bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Taxonomy for classifying engineering decision problems and support systems
Authors: Ullman David G. , D'Ambrosio Bruce 
Published: March 2010

AbstractThe design of even the simplest product requires thousands of decisions. Yet few of these decisions are supported with methods on paper or on computers. Is this because engineering design decisions do not need support or is it because techniques have yet to be developed that are usable on a wide basis? In considering this question a wide range of decision problem characteristics need to be addressed. In engineering design some decisions are made by individuals, others by teams – some are about the product and others about the processes that support the product – some are based on complete, consistent, quantitative data and others on sparse, conflicting, qualitative discussions. To address the reasons why so little support is used and the characteristics of potentially useful decision support tools, a taxonomy of decision characteristics is proposed. This taxonomy is used to classify current techniques and to define the requirements for an ideal engineering design decision support system.
Management of conflict for preliminary engineering design tasks
Authors: Haroud Djamila , Boulanger Sylvie , Gelle Esther , Smith Ian 
Published: March 2010

AbstractMuch of preliminary engineering design is a constraint-driven non-monotonic exploration process. Initial decisions are made when information is incomplete and many goals are contradictory. Such conditions are present regardless of whether one or several designers contribute to designs. This paper presents an approach for supporting decisions in situations of incomplete and conflicting knowledge. In particular, we use assumptions and conflict management to achieve efficient search in contexts where little reliable information exists. A knowledge representation, containing a semantic differentiation between two types of assumptions, is used within a computational model based on the dynamic constraint satisfaction paradigm. Conflict management strategies consist of three generic mechanisms adapted to the type of constraints involved. These strategies may be refined through consideration of variable importance, context, and design inertia.
Deployment of robotic agents in uncertain environments: game theoretic rules and simulation studies
Authors: Egilmez Kaan , Kim Steven H. 
Published: March 2010

The coordination of intelligent, interacting, agents is rapidly gaining importance as such systems are deployed under diverse conditions. When robots are used in teams rather than as individuals, their coordination can become more critical for system performance than their individual capabilities. The deployment strategies and communication modes play an important role in the coordination of these teams.This paper examines a Game Theoretic deployment approach to robotic teams in an unstructured environment. A simulation model is developed and used to compare the performance of gaming rules with a non-anticipatory deterministic deployment rule. The initial Game Theoretic rule can be enhanced to exhibit both locally and globally adaptive characteristics. The new rule outperforms both the deterministic algorithm and the straightforward game-theoretic rule. This is achieved by adapting to trends in local regions in the environment as well as anticipating global eventualities.
Intelligent gradient-based search of incompletely defined design spaces
Authors: Schwabacher Mark , Gelsey Andrew 
Published: March 2010

AbstractGradient-based numerical optimization of complex engineering designs offers the promise of rapidly producing better designs. However, such methods generally assume that the objective function and constraint functions are continuous, smooth, and defined everywhere. Unfortunately, realistic simulators tend to violate these assumptions. We present a rule-based technique for intelligently computing gradients in the presence of such pathologies in the simulators, and show how this gradient computation method can be used as part of a gradient-based numerical optimization system. We tested the resulting system in the domain of conceptual design of supersonic transport aircraft, and found that using rule-based gradients can decrease the cost of design space search by one or more orders of magnitude.
Modelling concept design evaluation
Authors: Green Graham 
Published: March 2010

AbstractThis paper describes the development of models to simulate the process of Concept Design Evaluation. The models are an amalgam of a number of statistically based methods and approaches taken from the probability, reliability, and quality domains. They assume that designers use decomposition of design to undertake evaluation at design characteristic level with the total design evaluation being achieved, in some way, via recomposition. The models described in this paper attempt to describe how designers may perform recomposition and hence total design evaluation. It is argued that the ability to model this human activity is important for the future development of knowledge-based design tools.
Spatial synthesis by disjunctive constraint satisfaction
Authors: Baykan Can A. , Fox Mark S. 
Published: March 2010

