Nuclear magnetic resonance profiling, combined with a single-layer artificial neural network, is used for the evaluation of the content of mixtures of different kinds of milk. In particular, aqueous fractions of cow and sheep milk mixtures are analyzed by (1) H NMR. The spectral differences are highlighted by an analysis ...

In the robotics community, a great number of assistive robots for elderly and handicapped people have been developed in the past few decades. However, very few of them became commercially available. It is often claimed that the major problems for the commercialization of robotic technologies are the "cost" and the ...

Understanding how each partner's alcohol problems may contribute to the risk of male-to-female only, female-to-male only, or bidirectional partner violence is important for the prevention and treatment of these problems. Multinomial regression analysis was conducted using data from 848 blue-collar couples. Findings suggest that male alcohol problems are linked to ...

Birds are regarded as appropriate biological indicators of how changes in agricultural practices affect the environment. They are also involved in the biocontrol of pests. In the present study, we provide an assessment of the impact of pest control strategies on bird communities in apple orchards in southeastern France. We ...

We aimed to evaluate whether age-matched women with and without early-stage breast cancer differentially experience sexual problems over time and whether changes in patients' problems differ by type of surgical procedure. We conducted four interviews (4-6 wk, 6 mo, and 1 and 2 y) after tumor resection (patients) or after ...

Increasing numbers of childhood cancer survivors are being seen in primary care settings as young adults. It is unknown how their self-reported health problems differ from those of healthy young adults. Self-reported health problems of cancer survivors and healthy controls are compared in this study. 156 cancer survivors visiting a ...

Control of serum phosphorus remains a vexing problem in chronic kidney disease. Although novel dialysis regimens may provide excellent phosphorus control, phosphate binders remain necessary for most dialysis patients. Block et al. present a phase I clinical trial examining the safety and efficacy of SBR759, a novel non-calcium, iron-based phosphate ...

We explore the multisend interface as a data mover interface to optimize applications with neighborhood collective communication operations. One of the limitations of the current MPI 2.1 standard is that the vector collective calls require counts and displacements (zero and nonzero bytes) to be specified for all the processors in ...

Finding a feasible point that satisfies a set of constraints is a common task in scientific computing: examples are the linear feasibility problem and the convex feasibility problem. Finitely convergent sequential algorithms can be used for solving such problems; an example of such an algorithm is ART3, which is defined ...

Advances in genetics, such as sequencing of the human genome, have contributed to identification of susceptible genetic patterns in autoimmune diseases (AID). However, genetics is only one aspect of the diseases that does not reflect the influence of environment, sex or aging. Epigenetics, the control of gene packaging and expression ...

In this study, singular optimal control problems are solved by line-up competition algorithm (LCA) under the framework of control parametrization. Two steps that promote the convergence quality of LCA are taken. One is to use normal (Gaussian) sampling policy to replace uniform sampling policy to accelerate initial convergence, while the ...

Thirty-two dairy cattle farms with fasciolosis as an established herd problem were visited and divided into groups according to the location of the habitats of the intermediate host of Fasciola hepatica. The farms were revisited 4-5 years later and those that had followed the recommended measures were compared to those ...

The acoustic brightness and contrast control methods [J.-W. Choi and Y.-H. Kim, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 111, 1695 (2002)] is one of the methods which can generate higher acoustic energy in desired space by controlling multiple control sources. Since the problem is represented with complex valued multidimensional vector, the relation ...

It is well known that the control/intervention of some genes in a genetic regulatory network is useful for avoiding undesirable states associated with some diseases like cancer. For this purpose, both optimal finite-horizon control and infinite-horizon control policies have been proposed. Boolean networks (BNs) and its extension probabilistic Boolean networks ...

Although T cells are able to recognize a wide variety of target peptides, they are often strongly focused on a few of the peptides and leave the rest of them unattended. This phenomenon of strongly biased immune response is known as immunodominance. Mathematically, an immunodominance problem can be formulated using ...

BACKGROUND: The illicit tobacco trade results in huge losses of revenue to governments, estimated at $US40-50 billion in 2006, and in increased consumption and thus health problems because it makes tobacco available more cheaply. On 20 October 2008 the second meeting of the International Negotiating Body (INB2) on the illicit ...

This correspondence presents a video tracking framework using control-based observer design. It unifies several kernel-based approaches into a consistent theoretical framework by modeling tracking as a recursive inverse problem. The framework relies on observability theory to handle the "singularity" problem and provides explicit criteria for kernel design and dynamics evaluation.

