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Background Perinatal depression is common, but women typically do not seek help for it. We studied its association with frequent non-routine physician visits, which may be a form of help-seeking behaviour. Methods A prospective cohort study of women in their 34th to 38th week of pregnancy at the outpatient obstetrics clinic at a Singapore tertiary hospital was done. Screening was done using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and diagnosis of major or minor depressive disorder was made using the SCID-IV. At 6 to 12 months' post-partum, women were screened and interviewed again for depression and asked to report the frequencies with which they had brought their infants to the doctor on non-routine visits in the preceding 6 weeks. Four hundred and seventy-one of the 559 patients recruited before delivery were re-interviewed. Results After adjusting for confounders, women who had brought their infants for three or more non-routine visits to the infant's doctor had a significantly higher prevalence of depression (32.6%) than those with fewer visits (13.6%) (OR 2.87, 95% CI 1.41 to 5.85, p = 0.004). The relative risk reduction for women who did not bring their infants for frequent non-routine visits was 0.583 (95% CI 0.44 to 0.73, p = 0.002). They were also more likely to have poorer perceived emotional support from their families. Limitations These included use of self-reported doctor visits, and relatively high educational levels of the participants. Conclusions Doctors should have a high index of suspicion for enquiring about depression and emotional support in mothers who bring their infants for frequent non-routine visits.

In this paper, the performance of some evolutionary algorithms on grinding process optimization of silicon carbide (SiC) is investigated. The grinding of SiC is not an easy task due to its low fracture toughness, therefore making the material sensitive to cracking. The efficient grinding involves the optimal selection of operating parameters to maximize the material removal rate (MRR) while maintaining the required surface finish and limiting surface damage. In this work, optimization based on the available model has been carried out to obtain optimum parameters for silicon carbide grinding via three prominent evolutionary algorithms. They are particle swarm optimization (PSO), differential evolution (DE) and genetic algorithm (GA). The objective of this optimization process is to maximize the MRR, subject to surface finish and damage constraints of the grinding process. Numerical results show that PSO is comparatively superior in comparison with DE and GA algorithms for grinding process optimization in terms of its accuracy and convergent capability

Objectives: Following the first case in Hong Kong in 1998, the method of committing suicide by charcoal burning has spread to other communities. This aim of this study was to examine the impact of charcoal burning suicides on both overall suicide rates and older-method suicide rates in Hong Kong and urban Taiwan. Design: Trend analysis of the overall and method-specific suicide rates between 1997 and 2002. Comparison of age and gender profiles of those who committed suicide by charcoal burning and other methods of suicide. Setting: Hong Kong and Urban Taiwan. Main results: Suicides by charcoal burning increased rapidly within five years in both Hong Kong and urban Taiwan. This increase was not paralleled by decreases in suicides by older methods and led to an increase of more than 20% in the overall suicide rates. Those in the 24-39 age range were more likely to choose charcoal burning than other methods. Conclusions: The lack of parallel decreases in the suicides rates of older methods with the rise of charcoal burning suicides suggests limited substitution between the methods. The preponderance of the rise in suicide deaths associated with charcoal burning suggests that its invention, followed by wide media dissemination, may have specifically contributed to the increase in suicides in both regions. As a similar increase was found in urban Taiwan as in Hong Kong, charcoal burning suicide should not be viewed as merely a local health problem and has the potential to become a major public health threat in other countries., published_or_final_version

Background. The global toll of suicide is estimated to be one million lives per year, which exceeded the number of deaths by homicide and war combined. A key step to suicide prevention is to prevent less serious suicidal behaviour to preclude more lethal outcomes. Although 61% of the world's suicides take place in Asia and the suicide rates among middle age groups have been increasing since the economic crisis in many Asian countries, population-based studies of suicidal behaviour among working-age adults in non-western communities are scarce.Method. Data from a population-based survey with 2015 participants were used to estimate the prevalence of suicidal ideation and behaviour among the working-age population in Hong Kong, and to study the associated socio-economic and psychological correlates. We focused particularly on potential modulating factors between life-event-related factors and suicidal ideation.Results. Six per cent of the Hong Kong population aged 20–59 years considered suicide in the past year, while 1·4% attempted suicide. Hopelessness, reasons for living, and reluctance to seek help from family and friends had direct association with past-year suicidal ideation. Reasons for living were found to moderate the effect of perceived stress on suicidal ideation.Conclusions. Suicidality is a multi-faceted problem that calls for a multi-sectored, multi-layered approach to prevention. Prevention programmes can work on modulating factors such as reasons for living to reduce suicidal risk in working-age adults.

