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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
131

Risco de mercado na comercialização de energia elétrica: uma análise estruturada com foco no ambiente de contratação livre - ACL. / Market risk in energy commmercialization: an analysis structured with focus on free contracting environment.

Luísa Helena Machado Ribeiro 14 August 2015 (has links)
A motivação para o desenvolvimento desse trabalho surge em um momento em que se verifica uma participação cada vez mais significativa das fontes energéticas renováveis não convencionais no País. Não obstante, o cenário de evolução evidencia que o arcabouço regulatório e as regras de mercado não acompanharam as especificidades inerentes à exploração dessas fontes. Assim, para que se mantenha adequado ritmo de inserção na matriz energética, devem ser buscadas opções para que fontes alternativas sejam cada vez mais competitivas na atual configuração do mercado energético. A contribuição dessa pesquisa, portanto, centra-se na análise dos riscos de mercado incorridos por esses geradores de fontes intermitentes de energia ao comercializarem energia no ambiente de contratação livre. Nessa perspectiva, a Dissertação foi desenvolvida abordando tipos de geração de energia e suas características técnicas e econômicas, legislação do setor elétrico, regras de comercialização, balanço energético do sistema, formação de preços no mercado de curto prazo e precificação de contratos no ACL, diferença de preços entre submercados, requisitos de flexibilidade e sazonalidade nos contratos de venda a consumidores livres e seu impacto na precificação de contratos, identificação de comportamento energético complementar para mitigação de riscos de mercado entre fontes renováveis e rebatimento na formulação de mecanismo de hedge, análise de portfólio de contratos e estratégia ótima de contratação de energia para agentes geradores atuando no ACL. Como resposta ao desafio de equacionar o impasse surgido na comercialização de fontes de produção sazonal, propõe-se um modelo para definir estratégias de contratação para agentes geradores e comercializadores a partir da complementação energética entre diferentes tipos de fontes, de forma a maximizar os ganhos de comercialização para um risco estabelecido. Busca-se a composição ideal dessas fontes na carteira de um comercializador para minimizar o risco de exposição à volatilidade dos preços do mercado de curto prazo. Isso é possível em virtude das compensações energéticas feitas entre as diferentes fontes em um portfólio combinado, mitigando a receita em risco decorrente das variações que existem nos preços de curto prazo e na produção energética. De forma complementar, estruturou-se um modelo de negócio no qual uma empresa detentora de ativos de geração hidrelétrica compra os direitos de produção de uma eólica e/ou biomassa para incorporar ao seu portfólio e vender como contrato por quantidade. Determinou-se o volume de energia a ser comprado de cada fonte, o preço, a estratégia mais indicada de contratação e a mitigação de fatores de risco contemplados nos contratos de venda, buscando maximizar os ganhos de comercialização condicionada a critérios de risco pré-fixados. / The motivation to write this thesis has arisen at a time when the participation of nonconventional renewable sources in the Brazilian electric energy matrix has become more significant. However, the scenario of the regulatory framework and market rules has not followed the specificity of the nature of these sources. In order to maintain a higher growth rate in the national electric matrix, non-conventional renewable sources must find alternatives to the current electric market. The contribution of this study focuses on the market risks analysis incurred by intermittent energy sources to commercialize energy in the free market. From this perspective, the study was developed addressing types of power generation and its technical and economic characteristics, legislation in the electricity sector, commercialization rules, system energy balance, spot market and long term contract pricing, difference prices between submarkets, flexibility requirements and seasonality in sales contracts to free consumers and their impact on contract pricing, identify complementary energy behavior for mitigating market risks from renewable sources and formulation of \"hedge\" mechanism, portfolio analysis and optimal strategy of energy contracting for generating agents acting in the ACL. In response to the challenge of solving the impasse in the commercialization of seasonal production sources, a model for contracting strategies was proposed for generation companies and retailer agents from the energy complementation between different types of sources in order to maximize the gains of marketing to an established risk. This allows revenues increase while mitigating risks in a scenario where spot prices and energy production vary greatly. An arrangement that provides the minimum risk was identified for retailer portfolio. This is possible due to differences amongst each source considered in the simulations, compensating the results in a diversified portfolio. As a complement, a business model was structured in which a generation company with hydro power assets purchases production rights of a wind and / or biomass to incorporate to its portfolio and sell as contract \"for quantity.\" It was determined the amount of energy to be purchased from each source, the price, the best contracting strategy and mitigation of risk factors included in sales contracts, seeking to maximize the revenue giving an acceptance of risk.
132

