Relevant information at the right time can be critically important for clinicians when treating patients with cerebral palsy (CP). Gathering this information could be done through the usage of a clinical decision support system with a matching algorithm that finds relevant patients. The relevancy of this information for clinicians is determined by the relevancy of the matched patients. The aim of this thesis was therefore to investigate how an algorithm that matches similar patients with CP could be improved in terms of relevancy. The goal was also to explore the possibilities of domain knowledge and temporal aspects and how they could be combined and utilized in order to improve the matching algorithm. In this bachelor's thesis, we have conducted a literature study about the domain and a domain knowledge survey. The domain knowledge survey included gathering domain knowledge through contact with an expert in the area of CP. We also implemented an algorithm using intelligent similarity measurements based on validation from experts that could accurately match similar patients according to the domain knowledge gathered. The resulting algorithm is presented through a prototype of a CDSS, which allows clinicians to select and match patients through a GUI, and including features such as adjusting weight values for different attributes. The algorithm uses patient data retrieved from the CPUP database, which is specfic to patients with CP, to match with. From the CPUP database many temporal aspects could be concluded to be relevant for similarity assessment. Due to the limited scope of the thesis however, only the most important aspect was utilized. By treating this aspect as an attribute like the other domain knowledge based attributes, but with respect to other variables that affected it, a combination of temporal aspects and domain knowledge was done when identifying similar patients with CP. Using the prototype of the CDSS with the implemented algorithm could help clinicians make better informed decisions, and this leads to improved health care for children and patients with CP, which is why this thesis was important.

One of the major driving elements behind the explosive boom in wireless revolution is the advances in the field of modulation which plays a fundamental role in any communication system, and especially in cellular radio systems. Hence, the elaborate choice of an efficient modulation scheme is of paramount importance in the design and employment of any communications system. Work presented in this thesis is an investigation (study) of the feasibility of whether multilevel FSK modulation scheme would provide a viable alternative modem that can be employed in TDMA cordless communications systems. In the thesis the design and performance analysis of a non-coherent multi-level modem that offers a great deal of bandwidth efficiency and hardware simplicity is studied in detail. Simulation results demonstrate that 2RC pre-modulation filter pulse shaping with a modulation index of 0.3, and pre-detection filter normalized equivalent noise bandwidth of 1.5 are optimum system parameter values. Results reported in chapter 5 signify that an adjacent channel rejection factor of around 40 dB has been achieved at channel spacing of 1.5 times the symbol rate while the DECT system standards stipulated a much lower rejection limit criterion (25-30dB), implying that CP-QFSK modulation out-performs the conventional GMSK as it causes significantly less ACI, thus it is more spectrally efficient in a multi-channel system. However, measured system performance in terms of BER indicates that this system does not coexist well with other interferers as at delay spreads between 100ns to 200ns, which are commonly encountered in such indoor environment, a severe degradation in system performance apparently caused by multi-path fading has been noticed, and there exists a noise floor of about 40 dB, i.e. high irreducible error rate of less than 5.10-3. Implementing MRC diversity combiner and BCH codec has brought in a good gain.

