Some Notes on the Formal Properties of Bidirectional Optimality Theory

In this paper, we discuss some formal properties of the model ofbidirectional Optimality Theory that was developed inBlutner (2000). We investigate the conditions under whichbidirectional optimization is a well-defined notion, and we give aconceptually simpler reformulation of Blutner's definition. In thesecond part of the paper, we show that bidirectional optimization can bemodeled by means of finite state techniques. There we rely heavily onthe related work of Frank and Satta (1998) about unidirectionaloptimization.     

When to collect blood specimens: midmorning vs fasting samples

This study was carried out to define the consequences of collecting blood specimens during the forenoon instead of using fasting specimens collected early in the morning. Extensive laboratory data were obtained from specimens collected from fasting participants at 0800, after breakfast at 0930, and again at 1100. The subjects were inpatients in medical and surgical wards (n = 51; 13 women and 38 men; ages, 32-87 years) and subjectively healthy volunteers corresponding to outpatients (n = 51; 31 women and 20 men; ages, 18-63 years). The coefficient of variation (CV, %) of the patient results was compared with the analytical CV. The observed CVs of the subjects' results far exceeded the analytical CV (%), the average being 3.5-fold and up to 14-fold for some analytes. In individual results the observed change often exceeded the medically derived clinical critical difference. Laboratory data should always be interpreted in the context in which they were obtained. Clinical decisions should be based on objective data (observations) more than on experience and educated guesses. Different medical specialities and different clinical situations may require different kinds of procedures.     

Perioperative specific management of blood volume loss in craniosynostosis surgery

Accurate assessment and replacement of blood loss and fluid-electrolyte deficit during craniosynostosis repair is difficult owing to patient size and the diversity of surgical technique. Forty-three patients undergoing primary craniosynostosis repair over a 10-year period were studied retrospectively to determine blood loss and fluid deficit and to assess blood transfusion practices during both intraoperative and postoperative periods. Blood loss was calculated on the basis of estimated red cell mass (ERCM) and fluid-electrolyte imbalance was investigated with blood samplings. Blood transfusion was considered appropriate if the postoperative or posttransfusion ERCM was within 12% of the preoperative value. Estimated fluid requirement (EFR) was used in 4 ml kg(-1) h(-1) except for neonates. Intraoperatively, 80% of all patients were appropriately managed with respect to blood transfusion and EFR. Postoperatively only 20% of the patients receiving transfusions were transfused appropriately. In 23.3% of these patients (10/43) unexpected respiratory distress developed immediately after their recovery from the anesthesia. With the measurement of estimated blood volume and allowable blood loss, appropriate transfusion could be achieved for the successful treatment of the primary craniosynostosis.     

Consideration of conformational transitions and racemization during process development of recombinant glucagon-like peptide-1

This article summarizes the results of a combined analysis from two identical multicenter clinical trials that investigated the efficacy and safety of sertraline versus placebo for treating panic disorder. Patients with panic disorder who were treated with sertraline had a statistically significant reduction in the mean number of panic attacks per week (the primary efficacy measure) as compared with placebo (4.8 vs. 2.5, p < .001). Sertraline-treated patients also showed greater improvement that was statistically significant on several ratings of panic disorder symptomatology and functioning. The design characteristics, clinical rating measures, and outcome measures in these trials included most of the features deemed essential by Shear and Maser (1994) in their summary of the NIMH Consensus Conference for the development of standardized assessments for panic disorder. This suggests that the NIMH Consensus Conference played a key role in developing successful multicenter pharmacological treatment studies, such as this one that ultimately demonstrated that sertraline was an effective treatment for panic disorder.     

Semi-automated user agents in distributed change management

Flexible integration of distributed design and manufacturing activities is one of the key issues in applying just-in-time principles along the logistics chain. The potential of AI based approaches in this field is clear, but the inherent asynchrony, concurrency, and inconsistency of distributed operations has reduced enthusiasm so far.This paper discusses coordination in the context of geographically distributed manufacturing of one-of-a-kind products. Cooperation of partners is based on semi-automated user agents which operate as an integrative layer between more dedicated tools and systems. The management of order changes in elevator manufacture is used as a case example.The work reported here is part of the DIMUN project (DIMUN, 1989) in the RACE program.