Interactions Between PVS and Maple in Symbolic Analysis of Control Systems

AbstractThis paper presents a decision procedure for problems relating polynomial and transcendental functions. The procedure applies to functions that are continuously differentiable with a finite number of points of inflection in a closed convex set. It decides questions of the form ‘is f∼0?’, where ∼∈{=,>,<}. An implementation of the procedure in Maple and PVS exploits the existing Maple, PVS and QEPCAD connections. It is at present limited to those twice differentiable functions whose derivatives are rational functions (rationally differentiable). This procedure is particularly applicable to the analysis of control systems in determining important properties such as stability

Transportation corridor runs through it: people, wildlife, and transportation systems in national parks and beyond, A

2012 Fall.Includes bibliographical references.To view the abstract, please see the full text of the document

Progressing an evidence-base beyond case series

High-quality randomized trials in hospice and palliative care are achievable to provide quality evidence to guide our practice especially if several sites work together to conduct the trial. Palliative medicine is a specialty that is contributing more and more to the care of patients with life limiting disease. It is time we based this practice on highquality evidence and that can only come with high-quality research

Age-related effects on lexical, but not syntactic, processes during sentence production

ABSTRACT We investigated the effect of healthy ageing on the lexical and syntactic processes involved in sentence production. Young and older adults completed a semantic interference sentence production task: we manipulated whether the target picture and distractor word were semantically related or unrelated and whether they fell within the same phrase (“the watch and the clock/hippo move apart”) or different phrases (“the watch moves above the clock/hippo”). Both age groups were slower to initiate sentences containing a larger, compared to a smaller, initial phrase, indicating a similar phrasal scope of advanced planning. However, older adults displayed significantly larger semantic interference effects (slower to initiate sentences when the target picture and distractor word were related) than young adults, indicating an age-related increase in lexical competition. Thus, while syntactic planning is preserved with age, older speakers encounter problems managing the temporal co-activation of competing lexical items during sentence production.publishedVersio

Flue-cured tobacco and Cl rates : implications on yield, quality, and nutrient concentration

The increase in flue-cured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacumL.) yields in recent decadesdue to genetic improvements of new cultivars and management technologies mayincrease the plant demand for Cl, and the increased dry mass may dilute Cl concentra-tion, thereby reducing negative effects. This study evaluated the effect of increasingdoses of Cl on tobacco production, quality, and chemical composition of leaves, infour growing environments located at research stations where flue-cured tobacco isproduced in North Carolina. The treatments consisted of 11 rates of Cl (0, 11, 22,34, 45, 56, 67, 78, 90, 101, and 112 kg ha−1) in each growing environment, with fourreplications in a randomized complete block design. The yield and visual quality,total alkaloids, and reducing sugars concentrations of cured leaf were determined.In addition, the concentration of selected nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, and Cl) andnitrate (NO3−) in tobacco leaves was measured in five different periods. Rates of Clup to 112 kg ha−1did not reduce the productivity or quality of flue-cured tobaccoin any environment. The Cl rate required to reach the threshold of 1.0% Cl contentin cured leaf was site-specific, being surpassed even in the control treatment at onelocation, or with Cl rates higher than 34 and 90 kg ha−1in two environments. Inone environment, the Cl rates increased tobacco yield, probably due the direct effectof Cl as a nutrient. Although the increasing Cl rates increased the reducing sugarsconcentration, visual quality was not attenuated

Child Care Arrangements in Affluence and Poverty

A study of the attitudes of 40 mothers toward their child care arrangements tested hypotheses concerning the conditions of economic and child care necessity under which mothers of two socio-economic groups would be satisfied with their arrangements. It was hypothesized that the satisfaction with an arrangement would be associated inversely with economic necessity and child care necessity. A prediction was also made that the mothers\u27 expressive satisfactions with the child care arrangements (benefits to the child and relationship to the sitter) would only be realized after the instrumental necessities of convenience and dependability of the arrangement were met. Interest in this study developed from Perry et al. (1967) where satisfaction with child care arrangements of employed mothers was studied. However, this study broadened the area of investigation to include all mothers using child care arrangements. A sample of 40 mothers was chosen, 20 from an upper middle class residential area, and 20 women receiving Aid to Dependent Children. The attitudes of these women were assessed through an interview schedule, a Likert scale of satisfaction items, and an independent rating by the interviewer. Four case studies of two mothers from each group were used to enrich the study with further descriptive data on the respective life styles of the two socioeconomic groups. No difference was found between the two samples in the level of satisfaction with the child care arrangement. However, the groups did differ in the pattern of satisfactions reported. Guttman scale patterns of the four subscales (convenience, money, benefits to child, and relationship to sitter) were reversed for the two groups. This difference in patterns was interpreted as a reflection of the socioeconomic standing and life circumstances of the mothers