Magíster en Ciencias, Mención Computación / Ingeniero Civil en Computación / La mayoría de los sistemas de recuperación de información multimedia utilizan algún esquema de indexamiento para acelerar las búsquedas por similitud en una colección de datos, evitando un análisis detallado de grandes porciones de la colección. Estos enfoques suelen utilizar la desigualdad triangular para descartar elementos. Esto requiere que la distancia de comparación satisfaga los postulados métricos. Sin embargo, estudios recientes muestran que para ciertas aplicaciones resulta apropiado el uso de distancias no métricas, que pueden entregar mejores juicios de la similitud de dos objetos. En esos casos, la falta de la desigualdad triangular hace imposible el uso de los enfoques tradicionales para el indexamiento. En esta tesis se estudian, implementan y prueban las principales técnicas del estado del arte para indexar espacios no métricos genéricos, en un ambiente que permite concluir acerca de varios aspectos y las ventajas de las diferentes estrategias probadas. Las técnicas consideradas fueron DynDex, LCE, QIC y TriGen, aunque la técnica QIC no es comparada con las demás pues falla en ser adecuadamente aplicable a los diferentes espacios en estudio. Se utilizan varios espacios no métricos con distintas características tanto en el índice de fallo de la desigualdad triangular, como en la capacidad de indexamiento. Adicionalmente, se propone e implementa CP-Index, una técnica de indexamiento aproximado original. Esta técnica hace uso de Clustering y de Pivotes para acelerar las búsquedas en espacios no métricos, sin comprometer significativamente la calidad de la respuesta. CP-Index se adapta dinámicamente a las condiciones del espacio no métrico, usando pivotes cuando la fracción de tríos que rompen la desigualdad triangular es pequeña, pero buscando secuencialmente los candidatos más prometedores cuando el uso de pivotes se vuelve inútil para descartar elementos. Una conclusión importante de esta investigación es que la mayoría de las técnicas que tratan de generar un resultado exacto durante las búsquedas por similitud resultan ser demasiado costosas para los conjuntos de datos utilizados. En su lugar, las técnicas aproximadas tienden a generar un mucho mejor trade-off de trabajo y calidad. Por ejemplo, LCE resulta ser una técnica excesivamente costosa tanto en tiempo de construcción como en tiempo de consulta pues modifica la distancia reduciendo mucho el poder de descarte de los índices tradicionales. Por otro lado, CP-Index obtiene resultados ligeramente superiores a los de DynDex y TriGen, pero con la ventaja de no necesitar exhaustivas pruebas y ajustes para adaptarse a las características del espacio. De este modo, en aquellos espacios en los que DynDex supera a TriGen, CP-Index se comporta igual o mejor que el primero, mientras que en los espacios en los que TriGen funciona mejor, CP-Index también obtiene resultados ligeramente superiores.

This thesis studies the rare decay η' → π+π-e+e- using Monte Carlo simulations and data from the BES-III detector in Beijing, China. The branching ratio of the reaction was measured at BES-III in 2013 using a data set of 225×106 J/Ψ events. This work lays the groundwork for an updated branching ratio measurement using the full data set of 1.3×109 J/Ψ and determines a potential CP-violating asymmetry in the angle between the decay planes of the π+π-- and e+e--pairs. A total of 2558 signal events are observed after cuts, and the asymmetry parameter is determined to be  Aφ = (1.96 ± 1.97stat.± 0.4syst. ) × 10-2. The result is consistent with zero within the uncertainty.

Le travail présenté dans cette thèse concerne l’étude des désintégrations en trois corps sans quark charmé des mésons beaux neutres, dont l’état final contient un K0S. Ce travail de recherche s’est réalisé dans le cadre de l’expérience LHCb au LHC, en analysant un échantillon d’événements de 3 fb−1 collecté dans le Run I du LHC. L’analyse d’amplitude de la désintégration B0→K0Sπ+π− représente la partie principale de ce travail de thèse. La mesure des amplitudes est effectuée au moyen d’une étude du plan de Dalitz de la désintégration intégrée dans le temps sans étiquetage de la saveur de la particule belle. Nous avons mesuré les rapports d’embranchements relatives des désintégrations quasi-deux-corps à partir de cette analyse de Dalitz. Egalement, nous avons mesuré l’asymétrie CP directe des désintégrations quasi-deux-corps B0→K*+(892)π−, B0→K0*+(1430)π−, B0→K2*+(1430)π− et B0→f0(980)K0S. Nous avons observé pour la première fois l’asymétrie CP directe dans la désintégration B0→K*+(892)π− avec une signifiance supérieure à cinq déviations standard. Cette mesure est en accord avec la moyenne mondiale, avec une précision améliorée. / Studies of charmless three-body decays of the neutral B mesons with a K0S in the final state are presented in this thesis. The analyses are performed with the full statistics recorded by the LHCb spectrometer during the Run I of the LHC. The amplitude analysis of the decay B0→K0Sπ+π− represents the main part of this thesis analysis. A time-integrated untagged Dalitz-Plot analysis of the decay is performed. The fit fractions of the quasi-two-body decays are obtained. Likewise, the direct CP asymmetries of the quasi-two-body decays B0→K*+(892)π−, B0→K0*+(1430)π−, B0→K2*+(1430)π− and B0→f0(980)K0S are obtained. The largest sensitivity is obtained for ACP (B0→K*+(892)π−). This measurement is the first observation of the CP asymmetry with a significance larger then five standard deviations. The measurement is in agreement with the world average, with an improved precision.

