Ordinal Parameters Research Articles

Screening methods for thermotolerance in pollen.

Plant reproduction is highly susceptible to temperature stress. The development of the male gametophyte in particular represents a critical element in the reproductive cycle with high sensitivity to elevated temperatures. Various methods have been used to test the effect of temperature stress on pollen performance or to determine the degree of susceptibility of given species and genotypes. The information gained informs the development of new crop varieties suited to grow under warmer conditions arising through climate change and facilitates predicting the behavior of natural populations under these conditions. The characterization of pollen performance typically employs the terms pollen viability and pollen vigor, which, however, are not necessarily used consistently across studies. Pollen viability is a nominal parameter and is often assayed relying on cellular features as proxy to infer the capability of pollen grains to germinate and complete double fertilization. Alternatively, pollen germination can be determined through in vitro growth assays, or by monitoring the ability of pollen tubes to complete different progamic steps in vivo (ability to reach an ovule, release sperm cells, lead to seed set). Pollen vigor is an ordinal parameter that describes pollen tube growth rate or the efficiency of pollen tube growth as inferred by its morphology or growth pattern. To ensure consistent and relevant terminology, this review defines these terms and summarizes the methodologies used to assess them.

Bone marrow sparing RapidArc treatment in locally advanced rectal cancer – can it reduce haematological toxicity?

Abstract Context: Haematological toxicities are seen in rectal cancer patients receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with capecitabine. Aims: To compare dose volume histogram (DVH) parameters and acute haematological toxicities using RapidArc with or without bone marrow constraints for rectal cancer patients receiving pelvic chemoradiation as part of curative treatment. Setting and designs: This is a prospective randomised controlled study including patients with rectal cancer initiated on chemoradiation. Patients were stratified into two arms, bone marrow sparing (BMS) arm and non-bone marrow sparing arm (NBMS). Materials and methods: DVH parameters and weekly toxicity data were collected. Grade 2 or more anaemia, leucopenia, neutropenia, or thrombocytopenia, any blood transfusions, colony-stimulating factor injection, platelet transfusions were considered as an event in acute haematological toxicity (HT). Statistical analysis: Independent t-test was used to compare quantitative parameters, and Mann–Whitney U-test was used for ordinal parameters between groups. Results: A total of 43 patients were enrolled. Bone marrow constraints were achieved without compromising the target coverage. There was a significant reduction in the bone marrow dose with BMS technique (p < 0·05). A 16·7% reduction in the HT (33·3% versus 50%) and a 21·9% reduction in the grade 2 or more anaemia (19% versus 40·9%) were noted in the BMS arm when compared to NBMS arm, though not statistically significant. However, in the preoperative setting, a significant reduction in grade 2/more anaemia (7·1% versus 41·1%, p = 0·035) was noticed in the BMS arm. Conclusions: Pelvic BMS radiotherapy may benefit patients receiving chemoradiation for locally advanced carcinoma rectum as part of curative treatment.

Evaluation of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging for predicting muscular hyperplasia/hypertrophy in Crohn's disease.

The existence of smooth muscle alteration in Crohn's disease (CD) is often neglected. It has been found that muscular hyperplasia/hypertrophy rather than fibrosis was the primary component of bowel wall thickening. This study aimed to assess the value of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) and diffusion weighted imaging for the characterization of histopathologic tissue composition of CD, particularly smooth muscle hypertrophy, as well as inflammation and fibrosis. The study included patients diagnosed with CD who received MRI examination 30days before resection from August 2016 to December 2020. A semiquantitative histological grading scheme was employed to evaluate the pathological tissues. Resected sections were matched with MRI according to pathological marks. Parameters evaluated included: mural thickness, T2 ratio, apparent diffusion coefficient value; and maximum enhancement, initial slope of increase, perfusion parameters of DCE-MRI and enhancement pattern. These parameters were compared with location-matched histopathological grade. Ninety-one sections were enrolled in this retrospective study. When active inflammation is moderate or severe, volume transfer coefficient (Ktrans), maximum enhancement (ME) and initial slope of increase (ISI) are lower, mural thickness is higher when a certain degree of smooth muscle alteration is present. When active inflammation is absent or mild, ME, mural thickness and ISI can differentiate the presence of predominant muscular alteration. By combining ME and thickness comparisons against their cutoff values to create a combined ordinal parameter, the area under the curve value for whether significant muscular alteration coexists with moderate or severe active inflammation was found to be 0.953. MRI predicts the degree of inflammation, and can distinguish the degree of muscular alteration coexists with moderate or severe active inflammation with reasonable accuracy.