Optimization is necessary for the control of any process to achieve better product quality, high productivity with low cost. The grinding of silicon carbide is not an easy task due to its low fracture toughness, making the material sensitive to cracking. The efficient grinding involves the optimal selection of operating parameters to maximize the material removal rate (MRR) while maintaining the required surface finish and limiting surface damage. In this work, optimization based on the available model has been carried out to obtain optimum parameters for silicon carbide grinding via particle swarm optimization (PSO) based on the objective of maximizing MRR with reference to surface finish and damage. Results obtained are superior in comparison with genetic algorithm (GA) approach.

The objective of this study was to confirm whether hemoglobin (Hb) levels during chemoradiotherapy are associated with survival in patients with locally advanced cervical carcinoma and to assess impact of the Hb level on survival according to lymph node (LN) metastasis. A retrospective review of 85 cervical carcinoma patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy was conducted. The stage of disease ranged between FIGO stage IB and stage IVA. Disease-free and overall survivals were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. After median follow-up of 35.7 months, 24 patients developed recurrence of disease and 14 patients died from their disease. Stage, LN metastasis, and squamous cell carcinoma antigen and Hb levels during chemoradiation were correlated significantly with survival (P < 0.05). Maintenance of Hb above 10.0 g/dL was associated with better survival (P < 0.05). However, no such benefits were observed in patients with LN metastasis by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Multivariate Cox regression hazard model showed that Hb levels during chemoradiation were an independent prognostic factor in patients without LN metastasis by MRI. Maintenance of Hb during chemoradiation is of benefit in cervical carcinoma patients without LN metastasis but not with LN metastasis by MRI.

This paper discusses the correction of MR images to submillimeter accuracy needed for functional radiosurgery. MR images experience non-linear distortion due to the magnetic field, which becomes more of a problem for newer machines with larger bores and stronger magnetic fields. This paper models the distortion correction parameters using a spherical harmonics basis, which avoids the need to invert the function to correct the image. The coefficients appear linearly for the spherical harmonics so they are solved for in each dimension by least squares techniques for an MR image of a phantom and the measurements of the phantom. Practical considerations in the design are also covered.

Objective to identify the antenatal taboos commonly practised by pregnant Hong Kong Chinese women; to explore the health beliefs behind these taboos; and to examine how pregnant women perceived and reacted to the cultural tradition. Design general ethnography and in-depth interviews, followed by a quantitative self-reported survey. Setting Antenatal clinic of a university-affiliated hospital in Hong Kong. Participants consecutive samples of 60 women for in-depth interviews, and 832 women for the survey. Measurements an inventory on the adherence and attitude towards antenatal taboos, and the Beck Depression Inventory that measures severity of depression. Findings antenatal taboos were still commonly observed by contemporary Chinese women. Miscarriage, fetus malformation and fetal ill-health were the key cultural fears that drove contemporary Chinese women to observe the traditional taboos. About one-quarter and one-tenth of the women, respectively, felt unhappy and disputed with their families about the taboos. These women had significantly higher levels of depression in late pregnancy and during childbirth. Implications for practice health-care practitioners should be aware of the benefits and risks of traditional antenatal taboos on maternal health. Although some taboos can be socio-morally protective, the tension created by the observation of cultural tradition in modernity may impair maternal psychological well-being. Health-care providers in Western countries should be vigilant of the complex cultural tension faced by migrant Chinese mothers.

Objective The aim of the present study was to examine the behavioral and psychological responses of pregnant women during the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in Hong Kong. Methods Ethnographic interviews were first conducted to identify the common psychological and behavioral responses to the outbreak. This was followed by a case-control study of 235 consecutive pregnant women recruited during the SARS epidemic, and a historical cohort of 939 pregnant women recruited a year before the outbreak. Both cohorts completed standardized rating scales on depression, anxiety, and social support. Results Women in the SARS cohort adopted behavioral strategies to mitigate their risk of contracting infection. However, pregnant women tended to overestimate the risk of contracting SARS and nearly a third of the women were homebound. The anxiety level of the SARS cohort was slightly higher than that of the pre-SARS control. No statistical difference was found between the depression levels of the two cohorts. Conclusion The improved social support experienced by pregnant women during SARS might have buffered the stress associated with an outbreak. However, clinicians should monitor for overestimation of infectious risk among pregnant women.

