This study presents a new hybrid algorithm for training RBF network. The algorithm consists of a proposed clustering algorithm to position the RBF centres and Givens least squares to estimate the weights. This paper begins with a discussion about the problems of clustering for positioning RBF centres. Then a clustering algorithm called moving k-means clustering algorithm was proposed to reduce ...

In 1994 the City of Toronto Public Health Department conducted a needs assessment in the 235 child care centres (CCCs) in the former Toronto area. The purposes of the study were to construct a profile of Toronto's CCCs, to acquire a better understanding of these centres' operations and administration, and to assess their levels of compliance with current public health standards and regulatory r...

Medical simulation is a relatively new teaching modality suitable for medical education at all levels, although its long-term benefits have not yet been validated. Simulation allows the participant to practise diagnosis, medical management and behavioural approaches in the care of acutely ill patients in a controlled environment. Simulators have achieved widespread acceptance in the fields of a...

This paper proposed two updating methods to improve the clustering performance of adaptive k-means clustering. The proposed updating methods are suitable for off-line and on-line clustering. The capability of the updating methods are then compared to the existing updating methods using simulated and real data sets. Simulation results showed that the proposed updating methods have significantly ...

We assessed the effect of a selected intervention on the nutritional status of 2-5-year-old children in day care centres. Using a longitudinal prospective pretest/post-test intervention design, 974 children from 3 day care centres in Alexandria were followed for 1 year. Anthropometric measurements and 3-day 24-hour recall data were gathered at base line and dietary intake was calculated and com...

In an effort to develop a training programme to assist teaching professionals to migrate towards e-teaching from more traditional modes of teaching, the European Commission (EC) provided a grant Middlesex University who, along with its three partner universities, created a needs survey to determine what aspects of teaching and higher education theories and practice need to be conveyed to the te...

This cross-sectional nation-wide survey was planned to assess the current status of neurosurgery residency training in Pakistan and to compare it with the results of a previous study. The duration of study was from July to December 2015. It comprised of neurosurgery trainees enrolled with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan (CPSP). In this study, 43 trainees from 13 centres were ...

The development of the neo-liberal state form in Britain during the 1980s has been characterised by liberalisation, deregulation, privatisation and commodification, placing issues of redistribution and social welfare secondary to the demands of business and enterprise. This active neo-liberal strategy has also, although explicitly non-interventionist, been characterised by a strong, centralised...

The HERMES initiative (Harmonising Education in Respiratory Medicine for European Specialists), was created by the European Respiratory Society in 2005, and named after the Greek god of travellers and boundaries. The main goal is the European harmonisation of post-graduate education and training in respiratory medicine, promoting excellence of care and professional mobility. The development str...

STUDY OBJECTIVES To evaluate the impact of an AIDS education programme designed for young adults. DESIGN A randomised trial with a pre-post test design. SETTING Participants were drawn from six youth training centres in the city of Nottingham, England. STUDY POPULATION All trainees aged 16-19 years attending the six centres were included in the sample and centres were randomly allocated t...