Model for Differential Nursing Diagnosis of Alterations in Urinary Elimination Based on Fuzzy Logic

Nursing diagnoses associated with alterations of urinary elimination require different interventions, Nurses, who are not specialists, require support to diagnose and manage patients with disturbances of urine elimination. The aim of this study was to present a model based on fuzzy logic for differential diagnosis of alterations in urinary elimination, considering nursing diagnosis approved by the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association, 2001-2002. Fuzzy relations and the maximum-minimum composition approach were used to develop the system. The model performance was evaluated with 195 cases from the database of a previous study, resulting in 79.0% of total concordance and 19.5% of partial concordance, when compared with the panel of experts. Total discordance was observed in only three cases (1.5%). The agreement between model and experts was excellent (kappa = 0.98, P < .0001) or substantial (kappa = 0.69, P < .0001) when considering the overestimative accordance (accordance was considered when at least one diagnosis was equal) and the underestimative discordance (discordance was considered when at least one diagnosis was different), respectively. The model herein presented showed good performance and a simple theoretical structure, therefore demanding few computational resources.

Developing logic programs from specifications using stepwise refinement

In this paper we demonstrate a refinement calculus for logic programs, which is a framework for developing logic programs from specifications. The paper is written in a tutorial-style, using a running example to illustrate how the refinement calculus is used to develop logic programs. The paper also presents an overview of some of the advanced features of the calculus, including the introduction of higher-order procedures and the refinement of abstract data types.

A refinement calculus for logic programs

Existing refinement calculi provide frameworks for the stepwise development of imperative programs from specifications. This paper presents a refinement calculus for deriving logic programs. The calculus contains a wide-spectrum logic programming language, including executable constructs such as sequential conjunction, disjunction, and existential quantification, as well as specification constructs such as general predicates, assumptions and universal quantification. A declarative semantics is defined for this wide-spectrum language based on executions. Executions are partial functions from states to states, where a state is represented as a set of bindings. The semantics is used to define the meaning of programs and specifications, including parameters and recursion. To complete the calculus, a notion of correctness-preserving refinement over programs in the wide-spectrum language is defined and refinement laws for developing programs are introduced. The refinement calculus is illustrated using example derivations and prototype tool support is discussed.

Nondeterministic gates for photonic single-rail quantum logic

We discuss techniques for producing, manipulating, and measuring qubits encoded optically as vacuum- and single-photon states. We show that a universal set of nondeterministic gates can be constructed using linear optics and photon counting. We investigate the efficacy of a test gate given realistic detector efficiencies.

Avaliação da proteção conferida pela vacina antimeningocócica BC no Estado de Santa Catarina, Brazil, 1990/92

São apresentados os resultados da avaliação da vacina antimeningocócica BC de procedência cubana realizada com dados da vigilância epidemiológica de meningites do Estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil, dos anos de 1990-92. A eficácia para os casos confirmados por exames bacteriológicos foi de 59% (IC de 95%: 23 a 78%) para os menores de 4 anos e de 78% (IC de 95%: 54 a 90%) para as crianças de 4 a 7 anos. Com os casos confirmados como causados por sorogrupo B, as eficácias estimadas foram maiores, mas se ampliaram os intervalos de confiança. O efeito protetor da vacina em relação à mortalidade em crianças menores de 4 anos foi estimado em 76% (IC 95%: 41 a 91%). Outros dados apresentados sugerem que as mais baixas eficácias encontradas, quando se analisam os menores de 4 anos, decorrem da seletividade da confirmação diagnóstica que exclui os casos mais graves que morrem a poucas horas do início dos sintomas, associada à modificação do curso da doença (atenuação) em vacinados. Por isso, indica-se a vacinação, inclusive em menores de 4 anos, nas situações epidêmicas.

Addressing the facilities layout design problem through constraint logic programming

One of the most difficult problems that face researchers experimenting with complex systems in real world applications is the Facility Layout Design Problem. It relies with the design and location of production lines, machinery and equipment, inventory storage and shipping facilities. In this work it is intended to address this problem through the use of Constraint Logic Programming (CLP) technology. The use of Genetic Algorithms (GA) as optimisation technique in CLP environment is also an issue addressed. The approach aims the implementation of genetic algorithm operators following the CLP paradigm.