Background. Most mental health research tools are developed in Western, urban contexts. Few studies have evaluated the applicability of these research tools in rural populations of non-Western countries. We examined the cultural acceptance and psychometric performance of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) in China's rural villages.Method. Ethnographic investigations were conducted to assess the cultural applicability of self-report rating scales among villagers. This was followed by a survey of 1401 rural residents, randomly selected from 48 villages of Shandong province using stratified multistage cluster sampling. The respondents were administered the GHQ and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI).Results. The GHQ, when administered by trained interviewers, was culturally acceptable to rural residents. The scale had good psychometric properties in the study population. The area under the curve was 0·86. At a cut-off of 1/2, the sensitivity and specificity were 80·6% and 79·3% respectively.Conclusions. The ethno-psychometric evaluation showed that the GHQ was both culturally valid and psychometrically sound in the Chinese rural context.

RYNSORD is a novel, decentralized algorithm with soft reservation for efficient scheduling and congestion mitigation in railway networks. It is a specific instance of the Asynchronous Distributed Decision-Making (ADDM) class of systems, a fundamental property of which is stability. This paper introduces an intuitive definition of stability for RYNSORD, that reflects those used in control systems and physics, and presents an in-depth stability analysis of RYNSORD. The analysis utilizes three types of stability-strongly stable, marginally stable, and unstable. The perturbations are classified as either changes in the input pattern or changes in one or more characteristics of the system such as hardware failures. The study utilizes a large-scale, simulation of a subset of the Eastern United States railroad network. Trains are initiated at stochastically generated times at each of the stations and are bound for randomly selected destinations. In the study, first, a steady-state operating point is identified. Second, the system is perturbed by increasing the rate of trains asserted into the system temporarily, i.e. for a finite interval. Third, an examination of whether and when the system returns to the previous steady-state, yields the results of stability analysis. Performance results indicate that while RYNSORD is strongly stable with respect to input traffic rate perturbations of finite durations, it is marginally stable to unstable under permanent track segment and communications link failures reflecting a balanced assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of RYNSORD.

BackgroundCharcoal-burning, a new suicide method, emerged in Hong Kong during the latest economic recession. With-in 2 months charcoal-burning had become the third most common suicide method.AimsTo examine the characteristics of suicides by charcoal-burning, and to delineate the pathways linking macro-level economic and social changes with the subjective experiences of those surviving a charcoal-burning suicide attempt.MethodBoth quantitative and qualitative methods were used. In the coroner's records study, the first 160 cases of suicide by charcoal-burning were compared with a control group. In the ethnographic enquiry, we interviewed 25 consecutive informants who had survived serious suicide attempt using charcoal-burning.ResultsPeople who completed suicide by the charcoal-burning method were more likely to have been economically active and physically healthy, and were less likely to have had pre-existing mental illness. Charcoal-burning suicide was associated with overindebtedness. Media reports were pivotal in linking overindebtedness and financial troubles with charcoal-burning.ConclusionsThe political economy of suicide by charcoal-burning illustrated how historical, socio-economic and cultural forces shaped the lived experience that preceded suicide.

BASINS (Better Assessment Science Integrating point and Nonpoint Sources) HSP-F was used as part of the watershed approach in developing the City of Buffalo Lo…

The present study designed a miniatured air chamber installed within a commercialized peak expiratory flow meter (PEFM), to obtain continuous flow signal measurement. Pressure in the chamber accurately estimated the flow with a volume error

We have created a pilot wireless network for the convenient monitoring of temperature and humidity of infant incubators. This system combines infrared and radio frequency (RF) communication in order to minimize the power consumption of slave devices, and we therefore call it a hybrid wireless network. The slave module installed in the infant incubator receives the calling signal from the host with an infrared receiver, and sends temperature and humidity data to the host with an RF transmitter. The power consumption of the host system is not critical, and hence it uses the maximum power of infrared transmission and continuously operating RF receiver. In our test implementation, we included four slave devices. The PC calls each slave device every second and then waits for 6 s, resulting in a total scan period of 10 s. Slave devices receive the calling signals and transmit three data values (temperature, moisture, and skin temperature); their power demand is 1 mW, and can run for about 1000 h on four AA-size nickel-hydride batteries.

