Search

An analytical hierarchy process (AHP)-based three-level assessment system (including target, criterion, and index) was established to cover all elements relevant to rural road maintenance management. This paper applies the artificial intelligence (AI)-based fuzzy neural network approach to the rural road maintenance management evaluation to handle problems related to knowledge acquirement and accumulation that is essential to comprehensive evaluation. Modular design, coupled with fuzzy theory and the neural network approach, was employed to tentatively develop a rural road maintenance management assessment model with built-in expert knowledge. Indexes in this model are initially fuzzified according to fuzzy theory, then analyzed in the multi-layer neural network, and conversely defuzzified to produce data that support and finalize the rural road maintenance management assessment. An example was given to illustrate the working mechanism of this assessment system, and to prove the feasibility and validity of the fuzzy neural network-based assessment model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generally angiogenic factors induce the expression of E-selectin in vascular endothelial cells in the tumors. In this study, we employed an anti-E-selectin monoclonal antibody to target tumors in vivo and evaluated an optical imaging reagent to visualize tumor regions. The anti-E-selectin antibody was conjugated on the surface of liposomes, which encapsulated the near-infrared fluorescent substances Cy3 or Cy5.5. The liposomes efficiently recognized human umbilical vein endothelial cells only when E-selectin was induced by angiogenic factors such as TNF-alpha in vitro. Cy5.5 encapsulated into liposomes that were conjugated with an anti-E-selectin antibody successfully visualized Ehrlich ascites tumor cells when transplanted into mice. Thus, E-selectin targeting with liposomes containing a near-infrared fluorescent dye was found effective in visualizing tumors in vivo. This strategy should be extremely useful as a method to identify sentinel lymphatic nodes and angiogenic tumors as well as use for drug delivery to tumor cells., (2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)