Escala de autoconfiança para a realização do cateterismo urinário intermitente: construção e validação de instrumento / Selfconfidence scale for the realization of intermittent urinary catheterization: construction and tool validation

Cintia Fernandes Baccarin Biaziolo 31 August 2015 (has links)
Este estudo teve como objetivo validar instrumento de medida para a realização do cateterismo urinário intermitente entre pacientes e cuidadores. Estudo metodológico de construção e validação de instrumento, realizado no Centro de Reabilitação de um Hospital Universitário, com pacientes usuários do cateterismo urinário intermitente e com os seus cuidadores, após aprovação do Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto - Parecer 146/2012. Os dados foram coletados por entrevista, realizada durante consulta de enfermagem através de instrumento de caracterização da amostra e de um questionário tipo Likert de 16 itens e cinco pontos por item, que vão de: \"nada confiante\"=1; \"pouco confiante\"=2; \"confiante\"=3; \"muito confiante\"=4 até \"completamente confiante\"=5. O questionário denominado Escala de Autoconfiança para realização do Cateterismo Urinário Intermitente Limpo (EACUIL) foi construído com base na literatura e validado em aparência e conteúdo em estudo anterior.Os dados da pesquisa foram codificados e digitados duplamente em planilhas do aplicativo Excel e após exportados e analisados no programa SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science), versão 22.0. S. Para determinar a validade e a confiabilidade do construto, foi utilizada estatística descritiva, com medidas de tendência central e de dispersão (média, moda, mediana, percentis, variância, desvio padrão), e a inferência estatística (análise fatorial e estimativa da consistência interna). Para a avaliação dos resultados obtidos, foi assumido o valor de p<0,05 como estatisticamente significante. A amostra foi composta por 241 sujeitos, entre os quais 122 (50,6%) pacientes e 119 cuidadores (49,4%), a maioria provenientes da Divisão Regional de Ribeirão Preto (DRS XIII). A maior parte dos pacientes era de solteiros, do gênero masculino, possuíam o 1o. e 2o. grau completos e entre os cuidadores a maior parte era de casados, do gênero feminino e também possuía 1o. e 2o. graus completos. Entre pacientes e cuidadores a quase totalidade foi capacitada para o cateterismo no Hospital onde o diagnóstico primário foi realizado. A prática do cateterismo foi descrita pela maioria como realizada 4x/dia e há cerca de cinco anos. Com relação ao instrumento proposto foi encontrada uma elevada correlação de todos os itens com o total da escala, Alpha de Cronbach 0,944. Os itens da escala foram mantidos num único fator. Os mesmos resultados foram repetidos nas sub-amostras pacientes e cuidadores. Os valores descritivos da amostra no que diz respeito à autoconfiança indicam que entre pacientes e cuidadores os maiores valores encontrados foram os relacionados a \"higienização das mãos\" e os menores os relacionados a \"escolher o que fazer quando sai sangue na urina\". Entre os pacientes foram também altos os índices de autoconfiança na higienização dos genitais / This study aimed to validate measuring instrument for the realization of intermittent urinary catheterization among patients and caregivers. Methodological study of construction and instrument validation do neat the Rehabilitation Center of a University Hospital with patients using intermittent urinary catheterization and their carers, after approval by the Ethics Committee of the Nursing College of Ribeirão Preto - Opinion 146/2012. Data were collected by interview, conducted during nursing consultations through the sample characterization tool and a Likert questionnaire of 16 items and five points per item, ranging from \"no confidence\" = 1; \"somewhat confident\" = 2; \"confident\" = 3; \"very confident\" = 4 to \"completely confident\" = 5. The questionnaire named Self-confidence scale for carrying out the Clean Intermittent Catheterization Urinary (EACUIL) was built based on the literature and validated in appearance and content in a previous study. The survey data were coded and double entered in the Excel spreadsheet application and after exported and analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) version 22.0.S.To determine the validity and reliability of the construct was used descriptive statistics, with measures of central tendency and dispersion (mean, mode, median, percentiles, variance, standard deviation), and the statistical inference (factor analysis and estimation of internal consistency). For the evaluation of the results, it was as summed the value of p <0.05 as statistically significant. The sample consisted of 241 subjects, including 122 (50.6%) patients and 119 caregivers (49.4%), most from the Regional Division of Ribeirão Preto (DRS XIII). Most patients were single, male, had between 51 and 60 years and the 1st and 2nd full degrees and among caregivers most were married, female and also had complete 1st and 2nd degrees. Between patients and caregivers almost all were trained for catheterization at the hospital where the primary diagnosis was made. The practice of catheterization was performed as described by Most 4x / day and about 5 years. Regarding the proposed instrument found a high correlation of all items with the total scale Cronbach\'s alpha 0.944. Scale items were kept in a single factor. The same results were repeated in patients and caregivers sub-samples. Descriptive sample values with regard to the confidence indicate that among patients and caregivers the highest values found were related to \"hand hygiene\" and smaller related to \"choose what to do when there is blood in the urine.\" Among the patients were also high the confidence indices in cleaning the genitals
133