Systemic serum amyloid A in early (

Synovial structure involvement secondary to limb injury is a common emergency in equine practice, requiring an accurate initial diagnosis for immediate treatment. This study aimed to investigate the clinical usefulness of Serum amyloid A (SAA) in the initial diagnosis of synovial structure involvement caused by acute (<24 h) penetrating limb injuries in horses and to correlate SAA with standard diagnostic parameters. Fifty-five horses with acute limb injuries were divided into two groups: Group 1 (G1, n = 26) with a diagnosis of penetrating synovial trauma and Group 2 (G2, n = 29) without synovial structure penetration. Serum SAA, white blood cell (WBC) count and fibrinogen as well as clinical criteria and synovial fluid parameters were assessed on admission. The two groups were compared using a two-sample t-test (metric parameters) or a Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test (ordinal parameters). Correlation was determined between serum SAA and the following parameters: WBC count, fibrinogen, synovial total nucleated cell count (TNCC) and percentage of neutrophils (% N), body temperature and the degree of lameness.Serum SAA concentrations were not different between G1 and G2; however, there were statistically significant differences in general health, the degree of lameness, and synovial fluid parameters. In G1, serum SAA concentrations positively correlated with fibrinogen concentrations and synovial fluid % N. Nonetheless, SAA cannot be used as a sole tool to diagnose synovial structure involvement caused by limb injuries. Synovial fluid parameters remain the most important tool in the diagnosis of synovial penetration. In cases where synoviocentesis fails or is not possible, serum SAA might support diagnosis.

Correlation and synergy analysis of urban economy–energy–environment system—A case study of Beijing

AbstractThe coordination of economy, energy, and environment plays an important role for cities seeking green transformation and sustainable development. However, poor information and equivocal data are what often face the related analysis. In this paper, the correlation and synergy of the urban economy–energy–environment system are analyzed. First, the Grey relational analysis and entropy weight method are combined and introduced to analyze the correlation degree in the indicator level and the subsystem level of the 3E system. Then, the concepts of ordinal parameter and comprehensive correlation degree are introduced, to evaluate the ordering degree of subsystems and the synergy degree of compound systems. Finally, the data of Beijing from 2008 to 2017 are used for empirical study. Results suggest that a fluctuating tendency of low synergy or none synergy is observed in the Beijing 3E system. Furthermore, the improvement of the energy subsystem displays dominant effects on the coordinated development of compound systems, and the technological innovation and structural optimization in industries could help to improve the Beijing economy–energy–environment system.

A dialectical approach to the study of the financial mechanism for ensuring public welfare