AbstractThe spatial synthesis problem addressed in this paper is the configuration of rectangles in 2D space, where the sides of the rectangles are parallel to an orthogonal coordinate system. Variables are the locations of the edges of the rectangles and their orientations. Algebraic constraints on these variables define a layout and constitute a constraint satisfaction problem. We give a new O(n2) algorithm for incremental path-consistency, which is applied after adding each algebraic constraint. Problem requirements are formulated as spatial relations between the rectangles, for example, adjacency, minimum distance, and nonoverlap. Spatial relations are expressed by Boolean combinations of the algebraic constraints; called disjunctive constraints. Solutions are generated by backtracking search, which selects a disjunctive constraint and instantiates its disjuncts. The selected disjuncts describe an equivalence class of configurations that is a significantly different solution. This method generates the set of significantly different solutions that satisfy all the requirements. The order of instantiating disjunctive constraints is critical for search efficiency. It is determined dynamically at each search state, using functions of heuristic measures called textures. Textures implement fail-first and prune-early strategies. Extensions to the model, that is, 3D configurations, configurations of nonrectangular shapes, constraint relaxation, optimization, and adding new rectangles during search are discussed.
Modelling spatial reasoning systems with shape algebras and formal logic
Authors: Chase Scott C. 
Published: March 2010

AbstractThe combination of the paradigms of shape algebras and predicate logic representations, used in a new method for describing designs, is presented. First-order predicate logic provides a natural, intuitive way of representing shapes and spatial relations in the development of complete computer systems for reasoning about designs. Shape algebraic formalisms have advantages over more traditional representations of geometric objects. Here we illustrate the definition of a large set of high-level design relations from a small set of simple structures and spatial relations, with examples from the domains of geographic information systems and architecture.
Qualitative sketch optimization
Authors: Mukerjee Amitabha , Agrawal Ram Bhushan , Tiwari Nivedan , Hasan Nusrat 
Published: March 2010

AbstractThe “sketch” drawn by a human designer represents a shape class of wider variability than can be captured by traditional CAD models; these typically work with parametrizations based on a nearly finished shape. Traditional Qualitative Reasoning is also unable to model this degree of ambiguity in shape. Cognitively, shapes are often represented in terms of an axial model. In defining 2D contours, such an axial representation is called the Medial Axis Transform or MAT. By perturbing the parameters of the MAT—length, link angle, and the node radius—one can define a shape class. Unlike the contour-to-MAT transform, which is well-known to be unstable, the MAT-to-contour process is an integrative process and is very stable. The variation in these parameters can be controlled by defining a suitable discretization over the parameter space. This leads to a broad class of similar shapes from which an optimized shape can be obtained for a given set of criteria. The optimizing criteria may involve the boundary description for each shape; the axial model is only used for generating the shape class. This Qualitative MAT model has been tested in several design optimization contexts, using Genetic Algorithms, and we show results for Automobile contours, IC engine parts, building profiles, etc.
Causality in constraint propagation
Authors: Habib Walid E. , Ward Allen C. 
Published: March 2010

AbstractThis paper defines, for use in design, rules for propagating “distribution constraints” through relationships such as algebraic or vector equations. Distribution constraints are predicate logic statements about the values that physical system parameters may assume. The propagation rules take into account “variation source causality”: information about when and how the values are assigned during the design, manufacturing, and operation of the system.
Dietary diversity score is related to obesity and abdominal adiposity among Iranian female youth
Authors: Azadbakht Leila , Esmaillzadeh Ahmad 
Published: March 2010

