10 research outputs found
Papillary patterns of palms of the inhabitants of Palue Island (Indonesia): thenar and hypothenar
No full textIn supplement of the elaborations by Glinka [1971], and Glinka , Jasicki and Wiśniewska [1983] the
author presented a description of palm dermatoglyphics of 1777 inhabitants of Palue island (Lesser Sunda
islands). He found a comparatively low frequency of true patterns both on the Thenar and Hypothenar.
Differences in the occurrence of patterns on the right and left hands were weakly manifested, on the other hand
small differences between sexes have been found
Dermatoglifika dłoni mieszkańców wyspy Palue (Indonezja): Thenar i Hypothenar
No full textIn supplement of the elaborations by Glinka [1971], and Glinka , Jasicki and Wiśniewska [1983] the author presented a description of palm dermatoglyphics of 1777 inhabitants of Palue island (Lesser Sunda islands). He found a comparatively low frequency of true patterns both on the Thenar and Hypothenar. Differences in the occurrence of patterns on the right and left hands were weakly manifested, on the other hand small differences between sexes have been found
A continuous knapsack problem with separable convex utilities: Approximation algorithms and applications
No full textWe study a continuous knapsack problem with separable convex utilities. We show that the problem is NP-hard, and provide two simple algorithms that have worst-case performance guarantees. We consider as an application a novel subsidy allocation problem in the presence of market competition, subject to a budget constraint and upper bounds on the amount allocated to each firm, where the objective is to minimize the market price of a good.The research of the first author is partially supported by NSF grant CMMI-0846554 (CAREER Award) and by AFOSR award FA9550-11-1-0150. The research of the second author was partially supported by NSF grants CMMI-1162034, CMMI-0758061, CMMI-0824674 and the MITEI Energy Initiative Seed Fund
On the Effectiveness of Uniform Subsidies in Increasing Market Consumption
No full textWe study the problem faced by a central planner trying to increase the consumption of a good, such as new malaria drugs in Africa. The central planner allocates subsidies to its producers, subject to a budget constraint and endogenous market response. The policy most commonly implemented in practical applications of this problem is uniform, in the sense that it allocates the same per-unit subsidy to every firm, primarily because of its simplicity and perceived fairness. Surprisingly, we identify sufficient conditions of the firms’ marginal costs such that uniform subsidies are optimal, even if the firms’ efficiency levels are arbitrarily different. Moreover, this insight is usually preserved even if the central planner is uncertain about the specific market conditions. Further in many cases, uniform subsidies simultaneously attain the best social welfare solution. Additionally, simulation results in relevant settings where uniform subsidies are not optimal suggest that they induce a nearly optimal market consumption. On the other hand, if the firms face a fixed cost of entry to the market, then the performance of uniform subsidies can be significantly worse, suggesting the need for an alternative policy in this setup.The research of the first author is partially supported by NSF grant CMMI-0846554 (CAREER Award) and AFOSR award FA9550-11-1-0150. The research of the second author was partially supported by NSF grants CMMI-1162034, CMMI-0758061, CMMI-0824674, and the MITEI Energy Initiative Seed Fund
Mobility of the future : typologizing global cities for the simulation of future urban mobility patterns and energy scenarios
No full textThesis: M. Eng., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2017.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 67-69).The MITEI-sponsored Mobility of the Future project sets out to create a viable framework for analyses and predictions of urban transportation behavior in response to inevitable changes such as improved vehicle technologies, emergence of novel transit services, and policy changes motivated by population growth and emission control. In order to feasibly simulate these scenarios on a global scale, we need to first determine a few prototypical cities that best represent the entire world, each exhibiting qualities that encompass the group to which it belongs. Our methodology for accomplishing this is centered around machine learning. After collecting and pruning relevant, up-to-date data, we perform dimension reduction and clustering to ultimately generate appropriate prototype cities. These cities will be used as test beds for future mobility scenario exploration and analyses.by Sean Hua.M. Eng
Efficacy and safety of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine during 18 months after vaccination : a phase 3 randomized, controlled trial in children and young infants at 11 African sites