Purpose. The aim of the article is scientific substantiation of theoretical and methodological bases of the financial mechanism for ensuring public welfare with application of a dialectical method of scientific knowledge. Methodology of research. The methodological basis of the study is formed by the dialectical method of scientific knowledge, which involves the application of basic laws, principles and categories of dialectics. The following methods are used in the article: analysis and synthesis, generalization – in the study of literature sources on the research topic; abstractions, inductions, deductions, ascent from the abstract to the concrete – in the disclosure of the financial mechanism of ensuring public welfare in terms of the laws of dialectics, the use of dialectical categories, the separation of its functions. Findings. The financial mechanism for ensuring public welfare is characterized on the basis of the new interpretation of the basic laws of dialectics, which eliminates their ambivalence from the following positions: the sequence of causal interaction of its qualitative, quantitative and ordinal parameters; the result of the interaction of the interests of all economic entities involved in the process of forming the parameters of public welfare, which is expressed in the configuration and parameters of the components of the financial mechanism; sequence of transformations of the financial mechanism of ensuring public welfare on the basis of change of a configuration of interaction of its various qualities under the influence of external and internal factors. The application of the basic categories of dialectics made it possible to reveal the financial mechanism of ensuring public welfare in essence, as a phenomenon, in form and content, as well as to distinguish its functions. Originality. The scientific and theoretical foundations of the financial mechanism of social welfare have been developed with the application of a new interpretation of the basic laws of dialectics. The most general, as well as specific properties and characteristics of this financial mechanism are revealed with the help of dialectical categories. Practical value. Deepening the theoretical basis of the financial mechanism of ensuring public welfare will create the preconditions for improving the effectiveness of its elements in financial practice. Key words: financial mechanism of ensuring public welfare, dialectical method, laws of dialectics, dialectical categories, ambivalence.

Discontinuous Hamiltonian Monte Carlo for discrete parameters and discontinuous likelihoods

SummaryHamiltonian Monte Carlo has emerged as a standard tool for posterior computation. In this article we present an extension that can efficiently explore target distributions with discontinuous densities. Our extension in particular enables efficient sampling from ordinal parameters through the embedding of probability mass functions into continuous spaces. We motivate our approach through a theory of discontinuous Hamiltonian dynamics and develop a corresponding numerical solver. The proposed solver is the first of its kind, with a remarkable ability to exactly preserve the Hamiltonian. We apply our algorithm to challenging posterior inference problems to demonstrate its wide applicability and competitive performance.

P176 Expert consensus on acquisition and reporting of intestinal ultrasonography activity in Crohn’s disease. A prospective inter-rater agreement study

Abstract Background Intestinal ultrasonography (IUS) is a promising cross-sectional imaging modality used to assess transmural disease and complications in Crohn’s disease (CD). Although recently positioned as a first-line modality for evaluation as per ECCO guidelines, standard measurements, reproducibility and nomenclature have not yet been clearly established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inter-rater agreement for parameters identified as important by experts through Delphi consensus. Methods IUS parameters demonstrating inflammatory activity were systematically reviewed in the literature and presented to IUS experts. Individual parameters were selected by a blinded Delphi consensus panel to establish relative contribution to inflammatory activity in CD. Weighted grading of each parameter was further established by expert consensus. Image acquisition for optimal measurement was established by consensus. Two phases for evaluating inter-rater variability were undertaken. Phase 1: blind review by 8 readers of 20 de-identified CD cases. Cases with poor agreement were reviewed to clarify discrepancy and improve agreement. Phase 2: an additional 30 de-identified CD cases blindly were reviewed by 12 independent expert readers. Inter-rater agreement was evaluated for all 4 key parameters. Statistics were performed using Stata 16. Bowel wall thickness (BWT) was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the ordinal parameters using weighted Cohens Kappa. Results The Delphi process reduced 12 activity parameters to 4 key contributors including BWT, color Doppler signal (CDI), inflammatory fat and bowel wall echostratification (Figure 1). BWT was regarded as pathologic if the average of 4 measurements were &amp;gt; 3 mm for the small and large bowel, and grades of the additional parameters established (Table 1). Bowel wall thickness was comprised of 2 measurements in cross section and 2 in longitudinal orientation (Figure 2). Interobserver agreement was almost perfect for BWT: ICC=0.91 (95% CI 0.83 to 0.96) p = 0.001, while there was moderate agreement for CDI κ=0.60 (95% CI 0.48–0.72) p = 0.001. Agreement for inflammatory fat detection was also moderate with κ= 0.50 (95% CI 0.33–0.66) p = 0.001, while stratification was fair κ= 0.39 (95% CI 0.26–0.53) p = 0.001. Conclusion This expert consensus-based IUS activity score clearly establishes the reproducibility of this standardised approach to measure inflammatory activity in patients with CD. Using our method, BWT which is known as the most important parameter, is highly reproducible with CDI and inflammatory fat demonstrating moderate reproducibility. This score may provide the foundation for the future incorporation of IUS in research studies and clinical trials.

