The problem of planning in partially observable environments can be regarded as a search problem in belief space where beliefs express the collection of states that are deemed possible. In this paper we address the problem that arises when one of the possible states is a dead-end: a state from which the goal cannot be reached. In such situations, no contingent plan exists, and yet, such situati...

OBJECTIVE We evaluated the detachment force, amount of deformation, fracture mode, and pull-out force of 3 different wires used for bonded lingual retainer fabrication. METHODS We tested 0.0215-inch five-stranded wire (PentaOne, Masel; group I), 0.016 × 0.022-inch dead-soft eight-braided wire (Bond-A-Braid, Reliance; group II), and 0.0195-inch dead-soft coaxial wire (Respond, Ormco; group III...

abstract background: the quantitative studies show that due to the widespread prevalence, high death rate, high treatment expenses, and long hospital stay, leukemia influences the families and their children to a great extent. in this regard, no qualitative study has been conducted in iran. so, this study was conducted in arak in 2011 with the aim of expressing the experiences of the parents wh...

Dead-end elimination (DEE) is a powerful theorem for selecting optimal protein side-chain orientations from a large set of discrete conformations. The present work describes a new approach to dead-end elimination that effectively splits conformational space into partitions to more efficiently eliminate dead-ending rotamers. Split DEE makes it possible to complete protein design calculations tha...

This investigation was carried out to develop a convenient alternative method for examining the performance and determining the dead time of a stopped-flow fluorometer. We examined the kinetics for the formation of the fluorescent Mg2+-8-hydroxyquinoline chelate in aqueous solutions. The reversible association of the Mg2+ ion with 8-hydroxyquinoline is a second-order process whose on and off ra...

Innovation is typically a trial-and-error process. While some research paths lead to the innovation sought, others result in dead ends. Because firms benefit from their competitors working in the wrong direction, they do not reveal their negative findings. Hence, time and resources are wasted on dead-end projects. We offer a model to study this prevalent problem and characterize the equilibrium...

In this chapter, three methods for synchronizing of two chaotic gyros in the presence of uncertainties, external disturbances and dead-zone nonlinearity are studied. In the first method, there is dead-zone nonlinearity in the control input, which limits the performance of accurate control methods. The effects of this nonlinearity will be attenuated using a fuzzy parameter approximator integrate...

BACKGROUND Neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA) could improve patient-ventilator interaction; its effects on ventilation distribution and dead space are still unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of varying levels of assist during NAVA and pressure support ventilation (PSV) on ventilation distribution and dead space in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obs...

It was suggested more than 30 yrs ago that inhibition of the clotting cascade by natural anticoagulants could decrease the high mortality observed in patients suffering from severe sepsis and septic shock. Unfortunately, this therapeutic "paradigm" has led to a dead end, illustrated by the failure of all randomized trials and the recent withdrawal of recombinant activated protein C. Should we n...

Hyponatremia is a clinically relevant disorder. Ten to twenty per cent of patients in hospitals are affected by it. Hyponatremia is found to occur in almost every clinical department. Recently, vasopressin antagonists have been licensed to treat hyponatremia of the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). They provide physicians with the first specific and effective the...