A distributed adverse drug reaction detection system using intelligent agents with a fuzzy recognition‐primed decision model

Discovering unknown adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in postmarketing surveillance as early as possible is highly desirable. Nevertheless, current postmarketing surveillance methods largely rely on spontaneous reports that suffer from serious underreporting, latency, and inconsistent reporting. Thus these methods are not ideal for rapidly identifying rare ADRs. The multiagent systems paradigm is an emerging and effective approach to tackling distributed problems, especially when data sources and knowledge are geographically located in different places and coordination and collaboration are necessary for decision making. In this article, we propose an active, multiagent framework for early detection of ADRs by utilizing electronic patient data distributed across many different sources and locations. In this framework, intelligent agents assist a team of experts based on the well‐known human decision‐making model called Recognition‐Primed Decision (RPD). We generalize the RPD model to a fuzzy RPD model and utilize fuzzy logic technology to not only represent, interpret, and compute imprecise and subjective cues that are commonly encountered in the ADR problem but also to retrieve prior experiences by evaluating the extent of matching between the current situation and a past experience. We describe our preliminary multiagent system design and illustrate its potential benefits for assisting expert teams in early detection of previously unknown ADRs. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Int Syst 22: 827–845, 2007.     

Formation of C4 species in the deactivation of a Pd/SiO2 catalyst during the selective hydrogenation of acetylene

The deactivation characteristics of Pd/SiO₂ in the selective hydrogenation of acetylene were correlated with changes in the amount of the C4 species produced. The amounts of butenes produced changed in parallel with the catalyst activity, indicating that the rate limiting step for butene production was the same as that for acetylene hydrogenation. On the other hand, the amount of 1,3-butadiene produced changed, showing a maximum with catalyst deactivation because 1,3-butadiene is an intermediate in the sequential reaction process which involves both the production and consumption of 1,3-butadiene. This was verified by a simultaneous TG/reaction experiment showing that 1,3-butadiene was a precursor of green oil. The catalyst showed a self-regenerative behavior in its activity and the amounts of C4 species produced during the early stage of deactivation because two opposite factors, which contributed to either the lowering or the promotion of activity, were involved in the process. A specific type of polymer species, produced during the initial period of deactivation, is proposed to be responsible for the promotion of catalyst activity.     

无磷洗涤剂的现状及存在问题

含磷洗涤剂中含的“磷”主要是STPP，作用很大但对环境的危害也很大，它是造成地表水体出现富营养化的重要原因之一，所以许多地方政府都在实行“禁磷”——禁止销售、使用含磷洗涤剂。现在我国使用的无磷洗涤剂中代磷助剂主要有3种，其中4A沸石用量最大，但它会对环境带来新的问题。主要介绍了含磷洗涤剂的危害及无磷洗涤剂的应用现状，指出了我国禁磷后将面临的问题。     

The effects of plasma etching induced gate oxide degradation onMOSFET's 1/f noise

The effects of the plasma etching process induced gate oxide damages on device's low frequency noise behavior are investigated on MOSFET's fabricated with different field plate perimeter to gate area ratio antennas. Abnormal 1/f noise spectrum with a shoulder centered in the frequency range of 100 and to 1 kHz was frequently observed in small geometry devices, and it is attributable to a nonuniform distribution of oxide traps induced by plasma etching process     

Measurement-based network monitoring and inference: scalability andmissing information

Using measurements collected at network monitors to infer network conditions is a promising approach for network-centric monitoring. In this context, an important question arises: given the number and locations of network monitors, how much network management resources (e.g., the number of measurements) are needed to obtain an accurate estimate of network states? We define the scalability of measurement-based network monitoring as the growth rate of the number of measurements required for accurate network monitoring/inference with respect to the size of a network. We develop a framework for investigating the scalability in the context of multicast inference with the monitors at the edges of a network. In such a framework, network monitoring/inference can be formulated as probability density estimation of network states. The growth rate is characterized through the sample complexity, which is the number of measurements needed to accurately estimate the density. The missing data framework is introduced to estimate the growth rate, where the missing data reflect unavailable measurements at the unobservable nodes without resident monitors, and the underlying nodal packet losses. We show that when the missing information is mainly due to the number of unobservable nodes, the number of measurements needed grows linearly with the size of the network, and the measurement-based inference approach is, thus, scalable. When the missing information is mainly due to the underlying nodal packet losses, the number of measurements needed grows faster than linear with the size of the network, and the measurement-based inference approach is, thus, not scalable. Our results provide guidelines for accessing feasibility of the measurement-based inference approach, and the number of probes required. We give numerical examples to illustrate some of our results     

Effects of tube rupture modeling and the parameters on the analysis of multiple steam generator tube rupture event progression in APR1400

A multiple steam generator tube rupture (MSGTR) event in APR1400 has been investigated using the best estimate thermal hydraulic system code, MARS1.4. The effects of the parameters such as the number of ruptured tubes, rupture location, affected steam generator on the analysis of the MSGTR event in APR1400 are examined. In particular, tube rupture modeling methods, single tube modeling (STM) and double tube modeling (DTM), are compared. The APR1400 is found to have the capability of allowing more than 30 min to operators for the MSGTR event of five tubes. The effects of rupture location on the MSSV lift time is not significant in the case of STM, but the MSSV lift time for tube-top rupture is found to be 25.3% larger than that for rupture at the hot-leg side tube sheet in the case of DTM. The MSSV lift time for the cases that both steam generators are affected (4C5x, 4C23x) are found to be larger than that of the single steam generator cases (4A5x, 4B5x) due to a bifurcation of the primary leak flow. The discharge coefficient of Cd is found to affect the MSSV lift time only for a smaller value of 0.5. It is found that the most dominant parameter governing the MSSV lift time is the leak flow rate. Whether any modeling method is used, it gives the similar MSSV lift time if the leak flow rate is close, except in the case where both steam generators are affected. Therefore, the system performance and the MSSV lift time of the APR1400 are strongly dependent on the break flow model used in the best estimate system code.     

Mapping field density distribution in radiators by microwave noise

In his earlier paper on Active Microwave Radiometry, the author indicated that microwave noise can be used to map field density distribution inside radiators and in antenna systems, without the need for anechoic chambers. The presented paper gives details and results of such experiment. The method is described, details of equipment are given and results are presented with a concluding commentary.     

Parasitic Bipolar Junction Transistors in a Floating-Gate MOSFET for Fluorescence Detection

In this letter, we examined whether the parasitic bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) in the MOSFET fabricated by the standard CMOS process can play a role as a fluorescence detector. To suppress the action of two vertical parasitic BJTs, the gate and n-well were tied in the parasitic BJTs, and the body node was connected to the drain. The proposed device was compared with the inherent and the parasitic diodes in the MOSFET. It had 100 times higher photocurrents than the diodes in the MOSFET. In addition, it was applied for the detection of the fluorescent signal, and could detect near 10 nM of Alexa 546. Therefore, CMOS-process-compatible parasitic BJTs can be used as a photodetector in an integrated fluorescence detector.     

用预分解技术改造Φ4×60m预热器窑的又一成功实例

介绍南京水泥工业设计研究院用预分解生产技术对山东水泥厂Φ4×60m预热器窑烧成系统进行的成功技术改造。技改设计指标为：熟料产量保证指标1500t／d，争取指标1700t／d，熟料热耗＜3762kJ／kg，熟料28d抗压强度＞60MPa。整个工程停产施工耗时仅用48d，烧成系统技改共耗资约3000万元。技改后一次点火投料成功，且点火当月即实现72h达标考核，所有设计指标均达标。