Solving Decision Problems with Limited Information

We present a new algorithm for exactly solving decision-making problems represented as an influence diagram. We do not require the usual assumptions of no forgetting and regularity, which allows us to solve problems with limited information. The algorithm, which implements a sophisticated variable elimination procedure, is empirically shown to outperform a state-of-the-art algorithm in randomly generated problems of up to 150 variables and 10^64 strategies.

Net energy analysis of a solar combi system with Seasonal Thermal Energy Store

EU targets require nearly zero energy buildings (NZEB) by 2020. However few monitored examples exist of how NZEB has been achieved in practise in individual residential buildings. This paper provides an example of how a low-energy building (built in 2006), has achieved nearly zero energy heating through the addition of a solar domestic hot water and space heating system (“combi system”) with a Seasonal Thermal Energy Store (STES). The paper also presents a cumulative life cycle energy and cumulative life cycle carbon analysis for the installation based on the recorded DHW and space heating demand in addition to energy payback periods and net energy ratios. In addition, the carbon and energy analysis is carried out for four other heating system scenarios including hybrid solar thermal/PV systems in order to obtain the optimal system from a carbon efficiency perspective.

Prostate cancer radiotherapy: potential applications of metal nanoparticles for imaging and therapy

Prostate cancer (CaP) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males. There have been dramatic technical advances in radiotherapy delivery, enabling higher doses of radiotherapy to primary cancer, involved lymph nodes and oligometastases with acceptable normal tissue toxicity. Despite this, many patients relapse following primary radical therapy, and novel treatment approaches are required. Metal nanoparticles are agents that promise to improve diagnostic imaging and image-guided radiotherapy and to selectively enhance radiotherapy effectiveness in CaP. We summarize current radiotherapy treatment approaches for CaP and consider pre-clinical and clinical evidence for metal nanoparticles in this condition.

Prostate cancer (CaP) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males and is responsible for more than 10,000 deaths each year in the UK.1 Technical advances in radiotherapy delivery, including image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IG-IMRT), have enabled the delivery of higher radiation dose to the prostate, which has led to improved biochemical control. Further improvements in cancer imaging during radiotherapy are being developed with the advent of MRI simulators and MRI linear accelerators.2–4

Nanotechnology promises to deliver significant advancements across numerous disciplines.5 The widest scope of applications are from the biomedical field including exogenous gene/drug delivery systems, advanced biosensors, targeted contrast agents for diagnostic applications and as direct therapeutic agents used in combination with existing treatment modalities.6–11 This diversity of application is especially evident within cancer research, with a myriad of experimental anticancer strategies currently under investigation.

This review will focus specifically on the potential of metal-based nanoparticles to augment the efficacy of radiotherapy in CaP, a disease where radiotherapy constitutes a major curative treatment modality.12 Furthermore, we will also address the clinical state of the art for CaP radiotherapy and consider how these treatments could be best combined with nanotherapeutics to improve cancer outcomes.

Minimal invasive surgery for coronoid fracture: technical note.

Operative treatment of coronoid fracture often requires a large dissection of soft tissue, resulting in elbow stiffness and functional limitation. The authors present a minimal invasive, safe technique, useful in the case of isolated coronoid fracture associated with elbow dislocation. This technique does not require soft tissue dissection and allows an early unlimited resumption of sports activities.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in adolescent untreated hypertensive patients.

Ambulatory blood pressure profiles were obtained with the portable semi-automatic blood pressure recorder Remler M2000 in groups of 20 adolescents, 20 young and 20 middle-aged adults and 20 elderly untreated patients, all considered by their physician to be hypertensive. It was found that adolescents who are hypertensive when seeing their physician are more often normotensive outside the physician's office than adult and elderly patients under similar conditions. The increased heart rate variability which was detected in adolescents was not associated with an enhanced blood pressure variability.

Secretory IgA's complex roles in immunity and mucosal homeostasis in the gut.

Secretory IgA (SIgA) serves as the first line of defense in protecting the intestinal epithelium from enteric toxins and pathogenic microorganisms. Through a process known as immune exclusion, SIgA promotes the clearance of antigens and pathogenic microorganisms from the intestinal lumen by blocking their access to epithelial receptors, entrapping them in mucus, and facilitating their removal by peristaltic and mucociliary activities. In addition, SIgA functions in mucosal immunity and intestinal homeostasis through mechanisms that have only recently been revealed. In just the past several years, SIgA has been identified as having the capacity to directly quench bacterial virulence factors, influence composition of the intestinal microbiota by Fab-dependent and Fab-independent mechanisms, promote retro-transport of antigens across the intestinal epithelium to dendritic cell subsets in gut-associated lymphoid tissue, and, finally, to downregulate proinflammatory responses normally associated with the uptake of highly pathogenic bacteria and potentially allergenic antigens. This review summarizes the intrinsic biological activities now associated with SIgA and their relationships with immunity and intestinal homeostasis.