No full textA malaria vaccine could be an important addition to current control strategies. We report the safety and vaccine efficacy (VE) of the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine during 18 mo following vaccination at 11 African sites with varying malaria transmission.; 6,537 infants aged 6-12 wk and 8,923 children aged 5-17 mo were randomized to receive three doses of RTS,S/AS01 or comparator vaccine. VE against clinical malaria in children during the 18 mo after vaccine dose 3 (per protocol) was 46% (95% CI 42% to 50%) (range 40% to 77%; VE, p>0.01 across all sites). VE during the 20 mo after vaccine dose 1 (intention to treat [ITT]) was 45% (95% CI 41% to 49%). VE against severe malaria, malaria hospitalization, and all-cause hospitalization was 34% (95% CI 15% to 48%), 41% (95% CI 30% to 50%), and 19% (95% CI 11% to 27%), respectively (ITT). VE against clinical malaria in infants was 27% (95% CI 20% to 32%, per protocol; 27% [95% CI 21% to 33%], ITT), with no significant protection against severe malaria, malaria hospitalization, or all-cause hospitalization. Post-vaccination anti-circumsporozoite antibody geometric mean titer varied from 348 to 787 EU/ml across sites in children and from 117 to 335 EU/ml in infants (per protocol). VE waned over time in both age categories (Schoenfeld residuals p>0.001). The number of clinical and severe malaria cases averted per 1,000 children vaccinated ranged across sites from 37 to 2,365 and from -1 to 49, respectively; corresponding ranges among infants were -10 to 1,402 and -13 to 37, respectively (ITT). Meningitis was reported as a serious adverse event in 16/5,949 and 1/2,974 children and in 9/4,358 and 3/2,179 infants in the RTS,S/AS01 and control groups, respectively.; RTS,S/AS01 prevented many cases of clinical and severe malaria over the 18 mo after vaccine dose 3, with the highest impact in areas with the greatest malaria incidence. VE was higher in children than in infants, but even at modest levels of VE, the number of malaria cases averted was substantial. RTS,S/AS01 could be an important addition to current malaria control in Africa
Hoi hypaspistai ton hetairon : studies on Alexander’s elite infantry
No full textDiese Masterarbeit beschäftigt sich mit den sogenannten Hypaspisten, einer Eliteeinheit der Infanterie des makedonischen Heeres zur Zeit Philipps II. und Alexanders des Großen. Das Thema wurde gewählt, da bislang eine detaillierte Gesamtdarstellung zu den makedonischen Hypaspisten fehlt, mehrere Aspekte des Themas nicht ausreichend untersucht wurden und ei-nige teils stark voneinander abweichende Schlussfolgerungen innerhalb der Forschung mitei-nander konkurrieren.Ziel der Arbeit ist es, durch eine Neubetrachtung und Neuinterpretation der antiken Quellen zu den Hypaspisten eine Reihe neuer Erkenntnisse zu präsentieren sowie sich in den etablierten Streitfragen zu positionieren. Die große Zahl der von der bestehenden Forschung übersehenen Erwähnungen in den Quellen hat den Verfasser in seiner Meinung bestärkt, dass die Notwendigkeit besteht, die Forschung zum gewählten Thema wieder zu den antiken Quellen zurückzuführen. Die Untersuchung und Interpretation aller denkbarer Quellen, also archäologischer sowie historiographischer, soll, unter Einbeziehung der bestehenden Forschungs¬literatur, das Erreichung des Forschungsziels ermöglichen. Die ergiebigste Quelle zu den Hypaspisten ist das Alexándrou Anábasis betitelte Werk des römischen Geschichtsschreibers Flavius Arrianus von Nikomedia, welcher im zwei-ten nachchristlichen Jahrhundert tätig war, mit 65 direkten Nennungen. Eine besondere Her-ausforderung der Untersuchung besteht im erheblichen zeitlichen Abstand zwischen den histo-rischen Ereignissen und den überlieferten Schriftquellen, da keine zeitgenössischen Berichte erhalten geblieben sind. Eine weitere Problematik ergibt sich durch konkurrierende Begriff-lichkeiten bei den antiken Autoren, welche zum Teil auch dem eben erwähnten zeitlichen Ab-stand geschuldet sind. Dementsprechend verwenden viele antike Autoren den Originalbegriff hypaspistai nicht, nicht konsequent oder vermischen ihn mit Begriffen wie zum Beispiel so-matophylakes, welche aufgrund von sprachlicher Evolution eine synonyme Bedeutung erhiel-ten.Die Untersuchung hat ergeben, dass in Makedonien wohl schon zur Zeit der Herrschaft Phi-lipps II. unter Hypaspisten eine ganz spezielle Truppengattung von Eliteinfanteristen verstan-den wurde. Die detaillierte Analyse von Texten, vor allem von Arrian, hat gezeigt, dass die Definition von den ausschließlich leicht gerüsteten Hypaspisten zu verwerfen ist, weil dafür stimmige Beweise fehlen. Im Gegenteil: Es gibt zahlreiche Belege für eine schwere Rolle in-nerhalb der makedonischen Kriegsführung. Zur Kommandostruktur der Hypaspisten bleiben ein paar Fragezeichen, allerdings geht der Verfasser davon aus, dass diese auf andere Art orga-nisiert waren als die Formationen der Phalanx. Ziemlich sicher waren die Hypaspisten außer-dem in Verbänden von je 500 Mann organisiert. Der Verfasser unterstützt weiters die Ein-schätzung der Gesamtzahl der Hypaspisten von 3.000 Mann, wie sie in der Forschung ziem-lich einheitlich vorgenommen wird. Auch zu den Spezialaufgaben der Hypaspisten können einige Aussagen getroffen werden. Sehr gut belegen lässt sich die Rolle als Militärpolizei, der Einsatz im Wachdienst sowie bei Belagerungen und die Verwendung als Marineinfanteristen.Die makedonischen Hypaspisten waren nach abschließender Interpretation des Verfassers eine hervorragend ausgebildete und trainierte Eliteeinheit nach dem Vorbild der traditionellen grie-chischen Hopliten, die eine Vielfalt an Rollen von der klassischen Feldschlacht bis hin zu ver-schiedenen Spezialmissionen erfolgreich ausfüllen konnte, jedes Gefecht gewann und sich durch uneingeschränkte Loyalität gegenüber ihrem König auszeichnete.This Master's thesis deals with the so-called Hypaspists, an elite infantry unit of the Macedonian army