Ordinal compactness

We introduce a new covering property, defined in terms of order types of sequences of open sets, rather than in terms of cardinalities. The most general form depends on two ordinal parameters. Ordinal compactness turns out to be a much more varied notion than cardinal compactness. We prove many nontrivial results of the form ?every [?,?]-compact topological space is [?',?']-compact?, for ordinals ?,?, ?'and ?' while only trivial results of the above form hold, if we restrict to regular cardinals. Counterexamples are provided showing that many results are optimal. Many spaces satisfy the very same cardinal compactness properties, but have a broad range of distinct behaviors, as far as ordinal compactness is concerned. A much more refined theory is obtained for T1 spaces, in comparison with arbitrary topological spaces. The notion of ordinal compactness becomes partly trivial for spaces of small cardinality.

Recognizable sets and Woodin cardinals: computation beyond the constructible universe

We call a subset of an ordinal λrecognizable if it is the unique subset x of λ for which some Turing machine with ordinal time and tape and an ordinal parameter, that halts for all subsets of λ as input, halts with the final state 0. Equivalently, such a set is the unique subset x which satisfies a given Σ1 formula in L[x]. We further define the recognizable closure for subsets of λ by closing under relative recognizability for subsets of λ.We prove several results about recognizable sets and their variants for other types of machines. Notably, we show the following results from large cardinals.•Recognizable sets of ordinals appear in the hierarchy of inner models at least up to the level Woodin cardinals, while computable sets are elements of L.•A subset of a countable ordinal λ is in the recognizable closure for subsets of countable ordinals if and only if it is an element of the inner model M∞, which is obtained by iterating the least measure of the least fine structural inner model M1 with a Woodin cardinal through the ordinals.

Lack of linear correlation between dynamic and steady-state cerebral autoregulation.

Key points For correct application and interpretation of cerebral autoregulation (CA) measurements in research and in clinical care, it is essential to understand differences and similarities between dynamic and steady‐state CA.The present study found no correlation between dynamic and steady‐state CA indices in healthy older adults.There was variability between individuals in all (steady‐state and dynamic) autoregulatory indices, ranging from low (almost absent) to highly efficient CA in this healthy population.These findings challenge the assumption that assessment of a single CA parameter or a single set of parameters can be generalized to overall CA functioning. Therefore, depending on specific research purposes, the choice for either steady‐state or dynamic measures or both should be weighed carefully. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between dynamic (dCA) and steady‐state cerebral autoregulation (sCA). In 28 healthy older adults, sCA was quantified by a linear regression slope of proportionate (%) changes in cerebrovascular resistance (CVR) in response to proportionate (%) changes in mean blood pressure (BP) induced by stepwise sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and phenylephrine (PhE) infusion. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured at the internal carotid artery (ICA) and vertebral artery (VA) and CBF velocity at the middle cerebral artery (MCA). With CVR = BP/CBF, Slope‐CVRICA, Slope‐CVRVA and Slope‐CVRiMCA were derived. dCA was assessed (i) in supine rest, analysed with transfer function analysis (gain and phase) and autoregulatory index (ARI) fit from spontaneous oscillations (ARIBaseline), and (ii) with transient changes in BP using a bolus injection of SNP (ARISNP) and PhE (ARIPhE). Comparison of sCA and dCA parameters (using Pearson's r for continuous and Spearman's ρ for ordinal parameters) demonstrated a lack of linear correlations between sCA and dCA measures. However, comparisons of parameters within dCA and within sCA were correlated. For sCA slope‐CVRVA with Slope‐CVRiMCA (r = 0.45, P < 0.03); for dCA ARISNP with ARIPhE (ρ = 0.50, P = 0.03), ARIBaseline (ρ = 0.57, P = 0.03) and PhaseLF (ρ = 0.48, P = 0.03); and for GainVLF with GainLF (r = 0.51, P = 0.01). By contrast to the commonly held assumption based on an earlier study, there were no linear correlations between sCA and dCA. As an additional observation, there was strong inter‐individual variability, both in dCA and sCA, in this healthy group of elderly, in a range from low to high CA efficiency.