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the relationship between diet and disease, consideration of whole-diet indices may be more informative than single-nutrient intake. The present study was conducted to report the relationship among dietary diversity score (DDS), obesity and abdominal adiposity among female university students.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingIsfahan, Iran.SubjectsA representative sample of 289 healthy female students aged 18–28 years was selected randomly from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Usual dietary intake was assessed using a validated semi-quantitative FFQ. DDS was calculated according to the scoring of the five food groups based on the US Department of Agriculture Food Guide Pyramid. This is a score of diet variety, and shows the diversity of the consumed diet. Participants were categorised on the basis of quartile cut-off points of DDS. Potential confounders such as age, total energy intake and physical activity were considered in all the analyses.ResultsThe means (sd) of BMI and waist circumference were 25·9 (sd5·1) kg/m2and 85·5 (sd14) cm, respectively. The probability of obesity decreased with quartiles of DDS (OR among quartiles: 1·00, 0·41, 0·31 and 0·21,P= 0·03; this was the same for abdominal adiposity: 1·00, 0·55, 0·36 and 0·21,P= 0·02). Those in the lowest quartile of the DDS had the highest risk for being overweight.ConclusionsThere were inverse associations among DDS, obesity and abdominal adiposity among the female students of Isfahan University. Further prospective investigations are needed to confirm this finding.
Food shopping transition: socio-economic characteristics and motivations associated with use of supermarkets in a North African urban environment
Authors: Tessier Sophie , Traissac Pierre , Bricas Nicolas , Maire Bernard , Eymard-Duvernay Sabrina , El Ati Jalila , Delpeuch Francis 
Published: March 2010

AbstractObjectiveIn the context of the nutrition transition and associated changes in the food retail sector, to examine the socio-economic characteristics and motivations of shoppers using different retail formats (large supermarkets (LSM), medium-sized supermarkets (MSM) or traditional outlets) in Tunisia.DesignCross-sectional survey (2006). Socio-economic status, type of food retailer and motivations data were collected during house visits. Associations between socio-economic factors and type of retailer were assessed by multinomial regression; correspondence analysis was used to analyse declared motivations.SettingPeri-urban area around Tunis, Tunisia, North Africa.SubjectsClustered random sample of 724 households.ResultsOne-third of the households used LSM, two-thirds used either type of supermarket, but less than 5 % used supermarkets only. Those who shopped for food at supermarkets were of higher socio-economic status; those who used LSM were much wealthier, more often had a steady income or owned a credit card, while MSM users were more urban and had a higher level of education. Most households still frequently used traditional outlets, mostly their neighbourhood grocer. Reasons given for shopping at the different retailers were most markedly leisure for LSM, while for the neighbourhood grocer the reasons were fidelity, proximity and availability of credit (the latter even more for lower-income customers).ConclusionsThe results pertain to the transition in food shopping practices in a south Mediterranean country; they should be considered in the context of growing inequalities in health linked to the nutritional transition, as they differentiate use and motivations for the choice of supermarkets v. traditional food retailers according to socio-economic status.
Study on the opinion of university students about the themes of the origin of Universe and evolution of life
Authors: de Souza Rogério F. , de Carvalho Marcelo , Matsuo Tiemi , Zaia Dimas A.M. 
Published: March 2010

AbstractThis paper reports the results of a questionnaire administered to university students, about several questions involving the origin of the Universe and life and biological evolution, as well as questions related to more common scientific themes. As few as between 2.4% (philosophy students) and 14% (geography students) did not accept the theory of evolution, because they believed in creation as described in the Bible. However, between 41.5% (philosophy students) and 71.3% (biology students) did not see any conflict between religion and evolution. About 80% of the students believed that the relationship between lung cancer and smoking is well established by science, but this number falls to 65% for biological evolution and 28.9% for the big bang theory. It should be pointed out that for 24.5% and 7.4% of the students the big bang theory and biological evolution, respectively, are poorly established by science. The students who self-reported being Christian but not Roman Catholic are more conservative in the acceptance of biological evolution and the old age of Earth and the Universe than are other groups of students. Other factors, such as family income and the level of education of parents, appear to influence the students' acceptance of themes related to the origin of the Universe and biological evolution.
Observing and Understanding Tropospheric Ozone Changes: Tropospheric Ozone Changes Workshop; Boulder, Colorado, 14–16 October 2009
Authors: Logan Jennifer , Schultz Martin , Oltmanz Samuel 
Published: March 2010