study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background For treating deep caries lesions, selective or stepwise (one- and two-step) incomplete excavation seems advantageous compared with complete caries removal. However, current evidence regarding the success, as defined by not requiring any retreatments, or survival of teeth after different excavations is insufficient for definitive recommendation, especially when treating deciduous teeth. Moreover, restoration integrity has not been comparatively analyzed longitudinally, and neither patients’, dentists’ or parents’ preferences nor the clinical long-term costs emanating from both initial and retreatments have been reported yet. Methods/Design The planned study is a prospective multicenter, two-arm parallel group, randomized controlled clinical trial comparing selective and stepwise excavation in deciduous molars with deep, active caries lesions without pulpal symptoms. We will recruit 300 children aged between three and nine-years-old with a minimum of one such molar. Patients participating in another study, or those with systemic diseases, disabilities or known allergies to used materials as well patients with teeth expected to exfoliate within the next 18 months will be excluded. After inclusion, sequence generation will be performed. Initial treatment will follow dental routine. During excavation, leathery, moist and reasonably soft dentin will be left in proximity to the pulp followed by adhesive restoration of the cavity. Afterwards, patients’, dentists’ and parents’ subjective assessment of the treatment will be recorded using visual analogue or Likert scales. Re-examination will be performed after six months, and only then teeth will be allocated to one of the two interventions. Selectively excavated teeth will not be treated further, whilst for stepwise caries removal, a second excavation will be performed until only hard dentin remains. Clinical re-evaluations will be performed after 12, 24 and 36 months. Restorations will be reassessed using modified Ryge criteria. Objectively or subjectively required retreatments will determine success and survival. Retreatments will be evaluated both subjectively and regarding generated costs. Discussion Based on the results of the trial, decision-making for treating deep caries lesions in deciduous molars based on multiple criteria should be feasible

Weighted protein interaction network analysis of frontotemporal dementia

The genetic analysis of complex disorders has undoubtedly led to the identification of a wealth of associations between genes and specific traits. However, moving from genetics to biochemistry one gene at a time has, to date, rather proved inefficient and under-powered to comprehensively explain the molecular basis of phenotypes. Here we present a novel approach, weighted protein−protein interaction network analysis (W-PPI-NA), to highlight key functional players within relevant biological processes associated with a given trait. This is exemplified in the current study by applying W-PPI-NA to frontotemporal dementia (FTD): We first built the state of the art FTD protein network (FTD-PN) and then analyzed both its topological and functional features. The FTD-PN resulted from the sum of the individual interactomes built around FTD-spectrum genes, leading to a total of 4198 nodes. Twenty nine of 4198 nodes, called inter-interactome hubs (IIHs), represented those interactors able to bridge over 60% of the individual interactomes. Functional annotation analysis not only reiterated and reinforced previous findings from single genes and gene-coexpression analyses but also indicated a number of novel potential disease related mechanisms, including DNA damage response, gene expression regulation, and cell waste disposal and potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets including EP300. These processes and targets likely represent the functional core impacted in FTD, reflecting the underlying genetic architecture contributing to disease. The approach presented in this study can be applied to other complex traits for which risk-causative genes are known as it provides a promising tool for setting the foundations for collating genomics and wet laboratory data in a bidirectional manner. This is and will be critical to accelerate molecular target prioritization and drug discovery

A study of the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of MRSA screening and monitoring on surgical wards using a new, rapid molecular test (EMMS)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>MRSA is a significant contributor to prolonged hospital stay, poor clinical outcome and increased healthcare costs amongst surgical patients. A PCR test has been developed for rapid detection of MRSA in nasal swabs. The aims of this study are (1) to estimate the effectiveness of screening using this rapid PCR tests vs culture in reducing MRSA cross-infection rates; (2) to compare the cost of each testing strategy, including subsequent health care costs; and (3) to model different policies for the early identification and control of MRSA infection in surgical patients.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>The study is a prospective two-period cross-over study set in 7 surgical wards covering different surgical specialities. A total of 10,000 patients > 18 years will be tested over 16 months. The only difference between the two study periods is the method used for the detection of MRSA in each ward (rapid v conventional culture), with all other infection control practices remaining consistent between the arms. The study has been designed to complement routine practice in the NHS. Outcomes are MRSA cross-infection rates (primary outcome) and need for antibiotic therapy and MRSA-related morbidity. Parallel economic and modelling studies are being conducted to aid in the interpretation of the results and to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the rapid PCR screening strategy.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This paper highlights the design, methods and operational aspects of a study evaluating rapid MRSA screening in the surgical ward setting.</p

Examining arts-based practice in midwifery education: An integrative review

Aims: The aim of this integrative review is to synthesise the literature on creative teaching methods in midwifery education. The review question seeks to investigate the experiences of student midwives and midwifery educators of using creative methods as a learning approach. Background: The benefits of creative teaching methods are widely acknowledged but the ways in which this may impact midwifery students’ learning processes, or how this relates to their developing professional development, is not well understood. Research focused specifically on student midwives is yet to be synthesised. Design: An integrative review was undertaken using data comparison with reflexive thematic analysis to identify common themes. Methods: Eight electronic databases were searched with key terms in June 2022. English language studies from qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods and wider literature were included. Results: Twenty-two texts were included in the synthesis. Four themes were generated from the data; 1) What is the offering - More than a lecture; exploring the educator and student exchange and environment for learning; 2) Working in parallel - examining the change in teaching dynamic and collaborative partnerships; 3) Journeying towards holism - focused on student’s integration of learning processes; and 4) Stepping into the professional - engaging with how using creativity can aid students’ growing sense of themselves as professionals. This highlights improvements in levels of confidence, professional development and emotional intelligence in midwifery students. Conclusion: Creative teaching and learning methods enable student midwives to make meaningful connections between theoretical and practice learning environments, assisting knowledge and skills acquisition