Infinite Computations with Random Oracles

We consider the following problem for various infinite-time machines. If a real is computable relative to a large set of oracles such as a set of full measure or just of positive measure, a comeager set, or a nonmeager Borel set, is it already computable? We show that the answer is independent of ZFC for ordinal Turing machines with and without ordinal parameters and give a positive answer for most other machines. For instance, we consider infinite-time Turing machines, unresetting and resetting infinite-time register machines, and α-Turing machines for countable admissible ordinals α.

Disturbed sleep as risk factor for the subsequent onset of bipolar disorder – Data from a 10-year prospective-longitudinal study among adolescents and young adults

There is ample data suggesting that individuals with bipolar disorder more frequently suffer from disturbed sleep even when euthymic. Since sleep is a process that is crucial for affective homeostasis, disturbed sleep in healthy individuals may be a risk factor for the subsequent onset of bipolar disorder. Utilizing data from a large cohort of adolescents and young adults, this study tests the hypothesis that disturbed sleep constitutes a risk factor for the later onset of bipolar disorder. A representative community sample of N = 3021 adolescents and young adults (baseline age 14–24) was assessed using the standardized Composite International Diagnostic Interview and followed-up prospectively up to 3 times over up to 10 years. Disturbed sleep at baseline was quantified utilizing the corresponding items from the self-report inventory SCL-90-R. The compound value (insomnia-score) as an ordinal parameter for the severity of sleep disturbances was used to assess associations with the incidence of bipolar disorder among participants free of major mental disorder at baseline (N = 1943) using odds ratios (OR) from logistic regressions. Analyses were adjusted for age, gender, parental mood disorder and lifetime alcohol or cannabis dependence. Poor sleep quality significantly increased the risk for the subsequent development of bipolar disorder (OR = 1.75; p = 0.001). Regarding individual sleep items, trouble falling asleep and early morning awakening were predictive for the subsequent onset of bipolar disorder.Disturbed sleep in persons otherwise free of major mental disorders appears to confer an increased risk for the subsequent onset of bipolar disorder.