Wirkung einer intermittierenden Parathormon-Therapie auf die Lendenwirbelsäule männlicher Ratten in Abhängigkeit vom Applikationsintervall / Effect of intermittent parathyroid hormone therapy on the lumbar spine of male rats depending on application interval

Sturm, Armin 29 January 2019 (has links)
No description available.
134

Intermittent demand forecasting with integer autoregressive moving average models

Mohammadipour, Maryam January 2009 (has links)
This PhD thesis focuses on using time series models for counts in modelling and forecasting a special type of count series called intermittent series. An intermittent series is a series of non-negative integer values with some zero values. Such series occur in many areas including inventory control of spare parts. Various methods have been developed for intermittent demand forecasting with Croston’s method being the most widely used. Some studies focus on finding a model underlying Croston’s method. With none of these studies being successful in demonstrating an underlying model for which Croston’s method is optimal, the focus should now shift towards stationary models for intermittent demand forecasting. This thesis explores the application of a class of models for count data called the Integer Autoregressive Moving Average (INARMA) models. INARMA models have had applications in different areas such as medical science and economics, but this is the first attempt to use such a model-based method to forecast intermittent demand. In this PhD research, we first fill some gaps in the INARMA literature by finding the unconditional variance and the autocorrelation function of the general INARMA(p,q) model. The conditional expected value of the aggregated process over lead time is also obtained to be used as a lead time forecast. The accuracy of h-step-ahead and lead time INARMA forecasts are then compared to those obtained by benchmark methods of Croston, Syntetos-Boylan Approximation (SBA) and Shale-Boylan-Johnston (SBJ). The results of the simulation suggest that in the presence of a high autocorrelation in data, INARMA yields much more accurate one-step ahead forecasts than benchmark methods. The degree of improvement increases for longer data histories. It has been shown that instead of identification of the autoregressive and moving average order of the INARMA model, the most general model among the possible models can be used for forecasting. This is especially useful for short history and high autocorrelation in data. The findings of the thesis have been tested on two real data sets: (i) Royal Air Force (RAF) demand history of 16,000 SKUs and (ii) 3,000 series of intermittent demand from the automotive industry. The results show that for sparse data with long history, there is a substantial improvement in using INARMA over the benchmarks in terms of Mean Square Error (MSE) and Mean Absolute Scaled Error (MASE) for the one-step ahead forecasts. However, for series with short history the improvement is narrower. The improvement is greater for h-step ahead forecasts. The results also confirm the superiority of INARMA over the benchmark methods for lead time forecasts.
135

