In this work we present a novel treatment planning technique called interactive dose shaping (IDS) to be employed for the optimization of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). IDS does not rely on a Newton-based optimization algorithm which is driven by an objective function formed of dose volume constraints on pre-segmented volumes of interest (VOIs). Our new planning technique allows ...

Lack of monitoring capacity is a key barrier for nutrition interventions and limits programme management, decision making and programme effectiveness in many low-income and middle-income countries. A 2011 global assessment reported lack of monitoring capacity was the top barrier for home fortification interventions, such as micronutrient powders or lipid-based nutrient supplements. A Manual for...

Forest management decisions, because of the many conflicting issues involved, require many iterations to arrive at a feasible plan. Various optimization methods have been attempted to automate this process, but none have been widely accepted. A flight simulator’prototype has been developed, based on the exchange of ‘scenarios ', the current or proposed state of the forest. This simple approach ...

A management plan for patients with suspected focal liver lesions which avoids early biopsy includes routine laboratory investigations, ultrasound scanning, and assessment for evidence of extrahepatic metastases and non-hepatic primary tumours. Angiography and computed tomography may also be indicated, and laparotomy or laparoscopy is undertaken to assess any potentially resectable focal liver ...

The dietitian, working with other members of the health care team, plays a very important role in developing a care plan for the older person with diabetes. Often individuals in this age group have so many health care needs that nutrition intervention may be low on the priority list. Optimum nutrition is essential to maintain health and well-being as well as to keep blood glucose levels in the ...

Explicit causal structure representations have been widely used in classical planning systems to guide a variety of aspects of planning, including plan generation, modification and generalization. For the most part, these representations were limited to single-contributor causal structures. Although widely used, single-contributor causal structures have several limitations in handling partially...

We present TransUCP, a formalism for Transformational Analogy in the context of classical domain-independent planning. TransUCP defines precisely possible plan modification operations for Transformational Analogy and covers a wide range of existing implementations. We use TransUCP to analyze the implications for Transformational Analogy of well-known results about the complexity of general plan...