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Basic Rules (basic + rule)
Selected AbstractsBasic Rules of Dosimetry in Endovascular BrachytherapyJOURNAL OF INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY, Issue 6 2000PHILIPPE A. COUCKE M.D. Endovascular brachytherapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), is becoming a standard approach for the treatment and prevention of restenosis. A variety of technical approaches are currently available to deliver ionizing irradiation to the vascular target. Basically two kinds of radioactive isotopes are available that emit gamma radiation (photons) or beta radiation (electrons). The pitfalls and solutions for the optimization of dosimetry are discussed. As might be expected, the inhomogeneous dose distribution across the target volume results in recurrence by underdosage or in complications because of overdosage. Moreover, uniformization of the target definition and reporting of the dose distribution in endovascular brachytherapy is a prerequisite for comparison between the results of the various clinical trials and is absolutely necessary to improve the therapeutic efficacy of this new approach in the prevention of restenosis after coronary angioplasty with or without stenting. [source] Pitfalls in fine needle aspiration cytology,CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 4 2003Svante R. OrellArticle first published online: 22 JUL 200 A review of pitfalls encountered in fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of all organs and tissues and based mainly on the author's 35-year experience of diagnostic FNAC in clinical practice is presented. Diagnostic difficulties are usually related to deviations from common cytological criteria that may occur in some lesions. Others are due to the effects of the sampling procedure or of the preparation of samples. A few basic rules are proposed, which may help to avoid some of the diagnostic pitfalls. [source] Coupling of Forming Process and Fatigue Design Computations: A Local ApproachADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 9 2009Matteo Luca Facchinetti The fatigue design of stamped parts is supposed to take into account for the forming process. In this paper, stamping of steel sheets is addressed by basic rules coming from elementary solid mechanics and plasticity. As an effective alternative to complex FE computations, such a pragmatic approach highlights how the forming process affects fatigue design and allows direct application in an industrial framework. [source] Some applications of fuzzy logic in rule,based expert systemsEXPERT SYSTEMS, Issue 4 2002Trung T. Pham Fuzzy logic has been used as a means of interpreting vague, incomplete and even contradictory information into a compromised rule base in artificial intelligence such as machine decision,making. Within this context, fuzzy logic can be applied in the field of expert systems to provide additional flexibilities in constructing a working rule base: different experts' opinions can be incorporated into the same rule base, and each opinion can be modeled in a rather vague notion of human language. As some illustrative application examples, this paper describes how fuzzy logic can be used in expert systems. More precisely, it demonstrates the following applications: (i) a healthcare diagnostic system, (ii) an autofocus camera lens system and (iii) a financial decision system. For each application, basic rules are described, the calculation method is outlined and numerical simulation is provided. These applications demonstrate the suitability and performance of fuzzy logic in expert systems. [source] Simple methods for convection in porous media: scale analysis and the intersection of asymptotesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 10 2003Adrian Bejan Abstract This article outlines the basic rules and promise of two of the simplest methods for solving problems of convection in porous media. First, scale analysis is the method that produces order-of-magnitude results and trends (scaling laws) for concrete and applicable results such as heat transfer rates, flow rates, and time intervals. Scale analysis also reveals the correct dimensionless form in which to present more exact results produced by more complicated methods. Second, the intersection of asymptotes method identifies the correct flow configuration (e.g. Bénard convection in a porous medium) by intersecting the two extremes in which the flow may exist: the many cells limit, and the few plumes limit. Every important feature of the flow and its transport characteristics is found at the intersection, i.e. at the point where the two extremes compete and find themselves in balance. The intersection is also the flow configuration that minimizes the global resistance to heat transfer through the system. This is an example of the constructal principle of deducing flow patterns by optimizing the flow geometry for minimal global resistance. The article stresses the importance of trying the simplest method first, and the researcher's freedom to choose the appropriate problem solving method. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes as tracers of change in diet breadth during Middle and Upper Palaeolithic in EuropeINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 3-4 2004D. Drucker Abstract Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in fossil bone collagen have been used as evidence for an increase of diet breadth between Middle Palaeolithic Neanderthals and Early Upper Palaeolithic anatomically modern humans. In this paper, we revisit the rules of palaeodietary reconstruction using collagen stable isotopes and reassess the possible isotopic signatures of potential protein resources available to prehistoric humans. It appears that the interpretation of the human's isotopic signature does not necessarily imply a significant proportion of aquatic-derived protein in the diet neither for Neandertal nor for first anatomically modern humans in Europe. Exploitation of aquatic ecosystems by humans needs to be supported by further zooarchaeological evidence. Nevertheless, isotopic biogeochemistry of fossil human collagen can be very useful in palaeodietary reconstructions provided that basic rules are followed while selecting samples of coeval fauna, in order to establish the end members of different food resources. Significant progress investigating the evolution of subsistence strategies in fossil hominids is expected from a combination of zooarchaeological and isotopic data. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] On Integrating Immigrants in GermanyPOPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, Issue 3 2006Article first published online: 8 SEP 200 Immigration to Germany in the decades following World War II made the Federal Republic the host of the largest number of immigrants in Europe. The size of the population with an immigration background is on the order of 15 million, nearly one-fifth of the total population. (Many of these are ethnic German returnees.) Although restrictive policies and a less dynamic economy in recent years slowed the annual number of immigrants and asylum seekers, the interrelated demographic influences of very low fertility, negative natural population increase, and population aging make continuing future immigration likely and, judged by influential domestic interests, desirable. Anxieties about inadequate integration of immigrants in German society are, however, apparently strongly felt by large segments of the native population. The "Grand Coalition" government that took office in November 2005 considers the formation of an effective policy of integration a high priority. On 14 July 2006 an "Integration Summit" was convened in the Chancellery with the active participation of representatives of immigrant groups. Chancellor Angela Merkel called the Summit "an almost historical event." Reproduced below in full is a non-official English translation of a government statement (entitled "Good coexistence,Clear rules") presented to the participants at the opening of the meeting. Intended as a "start of the development of a national integration plan," the statement highlights existing deficiencies of integration, especially problems with second- and third-generation immigrants: lack of mastery of the German language, weaknesses in education and training, high unemployment, lack of acceptance of the basic rules of coexistence, and violation of the law. The importance of these issues is underlined by a demographic fact noted in the statement: by 2010 it is expected that in Germany's large cities 50 percent of the population under age 40 will have an immigrant background. The statement recognizes the government's responsibility to help immigrants learn German and become better informed about the country's laws, culture, history, and political system. In turn, it demands reciprocal efforts from migrants living permanently and lawfully in Germany. The original German text of the statement is available at the Bundeskanzleramt home page: «http://www.bundesregierung.d» [source] Strong opinions are no substitute for balanced arguments: Comments on Cicchetti, Kaufman, and Sparrow's critical appraisal of PCB cohort studiesPSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS, Issue 6 2004Gerhard Winneke This paper comments on a critical review of cohort studies on PCB-related neurodevelopmental deficit in young children by D.V. Cicchetti, A.S. Kaufman, and S.S. Sparrow (CKS). Major points of criticism of CKS, namely alleged violation of statistical principles, presumed lack of clinical significance of findings, and alleged insufficient control of confounding are dealt with in appropriate detail. It is argued that much of this criticism is inappropriate and biased, and that, in particular, arguments dealing with basic rules of statistical inference rely too heavily on the narrow principles of Neyman-Pearson testing which are discussed controversially in modern epidemiology. Other critical arguments concerning the presumed lack of validity of assessment instruments, the apparent lack of reliability checks in some studies, and the presumed inappropriate treatment of longitudinal data are also discussed as being poorly founded. It is finally concluded that, although there are inconsistencies and weaknesses both within and between individual PCB-studies, the almost unconditional rejection of the full set of cohort studies by CKS is in no way supported by good reasoning. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 655,663, 2004. [source] Fetal Anatomy of the Human Carotid Sheath and Structures In and Around ItTHE ANATOMICAL RECORD : ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Naritomo Miyake Abstract The aim of this study was to find basic rules governing the morphological development of the typical neurovascular sheath. We carried out histological examination of 15 paraffin-embedded mid-term fetuses at 9,25 weeks of gestation (three fetuses each at 9, 12, 15, 20, and 25 weeks). As the result, the vagus nerve showed a high propensity to change its topographical relationship with the common carotid artery (CCA) during 9,20 weeks of gestation: that is, from a primitive ventral course to a final dorsal course. The adventitia of the great arteries, which was distinct from other fascial structures, became evident by 15 weeks. The carotid sheath appeared at and after 20 weeks: it was clearly separated from the prevertebral lamina of the deep cervical fasciae, but fused with the pretracheal lamina covering the strap muscles. Thus the carotid sheath, as well as the topographical relationships of structures within it, seems to become established much later than the prevertebral and pretracheal laminae of the deep cervical fasciae. However, the adventitia of the cervical great arteries consistently becomes evident much earlier than the sheath, and it seems to be regarded as one of the basic components of the fetal deep cervical fasciae. Anat Rec, 