Forecasting of intermittent demand

Syntetos, Argyrios January 2001 (has links)
This thesis explores forecasting for intermittent demand requirements. Intermittent demand occurs at random, with some time periods showing no demand. In addition, demand, when it occurs, may not be for a single unit or a constant size. Consequently, intermittent demand creates significant problems in the supply and manufacturing environment as far as forecasting and inventory control are concerned. A certain confusion is shared amongst academics and practitioners about how intermittent demand (or indeed any other demand pattern that cannot be reasonably represented by the normal distribution) is defined. As such, we first construct a framework that aims at facilitating the conceptual categorisation of what is termed, for the purposes of this research, “non-normal” demand patterns. Croston (1972) proposed a method according to which intermittent demand estimates can be built from constituent elements, namely the demand size and inter-demand interval. The method has been claimed to provide unbiased estimates and it is regarded as the “standard” approach to dealing with intermittence. In this thesis we show that Croston’s method is biased. The bias is quantified and two new estimation procedures are developed based on Croston’s concept of considering both demand sizes and inter-demand intervals. Consequently the issue of variability of the intermittent demand estimates is explored and finally Mean Square Error (MSE) expressions are derived for all the methods discussed in the thesis. The issue of categorisation of the demand patterns has not received sufficient academic attention thus far, even though, from the practitioner’s standpoint it is appealing to switch from one estimator to the other according to the characteristics of the demand series under concern. Algebraic comparisons of MSE expressions result in universally applicable (and theoretically coherent) categorisation rules, based on which, “non-normal” demand patterns can be defined and estimators be selected. All theoretical findings are checked via simulation on theoretically generated demand data. The data is generated upon the same assumptions considered in the theoretical part of the thesis. Finally, results are generated using a large sample of empirical data. Appropriate accuracy measures are selected to assess the forecasting accuracy performance of the estimation procedures discussed in the thesis. Moreover, it is recognised that improvements in forecasting accuracy are of little practical value unless they are translated to an increased customer service level and/or reduced inventory cost. In consequence, an inventory control system is specified and the inventory control performance of the estimators is also assessed on the real data. The system is of the periodic order-up-to-level nature. The empirical results confirm the practical validity and utility of all our theoretical claims and demonstrate the benefits gained when Croston’s method is replaced by an estimator developed during this research, the Approximation method.
136

Uticaj prekidnih režima na fenomene prenosa mase i toplote pri sušenju materijala sfernog oblika / Influence of intermittent drying on mass and heat transport phenomena during drying of spherical shaped material

Doder Đorđije 17 September 2019 (has links)
<p>Prikazana je procedura modelovanja prekidnog sušenja materijala sfernog oblika u tankom sloju, nakon čega je pokrenuta računarska simulacija procesa na osnovu predloženog modela. Zatim, odrađeno je eksperimantalno istraživanje, za šta su korišćeni svježe ubrani orasi u ljusci, bez komine. Nakon što je statistički potvrđena pouzdanost modela, on je iskorišćen kao baza formiranje modela za simulaciju sušenja u debelom sloju. Posle toga su urađeni eksperimenti i za druge materijale različitih osobina (krompir, bundeva i kestenje), da bi se izveli zaključci o mogućnosti energetske uštede u procesima konvektivnog sušenja u zavisnosti od fizičkih osobina materijala. Ovim istraživanjem pokazano je da su sa stanovišta uštede energije prekidni režimi konvektivnog sušenja preporučljiviji kod materijala koji imaju veću efektivnu difuzivnost.</p> / <p>This research shows the procedure of modeling the intermittent drying of sphereshaped<br />materials in a thin-layer, after which the computer simulation was done, based<br />on the proposed model. Тhe experimental investigation has been done, where the<br />fresh collected in-shell walnuts had served as the main drying material. As the model<br />reliability was experimentally confirmed, it was used as а basis for creating а model for<br />deep-bed drying simulation. Afterwards, the experimental investigation was done for<br />other materials as well (potato, pumpkin and chestnuts), in order to draw the<br />conclusions concerning the possibility of energy saving in convective drying processes,<br />as it depends on physical properties of a material. This research showed that, from the<br />perspective of energy saving, it is more advisable to use an intermittent regime if a<br />material has a higher effective diffusivity.</p>
137