MP17-04 UROLOGIC IMAGING QUALITY USING A PORTABLE ULTRASOUND WITH REGARD TO THE OPERATOR AND THE DEVICE

You have accessJournal of UrologyImaging/Radiology: Uroradiology III1 Apr 2015MP17-04 UROLOGIC IMAGING QUALITY USING A PORTABLE ULTRASOUND WITH REGARD TO THE OPERATOR AND THE DEVICE Arnon Lavi, Sharon Tzemach, Alon Masiach, Genady Zelichenko, Michael Gross, Leonid Cherbinsky, David Giser, Rafi Shoshana, Ziv Neeman, and Michael Cohen Arnon LaviArnon Lavi More articles by this author , Sharon TzemachSharon Tzemach More articles by this author , Alon MasiachAlon Masiach More articles by this author , Genady ZelichenkoGenady Zelichenko More articles by this author , Michael GrossMichael Gross More articles by this author , Leonid CherbinskyLeonid Cherbinsky More articles by this author , David GiserDavid Giser More articles by this author , Rafi ShoshanaRafi Shoshana More articles by this author , Ziv NeemanZiv Neeman More articles by this author , and Michael CohenMichael Cohen More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2015.02.846AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES The use of urologist preformed sonography is becoming an integral part of the daily urologic practice. This trend has been supported by the incorporation of mandatory sonographic training in urology residency syllabus by the American urology association (AUA). Our objective was to evaluate in a quantitative and qualitative manner the clinical performance and utility of a portable ultrasound (V-US) device (VSCAN© by GE) with regard to the operator and the device characteristics. METHODS After informed consent, 35 patients admitted in our ward underwent 3 consecutive US studies: - V-US study by a urologist - V-US study by a sonography technician - Standard US (GE Volusion 730/Logic Q8)(S-US) study by a sonography technician Each study included the common parameters of a standard urologic sonographic evaluation (see table 1). In an attempt to evaluate the operator and the device contribution to the performance, a comparison was done between urologist V-US and technician V-US (operator), technician V-US and S-US (device) and urologist V-US and technician S-US. A preset clinically expectable deviation of the quantitative parameters was defined for each parameter by the investigators and these were analyzed using a t-test to determine significance of deviation. Ordinal parameters were analyzed using the Cohen's kappa coefficient. RESULTS No significant differences were observed in the performance and outcome (except for number of renal cysts identified) in all the comparisons made, regardless of the operator or the device as well as when comparing the urologist using V-US and the technician using S-US (see table 1). CONCLUSIONS A urologist performed study using the portable US seems valid and equivalent to technician operated standard US in almost all the parameters examined. Detection of small renal lesions may be less satisfactory. With the aforementioned trend of the US becoming the urologist's “stethoscope”, it seems that routine use of a urologist operated portable US may assist patient management in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. This goal should be promoted in consideration of the limitations of the urologist as a sonographist and related medico-legal aspects. Table 1. Summary of results Parameter n Urologist portable US (mean) Technician portable US (mean) Technician standard US (mean) Preset permitted difference between studies (for either comparisons) p-value operator comparison p-value device comparison p-value urologist V-US vs. technician S-US comparison Kappa coefficient for operator comparison Kappa coefficient for device comparison Kappa coefficient for urologist V-US vs. technician S-US comparison Kidney length (cm) 69 10.5 11 11.8 1.5 0.26 0.73 0.72 - - - Subjective hydronephrosis evaluation (none, mild, moderate, severe) 69 - - - - - - - 0.63 (substantial) 0.79 (substantial) 0.65 (substantial) Renal pelvis length (when dilated, mm) 13 15.6 15.3 13.6 3 0.86 0.86 0.21 - - - Number of renal cysts 13 - - - - - - - 0.54 (moderate) 0.66 (substantial) 0.1 (slight) Renal cyst diameter (mm) 9 37.7 32.7 26.8 3 0.12 0.19 0.9 - - - Post void residual (cc) 34 24.9 23.7 28.9 10 0.79 0.37 0.77 - - - Prostate volume (cc) 25 39.3 35.4 36.3 12 0.12 0.36 0.06 - - - © 2015 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 193Issue 4SApril 2015Page: e177 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2015 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Arnon Lavi More articles by this author Sharon Tzemach More articles by this author Alon Masiach More articles by this author Genady Zelichenko More articles by this author Michael Gross More articles by this author Leonid Cherbinsky More articles by this author David Giser More articles by this author Rafi Shoshana More articles by this author Ziv Neeman More articles by this author Michael Cohen More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Environmental and visitor management in a thousand protected areas in China

China has ∼8000 protected areas, with different categories and levels of designation. These include many reserves of global conservation significance. There are more numerous but smaller parks in the more heavily populated provinces of the south and east, and fewer larger parks in the northwest. We sampled 1200 representative parks nationwide, using questionnaires delivered to park managers in person, with 160 categorical or ordinal parameters. Response rate was 92.5%. We carried out three analyses: first, for each parameter independently; second, for five multi-parameter aggregate indices; and third, for two top-level indices of environmental and visitor management respectively. We tested for patterns by category, level, size, age, region, visitor volume and revenue, with >600 individual tests, and >70 patterns significant at p<0.0001. We found that both environmental and visitor management practices are more intensive for large, old, rich, heavily visited parks. A number of parks receive >100,000 visitors per day, and have adopted large-scale infrastructure approaches which successfully minimise impacts and maintain conservation values, as confirmed by on-site audits. Key conservation concerns include off-park air and water pollution sources in some regions, and sale of items including threatened species, in 7% of parks.