293:438,445, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] LOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AND GETTIER CASESTHE PHILOSOPHICAL QUARTERLY, Issue 234 2009Corine Besson Knowledge of the basic rules of logic is often thought to be distinctive, for it seems to be a case of non-inferential a priori knowledge. Many philosophers take its source to be different from those of other types of knowledge, such as knowledge of empirical facts. The most prominent account of knowledge of the basic rules of logic takes this source to be the understanding of logical expressions or concepts. On this account, what explains why such knowledge is distinctive is that it is grounded in semantic or conceptual understanding. However, I show that this cannot be the correct account of knowledge of the basic rules of logic, because it is open to Gettier-style counter-examples. [source] Dispersion and Accuracy of Simulated Phosphene Positioning Using Tactile BoardARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 12 2009Leilei Zhang Abstract The evaluation of phosphene is one of the most important things after the electrode array's implantation. Some experiments have been used to study the basic rules on people using their tactile perception in describing the characteristics of simulated phosphenes, such as the dispersion, accuracy, and response time. In order to describe the simulated phosphenes more systematically and scientifically, an improved phosphene-positioning method using tactile board was designed in this study. Using tactile board to guide the tactile perception, the dispersion was limited to less than 6 mm, while the largest mean error was 8.1 mm, which was nearly equal to the minimal resolution of tactile board (8 mm). The response time greatly increased because of the standard processes in using tactile board. Moreover, the long-term experiment to repeat the procedure could improve and sustain the subjects' performance in good results. [source] Fugenausbildung und -abdichtung bei wasserundurchlässigen Bauwerken aus Beton: Neue Regelwerke setzen MaßstäbeBETON- UND STAHLBETONBAU, Issue 12 2004Rainer Hohmann Prof. Dr.-Ing. Fugen stellen bei wasserundurchlässigen Bauwerken aus Beton häufig eine Schwachstelle dar. Sie erfordern die besondere Beachtung des Planers und der Ausführenden. Eine fachgerechte Handhabung sowohl durch den Planer als auch durch den Ausführenden ist eine entscheidende Voraussetzung für eine funktionierende Abdichtung. Neue Regelwerke, wie die DAfStb-Richtlinie "Wasserundurchlässige Bauwerke aus Beton" und die DIN V 18197 "Abdichten von Fugen in Beton mit Fugenbändern" geben Hinweise, wie Abdichtungssysteme richtig einzusetzen und zu dimensionieren sind. In dem Beitrag wird auf die neuen Regelwerke und die wesentlichen Regelungen für die Abdichtung eingegangen. Joint Design and Joint Sealing in Waterproof Concrete Structures , New Regulations are setting New Sealing Standards In many cases joints in structures of waterproof concrete turn out to be a weak point. For this reason they demand the care and attention of the designer and the contractor. A professional application as well by the planner as by the contractor is a decisive precondition for an effective operation of the joint sealing. New regulations like DAfStb-code: "Waterproof concrete structures" and the German standard DIN V 18197: "Sealing of joints in concrete with waterstops" give details how the sealing systems should be used and dimensioned correctly. This article goes into the details of the new regulations and the basic rules for sealing. [source] 1341: English scientific writing made easyACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2010BE DAMATO Purpose The publication of scientific results may be delayed or abandoned because the authors are unable to write English adequately. The aims of this presentation are to highlight some of the most common grammatical errors and how these might be avoided. Methods Scientific writing is widely regarded as an art, but can equally be considered as a skill, which can be gained by following some simple rules. Results By following simple protocols, it should be possible to write a scientific article in English more easily. Conclusion The aspiring scientific author should invest time learning basic rules so as to publish research results more efficiently. [source] 1342: Communicating numerical results correctlyACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2010T KIVELÄ Purpose To highlight some pearls and pitfalls in reporting numerical data related to the eye with special reference to the instructions of the EVER Journal, Acta Ophthalmologica. Methods Personal experience of the author as a writer, reviewer and editorial board member is used to highlight common issues specific for reporting statistics. The rules and the reasoning behind them are explained using abundant real life examples. Results Statistics and mathematical analyses applied should be described in the methods section, but the software used need not be referenced unless it is specific for the test used. The following rules regarding reporting are highly recommended: 1. Report proportions if the number of subjects is smaller than 10; percentages in integers if the number of subjects is less than 100; if the number of subjects is larger, one decimal place can be given but is seldom necessary. 2. Report summary statistics of normally distributed variables as mean with standard deviation; other variables as medium with range. 3. Use parametric and nonparametric statistical tests accordingly. 4. Give exact p-values (e.g. p=0.034); if p-value is less than 0.001, report p<0.001. 5. Give 95% confidence intervals for main findings. 6. Mention the statistical test used with the p-value (e.g. p=0.015, paired t-test) if multiple methods are used. Conclusion Efficient reporting and analysis of data related to the eye is not difficult as long as one is aware of the basic rules. Putting them into action helps to ensure that the conclusions the readers draw from your study are proper. [source] | ||||||||||||||||