Integrated Expert Management Knowledge on OSI Network Management Objects

The management of modern telecommunications networks must satisfy ever-increasing operational demands. We propose a study for the improvement of intelligent administration techniques in telecommunications networks. This task is achieved by integrating knowledge base of expert system within the management information used to manage a network. For this purpose, an extension of OSI management framework specifications language has been added and investigated. For this goal, we shall use the language Guidelines for the Definition of Managed Objects (GDMO) and a new property named RULE which gathers important aspects of the facts and the knowledge base of the embedded expert system. Networks can be managed easily by using this proposed integration

Cognitive Information Processing

Contains reports on two research projects.National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 PO1 GM14940 -05

Assessing conceptual knowledge in three online engineering courses: theory of computation and compiler construction, operating systems, and signal and systems

In the current decade understanding conceptual knowledge should be an important area of engineering science. However, it is not as widespread in this field as it is in the areas of education and psychology. Learning conceptual knowledge in engineering science could help instructors to adapt their lectures in order to overcome student misconceptions, to reinforce the learning process, and to check whether students are able to identify key features of a problem. Different methods are provided by authors to assess conceptual knowledge. One is to design and develop a concept inventory with the objective of identifying possible student misconceptions through multiple-choice questions. Another method consists of asking each student to answer a question by submitting a written explanation. This study provides two procedures for the assessment of conceptual knowledge based on the latter method. The first procedure is applied to online computer science students enrolled on an Operating Systems course. The second procedure is applied to online communication students enrolled on a Signals and Systems course. Both procedures are focused not only on assessing but also on searching for causes of potential student misconceptions. These procedures could help other instructors to assess conceptual knowledge on other engineering courses.Universidad a Distancia de Madrid, UDIMA2018-1

Heat-transfer and pressure distributions on 60 deg and 70 deg swept delta wings having turbulent boundary layers

Heat-transfer and pressure distributions on 60 and 70 deg swept delta wings with turbulent boundary layer

Delayed commutation in quantum computer networks

In the same way that classical computer networks connect and enhance the capabilities of classical computers, quantum networks can combine the advantages of quantum information and communications. We propose a non-classical network element, a delayed commutation switch, that can solve the problem of switching time in packet switching networks. With the help of some local ancillary qubits and superdense codes we can route the information after part of it has left the network node.Comment: 4 pages. 4 figures. Preliminar versio

Widespread dysregulation of MiRNAs by MYCN amplification and chromosomal imbalances in neuroblastoma: association of miRNA expression with survival

MiRNAs regulate gene expression at a post-transcriptional level and their dysregulation can play major roles in the pathogenesis of many different forms of cancer, including neuroblastoma, an often fatal paediatric cancer originating from precursor cells of the sympathetic nervous system. We have analyzed a set of neuroblastoma (n = 145) that is broadly representative of the genetic subtypes of this disease for miRNA expression (430 loci by stem-loop RT qPCR) and for DNA copy number alterations (array CGH) to assess miRNA involvement in disease pathogenesis. The tumors were stratified and then randomly split into a training set (n = 96) and a validation set (n = 49) for data analysis. Thirty-seven miRNAs were significantly over-or under-expressed in MYCN amplified tumors relative to MYCN single copy tumors, indicating a potential role for the MYCN transcription factor in either the direct or indirect dysregulation of these loci. In addition, we also determined that there was a highly significant correlation between miRNA expression levels and DNA copy number, indicating a role for large-scale genomic imbalances in the dysregulation of miRNA expression. In order to directly assess whether miRNA expression was predictive of clinical outcome, we used the Random Forest classifier to identify miRNAs that were most significantly associated with poor overall patient survival and developed a 15 miRNA signature that was predictive of overall survival with 72.7% sensitivity and 86.5% specificity in the validation set of tumors. We conclude that there is widespread dysregulation of miRNA expression in neuroblastoma tumors caused by both over-expression of the MYCN transcription factor and by large-scale chromosomal imbalances. MiRNA expression patterns are also predicative of clinical outcome, highlighting the potential for miRNA mediated diagnostics and therapeutics

Post- and peritraumatic stress in disaster survivors: An explorative study about the influence of individual and event characteristics across different types of disasters

Background: Examination of existing research on posttraumatic adjustment after disasters suggests that survivors’ posttraumatic stress levels might be better understood by investigating the influence of the characteristics of the event experienced on how people thought and felt, during the event as well as afterwards. Objective: To compare survivors’ perceived post- and peritraumatic emotional and cognitive reactions across different types of disasters. Additionally, to investigate individual and event characteristics. Design: In a European multi-centre study, 102 survivors of different disasters terror attack, flood, fire and collapse of a building were interviewed about their responses during the event. Survivors’ perceived posttraumatic stress levels were assessed with the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). Peritraumatic emotional stress and risk perception were rated retrospectively. Influences of individual characteristics, such as socio-demographic data, and event characteristics, such as time and exposure factors, on post- and peritraumatic outcomes were analyzed. Results: Levels of reported post- and peritraumatic outcomes differed significantly between types of disasters. Type of disaster was a significant predictor of all three outcome variables but the factors gender, education, time since event, injuries and fatalities were only significant for certain outcomes. Conclusion: Results support the hypothesis that there are differences in perceived post- and peritraumatic emotional and cognitive reactions after experiencing different types of disasters. However, it should be noted that these findings were not only explained by the type of disaster itself but also by individual and event characteristics. As the study followed an explorative approach, further research paths are discussed to better understand the relationships between variables