How CAGE, RAPS4-QF, and AUDIT Can Help Practitioners for Patients Admitted with Acute Alcohol Intoxication in Emergency Departments?

Aims: To help clinicians to identify the severity of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) from optimal thresholds found for recommended scales. Especially, taking account of the high prevalence of alcohol dependence among patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) for acute alcohol intoxication (AAI), we propose to define thresholds of severity of dependence based on the AUDIT score.Methods: All patients admitted to the ED with AAI (blood alcohol level >0.8 g/L), in a 2-month period, were assessed using the CAGE, RAPS-QF, and AUDIT, with the alcohol dependence/abuse section of the mini international neuropsychiatric interview (MINI) used as the gold standard. To explore the relation between the AUDIT and the MINI the sum of the positive items on the MINI (dependence) as a quantitative variable and as an ordinal parameter were analyzed. From the threshold score found for each scale we proposed intervals of severity of AUDs.Results: The mean age of the sample (122 males, 42 females) was 46 years. Approximately 12% of the patients were identified with alcohol abuse and 78% with dependence (DSM-IV). Cut points were determined for the AUDIT in order to distinguish mild and moderate dependence from severe dependence. A strategy of intervention based on levels of severity of AUD was proposed.Conclusion: Different thresholds proposed for the CAGE, RAPS4-QF, and AUDIT could be used to guide the choice of intervention for a patient: brief intervention, brief negotiation interviewing, or longer more intensive motivational intervention.

Visual acuity and factors influencing automobile driving status in 1,000 patients age 60 and older

The objective of this prospective observational study was to evaluate the number of people driving in accordance with common legal standards, measured through far binocular visual acuity, and to identify variables associated with driving habits outside of legal standards. Subjects aged 60 years and older were recruited at a tertiary referral center (University Hospital of Mont-Godinne, Yvoir, Belgium). Ophthalmological examination was conducted in all subjects by an ophthalmologist. Visual acuity was measured with the modified Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy charts at a distance of 4 m on each eye for far binocular visual acuity, defined as equal or better than 20/40, according to the European legal driving requirements. Details on demographic, socioeconomic, and medical characteristics were obtained from all participants by questionnaires. Numerical variables were compared with the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Categorical and ordinal parameters were compared with the Chi-square test or the Cochran test respectively. One thousand subjects (447 women and 553 men) were enrolled in the study over a period of 7 months (mean age: 71.3 ± 8.8 years), of whom 810 were current drivers. Among the 810 current drivers, 732 (90.4 %) had a far binocular visual acuity equal or better than 20/40 (mean 0.89), and 78 (9.6 %) did not (mean 0.36). Among the 190 non-drivers, 94 (49.5 %) never drove; 47 (24.7 %) had stopped driving because of their impaired vision; and 49 (25.8 %) had stopped driving for other reasons. A logistic regression was performed to identify the variables statistically associated with the practice of driving among licensed drivers without minimal visual requirements, which revealed that a non-recent ophthalmological examination (p < 0.001), the subject's non-perception of impaired vision (p = 0.001), and non-access to stores without a car (p < 0.001) were influencing factors. In our study, 81 % of subjects aged 60 years and older were still driving, of whom 10 % did not meet the European legal driving requirements set at equal or better than 20/40. The variables associated with driving status were the time of last examination, non-perception of a visual impairment, and limited access to stores without a car.