[No abstract available]

Summary form only given, as follows. Summary form only given. The aim of the magnetic nozzle in this study is for converting plasma pressure into directed flow, thereby providing thrust for plasma propulsion. The detachment of the particle flow from the magnetic field line must be highly directed, otherwise the thruster efficiency will be low. The ion detachment is basically due to ion inertia, but electrons frozen in the magnetic field reduces the ion detachment efficiency due to the ambipolar E-field arising perpendicular to the B-field although calculated single ion trajectories are shown to be highly directed. To investigate the electron effect and thus the ambipolar E-field effect on ion detachment, numerical simulation using a particle-in-cell (PIC) code and the fluid approach was attempted. All this considered, the design of a new-type magnetic nozzle was performed to investigate the curvature effect on plasma detachment. With the designed nozzle consisting of two coils of different radii and opposite current direction, the magnetic field curvature can be continuously changed by varying the outer coil current. The PIC code simulation and the fluid model show that the highly directed ion detachment can be obtained with the new design, whereas the plasma is highly constrained to the magnetic field in a conventional, slowly curving magnetic nozzle.

Background : There has thus far been no empirical research on the occurrence of antenatal psychiatric morbidity in Chinese population. Epidemiological studies in western societies generally show that depressive episodes occur in 10–20% of pregnant women. Longitudinal studies have demonstrated that antenatal depression is one of the most powerful predictors of postnatal depression. There is also a growing literature that shows that antenatal psychological distress can adversely affect maternal and foetal well being. Methods : At 38 weeks of pregnancy, 238 consecutive women were invited to return for psychiatric assessment. The participants were interviewed using the non-patient version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-NP). Results : Seventy women (29%) declined to participate, and another 11 (5%) defaulted the SCID interview. Among the 157 women interviewed, the 1-month prevalence of antenatal depression was 4.4%. The 1-month prevalence of all psychiatric diagnoses was 6.4%. The prevalence of antenatal depression and all psychiatric diagnoses for the entire pregnancy was 6.4% and 8.3%, respectively. Limitations : About a third of eligible subjects did not participate in the study. Conclusions : A significant proportion of Chinese women suffer from psychiatric morbidity during pregnancy. Depressive disorders are by far the commonest morbidity in the study population. Given the scope of the morbidity and the potential impact on obstetric and neonatal outcomes, early screening and treatment are warranted.

The rapid growing trend of utilization of re-useable intellectual property (IP) cores for system-on-chip (SOC) design demands an effective, fast and efficient test scheme. This paper presents a unified approach to SOC testing that uses a built-in self-test (BIST) technique based on summations of cores' test output voltages (SOCTOV), which has the advantage of small hardware overhead and fast testing time. The proposed BIST technique is developed in conjunction with our previous proposed BIST technique which is based on weighted sums of selected node voltages (WSSNV) for embedded cores. The WSSNV BIST technique provides high fault coverage for individual cores while the SOCTOV BIST technique provides a 100% fault diagnosis resolution for locating the faulty core. It is an alternative solution to SOC testing especially when chip area overhead is a critical concern.

Spent bleaching earth, an industrial waste produced after the bleaching of crude palm oil, was investigated for its potential in removing Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. The earth was treated with different amounts of sulfuric acid and under different activation temperatures. Results show that the optimum treatment process involved 10% sulfuric acid at 350° C. The effects of contact time, pH, initial concentration, sorbent dosage, temperature, sorption isotherms and the presence of other anions on its sorption capacity were studied. Isotherm data could be fitted into a modified Langmuir isotherm model implying monolayer coverage of Cr(VI) on acid activated spent bleaching earth. The maximum sorption capacity derived from the Langmuir isotherm was 21.2 mg g‐1. This value was compared with those of some other low cost sorbents. Studies of anion effect on the uptake of Cr(VI) on acid activated spent bleaching earth provided the following order of suppression: EDTA >PO4 3‐>SSO4 2‐ >NO3>Cl‐.