Wavelet-Based Monitoring and Analysis of Cardiorespiratory Response to Hypoxia

Nazilli, Vuslat 21 July 2005 (has links)
Obstructive sleep apnea is a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by repetitive episodes of upper airway obstruction that occur during sleep, usually associated with a reduction in blood oxygen saturation. In US population, 9% of women, 24% of men, and 2% of children have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, suggesting that 18 million people may suffer from the consequences of nightly episodes of apnea. One of the most significant symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea is profound and repeated hypoxia. The analysis of the interaction between cardiovascular and respiratory signals has been a widely-explored area of research due to the significance of the results in describing a functional relationship between the underlying physiologic systems; however, statistical and analytical approaches to analyze the changes in these signals before and after hypoxia are still in their early stages of evolution. A major motivation for this research has been the lack of methodologies to detect mean and/or variance shifts and identify root sources of variation in time-frequency characteristics of multichannel data. The contributions of this thesis are twofold. First, multiscale energy distributions based on wavelet transformations of the analyzed physiological signs are analyzed. This is followed by the development of an online multichannel monitoring approach based on principal curves that detects changes in the wavelet coefficients extracted from the analyzed signals.
138

Efeitos de doze semanas de jejum intermitente em ratas Wistar recém-desmamadas. / Effects of twelve weeks of intermittent fasting on freshly weaned female Wistar rats.