The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy welcomes submissions of well-reported randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with solid methodology based on the CONSORT statement (http://www.consort-statement.org). The Journal would be especially happy to publish RCTs in the area of antimicrobial chemotherapy if they address significant problems and look at measurable outcomes that matter to ...

We discuss control strategies for communication networks such as the Internet. We advocate the goal of welfare maximization as a paradigm for network resource allocation. We explore the application of this paradigm to the case of parallel network paths. We show that welfare maximization requires active balancing across paths by ...

A community-based study of the distribution of larvivorous fish, Poecilia reticulata (common name: guppy), in water storage containers for dengue control was undertaken in 14 villages and approximately 1,000 households in Cambodia. Community volunteers reared guppies and distributed them in water jars and tanks in households for which they were ...

In this study we examined the costs and effectiveness of using larvivorous fish, Poecilia reticulata, and a chemical larvicide, temephos, in anopheline mosquito control in the riverbeds below the major dams in Sri Lanka. Five riverbeds below the dams, namely Laxapana, Kotmale 1, Kotmale 2, Nilambe, Rantembe and Victoria, were ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Thai community pharmacists are allowed to dispense antibiotics without prescription, and are frequently faced with problems of upper respiratory infections (URI). This study used the theory of planned behaviour to investigate predictors of intention to dispense antibiotics for URI among community pharmacists. METHODS: Self-administered questionnaires were mailed ...

We consider the problem of diffusion-controlled evolution of the A -particle-island- B -particle-island system at propagation of the sharp annihilation front A+B-->0 . We show that this general problem, which includes as particular cases the sea-sea and island-sea problems, demonstrates rich dynamical behavior from self-accelerating collapse of one of the ...

Pymetrozine is a selective insecticide that targets aphids. Published assessments of the effects of pymetrozine on nontarget organisms focus mainly on predatory insects, and they rarely indicate toxicity. In a laboratory bioassay, survival of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), larvae was not affected by pymetrozine exposure. We ...

This paper, for the first time, describes the development of a microbial biocathode for hydrogen production that is based on a naturally selected mixed culture of electrochemically active micro-organisms. This is achieved through a three-phase biocathode startup procedure that effectively turned an acetate- and hydrogen-oxidizing bioanode into a hydrogen-producing biocathode ...

This study was carried out to assess the knowledge and level of individual and community participation in the control of Human African trypanosomiasis in Urambo District, western Tanzania. Semi structured questionnaires were used to collect information from individuals at house hold level. Retrospective data of HAT was sought from the ...

OBJECTIVE: To explore various contributors to people's reporting of self reported air pollution problems in area of living, including GIS-modeled air pollution, and to investigate whether those with respiratory or other chronic diseases tend to over-report air pollution problems, compared to healthy people. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the Oslo Health ...

We present Drawing on Air, a haptic-aided input technique for drawing controlled 3D curves through space. Drawing on Air addresses a control problem with current 3D modeling approaches based on sweeping movement of the hands through the air. While artists praise the immediacy and intuitiveness of these systems, a lack ...

The modified Smith predictor (MSP) for integrating process with dead time (IPDT) has at least one pole at the origin of s-plane. The integral effect leads to large overshoot and slow settling time when the control signal exceeds the saturation limits of the system actuator. The windup problem in MSP ...

In this paper, the robust H infinity control problem is considered for a class of networked systems with random communication packet losses. Because of the limited bandwidth of the channels, such random packet losses could occur, simultaneously, in the communication channels from the sensor to the controller and from the ...

The location of Entebbe International Airport within the Entebbe Peninsula, a gazetted animal sanctuary and on the flight path of migratory bird species moving to and from Africa, makes it one of the most bird strike-prone airports in the world. However, the airport has successfully adopted a number of measures ...

We study the problem of controlling a general complex network toward an assigned synchronous evolution by means of a pinning control strategy. We define the pinning controllability of the network in terms of the spectral properties of an extended network topology. The roles of the control and coupling gains, as ...

OBJECTIVES: Benzodiazepines are typically prescribed for anxiety and insomnia, two complaints often reported after disasters. Benzodiazepines can cause mental or physical dependence, especially when taken for a long time. This study aims at evaluating benzodiazepine use in a disaster-stricken community with the help of computer-based records. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: ...

Sustainable public health and community collaboration and partnerships are essential for the effective elimination of vector breeding sites to prevent dengue fever. A prerequisite is that community members appreciate the importance of the infection, understand its transmission and preventive activities, and are able to translate such knowledge to action. In ...