Cerebral Pares är en paraplybenämning på permanenta störningar i hjärnans neurologiska utveckling som inträffat under de tre första levnadsåren. Ungefär två av 1000 födda barn drabbas och det finns inget botemedel. Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att beskriva hur personer med Cerebral Pares upplever möten med andra människor. Tre självbiografiska verk med fyra olika inifrånperspektiv analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys med manifest ansats, vilket resulterade i fem kategorier; att bli sedd för den jag är bakom funktionsnedsättningen, att vilja vara som alla andra trots funktionsnedsättningen, att vara i beroendeställning, att bli dömd på förhand och att mötas av respektlöshet och illa behandling. Resultatet visade att personer som levde med CP kände samhörighet när andra människor såg förbi deras funktionsnedsättning. De upplevde också att det gick åt mycket kraft när de skulle försöka vara som alla andra. Personer som levde med CP kände sig ofta särbehandlade och möttes av fördomar och att andra människor inte såg dem som jämställda personer. De upplevelser som beskrivs i denna studie kan tillsammans med vidare forskning bidra till att sjuksköterskor och annan vårdpersonal förstår dessa personer bättre och kan utforma omvårdnaden på bästa sätt.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第23403号 / 理博第4738号 / 新制||理||1679(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院理学研究科物理学・宇宙物理学専攻 / (主査)教授 中家 剛, 准教授 田島 治, 准教授 成木 恵 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

In this project, an algorithm has been implemented in Python to estimate the parameters describing the production and decay of a spin 1/2 baryon - antibaryon pair. This decay can give clues about a fundamental asymmetry between matter and antimatter. A model-independent formalism developed by the Uppsala hadron physics group and previously implemented in C++, has been shown to be a promising tool in the search for physics beyond the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. The program developed in this work provides a more user-friendly alternative, and is intended to motivate further use of the formalism through a more maintainable, customizable and readable implementation. The hope is that this will expedite future research in the area of charge parity (CP)-violation and eventually lead to answers to questions such as why the universe consists of matter. A Monte-Carlo integrator is used for normalization and a Python library for function minimization. The program returns an estimation of the physics parameters including error estimation. Tests of statistical properties of the estimator, such as consistency and bias, have been performed. To speed up the implementation, the Just-In-Time compiler Numba has been employed which resulted in a speed increase of a factor 400 compared to plain Python code.