Condiciones oceanográficas frente a la costa norte-centro del Perú durante el invierno 1996. Crucero BIC Humboldt 9608-09

Los registros se efectuaron del 12 agosto al 22 setiembre de 1996, durante el Crucero BIC Humboldt 9608-09 de Evaluación de la Biomasa Desovante de Anchoveta desde Tambo de Mora hasta Paita y desde la costa hasta las 120 mn en promedio. Las características térmicas superficiales se presentaron frías para la época (14,5° C a 18,1 °C). Las anomalías térmicas tuvieron una variación de -2,0 °C en la zona costera entre Chimbote y Salaverry a +0,1 °C en la zona costera frente a Pucusana. Toda el área prospectada presentó anomalías térmicas negativas. La salinidad superficial del mar tuvo valores que oscilaron de 35,2 % (propio de las aguas oceánicas) a 34,95% (propio de las aguas costeras frías). La estructura vertical de salinidad mostró un mayor predominio de las aguas costeras frías desde la costa hasta las 60 mn y hasta una profundidad de 50 m. En la superficie del mar el oxígeno fluctuó entre 1,611 a 6,02 mL/L; los valores de 5,5 mL/L indicaron la presencia de las ASS y se ubicaron a 120 mn.

Estructura del subsistema demersal durante el verano 2004.Crucero BIC Olaya 0401-02.

El Crucero BIC Olaya 0401-02 se efectuó del 14 enero al 7 febrero 2004, de Puerto Pizarro (3°29’S) a Punta Pacasmayo (7°23’S). Se utilizó la red de arrastre Granton 300/160. Se efectuaron 87 arrastres de fondo, la captura total fue 42.015,8 kg, constituida por 169 especies: peces (102), crustáceos (32), moluscos (21), equinodermos (9), cnidarios (4) y anélidos (1). Las especies más importantes fueron: merluza peruana, Merluccius gayi peruanus (31.429,42 kg; 75% del total); bereche con barbo, Ctenosciaena peruviana (2815,67 kg; 6,7%); pota, Dosidicus gigas (1.777,27 kg; 4,2%); lenguado ojón, Hippoglossina macrops (611,82 kg; 1,5%); chiri Peprilus medius (543,67 kg; 1,3%); y el pampanito, Peprilus snyderi (497,54 kg; 1,2%). En conjunto, estas seis especies, representaron el 90% del monto total. Esta diversidad es similar al verano 2003 y también la distribución de los peces, cuya mayor diversidad específica se encontró al norte de Punta Aguja (6°S), indicando condiciones de normalidad.

Flexible Multibody Simulation Approach in the Dynamic Analysis of Bone Strains Activity

The objective of this study is to show that bone strains due to dynamic mechanical loading during physical activity can be analysed using the flexible multibody simulation approach. Strains within the bone tissue play a major role in bone (re)modeling. Based on previous studies, it has been shown that dynamic loading seems to be more important for bone (re)modeling than static loading. The finite element method has been used previously to assess bone strains. However, the finite element method may be limited to static analysis of bone strains due to the expensive computation required for dynamic analysis, especially for a biomechanical system consisting of several bodies. Further, in vivo implementation of strain gauges on the surfaces of bone has been used previously in order to quantify the mechanical loading environment of the skeleton. However, in vivo strain measurement requires invasive methodology, which is challenging and limited to certain regions of superficial bones only, such as the anterior surface of the tibia. In this study, an alternative numerical approach to analyzing in vivo strains, based on the flexible multibody simulation approach, is proposed. In order to investigate the reliability of the proposed approach, three 3-dimensional musculoskeletal models where the right tibia is assumed to be flexible, are used as demonstration examples. The models are employed in a forward dynamics simulation in order to predict the tibial strains during walking on a level exercise. The flexible tibial model is developed using the actual geometry of the subject’s tibia, which is obtained from 3 dimensional reconstruction of Magnetic Resonance Images. Inverse dynamics simulation based on motion capture data obtained from walking at a constant velocity is used to calculate the desired contraction trajectory for each muscle. In the forward dynamics simulation, a proportional derivative servo controller is used to calculate each muscle force required to reproduce the motion, based on the desired muscle contraction trajectory obtained from the inverse dynamics simulation. Experimental measurements are used to verify the models and check the accuracy of the models in replicating the realistic mechanical loading environment measured from the walking test. The predicted strain results by the models show consistency with literature-based in vivo strain measurements. In conclusion, the non-invasive flexible multibody simulation approach may be used as a surrogate for experimental bone strain measurement, and thus be of use in detailed strain estimation of bones in different applications. Consequently, the information obtained from the present approach might be useful in clinical applications, including optimizing implant design and devising exercises to prevent bone fragility, accelerate fracture healing and reduce osteoporotic bone loss.

