and LA EFs (0.19 ± 0.09 vs. 0.33 ± 0.14, p: 0.025) were significantly decreased in patients with depressed EFs when compared to patients with normal EFs.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>MRI might be preferred when small changes in functional parameters like LV EF, LA EF, and PV index are of clinical importance to disease management like asymptomatic MR patients that we follow up for appropriate surgery timing.</p
Positioning pharmacistsâ roles in primary health care: a discourse analysis of the compensation plan in Alberta, Canada
Abstract Background A comprehensive Compensation Plan for pharmacy services delivered by community pharmacists was implemented in Alberta, Canada in July 2012. Services covered by the Compensation Plan include care planning services, prescribing services such as adapting prescriptions, and administering a drug or publicly-funded vaccine by injection. Understanding how the Compensation Plan was framed and communicated provides insight into the roles of pharmacists and the potential influence of language on the implementation of services covered by the Compensation Plan by Albertan pharmacists. The objective of this study is to examine the positioning of pharmacistsâ roles in documents used to communicate the Compensation Plan to Albertan pharmacists and other audiences. Methods Publicly available documents related to the Compensation Plan, such as news releases or reports, published between January 2012 and December 2015 were obtained from websites such as the Government of Alberta, Alberta Blue Cross, the Alberta College of Pharmacists, the Alberta Pharmacistsâ Association, and the Blueprint for Pharmacy. Searches of the Canadian Newsstand database and Google identified additional documents. Discourse analysis was performed using social positioning theory to explore how pharmacistsâ roles were constructed in communications about the Compensation Plan. Results In total, 65 publicly available documents were included in the analysis. The Compensation Plan was put forward as a framework for payment for professional services and formal legitimization of pharmacistsâ changing professional roles. The discourse associated with the Compensation Plan positioned pharmacistsâ roles as: (1) expanding to include services such as medication management for chronic diseases, (2) contributing to primary health care by providing access to services such as prescription renewals and immunizations, and (3) collaborating with other health care team members. Pharmacistsâ changing roles were positioned in alignment with the aims of primary health care. Conclusions Social positioning theory provides a useful lens to examine the dynamic and evolving roles of pharmacists. This study provides insight into how communications regarding the Compensation Plan in Alberta, Canada positioned pharmacistsâ changing roles in the broader context of changes to primary health care delivery. Our findings may be useful for other jurisdictions considering implementation of remunerated clinical services provided by pharmacists
Does corporate reputation matter? Role of social media in consumer intention to purchase innovative food product
The exponential growth of the corporate reputation in food industry has resulted in innovations in every link of its supply chain. There have been studies that have characterized innovation in various industries from the perspective of technology, but far fewer in the area of corporate reputation, consumer perception, and intention towards innovations in food products. This research analyses the innovations in the food industry from the perspective of the consumer and provides a conceptual framework of food innovation stages. The study also investigates the relationship between corporate reputation and intention towards food innovation along with the other components of TPB model with an extension of social media engagement. The results from India and US samples confirm that social media engagement have a significant role to play in creating intention to purchase innovative food products. The study compares the US and Indian samples and identifies differences in subjective norms and perceived behavioural control
Ramucirumab plus docetaxel versus placebo plus docetaxel in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma after platinum-based therapy (RANGE): a randomised, double-blind, phase 3 trial
Few treatments with a distinct mechanism of action are available for patients with platinum-refractory advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. We assessed the efficacy and safety of treatment with docetaxel plus either ramucirumab-a human IgG1 VEGFR-2 antagonist-or placebo in this patient population
Exon-3 polymorphism of CTLA-4 gene in Turkish patients with vitiligo
WOS: 000230188000007PubMed ID: 1588838
susceptibility to vitiligo in a Turkish population
Accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and low catalase (CAT) activity have been demonstrated in the epidermis of vitiligo patients. We investigated a possible association between the CAT exon 9 (Asp-389) gene and vitiligo susceptibility in the Turkish population. Thirty-four patients with vitiligo and 49 gender, age and ethnic matched controls were enrolled in the study. Genotyping was done by PCR-RFLP. The CAT exon 9 (Asp-389) genotype and allele frequencies of vitiligo patients did not differ significantly from those of healthy controls. We found no association between CAT (Asp-389) gene polymorphism and vitiligo susceptibility in Turkish vitiligo patients
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