A novel chest X-ray image restoration technique is proposed for improving SNR, which is an important parameter for system performance evaluation. The filter was designed using a priori information on the imaging system and the anatomical structure, and the statistics of the projected object. A priori information of the system comprised X-ray characteristics, sensor configuration, and characteristics of each sensor. The present technique simultaneously processed two images acquired in the same region by two sensors of different characteristics. This consisted of two filters in cascade. One was a dual-channel Wiener filter (DCWF) with filter parameters designed by cross-correlation between two images. The other was a dual-projection filter (DPF), in which the projection operator was designed using a priori information of chest images based on the concept of a reliable frequency region. Two images were then processed iteratively and adaptively. The DCWF improved SNR by 1-2 dB in a simulation study compared with conventional single-channel filters. This was further enhanced by 0.1-0.2 dB when the output of the DCWF was fed for an initial estimate of the DPF by adapting the filter parameters to local regions (lung, mediastinum, subdiaphragm) and structures (bone, blood vessel, bronchi) of the chest. >

We present an alternative neural network architecture which is similar to the operation of a general fuzzy inference system. This hybrid fuzzy neural network (HFNN) is a modified multilayer feedforward neural network (MFNN) with four different layers. By using the gradient method, learning algorithms are derived. An example is presented to compare the approximation performance of the HFNN with the MFNN. The HFNN is then applied to an inverted pendulum control problem by using temporal backpropagation. The performance of the HFNN controller is illustrated by simulations.

A number of unique approaches to clutter rejection which have been validated with the terminal Doppler weather radar (TDWR) testbed radar are described. Key aspects of the detection problem are emphasized from the viewpoint of a radar engineer (as opposed to the meteorological and pattern recognition features of the problem). Attention is focused on mainlobe clutter suppression since it is a principal cause of inadequate detection performance. To provide a framework for the TDWR system discussions, the salient features of the low-altitude wind shear detection environment and the pattern recognition algorithms are first described. Some of the system features which arise from ground clutter suppression considerations are then discussed. Clutter due to out-of-trip weather returns is also an important factor in TDWR system engineering due to the trade-off between unambiguous velocity and range (coupled with the (range)/sup -2/ power law for weather echoes). Some of the radar engineering areas which warrant additional investigation are discussed. >

While the literature is prolific on the subject of the 'learning organizations', little has been written on the concept of the 'learning economy'. The first part of this paper discusses the learning typology employed in distinguishing different levels of learning, and the role of leadership in a 'learning organization'. The findings are then applied to indicate key attributes of a 'learning economy', and to suggest that Singapore is evolving into one. A model of Singapore's economic evolution is developed to frame the discussions.

Employees often experience 'technology-induced' stress when organizations undergo technology changes. This paper recognizes that the study of technological impact has to take into consideration the total psychological context. The scope of discussion is, however, limited to an aspect of the attributes of individuals in the organization-demographic characteristics. Research findings are listed on the effects of age, gender, education and tenure on stress during technology change. The socio-psychological perspective is then applied to analyze the underlying linkages between the demographic variables and their respective effects in moderating stress. A key emphasis of the paper is that understanding needs to be applied in the use of organizational demographic findings as a prior requisite for implementing an effective stress management programme.

Aim of the study. To examine the lived experiences of a group of Hong Kong Chinese women diagnosed with postnatal depression. Background. Postnatal depression affects approximately 1 in 10 childbearing women in Hong Kong. However, most studies of postnatal depression have been carried out in Western societies and no qualitative research was found describing the experience of Hong Kong Chinese mothers with postnatal depression. Design. A phenomenological study was conducted. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews. A purposive sample of 35 women diagnosed with postnatal depression was interviewed. Interview data were analysed following Colaizzi's phenomenological methodology. Results. Themes that emerged describing participants' experiences included trapped in the situation, ambivalent towards the baby, uncaring husband, and controlling and powerful in-laws. Women felt hopelessness, helplessness and loss of control. They were trapped in a situation that had no way of escape except by violent means, such as homicide or suicide. Feelings towards the baby were ambivalent, both hate and love. Several women had injured, or had thought of injuring or killing, their babies and/or themselves. Women's unhappiness was attributed to a noncaring husband, and controlling and powerful in-laws. Generally, women did not seek help until their depression was diagnosed by screening tests. Conclusion. This study has revealed insights into how women experienced postnatal depression in Hong Kong, and what they perceived as contributing to their depression. These insights may be used to guide interventions for women and their families to raise awareness regarding the support childbearing women need.