L'Écho de Paris

1885/11/12 (Numéro 611).

Notulae biographicae præpositorum generalium carmelitarum discalceatorum congregationis italicae, 1600-1787.

Ce ms. constitue la mise au net du ms. B. n. F., lat. 17652 qui a servi de brouillon. F. 1 Titre : «Series chronologica præpositorum generalium carmelitarum discalceatorum congregationis italicae, cum singulorum effigie ad vivum nitidissime æri incisa [ce dernier membre de phrase est cancellé], necnon elogio manuscripto». F. 3-14v Notice biographique de chacun des préposés généraux des Carmes déchaux de la congrégation d'Italie de 1600 à 1787; chaque nom est précédé d'un ou plusieurs chiffres romains donnant le numéro d'ordre du préposé. Pour les derniers, seul figure le nom et le numéro d'ordre. Chaque page est divisée en deux cadres, et chaque notice en occupe un, rarement deux. «I. IV. IX. Ferdinandus a Sancta Maria. In saeculo dictus Ferdinandus Martinez...-... LIII. Hilarion ab Omnibus Sanctis» (14v); cf. A. Fortes, Acta capituli generalis O. C. D. congregationis s. Eliae, 3 vol., Rome, 1990-1992 (Monumenta historica Carmeli Teresiani 11, 13-14). À noter, parmi les références bibliographiques, celles qui concernent directement les Carmes déchaux : elles sont données ci-dessous sous une forme normalisée (entre parenthèses le feuillet où figure la première occurrence), alors que l'auteur donne en général le titre et le nom de l'auteur, sous une forme latinisée approximative, avec parfois le lieu et la date d'impression : Juan Caramuel Lobkowitz, Caramuelis Dominicus..., Vienne, 1655 (3v); Jean Chardin, Voyages de Monsieur le chevalier Chardin en Perse, Paris, 1723 (4v); Daniel a Virgine Maria, Speculum carmelitanum, Anvers, 1680 (3); Eusebius ab Omnibus Sanctis, Enchyridion chronologicum carmelitarum discalceatorum congregationis Italiae, Rome, 1737 (4), cet ouvrage est le plus fréquemment cité, on en trouve un exemplaire à la Vaticane et un microfilm à la Library of Congress; Francisco de Santa Maria, Historia general profetica de la orden de Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Madrid, 1630 (3); Franciscus Joseph a Sancta Margarita, Necrologium præpositorum generalium, non identifié (5); Isidore de Saint-Joseph, Historia reformationis s. Theresiae, non identifié (4v); Isidore de Saint-Joseph et Pierre de Saint-André, Historia generalis Fratrum discalceatorum ordinis B. M. V. de Monte Carmelo congregationis s. Eliae, Rome, 1668-1671 (4v); Louis Jacob, Bibliotheca carmelitana manuscripta, non identifié (5v); Juan de Jesus Maria, Historia missionum; Vita Petri a Matre Dei (3), ces deux ouvrages n'ont pu être identifiés, ils ne figurent pas dans les Opera omnia publiées à Cologne en 1622; Aubert Le Mire, Bibliotheca ecclesiastica, 2e partie, Anvers, 1649 (3v); Louis de Sainte-Thérèse, Annales carmelitarum excalceatorum Galliae (4v), non identifié; Martial de Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Bibliotheca scriptorum utriusque congregationis et sexus carmelitarum discalceatorum, Bordeaux, 1730 (3); Paulus ab Omnibus Sanctis, Clavis aurea thesauri partheno-carmelitici..., Vienne, 1669, si ce titre correspond au «Catalogus scriptorum» du f. 3; Philippe de la Très Sainte Trinité, Decus carmelitanum, ouvrage non identifié (4v); Id., Historia carmelitani ordinis..., Lyon, 1656 (3); Id., Itinerarium orientale R.P.F. Philippi a SS. Trinitate, Lyon, 1649 (4v); Id., La Vie du vénérable père Dominique de Jésus Maria..., Lyon, 1669 (5); le P.Théophile Raynaud, Scapulare partheno-carmeliticum, Paris, 1654 (3v); [Cosme de Villiers de Saint-Étienne] «editor anonymus», Bibliotheca carmelitana, Orléans, 1752 (5).