Bonassa, Ana Cláudia Munhoz 12 November 2018 (has links)
A crescente incidência de disfunções metabólicas, como resistência à insulina e diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (T2DM), está correlacionada com a elevação da ocorrência de obesidade e sobrepeso. Em busca da melhora da saúde e de um corpo ideal segundo os padrões estéticos propagados atualmente, um número cada vez maior de indivíduos adere às dietas da moda que prometem rápida redução do peso corporal, ao invés de adotar uma alimentação balanceada e a prática regular de exercícios físicos. Uma dieta bastante divulgada e até recomendada por profissionais da saúde é o jejum intermitente (JI), que consiste em alternar períodos de jejum de até 24 horas com períodos de ingestão alimentar. Diversos estudos experimentais têm relatado alterações metabólicas em consequência do JI, como modificações da glicemia e da tolerância à glicose, porém, os resultados encontrados na literatura são conflitantes e, além disso, o impacto do jejum intermitente, em longo prazo, sobre as ilhotas pancreáticas ainda não foi devidamente elucidado. Desta forma, o presente estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar os impactos de doze semanas de JI em ratas Wistar. Para tal, ratas Wistar com 30 dias de idade foram distribuídas aleatoriamente em dois grupos: controle, com livre acesso à ração balanceada; e jejum intermitente, submetido a 24 horas de jejum intercalado com 24 horas de livre acesso à ração balanceada. Foi observado que os animais submetidos ao JI, apresentaram menor ganho de peso corporal, redução do comprimento da tíbia e da distância naso-anal, e alteração da composição corporal, incluindo diminuição da massa muscular e aumento do tecido adiposo. Em média, o consumo de ração do grupo JI foi menor, porém, no dia que era disponibilizado alimento, os animais apresentaram hiperfagia o que resultou em grande aumento das dimensões do estômago. O jejum intermitente reduziu os valores plasmáticos do colesterol total, triglicérides, LDL, HDL e glicemia, e aumentou a concentração basal da insulina plasmática, bem como a secreção da insulina após o estímulo com glicose. Foi observada redução significativa da massa de ilhotas pancreáticas e aumento da porcentagem de células dispersas de ilhotas em apoptose. Ainda nas células dispersas de ilhotas pancreáticas, houve aumento do conteúdo de espécies reativas de oxigênio mitocondrial e total, e do peróxido de hidrogênio (H2O2), além de aumento da expressão do sistema antioxidante. Assim, nossos dados sugerem que esse protocolo estudado de 24 horas de jejum intercalados com 24 horas de alimentação à vontade não seja saudável em longo prazo. Mais estudos em longo prazo são necessários para investigar qual seria o melhor protocolo de jejum intermitente de forma a reduzir os efeitos colaterais e melhorar a saúde, para então o JI ser considerado uma boa alternativa para perda e manutenção do peso. / The increasing incidence of metabolic dysfunctions, such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is correlated with increased occurrence of obesity and overweight. In pursuit of improved health and an ideal body according to today\'s aesthetic standards, an increasing number of individuals adhere to fad diets that promise a rapid reduction of body weight, instead of adopting a balanced diet and regular practice of physical exercises. A well-publicized diet and even recommended by health professionals is intermittent fasting (IF), which consists of alternating fasting periods of up to 24 hours with periods of food intake. Several experimental studies have reported metabolic changes as a consequence of IF, such as changes in glucose and glucose tolerance, but the results found in the literature are conflicting and, in addition, the impact of intermittent fasting in the long term on pancreatic islets has not yet been properly elucidated. Thus, the present study aimed to characterize the effects of twelve-week IF on Wistar rats. For this, 30-day-old Wistar rats were randomly assigned to two groups: control, with free access to balanced chow; and intermittent fasting, subjected to 24-hour fast intercalated with 24 hours of free access to the balanced chow. It was observed that the animals submitted to IF presented lower body weight gain, reduced tibia length and naso-anal distance, and altered body composition, including decreased muscle mass and increased adipose tissue. On average, the dietary intake of the IF group was lower, but on the day that food was available, the animals presented hyperphagia which resulted in a large increase in the stomach size. Intermittent fasting reduced plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL, and glycaemia, and increased basal plasmatic insulin level, as well as insulin secretion after stimulation with glucose. We observed significant reduction in pancreatic islet mass and increase in percentage of islet-dispersed cells in apoptosis. Still in islet-dispersed cells, there was an increase in mitochondrial and total reactive oxygen species content, and of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), in addition to an increase in expression of antioxidant system. Thus, our data suggest that this protocol of 24-hour fasting intercalated with 24-hour feed at will is not healthy in the long run. More long-term studies are needed to investigate the best intermittent fasting protocol in order to reduce side effects and improve health, so IF be considered a good alternative for weight loss and maintenance.
139

Epidemiological, clinical anf pathogenetic studies of acute intermittent porphyria