during the time of Philip II and Alexander the Great. The topic was chosen because a comprehensive and detailed account of the Macedonian Hypaspists is still lacking; several aspects of the subject have not been sufficiently studied, and some widely divergent conclusions continue to compete within scholarly research.The aim of this thesis is to present a series of new findings through a re-examination and reinterpretation of the ancient sources on the Hypaspists, and to take a position on the established scholarly debates.The large number of references in the sources that have been overlooked by previous research has reinforced the author's conviction that there is a need to return the study of this topic to the ancient sources. The analysis and interpretation of all conceivable sources—both archaeological and historiographical—should, in conjunction with the existing body of research, make it possible to achieve the stated research objective. The richest source on the Hypaspists is the work titled Anabasis Alexandrou by the Roman historian Flavius Arrianus of Nicomedia, who was active in the second century AD and mentions them directly 65 times.A particular challenge of the study lies in the significant chronological distance between the historical events and the extant written sources, as no contemporary accounts have survived. An additional difficulty arises from the use of competing terminology by ancient authors, which can partly be attributed to the aforementioned chronological distance. Accordingly, many ancient writers either do not use the original term hypaspistai, use it inconsistently, or conflate it with terms such as somatophylakes, which over time acquired a synonymous meaning due to linguistic evolution—though this was not originally the case.The investigation has shown that in Macedonia, as early as the reign of Philip II, the term Hypaspists likely referred to a very specific type of elite infantry. Detailed analysis of the texts, especially those by Arrian, has demonstrated that the notion of Hypaspists being exclusively lightly armed must be rejected, as there is no consistent evidence to support this. On the contrary, there is substantial evidence indicating a heavy-armed role within Macedonian warfare.Some questions remain regarding the command structure of the Hypaspists; however, the author assumes that they were organized differently from the phalanx formations. It is also very likely that the Hypaspists were structured in units of 500 men each. Furthermore, the author supports the widely accepted estimate in current research that the total number of Hypaspists amounted to approximately 3,000 men. Several conclusions can also be drawn regarding the special roles of the Hypaspists. Their functions as military police, in guard duty, during sieges, and as marines are particularly well attested.According to the final interpretation of the author, the Macedonian Hypaspists were a highly trained and well-disciplined elite unit modeled after the traditional Greek hoplites. They were capable of successfully fulfilling a wide variety of roles, ranging from conventional battlefield engagements to various special missions, consistently won every battle, and distinguished themselves through unwavering loyalty to their king.vorgelegt von Alexander MostöglMasterarbeit Universität Graz 202
Goodbye Hartmann trial: a prospective, international, multicenter, observational study on the current use of a surgical procedure developed a century ago
No full textBackground: Literature suggests colonic resection and primary anastomosis (RPA) instead of Hartmann's procedure (HP) for the treatment of left-sided colonic emergencies. We aim to evaluate the surgical options globally used to treat patients with acute left-sided colonic emergencies and the factors that leading to the choice of treatment, comparing HP and RPA. Methods: This is a prospective, international, multicenter, observational study registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. A total 1215 patients with left-sided colonic emergencies who required surgery were included from 204 centers during the period of March 1, 2020, to May 31, 2020. with a 1-year follow-up. Results: 564 patients (43.1%) were females. The mean age was 65.9 +/- 15.6 years. HP was performed in 697 (57.3%) patients and RPA in 384 (31.6%) cases. Complicated acute diverticulitis was the most common cause of left-sided colonic emergencies (40.2%), followed by colorectal malignancy (36.6%). Severe complications (Clavien-Dindo >= 3b) were higher in the HP group (P < 0.001). 30-day mortality was higher in HP patients (13.7%), especially in case of bowel perforation and diffused peritonitis. 1-year follow-up showed no differences on ostomy reversal rate between HP and RPA. (P = 0.127). A backward likelihood logistic regression model showed that RPA was preferred in younger patients, having low ASA score (<= 3), in case of large bowel obstruction, absence of colonic ischemia, longer time from admission to surgery, operating early at the day working hours, by a surgeon who performed more than 50 colorectal resections. Conclusions: After 100 years since the first Hartmann's procedure, HP remains the most common treatment for left-sided colorectal emergencies. Treatment's choice depends on patient characteristics, the time of surgery and the experience of the surgeon. RPA should be considered as the gold standard for surgery, with HP being an exception