Background: Few studies have examined the utility of rating scales developed in non-puerperal context in detecting postnatal depression. This study evaluated the utility of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in screening for depression among recently delivered women in Hong Kong. Methods: A prospective cohort of 145 Chinese women completed the GHQ, BDI and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) 6 weeks after delivery. They were then assessed using the non-patient version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID-NP) to establish psychiatric diagnosis, against which the criterion validity of the GHQ and BDI was evaluated against this clinical diagnosis. The psychometric performance of the GHQ, BDI and EPDS in detecting postnatal depression was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: Both Chinese GHQ and BDI had satisfactory sensitivity and positive predictive value in detecting postnatal depression. Their receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were comparable to that of the EPDS. Limitation: The study was conducted in Chinese women using translated version of the rating scales. Conclusions: The GHQ and BDI are useful for detecting postnatal depression among recently delivered Chinese women. The results of this study suggest that rating scales developed in non-puerperal context may also be applicable for postnatal depression.

OBJECTIVE Postnatal depression affects 10% to 15% of women after childbirth. Self-report rating instruments, such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), have been developed and administered to postpartum women to facilitate early detection. Most postnatal depression screening scales, however, focus solely on depressive symptomatology. We hypothesized that applying two complementary rating scales of symptoms and functioning as a double test would significantly enhance the positive predictive value of screening. METHODS A prospective cohort study was conducted at the postnatal clinic of a university teaching hospital. One hundred forty-five Chinese women completed the EPDS and 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) 6 weeks after delivery. They were then interviewed by a psychiatrist, who used the Structured Clinical Interview for third revised edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, nonpatient version (SCID-NP), to validate the diagnoses. RESULTS The positive predictive value of the EPDS and GHQ, when administered independently, was 44% and 52%, respectively, at their respective optimal cutoff scores. When the EPDS-GHQ double test was administered, the positive predictive value was significantly increased to 78%. CONCLUSIONS Simultaneous administration of the EPDS and GHQ can substantially improve identification of women with postnatal depression. This can potentially reduce unnecessary referrals to general practitioners and psychiatrists and may enhance the overall cost-effectiveness of population-wide screening.

BackgroundWe evaluated the utility of the Chinese version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and measured the prevalence of major depression six weeks after confinement among Chinese women in Hong Kong.MethodA prospective cohort of 145 women completed the EPDS, the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) six weeks after giving birth. They were then assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM–III–R, non-patient version (SCID–NP) to establish psychiatric diagnosis. The criterion validity of EPDS was tested against this clinical diagnosis, and the concurrent validity against the GHQ and BDI scores was also evaluated. The internal consistency of the scales was measured by Cronbach's α coefficient.ResultsThe Chinese EPDS had satisfactory psychometric properties and a cut-off score of 9/10 is recommended for screening depressive illness in a general postnatal population. At six weeks postpartum, 5.5% of the study population suffered from major depression.ConclusionsThe Chinese EPDS will be useful for screening for postnatal depression.

This paper proposes a novel approach to the robust control design for nonlinear dynamical systems based on Takagi and Sugeno's (1985) fuzzy systems. Only the possible bound of the uncertainty is needed. If the uncertainty is matched, a robust control scheme is proposed, which renders the fuzzy system practically stable. If the uncertainty is mismatched, we show that a mismatched threshold is needed to ensure stability. We apply the control design to a nonlinear missile autopilot problem. The effectiveness of this approach is illustrated by simulation.

OBJECTIVE Psychiatric morbidity affects 48% to 51% of women who have miscarried. This study evaluated the utility of two sample and brief self-report questionnaires in screening psychiatric morbidity after miscarriage. METHOD One hundred fifty-six subjects completed the 30-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) 6 weeks after miscarriage. Then there was a blind assessment using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) to establish psychiatric diagnosis. The criterion validity of GHQ and EPDS were tested against this yardstick diagnosis and the concurrent validity against the BDI scores. The internal consistency of the scales was measured by Cronbach's alpha-coefficient. RESULTS Both GHQ and EPDS had good sensitivity and specificity in screening for psychiatric morbidity after miscarriage. The concurrent validity and the internal consistency of both scales were satisfactory. The EPDS could only identify those subjects with major depression. The GHQ was longer to perform, but was able to detect both anxiety and depressive disorders. Furthermore, the GHQ had better psychometric properties when compared with the EPDS. CONCLUSIONS These scales will be particularly useful for nonpsychiatric medical personnel. We recommend routine application of the GHQ 6 to 8 weeks after miscarriage to identify women who may require psychiatric management.

The problem of robust control design for buildings under earthquake excitation is addressed. We consider an N-story building model in planar motion. The earthquake is considered as the external disturbance to the system. The uncertainties of the system are due to parameter variations and earthquake. By combining active control and base isolation, the control force is applied only to the first floor. We propose a robust control designs based on the Lyapunov approach. It is shown that the control of the proposed design is capable of rendering the N-story building practically stable.