Prompted by the lack of consensus on, and the need to assess current understanding of, long‐term changes in tropospheric ozone, a workshop was held in Colorado to (1) evaluate the consistency of data records; (2) assess robust long‐term changes; (3) determine how to combine observations and model studies; and (4) define research and observation needs for the future.At the workshop, long‐term ozone records from regionally representative surface and mountain sites, ozonesondes, and aircraft were reviewed by region. In western Europe there are several time series of ∼15–40 years from all platforms. Overall, they show a rise in ozone into the middle to late 1990s and a leveling off, or in some cases declines, in the 2000s, in general agreement with precursor emission changes. However, significant differences in detail in the time series from nearby locations provide less confidence in changes before the late 1990s.
Exploration radiologique du nez, des fosses nasales et des sinus
Authors: Pasquet G. , Cavezian R. 
Published: March 2010

Hormis l'appendice nasal, dont l'exploration radiologique isolée est fréquente dans les traumatismes, toutes les autres structures anatomiques de cette région faciale moyenne nécessitent une exploration radiologique globale.
Les méthodes radiologiques standard et tomographiques sont dans la grande majorité des cas suffisantes. Encore faut-il que l'exploration soit complète, nécessitant la multiplication raisonnée des incidences...
Parfois, l'examen tomodensitométrique facilite le diagnostic, permettant en particulier le bilan d'extension des tumeurs de cette région.
De grands espoirs radio-anatomiques semblent pouvoir être fondés sur l'apport des méthodes de reconstruction tridimensionnelle de surface, réalisée grâce aux nouveaux scanographes.
Enfin, la technique d'imagerie par résonance magnétique constitue le dernier élément de l'arsenal d'imagerie moderne.
Les transpositions de canines : traitements interceptifs
Authors: Attia Yves , Favot Pierre 
Published: March 2010

La transposition des canines est une anomalie particulière. Ses principales caractéristiques cliniques sont tout d'abord rappelées, ainsi que les éléments de son diagnostic.
Les différentes possibilités thérapeutiques interceptives qui s'offrent au praticien sont ensuite envisagées.
Une classification originale des transpositions en quatre groupes permettra d'en faciliter le pronostic et le choix thérapeutique.
Examen critique de la technique de l'arc plan
Authors: Philippe Julien 
Published: March 2010

Parce qu'elle repose sur l'utilisation d'un arc continu, la technique de l'arc droit semble critiquable, du point de vue de l'analyse mécanique, lors de la phase initiale des traitements (celle des grands déplacements).
Par contre, lorsqu'il s'agit de donner aux dents l'orientation et la position voulue, les attaches propres à la technique ne présentent que des avantages. Il en est de même pour la phase de finition, encore qu'une finition parfaite ne puisse être obtenue sans recours aux pinces, ou à des appareils amovibles ("tooth positioner").
SICAGO: Semi-supervised cluster analysis using semantic distance between gene pairs in Gene Ontology
Authors: Kang Bo-Yeong , Ko Song , Kim Dae-Won 
Published: March 2010

Abstract
Summary: Despite the importance of using the semantic distance to improve the performance of conventional expression-based clustering, there are few freely available software that provides a clustering algorithm using the ontology-based semantic distances as prior knowledge. Here, we present the SICAGO (SemI-supervised Cluster Analysis using semantic distance between gene pairs in Gene Ontology) system that helps to discover the groups of genes more effectively using prior knowledge extracted from Gene Ontology.
Availability: http://ai.cau.ac.kr/sicago.html
Contact: dwkim@cau.ac.kr
Myostatin activation in patients with advanced heart failure and after mechanical unloading
Authors: George Isaac , Bish Lawrence T. , Kamalakkannan Gayathri , Petrilli Christopher M. , Oz Mehmet C. , Naka Yoshifumi , Lee Sweeney H. , Maybaum Simon 
Published: March 2010

