Overview of ship-design expert systems

Expert systems constitute a branch of artificial intelligence, and their unique characteristics enable computer systems to perform at the level of a human expert by the use of algorithms that can capture domain-specific knowledge. Through an extensive survey of research about ship-design expert systems, we conclude that although development and implementation of expert systems for ship design offer substantial barriers, the shipbuilding industry needs them nonetheless. We examine the major reasons that use of expert systems in this industry has lagged behind. These include the problems of integration with existing computer-aided design systems, problems of knowledge representation and sizable development costs. We discuss in detail some key factors that can lead to the solution of these problems.     

Peripheral nerve stimulation by time-varying magnetic fields

PURPOSE: A study was performed to assess the stimulation threshold for healthy adults using sinusoidally oscillating gradients. METHOD: One hundred thirteen healthy adults were examined in the study. ECG and physiological parameters were measured. All measurements were performed of both the head and the abdomen. The subjects were measured in the supine position with the region of interest positioned in the center of the gradient coils. The measurement was performed for three orthogonal, four oblique, and double oblique orientations. RESULTS: No volunteer reported painful, severe stimulation. The mean thresholds for peripheral stimulation in head and body measurement were similar: 85.5% of stimulation during examination of the head and 87.6% during measurements of the abdomen were reported when the y-gradient was used. CONCLUSION: The greatest frequency of reported stimulations occurs when the y-gradient is used. This was confirmed by the results and supports the hypothesis that orthogonal to the y-axis the body has its largest conductive loop, resulting in the strongest peripheral stimulation.     

Comparison of PCR and pp65 antigenemia assay with quantitative shell vial culture for detection of cytomegalovirus in blood leukocytes from solid-organ transplant recipients

This study compared PCR and an assay for cytomegalovirus (CMV) pp65 antigenemia (CMV-vue; INCSTAR Corp.) with a quantitative shell vial culture (QSVC) technique for the detection of CMV in serial blood specimens from 46 solid-organ transplant recipients. In a comparison based on 535 specimens tested by PCR and QSVC, CMV was detected by PCR in 41 and by QSVC in 37 of 43 recipients at risk of CMV infection. The mean number of days after transplantation of initial detection of CMV was 29.9 for PCR and 34.0 for QSVC (P = 0.01). The antigenemia assay was performed on 395 specimens, including 304 of those also tested by PCR. In these specimens, CMV was detected by the antigenemia assay, QSVC, and PCR in 30, 32, and 35 (respectively) of 38 patients at risk, with no statistically significant difference in the time to detection. Each of the assays detected CMV in similar proportions of patients with and without clinically significant CMV infection. PCR stayed positive longer after transplantation than the other assays but frequently returned to negative when more than 6 months had elapsed after transplantation. The antigenemia assay and PCR stayed positive longer after institution of antiviral therapy than QSVC. PCR can provide highly sensitive detection of CMV viremia, but a PCR assay for CMV is not yet available in kit form. The pp65 antigenemia assay and shell vial culture are quantifiable and comparable in sensitivity. Either is recommended for rapid detection of CMV in blood specimens from solid-organ transplant recipients.     

The menopause: women's psychology and health care

Menopause has often been described as a time of loss and decay in the lay and medical literature. The present research aims at defining women's perception of themselves and their health care needs in this period of life. Through a community-based sample of women, participative assessments were performed and their conclusions contrasted with the opinions of male and female gynecologists. Though both groups coincided concerning the relevance of loneliness, partnership, beauty and the "empty nest" syndrome, several items showed a marked difference between both groups. Gynecologists tended to perceive women as much more striving for an active sex-life, depressed, lacking projects for the future and worried about their health care than they actually were. Women, instead, stressed the relevance of menopause as a life crisis laden with opportunities for self-accomplishment and positive changes in life-style towards greater autonomy.     

On the impact of objective function transformations on evolutionary and black-box algorithms

Different objective functions characterize different problems. However, certain fitness transformations can lead to easier problems although they are still a model of the considered problem. In this article, the class of not worsening transformations for a simple population-based evolutionary algorithm (EA) is described completely. That is the class of functions that transfers easy problems in easy ones and difficult problems in difficult ones. Surprisingly, this class for the rank-based EA equals that for all black-box algorithms. The importance of the black-box algorithms' knowledge of the transformation is also pointed out. Hence, a comparison with the class of not worsening transformations for a similar EA which applies fitness-proportional selection, shows that is a proper superset of . Moreover, is a proper subset of the corresponding class for random search. Finally, the minimal and maximal classes of not worsening transformations are described completely, too.     

Predicting Improvement After First-Grade Reading Difficulties: The Effects of Oral Language, Emergent Literacy, and Behavior Skills.

This study investigated the role of early literacy and behavioral skills in predicting the improvement of children who have experienced reading difficulties in 1st grade. The progress of 146 low-income children whose reading scores in 1st grade were below the 30th percentile was examined to determine (a) how the poorest readers in 1st grade progressed in reading achievement through 4th grade and (b) which emergent literacy and behavioral skills measured in kindergarten predicted differential 4th grade outcomes. Results indicated that the divergence between children who improved and those who did not was established by the end of 2nd grade. Further, individual linguistic skills and behavioral attributes measured in kindergarten contributed substantively to this difference. Implications for intervention timing and educational policy are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Vibronic spectral behaviour of molecules. XV. Study on the T1 → S0 Phosphorescence of Isomeric Terphenyls

Underlying the completely-optimized S₀ and T₁ molecular geometries of isomeric terphenyls the corresponding theoretical vibronic T₁ → S₀ ‘line’ spectra calculated within the CONDON approach, are presented and compared with the experimental phosphorescences. The influence of possible conformations on the vibronic spectral behaviour is studied theoretically. The DUSHINSKY effect is found to be most important to the T₁ → S₀ phosphorescence of m-terphenyl. An analysis of the spectroscopically relevant vibrational modes is given.     

Schrifttumsberichte

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Chemie,Holz als Energiequelle

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