The problem of automated steering and independent braking control for a tractor-semitrailer vehicle system is addressed. The control is designed by combining the input/output linearization and Lyapunov minimax approach. The proposed design achieves, despite of the presence of uncertainty, lane following and prevents the jack-knifing phenomenon of trailer yaw motion.

Cough mixture misuse has become a focus of concern in Hong Kong since the late 1980s. Psychiatric admissions related to cough mixture misuse have been reported with increasing frequency during the past 5 years. A retrospective chart review of psychiatric admissions related to cough mixture misuse for a 54-month period was conducted in two psychiatric units in Hong Kong. Twenty-seven subjects were identified. The main psychiatric presentations included acute organic brain syndrome, schizophreniform psychosis and affective episode. They appeared to be associated with the pharmacological activities of opiates, antihistamines and sympathomimetics, the main ingredients of most cough mixtures.

Optimisation is needed in order to achieve better product quality, high productivity and low cost. Efficient grinding involves the optimal selection of operating parameters to maximise the material removal rate (MRR) while maintaining the required surface finish, and minimising surface damage. Three prominent evolutionary algorithms were used. They are particle Swarm optimisation (PSO), differential evolution (DE) and genetic algorithm (GA). Novel methodologies for tuning PSO and DE for optimising grinding process have been proposed. Validation of optimum MRR obtained from these algorithms has been done and the MRR values obtained from the proposed methodologies are encouraging.

Peptides that regulate the growth of tissues, whether in a positive or negative manner, are termed growth factors. The melanocortins, neurotrophic sequences that correspond to peptide fragments contained within ACTH-(1-13), beneficially affect neural growth during development and regeneration. Analogues of ACTH-(4-9) (Org 2766) and ACTH-(4-10) (BIM 22015) are capable of sustaining neurite outgrowth from cultured dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord cells in the absence of nerve growth factor. The development of sexually dimorphic behavior in both male and female rats is influenced by perinatal administration of ACTH. This change appears to be correlated with changes in the growth and metabolism of developing serotonergic and dopaminergic systems in the hypothalamic nuclei associated with male and female sexual behavior. Similar melanotropic influences are found in the developing neuromuscular system. Neuromuscular development is accelerated by perinatal administration of melanocortins, provoking both nerve and muscle to attain early maturation. However, the responding tissue varies pivotally with age: early in gestation, embryonic muscle is acutely sensitive to peptide exposure; but once innervation has occurred, only the developing nerve reacts to melanocortin treatment. Melanocortins have little if any effect on the normal, adult neuromuscular system. Following peripheral nerve injury or pathology, melanotropins once again become effective growth factors, accelerating and enhancing nerve regeneration and muscle reinnervation. Electrophysiological, morphological, biochemical, and functional tests all indicate that ACTH-(4-10), Org 2766, BIM 22015, and alpha-MSH improve various facets of nerve regeneration, the degree to which the specific parameter is improved being dependent on the peptide fragment, its dosage, and pattern of administration. BIM 22015, while less effective as a neurotrophic factor, has potent myotrophic effects that the other peptides lack. Org 2766 may provide some protective action to the injured CNS as demonstrated by tests of cognitive function following brain lesions, although evaluation of recovery is sometimes enigmatic. Recovery from destruction of the nigrostriatal system is more easily measured through tests of motor function and open field behavior, both of which support a protective role for Org 2766. Compensatory mechanisms, including the presence of increased tyrosine hydroxylase and greater density of dopaminergic fibers, may be involved. Melanocortins are effective growth factors in sciatic nerve regeneration in neonatal rats. Both alpha-MSH and ACTH-(4-10) favor the formation of morphologically normal end plates despite the trauma following nerve crush at postnatal day 2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Structural differences between noncorticotropic ACTH peptides result in marked differences in their effects on regenerating nerve and muscle in rats. The ACTH/MSH(4-10) analog BIM 22015 was administered IP in dosages from 0.1 to 40 micrograms/kg/48 h for 5, 7, or 11 days after peroneal nerve crush, and characteristics of extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle were studied and compared with ACTH/MSH(4-10). Eleven days postcrush 40 micrograms/kg BIM 22015 increases rate of development of tetanic tension and amplitude of contraction of indirectly stimulated EDL. In a 21-day study, reinnervated BIM 22015-treated muscles retain tetanic strength, whereas ACTH/MSH(4-10)-treated muscles are significantly weakened. Both peptides show neurotrophic characteristics in their stimulation of endplate nerve terminal branching. However, in contrast to ACTH/MSH(4-10), BIM 22015 also prevents denervation atrophy of the EDL. This dual neurotrophic and myotrophic role for BIM 22015 accords it a clinical potential for degenerative myopathies of either pure or mixed origin, such as muscular dystrophy, infantile spinal atrophy, and hypotonia.