ICycle: Integrated, multicriterial beam angle, and profile optimization for generation of coplanar and noncoplanar IMRT plans

To introduce iCycle, a novel algorithm for integrated, multicriterial optimization of beam angles, and intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) profiles. A multicriterial plan optimization with iCycle is based on a prescription called wish-list, containing hard constraints and objectives with ascribed priorities. Priorities are ordinal parameters used for relative importance ranking of the objectives. The higher an objective priority is, the higher the probability that the corresponding objective will be met. Beam directions are selected from an input set of candidate directions. Input sets can be restricted, e.g., to allow only generation of coplanar plans, or to avoid collisions between patient/couch and the gantry in a noncoplanar setup. Obtaining clinically feasible calculation times was an important design criterium for development of iCycle. This could be realized by sequentially adding beams to the treatment plan in an iterative procedure. Each iteration loop starts with selection of the optimal direction to be added. Then, a Pareto-optimal IMRT plan is generated for the (fixed) beam setup that includes all so far selected directions, using a previously published algorithm for multicriterial optimization of fluence profiles for a fixed beam arrangement Breedveld et al. [Phys. Med. Biol. 54, 7199-7209 (2009)]. To select the next direction, each not yet selected candidate direction is temporarily added to the plan and an optimization problem, derived from the Lagrangian obtained from the just performed optimization for establishing the Pareto-optimal plan, is solved. For each patient, a single one-beam, two-beam, three-beam, etc. Pareto-optimal plan is generated until addition of beams does no longer result in significant plan quality improvement. Plan generation with iCycle is fully automated. Performance and characteristics of iCycle are demonstrated by generating plans for a maxillary sinus case, a cervical cancer patient, and a liver patient treated with SBRT. Plans generated with beam angle optimization did better meet the clinical goals than equiangular or manually selected configurations. For the maxillary sinus and liver cases, significant improvements for noncoplanar setups were seen. The cervix case showed that also in IMRT with coplanar setups, beam angle optimization with iCycle may improve plan quality. Computation times for coplanar plans were around 1-2 h and for noncoplanar plans 4-7 h, depending on the number of beams and the complexity of the site. Integrated beam angle and profile optimization with iCycle may result in significant improvements in treatment plan quality. Due to automation, the plan generation workload is minimal. Clinical application has started.

Multivariate characterisation of the habitats of seven species of Malayan mudskippers (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae)

Mudskippers (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae) are amphibious gobies. The occurrence and habitats of seven sympatric species of Malayan mudskippers were recorded: Boleophthalmusboddarti, Boleophthalmuspectinirostris, Periophthalmodon schlosseri, Periophthalmus chrysospilos, Periophthalmus gracilis, Periophthalmus variabilis and Scartelaos histophorus. A total of 14 surveys were made at six localities along 120 km of the west coast of the Malay Peninsula in August 1996 and September 2006. A multivariate set of ordinal parameters were used to measure the quantity of environmental water in mudskippers’ habitats, and three guilds of species were discriminated. The resulting pattern mirrored the adaptive scenario depicted by physiological and anatomical studies of mudskippers’ terrestriality, although in one case a terminal taxon was less terrestrial than other more basal ones. Differentiation of trophic niches may also play a role in habitat selection by the herbivorous Boleophthalmus spp., which were only found in unvegetated, illuminated areas and on wet mud at low tide. With the more terrestrial guild, a significant negative co-occurrence suggested direct interspecific competition.

Ordinal computations

The notion of ordinal computability is defined by generalising standard Turing computability on tapes of length . In this paper we present a new proof of this theorem that makes use of a theory SO axiomatising the class of sets of ordinals in a model of set theory. The theory SO and the standard Zermelo–Fraenkel axiom system ZFC can be canonically interpreted in each other. The proof of the fundamental theorem is based on showing that the class of sets that are ordinal computable from ordinal parameters forms a model of SO.