Two new desulfated yessotoxin (YTX) analogues were isolated from a toxic batch of Adriatic mussels collected in October 2004. Their stereostructures were elucidated through extensive NMR and MS-based analysis. The finding of these desulfocarboxyhomoYTXs in shellfish poses additional problems to those institutions entitled to control seafood safety, since desulfated YTXs ...

Bats, like other mammals, use communication calls for social interaction, but rely at the same time on sophisticated echolocation systems for orientation and prey capture. Both call types are of laryngeal origin, but can be distinguished on the basis of their spectral and temporal features and apparently their functional involvement ...

The effect of vulvar discharge syndrome (VDS) on sow and gilt fertility was studied on 26 farms. Of 824 animals inspected in 21 randomly selected and five VDS problem farms, 19 (2.3%) were afflicted with VDS. Altogether 542/799 of the examined animals (67.8%) farrowed thereafter. Nine of the 19 VDS ...

Mississippi is unique among the 50 states in settling a lawsuit against tobacco companies earlier than the Master Settlement Agreement, devoting a relatively high amount of per capita funding on tobacco control, and avoiding tobacco-control budget cuts. Using a social-ecological approach combining insider and outsider strategies, tobacco-prevention coalitions in Mississippi ...

OBJECTIVES: Guam has the highest smoking rate in the United States. This study examined Guam community leaders' attitudes toward cigarette smoking and their interest in changing local tobacco control policies. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Guam community leaders completed surveys while attending local professional conferences or meetings. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-three percent of ...

The major mycotoxin problem in Australia is the formation of aflatoxins in peanuts by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. This is controlled by good farm management practice, segregation into grades on aflatoxin content at intake to shelling facilities, colour sorting and aflatoxin assays. A second problem is the potential presence ...

BACKGROUND: balancing reactions that involve rapid stepping or reaching movements are critical for preventing falls. These compensatory reactions are much more rapid than volitional limb movements and can be very effective in decelerating the centre-of-mass motion induced by sudden unpredictable balance perturbation; however, age-related deterioration in the neural, sensory and/or ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Using the autoreply e-mail function to avoid problems of subject allocation concealment. METHODS: A narrative review discussing technologic and methodologic issues in using autoreply e-mail to securely conceal subject allocation in randomized control trials. RESULTS: Autoreply e-mail can be successfully used to securely conceal subjects in a ...

Connexins form gap junction channels that link neighboring cells into an intercellular communication network. Many cells that express multiple connexins produce heteromeric channels containing at least two connexins, which provides a means to fine tune gap junctional communication. Formation of channels by multiple connexins is controlled at two levels: by ...

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) reached unprecedented levels in the 1990s. To assess recent trends and evaluate control efforts, we analyzed epidemiologic and financial data collected by all agencies involved in HAT control in DRC from 1993 to 2003. Funds allocated to control populations, ...

Pedometers are inexpensive and user-friendly devices that might be practical for measuring physical activity among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). This study involved an evaluation of the accuracy of two pedometers against actual steps taken under controlled laboratory conditions (five minute bouts of walking at five different treadmill speeds [41, ...

Unintentional loss of herbicides into drainage ditches, shores or other waterbodies may cause large problems in farmland. Therefore strategies for the phytoremediation of agrochemicals and especially herbicides have become a topic of great interest in many agricultural areas. However, in order to establish effective biological pollution control, information on the ...

This paper addresses the problem of learning the class of raising verbs (e.g seem). These verbs are potentially problematic for learners in that unlike typical main verbs these verbs do not stand in a semantic relation with any Noun Phrase (NP) arguments. Moreover, a second class of verbs, known as ...

Future air traffic management concepts envisage shared decision-making responsibilities between controllers and pilots, necessitating that controllers be supported by automated decision aids. Even as automation tools are being introduced, however, their impact on the air traffic controller is not well understood. The present experiments examined the effects of an aircraft-to-aircraft ...

When using a genetic algorithm (GA) to solve optimal control problems that can arise in a fed-batch bioreactor, the most obvious direct approach is to rely on a finite dimensional discretization of the optimal control problem into a nonlinear programming problem. Usually only the control function is discretized, and the ...

This article examines state Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) funding of tobacco control in communities of color. The primary research question was whether MSA monies resulted in dedicated funding for communities of color at the state level. This article also explores some of the historical factors that shape the relationship of ...