AimsMyostatin inhibits myoblast differentiation/proliferation and may play a role in heart failure (HF) and reverse remodelling after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support. This study sought to characterize myostatin expression and activation in advanced HF before and after LVAD support.Methods and resultsLeft ventricular tissue pairs were collected at LVAD implantation (core) and at cardiac transplantation/LVAD explantation in patients with advanced ischaemic (ICM—ischaemic cardiomyopathy) and non‐ischaemic (DCM—dilated cardiomyopathy) HF. Normal cardiac tissue (control) was obtained from hearts not placed for transplantation. Serum was collected independently from patients with stable DCM HF and from healthy controls. Full‐length and cleaved propeptide myostatin levels were quantified by western blot analysis. Dilated cardiomyopathy propeptide levels at core were significantly higher than control and significantly increased after LVAD support. Ischaemic cardiomyopathy propeptide levels were higher than control, but did not change after LVAD support. No changes in full‐length levels were seen. Serum myostatin levels were significantly higher in DCM HF patients than in healthy controls.ConclusionThis is the first clinical evidence that myostatin activation is increased in HF. Myostatin may affect cardiac hypertrophy and may mediate regression of cellular hypertrophy after mechanical unloading.
Does cognitive impairment predict poor self‐care in patients with heart failure?
Authors: Cameron Jan , Worrall‐Carter Linda , Page Karen , Riegel Barbara , Lo Sing Kai , Stewart Simon 
Published: March 2010

AimsCognitive impairment occurs often in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and may contribute to sub‐optimal self‐care. This study aimed to test the impact of cognitive impairment on self‐care.Methods and resultsIn 93 consecutive patients hospitalized with CHF, self‐care (Self‐Care of Heart Failure Index) was assessed. Multiple regression analysis was used to test a model of variables hypothesized to predict self‐care maintenance, management, and confidence. Variables in the model were mild cognitive impairment (MCI; Mini‐Mental State Exam and Montreal Cognitive Assessment), depressive symptoms (Cardiac Depression Scale), age, gender, social isolation, education level, new diagnosis, and co‐morbid illnesses. Sixty‐eight patients (75%) were coded as having MCI and had significantly lower self‐care management (η2= 0.07, P < 0.01) and self‐confidence scores (η2= 0.05, P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, MCI, co‐morbidity index, and NYHA class III or IV explained 20% of the variance in self‐care management (P < 0.01); MCI made the largest contribution explaining 9% of the variance. Increasing age and symptoms of depression explained 13% of the variance in self‐care confidence scores (P < 0.01).ConclusionCognitive impairment, a hidden co‐morbidity, may impede patients' ability to make appropriate self‐care decisions. Screening for MCI may alert health professionals to those at greater risk of failed self‐care.
F-Box Proteins FKF1 and LKP2 Act in Concert with ZEITLUPE to Control Arabidopsis Clock Progression
Authors: Baudry Antoine , Ito Shogo , Song Young Hun , Strait Alexander A. , Kiba Takatoshi , Lu Sheen , Henriques Rossana , Pruneda-Paz José L. , Chua Nam-Hai , Tobin Elaine M. , Kay Steve A. , Imaizumi Takato 
Published: March 2010

Abstract
Regulation of protein turnover mediated by ZEITLUPE (ZTL) constitutes an important mechanism of the circadian clock in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we report that FLAVIN BINDING, KELCH REPEAT, F-BOX1 (FKF1) and LOV KELCH PROTEIN2 (LKP2) play similar roles to ZTL in the circadian clock when ZTL is absent. In contrast with subtle circadian clock defects in fkf1, the clock in ztl fkf1 has a considerably longer period than in ztl. In ztl fkf1 lkp2, several clock parameters were even more severely affected than in ztl fkf1. Although LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (LHY) and CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 (CCA1) expression levels are lower in ztl than in the wild type, introducing both fkf1 and lkp2 mutations into the ztl mutant dramatically diminished LHY expression without further affecting CCA1 expression. This demonstrates different contributions of ZTL, FKF1, and LKP2 in the regulation of LHY and CCA1 expression. In addition, FKF1 and LKP2 also interacted with TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION1 (TOC1) and PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATOR5 (PRR5), and both proteins were further stabilized in ztl fkf1 and ztl fkf1 lkp2 compared with in ztl. Our results indicate that ZTL, FKF1, and LKP2 together regulate TOC1 and PRR5 degradation and are major contributors to determining the period of circadian oscillation and enhancing robustness.