Bylesjö, Ingemar January 2008 (has links)
<p>Porphyrias are inherited metabolic disorders characterised by an impairment of heme biosynthesis. Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is the most common of the acute porphyrias in Sweden. Acute attacks of AIP are characterised by neuro-psychiatric symptoms, including epileptic seizures. Environmental and acquired factors are related to the induction of symptoms. Acute attacks of AIP are treated with high doses of glucose and/or hematin infusions.</p><p>The pathogenesis of the neuro-psychiatric symptoms is not known. Reversible white-matter lesions, probably due to vasospasm, have been seen on brain MRI. Similarities between multiple sclerosis (MS) and AIP have previously been described, but to our knowledge no study has investigated whether AIP-gene carriers have white-matter lesions seen on brain MRI or oligoclonal bands (OB) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).</p><p>The percentage of AIP-gene carriers who have experienced epileptic seizures has been calculated at 10-20%, but previous investigations are derived from highly selected clinic-based studies. Studies were therefore undertaken to investigate the prevalence of epileptic seizures, the relationship of seizures to AIP, the type of seizures and the relationship of seizures to other factors such as melatonin.</p><p>A case report described the disappearance of porphyric attacks after the onset of diabetes mellitus (DM). In our study, we investigated the rate of attacks after the onset of DM. For many years, clinical issues relating to AIP have not been a focal area. We therefore carried out a study to update our knowledge of the clinical course of AIP in order to improve prevention, control and treatment. In our studies of AIP-gene carriers and epileptic seizures, we found that epileptic seizures are less common than has previously been described (3.7%) and they are not very different from what is expected in the general population, but the prevalence of 5.1% of seizures with manifest AIP is higher than in the general population. The seizures may be generalised or partial and the seizure frequency was generally low. The AIP-gene carriers who had had epileptic seizures had a lower melatonin excretion level in their urine compared with gender- and aged-matched AIP-gene carriers’ relatives without epileptic seizures, which may indicate that melatonin plays a possible anti-convulsive role.</p><p>In our study of AIP and DM, no subject had an attack of AIP after the onset of DM. White-matter lesions on brain MRI were seen in 25% of the AIP-gene carriers examined outside attacks. One carrier had elevated protein levels in the CSF, but no carrier had cells or OB in the CSF.</p><p>In our population-based study, 356 DNA-confirmed AIP-gene carriers from northern Sweden participated. Manifest AIP (MAIP) was identified in 42%, 65% of whom were women. Eight mutations were found. Women were more severely stricken by AIP attacks in terms of number and duration, hospital admission and early onset. Men (30%) reported most attacks > 40 years of age. The most commonly reported symptoms during attacks were severe abdominal pain (86%), fatigue (42%), constipation (41%), vomiting (36%), muscle pain (30%), psychiatric symptoms (29%), pareses (20%) and sensory impairment (10%). Chronic AIP symptoms were reported by 18%. Precipitating factors were often reported: menstruation (31%), psychological strain (30%), certain drugs and fasting (20%), infection and alcohol (14%), physical strain (12%) and pregnancy (5%). Smoking was more frequent in MAIP and was associated with the number of AIP attacks. Some 30% of MAIP carriers used drugs that were not considered safe (in 1999), mainly diuretics, calcium antagonists and ACE inhibitors. Twenty per cent of MAIP carriers reported that they were receiving a disability pension due to AIP. Elevated levels of ASAT, bile acids, creatinine, creatinine clearance, U-ALA and U-PBG were often found in MAIP-gene carriers. Hypertension, renal impairment and pain in the legs were associated with MAIP. Hepatoma was strikingly over-represented.To summarise; epileptic seizures are less common than has previously been described, melatonin may have an anti-convulsive effect and DM may have a beneficial effect on MAIP-gene carriers. White-matter lesions are seen on brain MRI. The lesions are unspecific but may relate to the patients’ porphyria. AIP is not a harmless disease. A large percentage of the AIP-gene carriers had frequent attacks, severe symptoms, long-lasting fatigue and chronic AIP and women were more severely stricken. Effects on the kidneys, blood pressure and the liver, including HCC, were evident. Measures should be taken to improve the quality of life and prognosis for AIP-gene carriers.</p>
140

Robotic Searching for Stationary, Unknown and Transient Radio Sources

Kim, Chang Young 2012 May 1900 (has links)
Searching for objects in physical space is one of the most important tasks for humans. Mobile sensor networks can be great tools for the task. Transient targets refer to a class of objects which are not identifiable unless momentary sensing and signaling conditions are satisfied. The transient property is often introduced by target attributes, privacy concerns, environment constraints, and sensing limitations. Transient target localization problems are challenging because the transient property is often coupled with factors such as sensing range limits, various coverage functions, constrained mobility, signal correspondence, limited number of searchers, and a vast searching region. To tackle these challenge tasks, we gradually increase complexity of the transient target localization problem such as Single Robot Single Target (SRST), Multiple Robots Single Target (MRST), Single Robot Multiple Targets (SRMT) and Multiple Robots Multiple Targets (MRMT). We propose the expected searching time (EST) as a primary metric to assess the searching ability of a single robot and the spatiotemporal probability occupancy grid (SPOG) method that captures transient characteristics of multiple targets and tracks the spatiotemporal posterior probability distribution of the target transmissions. Besides, we introduce a team of multiple robots and develop a sensor fusion model using the signal strength ratio from the paired robots in centralized and decentralized manners. We have implemented and validated the algorithms under a hardware-driven simulation and physical experiments.

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