202 research outputs found
Regular formoterol plus inhaled corticosteroid vs. salmeterol plus inhaled corticosteroid for asthma
No full textPublished version, accepted version (12 months embrago)RD&E staff can access the full-text of this article by clicking on the 'Additional Link' above and logging in with NHS OpenAthens if prompted
Schema Correspondences between Objects
No full textIn a multi-database system, schematic conflicts between two objects are usually of interest only when the objects have some semantic similarity. In this paper we try to reconcile the schematic and semantic perspectives. We introduce a uniform formalism called schema correspondences to represent structural similarities between the objects. We represent the semantic similarities between the objects using the concept of semantic proximity. We show how the reconciliation is achieved by illustrating the association of the schema correspondence(s) with and as component(s) of the semantic proximity. We also provide a data model independent semantic taxonomy on the basis of the semantic proximity defined. We then enumerate and classify the schematic and data conflicts. The association between the schema correspondences and semantic proximity helps represent the possible semantic similarities between two objects having these conflicts. One representation of uncertain information using semantic proximity as the basis is explored. Issues of inconsistent information are also discussed in the framework of semantic proximity.Technical report DCS-TR-30
Semantics-based Information Brokering: A step towards realizing the Infocosm
No full textThe rapid advances in computer and communication technologies, and their merger, is leading to a global information market place. It will consist of federations of very large number of information systems that will cooperate to varying extents to support the users' information needs. We propose an architecture which may facilitate meeting these needs. It consists of three main components: information providers, information brokers and information consumers. We also propose an approach to information brokering. We discuss two of it's tasks: information resource discovery, which identities relevant information sources for a given query, and query processing, which involves the generation of appropriate mapping from relevant but structurally heterogeneous objects. Query processing consists of information focusing and information correlation.
While the access-based search, and syntactic and hierarchical information organization has been adequate in the past, information brokering in presence of huge digital libraries or millions of information sources will likely require semantics and information-content based search and structuring of information. Our approach is based on: semantic proximity, which represents semantic similarities based on the context of comparison, and schema correspondences which are used to represent structural mappings and are associated with the context. The context of comparison of the two objects is the primary vehicle to represent the semantics for determining semantic proximity. Specifically, we use a context to capture the semantics in terms of the meaning and/or the use of an object. Using a partial context representation, we capture the assumptions in the intended use of the objects and the intended meaning of the user query. Information focusing is supported by subsequent context comparison. The same mechanism can be used to support information resource discovery. Context comparison leads to changes in schema correspondences that are used to support information correlation.Technical report DCS-TR-30
Caste and democracy: the politics of exclusion and inclusion
No full textDer Verfasser spricht zwei Aspekte in der Debatte um das Kastensystem in Indien an. Der erste Aspekt betrifft das Kastensystem als Mechanismus sozialer Exklusion. Das Kastensystem muss als sakralisierte Machtstruktur verstanden werden, bei der die Vererbung des Kastenstatus dazu führt, dass sich diese Struktur selbst reproduziert. Kasten bilden gleichzeitig ein Netzwerk ethnischer Gemeinschaften, sie sind aber flexibel genug, um neue Bevölkerungsgruppen (Einwanderer) und neue Berufsgruppen integrieren zu können. Die dominante Position der Kongresspartei war das Ergebnis des gelungenen Versuchs, Kastenpolitik und nationalistische Ideologie zu verknüpfen. Mit ihrer Politik der "affirmative action" leistete sie einen Beitrag zur Politisierung der Kasten und zur gleichzeitigen Entritualisierung der Beziehung der Kasten untereinander. An die Stelle der rituellen Hierarchie geschlossener Statusgruppen tritt ein offenes System sozialer Schichtung, in dem beispielsweise die Zugehörigkeit zu den neuen Mittelschichten Mitgliedern aller Kasten offen steht. Die demokratische Politik hat insgesamt zu einer Säkularisierung des Kastensystems geführt. (ICE)"Caste is the most intensively and widely studied South Asian institution and there is no need to reiterate the established wisdom here. The author wishs to focus on, rather attempt to reformulate, some propositions on caste in terms that can facilitate a more direct and precise understanding of the contemporary structures of social exclusion in India. Before he proceeds with this exercise two important, even if obvious, points need to be underlined. First, while many new forms of exclusion are indeed structurally integral to the caste system, there also are those unrelated to caste as well as the ones representing a combination of caste and non-caste elements. Second, in making of a social policy for combating exclusion, it is crucial to take account of both, the changed political-cultural context of exclusion (modernity, nation-state and democracy) and the ideological and structural changes that have occurred in the caste-system itself (Sheth 2002)." (excerpt
Hotel @ Olympic Park, Berlin