Hybrid fuzzy Monte Carlo and logic programming model for distribution network reconfiguration in the presence of outages

This paper presents a methodology for distribution networks reconfiguration in outage presence in order to choose the reconfiguration that presents the lower power losses. The methodology is based on statistical failure and repair data of the distribution power system components and uses fuzzy-probabilistic modelling for system component outage parameters. Fuzzy membership functions of system component outage parameters are obtained by statistical records. A hybrid method of fuzzy set and Monte Carlo simulation based on the fuzzy-probabilistic models allows catching both randomness and fuzziness of component outage parameters. Once obtained the system states by Monte Carlo simulation, a logical programming algorithm is applied to get all possible reconfigurations for every system state. In order to evaluate the line flows and bus voltages and to identify if there is any overloading, and/or voltage violation a distribution power flow has been applied to select the feasible reconfiguration with lower power losses. To illustrate the application of the proposed methodology to a practical case, the paper includes a case study that considers a real distribution network.

Logic programming and fuzzy Monte Carlo for distribution network reconfiguration

This paper present a methodology to choose the distribution networks reconfiguration that presents the lower power losses. The proposed methodology is based on statistical failure and repair data of the distribution power system components and uses fuzzy-probabilistic modeling for system component outage parameters. The proposed hybrid method using fuzzy sets and Monte Carlo simulation based on the fuzzyprobabilistic models allows catching both randomness and fuzziness of component outage parameters. A logic programming algorithm is applied, once obtained the system states by Monte Carlo Simulation, to get all possible reconfigurations for each system state. To evaluate the line flows and bus voltages and to identify if there is any overloading, and/or voltage violation an AC load flow has been applied to select the feasible reconfiguration with lower power losses. To illustrate the application of the proposed methodology, the paper includes a case study that considers a 115 buses distribution network.

Accounting logic and new professional in healthcare: a case study

The central place hospitals occupy in health systems transforms them into prime target of healthcare reforms. This study aims to identify current trends in organizational structure change in public hospitals and explore the role of accounting in attempts to develop controls over professionals within public hospitals. The analytical framework we proposed crosses the concept of “new professionalism” (Evetts, 2010), with the concept of “accounting logic” for controlling professionals (Broadbent and Laughlin, 1995). Looking for a more holistic overview, we developed a qualitative and exploratory study. The data were collected trough semi-structured interviews with doctors of a clinical hospital unit. Content analysis suggests that, although we cannot say that there is a complete and generalized integration of accounting information in the clinical decisions, important improvement has been made in that area. Despite the extensive literature developed on this topic, there is any empirical studies of authors are aware that allow us to realize how real doctors in reals day-to-day work integrated these trends of change in theirs clinical decisions.

Optoelectronic Logic Functions Based on Reconfigurable SiC Multilayer Devices

WDM multilayered SiC/Si devices based on a-Si:H and a-SiC:H filter design are approached from a reconfigurable point of view. Results show that the devices, under appropriated optical bias, act as reconfigurable active filters that allow optical switching and optoelectronic logic functions development. Under front violet irradiation the magnitude of the red and green channels are amplified and the blue and violet reduced. Violet back irradiation cuts the red channel, slightly influences the magnitude of the green and blue ones and strongly amplifies de violet channel. This nonlinearity provides the possibility for selective removal of useless wavelengths. Particular attention is given to the amplification coefficient weights, which allow taking into account the wavelength background effects when a band needs to be filtered from a wider range of mixed signals, or when optical active filter gates are used to select and filter input signals to specific output ports in WDM communication systems. A truth table of an encoder that performs 8-to-1 multiplexer (MUX) function is presented.

Semantics of logic programs with explicit negation

After a historical introduction, the bulk of the thesis concerns the study of a declarative semantics for logic programs. The main original contributions are: ² WFSX (Well–Founded Semantics with eXplicit negation), a new semantics for logic programs with explicit negation (i.e. extended logic programs), which compares favourably in its properties with other extant semantics. ² A generic characterization schema that facilitates comparisons among a diversity of semantics of extended logic programs, including WFSX. ² An autoepistemic and a default logic corresponding to WFSX, which solve existing problems of the classical approaches to autoepistemic and default logics, and clarify the meaning of explicit negation in logic programs. ² A framework for defining a spectrum of semantics of extended logic programs based on the abduction of negative hypotheses. This framework allows for the characterization of different levels of scepticism/credulity, consensuality, and argumentation. One of the semantics of abduction coincides with WFSX. ² O–semantics, a semantics that uniquely adds more CWA hypotheses to WFSX. The techniques used for doing so are applicable as well to the well–founded semantics of normal logic programs. ² By introducing explicit negation into logic programs contradiction may appear. I present two approaches for dealing with contradiction, and show their equivalence. One of the approaches consists in avoiding contradiction, and is based on restrictions in the adoption of abductive hypotheses. The other approach consists in removing contradiction, and is based in a transformation of contradictory programs into noncontradictory ones, guided by the reasons for contradiction.