Learning algorithms for multi-class pattern classification and problems associated with on-line handwritten character recognition

On-line handwritten alphanumeric character recognition system and learning algorithm for multiclass pattern classificatio

The effect of manganese oxide on the sinterability of hydroxyapatite

The sinterability of manganese oxide (MnO2) doped hydroxyapatite (HA) ranging from 0.05 to 1 wt% was investigated. Green samples were prepared and sintered in air at temperatures ranging from 1000 to 1400 °C. Sintered bodies were characterized to determine the phase stability, grain size, bulk density, hardness, fracture toughness and Young's modulus. XRD analysis revealed that the HA phase stability was not disrupted throughout the sintering regime employed. In general, samples containing less than 0.5 wt% MnO2 and when sintered at lower temperatures exhibited higher mechanical properties than the undoped HA. The study revealed that all the MnO2-doped HA achieved >99% relative density when sintered at 1100–1250 °C as compared to the undoped HA which could only attained highest value of 98.9% at 1150 °C. The addition of 0.05 wt% MnO2 was found to be most beneficial as the samples exhibited the highest hardness of 7.58 GPa and fracture toughness of 1.65 MPam1/2 as compared to 5.72 GPa and 1.22 MPam1/2 for the undoped HA when sintered at 1000 °C. Additionally, it was found that the MnO2-doped samples attained E values above 110 GPa when sintered at temperature as low as 1000 °C if compared to 1050 °C for the undoped HA

How do Doctors Decide When to Prescribe Antibiotics in Upper Respiratory Tract Infections?

Purpose: To examine the predictive features which doctors use when prescribing antibiotics in upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). Method: This is a cross sectional, prospective study done in a teaching university primary care centre in Kuala Lumpur from June to August 2000. Twelve primary care practitioners participated in the study. Each practitioner was asked to record clinical data and prescriptions given to twenty consecutive patients with URTIs using a structured questionnaire for each patient

Frequency response from aggregated V2G chargers with uncertain EV connections

Fast frequency response (FR) is highly effective at securing frequency dynamics after a generator outage in low inertia systems. Electric vehicles (EVs) equipped with vehicle to grid (V2G) chargers could offer an abundant source of FR in future. However, the uncertainty associated with V2G aggregation, driven by the uncertain number of connected EVs at the time of an outage, has not been fully understood and prevents its participation in the existing service provision framework. To tackle this limitation, this paper, for the first time, incorporates such uncertainty into system frequency dynamics, from which probabilistic nadir and steady state frequency requirements are enforced via a derived moment-based distributionally-robust chance constraint. Field data from over 25,000 chargers is analysed to provide realistic parameters and connection forecasts to examine the value of FR from V2G chargers in annual operation of the GB 2030 system. The case study demonstrates that uncertainty of EV connections can be effectively managed through the proposed scheduling framework, which results in annual savings of Misplaced &6,300 or 37.4 tCO2 per charger. The sensitivity of this value to renewable capacity and FR delays is explored, with V2G capacity shown to be a third as valuable as the same grid battery capacity

Do Primary Care Doctors Behave the Same in Antibiotic Prescribing for Upper Respiratory Tract Infections?

Purpose: To compare the extent of using an evidence-based approach in managing upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) among primary care doctors from two different government clinic settings in Malaysia. Method: This is a cross sectional, prospective study carried out in a teaching university primary care centre in Kuala Lumpur (KL) where doctors are constantly exposed to continuing medical education (CME) and seven health clinics in Seremban, Malaysia where doctors have less exposure to CME in the year 2000. Twelve primary care practitioners in KL and 13 in Seremban participated in the study. Each practitioner was asked to record clinical data and prescriptions given to twenty consecutive patients with URTIs using a structured questionnaire for each patient. The extent of usage of an evidence-based approach in managing URTIs among practitioners was assessed

Are Doctors in the University-Based Primary Care Clinic More Evidence-Based?

Letter to the editor

Gambaran Histopatologi Lambung Tikus Wistar Yang Diberi Cabe Rawit (Capsicum Frutescens)

Background: Capsaicin is one of the active substantial that can be found in Chili pepper and one of the irritant for mammal that causing the burning sensation. The discomfort sensation in the gastric by capsaicin can be caused because the Transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 that can be found in gastric is stimulated.Objective: To demonstrate the gastric that was administered with Chili pepper.Method: The study conducted on Integrated Research Laboratory Faculty of Medicine Sam Ratulangi University Manado from October 2012 to January 2013. The study used 17 wistars, which divided to 5 groups and last to 7 days. This study was using Chili pepper in 45mg, 90mg, 135mg, and 180mg to study the histological changes of wistar rat's gastric.Results: The result showed that the administration of 180mg dose of Chili pepper did not cause a meaningful damage. The administration in 90mg of Chili pepper did cause a great damage with many inflammation signs occurring.Conclusions: The administration of Chili pepper in little to moderate dose causing a greater damage than the administration of Chili pepper in high dose

Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS) and Other Assimilated Hydrological Data at NASA GES DISC

The NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) provides science support for several data sets relevant to agriculture and food security, including the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS), or FLDAS data set. The GES DISC is one of twelve NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) data centers that process, archive, document, and distribute data from Earth science missions and related projects. The GES DISC hosts a wide range of remote sensing and model data, and provides reliable and robust data access and other services to users worldwide. Beyond data archive and access, the GES DISC offers many services to visualize and analyze the data. This presentation provides a summary of the hydrological data available at the GES DISC, along with an overview of related data services. Specifically, the FLDAS data set has been adapted to work with domains, data streams, and monitoring and forecast requirements associated with food security assessment in data-sparse, developing country settings. The FLDAS global monthly data have a 0.1 x 0.1 degree spatial resolution covering the period from January 1982 to present. Global FLDAS monthly anomaly and monthly climatology data are also available at the GES DISC to evaluate how current conditions compare to averages over the FLDAS 35-year period. Several case studies using the FLDAS soil moisture, evapotranspiration, rainfall, runoff, and surface temperature data will be presented

Comparative bactericidal activities of daptomycin, glycopeptides, linezolid and tigecycline against blood isolates of Gram-positive bacteria in Taiwan

ABSTRACTIn-vitro MICs and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of daptomycin, linezolid, tigecycline, vancomycin and teicoplanin against Gram-positive bacteria were determined using the broth microdilution method for ten blood isolates each of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), including two vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis. One strain of VISA was tested in a time-kill synergism assay of daptomycin combined with oxacillin, imipenem, rifampicin and isepamicin. Daptomycin showed excellent in-vitro bactericidal activity against all the isolates tested, with no tolerance or synergism effects when combined with other agents, except with rifampicin against VISA. Vancomycin had better bactericidal activity against MRSA and MSSA than did teicoplanin. Linezolid had the poorest bactericidal activity against the isolates tested, with 100% tolerance by the MSSA and VRE isolates, and 80% tolerance by the MRSA isolates. Tolerance towards tigecycline was exhibited by 40% of the MRSA isolates, 100% of the MSSA and vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis isolates, and 90% of the vancomycin-resistant E. faecium isolates