No full textProposed site for the project is on the western end of the Olympic Stadium. The site has historical structures old open air arena Waldbune, and Glockenturm, as well as scattered sports facilities which includes the equestrian center, tennis club, athletic center, sports center and a small hotel. The place is used by many people for regular practice and during the events; the site is supporting facility for the Stadium. Only public transport that reach the site is Metro station Pichelsberg. Problem identification/task: 1. Improve connectivity and movement: vehicular and pedestrian + barrier free 2. Relocation of existing dilapidated sports facilities 3. Proposal of new hotel (150 beds)Hyperbody Research Lab.ArchitectureArchitectur
State Estimation and Optimal Control for Racing Drones: In search of control algorithms for competing against human pilots
No full textThe e-sport of drone-racing involves human pilots to race against time. Recently, drone races have also gone fully-autonomous. As a result, these agile robotic platforms not only pose challenges of flying fast to the participating pilots but also create challenges for the flight control computers. As a result, the concept of autonomous drone racing has gained significant attention from research groups around the world. These races aim to push the boundaries of perception and control algorithms, while simultaneously mitigating the real-world uncertainty of execution on autonomous systems. While perception algorithms face challenges due to limited feature detection, high motion blur and computational requirements, control algorithms face challenges of convergence to the desired trajectories that are planned out in the race arena. This thesis addresses the challenge of control for racing, which is responsible for guiding the drone to design and track desired trajectories for fast flights. The control sub-modules of racing drones are responsible for generating trajectories for fastest possible flights and also for obeying these generated commands. Additionally, the requirement of limited algorithm complexity is added to match the philosophy of computationally efficient algorithms at the Micro Air Vehicle Laboratory. However, to address the requirements of these control sub-modules, the prerequisite of accurate state estimation always persists. Assigning control actions to a robot without information on the current state of the robot is rather unwise. As a result, this thesis first aims to perform accurate state estimation before designing controllers for time-optimal trajectory tracking. Again, another constraint of using only a single sensor (i.e. the Inertial Measurement Unit) is added to make the drone race in GPS denied environments. As a result, the goal of the thesis is two-fold i.e. making accurate state estimators while using limited sensors and designing optimal controllers for taking the quickest trajectory through the arena. To achieve the goal of accurate state estimation, existing techniques are studied. Several features from each of these methods are selected to design a new estimator. To achieve the goal of time-optimal trajectory generation, firstly, the flaws of traditional control methods are pointed out. A new optimal-control technique is proposed, which makes use of fundamental principles dating back several decades. This principle is then fused along with present-day optimization solvers. Finally, the proposed state estimation and control algorithm are compared against prior (benchmarked) techniques in the area. Compared to existing optimal control techniques, the proposed algorithm leads to faster trajectories and consumes less computational power onboard
Circulating levels of inhibin in cancer
No full textStudy on frequency distribution of serum inhibin levels - a peptide hormone involved in suppression of follicle stimulating hormone - was carried out using a specific radioimmunoassay developed in this laboratory, on 237 sera from normal men and women, from male and female patients with cancer prostate, lung, stomach and breast, and from patients with non-malignant disease of the respective organ. The mean serum inhibin levels in patients with malignant and non-malignant disease of prostate (90 ± 19 ng/ml and 54 ± 8 ng/ml) were significantly higher than found in normal men (31 ± 9 ng/ml). However, the levels in cancer of stomach (70 ± 9 ng/ml) and lung (45 ± ng/ml) were higher than those in normal as well as benign condition of stomach and lung. The mean serum inhibin in case of women with cancer of breast (27 ± 5 ng/ml) and lung (53 ±16 ng/ml) were significantly higher than those found in normal women (15 ± 2 ng/ml) and in women with benign disease of breast (10 ± 3 ng/ml) and lung (21 ± 4 ng/ml). Considering the levels in individual patient basis, 66% of the patients with cancer of stomach had higher inhibin concentration than the uppermost limit of inhibin found in normal men and in contrast none in benign disease of stomach
Circulating levels of inhibin in cancer
No full textStudy on frequency distribution of serum inhibin levels - a peptide hormone involved in suppression of follicle stimulating hormone - was carried out using a specific radioimmunoassay developed in this laboratory, on 237 sera from normal men and women, from male and female patients with cancer prostate, lung, stomach and breast, and from patients with non-malignant disease of the respective organ. The mean serum inhibin levels in patients with malignant and non-malignant disease of prostate (90 ± 19 ng/ml and 54 ± 8 ng/ml) were significantly higher than found in normal men (31 ± 9 ng/ml). However, the levels in cancer of stomach (70 ± 9 ng/ml) and lung (45 ± ng/ml) were higher than those in normal as well as benign condition of stomach and lung. The mean serum inhibin in case of women with cancer of breast (27 ± 5 ng/ml) and lung (53 ±16 ng/ml) were significantly higher than those found in normal women (15 ± 2 ng/ml) and in women with benign disease of breast (10 ± 3 ng/ml) and lung (21 ± 4 ng/ml). Considering the levels in individual patient basis, 66% of the patients with cancer of stomach had higher inhibin concentration than the uppermost limit of inhibin found in normal men and in contrast none in benign disease of stomach
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