This research was conducted in order to enable primary producers to maximize the use of cheap roughage sources while still maintaining body weight during dry winter months when the crude protein (CP) content of roughage sources are at a minimum. The data obtained from this study will give an economic advantage when formulating supplements to be used during this time of the year. The aim of this study was to determine the optimum level of non-protein-nitrogen (NPN) and fermentable metabolizable energy (FME) to increase microbial protein synthesis, optimize rumen fermentation and increase digestibility of dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) in sheep fed on poor quality forages. A metabolic trial was conducted where intake of DM, organic matter (OM), NDF and CP was recorded; rumen volatile fatty acid (VFA) production was recorded as well as rumen pH over the different treatments. Microbial protein synthesis was determined by analysing purine derivatives in the urine. An in situ trial was also done to determine changes in ruminal digestibility of DM and NDF on different treatments. Five treatments were used. Treatment 1 consisted of NPN and FME balanced according to the NRC (2007) requirements for a 50kg whether, and served as a control. Treatment. Treatment 2 consisted 15% less NPN than control but the same amount of FME than control while treatment 3 consisted 15% more NPN than the control but the same amount of FME as the control treatment. Treatment 4 consisted of 15% less FME, but the same amount of NPN, than the control treatment, while treatment 5 consisted of 15% more FME, but the same amount of NPN than the control treatment. A 5 x 5 Latin square design was used in this study. Five Merino wethers were allowed to adapt to supplements which were infused directly into the rumen at 9:00 and 15:30 every day. After adaptation animals were placed in individual metabolic crates for three and given three day to adapt to crate environment. After the initial three days the sampling period commenced. Results obtained indicated that treatment had no effect on DM, OM, NDF and water intake but intake of CP was significantly increased for treatment 3 when compared to treatment 2. When intake of DM, OM, NDF and CP, related to metabolic bodyweight (W0.75) was calculated, treatment 5 resulted in lower intake of both water and NDF as compared to treatment 4. Differences between levels of FME and NPN in this study was insufficient to have an influence on DMD, OMD or NDFD however, CP degradability was increased for treatment 3 and treatment 5. Ruminal pH was unaffected by treatment. Increased levels of NH3-N for treatment 3 when compared to treatment 1 and 2, was observed. Both treatments 2 and 5 resulted significant decreases in rumen NH3-N. Treatments had no effect on the proportions of VFA produced or on the Acetate to Propionate produced ratio. Treatment 3 caused an improvement in CP an N balance when compared to treatment 1 and 2. Treatment 3, when compared to treatment 1 and 2, lead to an increase in N balance/kgW0.75. Treatment 5 caused a higher microbial protein synthesis in contrast to treatment 4. Results from the in situ trial showed a decreased a-value (solubility) for the NDF fraction of treatment 3 when compared to treatment 2. The rate of degradability (c) of both DM and NDF was increased for treatment 2 compared with treatment 3. The b, ED and PD values showed no response to treatment. / Dissertation (MSc Agric)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Animal and Wildlife Sciences / unrestricted

Activation of the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome complex causes the processing and release of mature IL-1β, with mitochondria playing key roles in its assembly. An orally active NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor would be a significant advance in therapy for IL-1β-driven diseases. To overcome both, the variability among primary immune cells and the limitations of genetic manipulation of differentiated human or murine macrophages, we developed a simplified, reliable and relevant cell-based model for studying the NLRP3 inflammasome using the undifferentiated human myelomonocytic cell line THP1. We established that undifferentiated THP1 cells are fully competent for activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and production of IL-1β, without differentiation into macrophages. CP-456,773 is a potent and selective inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome, and it is an analogue of glyburide, a sulfonylurea receptor (SUR) inhibitor. Despite the extensive experimental use of CP-456,773, its molecular target remains unknown. Here we tested the hypothesis that mitochondrial ABCb7 or ABCb10 could be the pharmacologic targets of CP-456,773. We optimized a viral shRNA transduction method for genetic manipulations in THP1 cells and generated ABCb7 and ABCb10 knockdown (KD) THP1 cells. We demonstrate that NLRP3 inflammasome activation and CP-456,773 pharmacology are not altered in ABCb7- or ABCb10-deficient THP1 cells. For ABCb10, we confirmed these results using CRISPR/CAS9-mediated ABCb10 knockout (KO) THP1 sub-lines. In studies of mitochondrial fitness, we found that a previously observed reduction in oxygen consumption rate (OCR) following nigericin treatment was completely blocked in NLRP3 KO cells. Our data demonstrating that CP-456,773 rescues the NLRP3-dependent nigericin-induced decline in OCR and protects undifferentiated THP1 cells from nigericin-induced pyroptosis are consistent with the possibility that the NLRP3 protein itself may be the molecular target of CP-456,773. Moreover, we showed that ABCb10 KO THP1 cells exhibit increased rates of basal ATP production and glycolysis, suggesting an important role for ABCb10 in mitochondrial metabolism. Finally, RNA-Seq analysis of ABCb7 and ABCb10 KD in undifferentiated THP1 cells indicate new functions for these proteins, including cell communication and migration, apoptosis and cell adhesion. Overall, our findings demonstrate that undifferentiated THP1 cells are an ideal system in which to study the NLRP3 inflammasome.