Short peptide sequences of ACTH 1-39 (the ACTH 4-9 analog Org 2766, ACTH 4-10 and its analog BIM 22015, and ACTH 1-13 [alpha-MSH]), which do not stimulate the adrenal cortex, have profound effects on the developing and regenerating neuromuscular system, in neonatal and in adult rats. Both development and regeneration are accelerated, as indicated by improved morphological, electrophysiological, behavioral and biochemical parameters. Regeneration in the central nervous system is problematic but the ACTH peptides may provide protection for CNS neurons, enhance denervation sensitivity or permit compensatory processes which facilitate functional recovery. Neuronal cells in culture respond to ACTH peptides by greater neurite outgrowth, and in some cell types, by increased B-50 expression. In all cases, susceptibility to ACTH peptide treatment varies with cell type, age, the specific peptide administered, its dosage and pattern of administration. External stress and the gender of the animal are additional factors that interact with the neurotrophic actions of the melanocortins.

The analysis of pertinent energy components or affiliated characteristic times for hydraulic stimulation processes serves as an effective tool for fracture configuration designs optimization, and control. This evaluation, in conjunction with parametric sensitivity studies, provides a rational base for quantifying dominant process mechanisms and the roles of specified reservoir properties relative to controllable hydraulic fracture variables for a wide spectrum of treatment scenarios. Results are detailed for the following multi-task effort: (a) Application of characteristic time concept and parametric sensitivity studies for specialized fracture geometries (rectangular, penny-shaped, elliptical) and three-layered elliptic crack models (in situ stress, elastic moduli, and fracture toughness contrasts). (b) Incorporation of leak-off effects for models investigated in (a). (c) Simulation of generalized hydraulic fracture models and investigation of the role of controllable vaxiables and uncontrollable system properties. (d) Development of guidelines for hydraulic fracture design and optimization.

An attempt to improve the ductility in Cr modified Ni3Al alloys is made by means of microstructural control. In order to select an alloy composition such that it locates in the γ ' single phase region at 1000 °C and in the γ + γ ' two-phase region at 1200 °C of the Ni-Al-Cr ternary phase diagram, we first calculated γ and γ ' phase boundaries, using the Cluster Variation Method. Single crystal specimens with desired composition of Ni-19.5Al-7.5Cr at% were grown and homogenized at the above two temperatures for 72 hours and the mechanical properties were tested at room temperature. It is found that the elongation of specimen homogenized at 1200 °C is almost twice as large as that of one homogenized at 1000 °C. The theoretically predicted microstructures and the γ precipitates are also confirmed by optical, SEM micrographs and EDS analysis. It is concluded that a small amount of disordered γ phase precipitates in the γ ' matrix can drastically enhance the tensile ductility of Ni3Al (Ll2)-base alloys

A genetic polymorphism in the metabolism of the anticonvulsant drug mephenytoin in humans is a prime example of interracial and individual variability in drug metabolism. This polymorphism affects the metabolism of several other clinically used drugs, some of which are of interest in psychopharmacotherapy (1). The polymorphic enzyme that 4′-hydroxylates S -mephenytoin is known as CYP2C19 (2). In subjects deficient for CYP2C19, drugs metabolized by this enzyme may be associated with toxic concentrations or therapeutic failure when administered in dosages within the normal dosage range. Depending on the activity of CYP2C19, individuals can be characterized phenotypically as extensive metabolizers or poor metabolizers (PMs) of S -mephenytoin. CYP2C19 is encoded by the CYP2C19 gene, and its defective alleles account for the PM phenotype, which is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait (3). There is a marked interethnic difference in the distribution of this polymorphism, with the PM phenotype found in 2–5% of Caucasians but in 13–23% of Orientals (4)(5). The main defective allele, CYP2C192 , accounts for ∼75–85% of alleles responsible for the PM phenotype in both Orientals and Caucasians (4). CYP2C193 is extremely rare in …