Ensembles of learning machines are promising for software effort estimation (SEE), but need to be tailored for this task to have their potential exploited. A key issue when creating ensembles is to produce diverse and accurate base models. Depending on how differently different performance measures behave for SEE, they could be used as a natural way of creating SEE ensembles. We propose to view SEE model creation as a multiobjective learning problem. A multiobjective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) is used to better understand the tradeoff among different performance measures by creating SEE models through the simultaneous optimisation of these measures. We show that the performance measures behave very differently, presenting sometimes even opposite trends. They are then used as a source of diversity for creating SEE ensembles. A good tradeoff among different measures can be obtained by using an ensemble of MOEA solutions. This ensemble performs similarly or better than a model that does not consider these measures explicitly. Besides, MOEA is also flexible, allowing emphasis of a particular measure if desired. In conclusion, MOEA can be used to better understand the relationship among performance measures and has shown to be very effective in creating SEE models.


Most models of pricing embody a static, deterministic theory of value where the monetary amount people assign to an item is computed as a fixed function of its attributes. Preference reversals --- where prices assigned to gambles conflict with preference orders elicited through binary choices -- indicate that the response processes going into value assessments are important. In this paper, we additionally show that price responses are sensitive to time pressure, suggesting a dynamic underlying cognitive process. We also show that the elicited price distributions can possess strong positive or negative skew, indicating that diverging information is used to generate buying versus selling and certainty equivalent prices. We develop a computational cognitive model that predicts these continuous distributions of price responses and how they change over time, showing that it can account for the major dynamic and distributional properties of prices and decisions.


The purpose of this research was to determine the role of online media communication in efforts to improve tourism promotion in Bangka Regency. This type of research is a survey research with a qualitative-quantitative method approach (mix method). The subjects in this study were 110 respondents. The sample framework uses non probability sampling with accidental sampling technique. The scale used in this study is a Likert's scale. Data analysis uses in this research is descriptive analysis. Data were collected by inventory questionnaire, participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. Analysis of content validity was conducted by expert judgment and construct validity, reliability analysis was conducted using Cronbach's Alpha formula. Data were analyzed by correlation, simple regression, assisted by SPSS 22 ver. computer program. Simple linear regression analysis where to see the contribution made by online media communication as variable (X) to tourism promotion as variable (Y). The result showed that, the role of online communication by 12.5% in effort to increase tourism promotion in Bangka Regency and 87.50% (100% 12.50%). The results obtained through the calculation of the regression Y = 16,919 + 0,181 X, the coefficient of determination 16,919 + 0.181 (2) = 16,919 + 0.362 Y (Promotion) = 17,281. Hypothesis result, H0 was rejected and accepted H1, which means Online Media Communication has play Role to improve/ ingcreas tourism promotion in Bangka regency.


Eighty-three percent of nonelderly Americans and 99 percent of elderly Americans (aged 65 and over) were covered by either public or private health insurance in 1991, according to EBRI tabulations of the March 1992 Current Population Survey (CPS). The March 1992 CPS is the most recent data available on the number and characteristics of uninsured Americans. In 1991, 16.6 percent of the nonelderly population--or 36.3 million people--were not covered by private health insurance and did not receive publicly financed health assistance. This number compares with 35.7 million in 1990 (16.6 percent), 34.4 million in 1989 (16.1 percent), and 33.6 million in 1988 (15.9 percent). The most important determinant of health insurance is employment. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of the nonelderly have employment-based coverage. Workers were much more likely to be covered by group health plans than nonworkers (71 percent versus 40 percent). Even though workers and members of their families were more likely to be covered by health insurance than nonworkers, 85 percent of the uninsured lived in families headed by workers in 1991, primarily because most people lived in families headed by workers. More than 60 percent of uninsured were in families headed by full-year workers with no unemployment. Nearly all persons who were covered by an employment based-plan received at least some contribution to that plan from their employer. The estimated average annual contribution among those receiving a contribution to employee or family plans was $2,129. Although many individuals in poor families are covered by public health plans, that coverage is far from universal. In 1991, only 52 percent of the nonelderly with income below the poverty line were covered by a public plan--49 percent by Medicaid. The number of children who were uninsured in 1991 was 9.5 million, or 14.7 percent of all children, compared with 9.8 million or 15.3 percent of all children in 1990. Twenty-three percent of children were covered by public health insurance, with 21 percent being covered by Medicaid. In 11 states and the District of Columbia, more than 20 percent of the population was uninsured in 1991. These states and their uninsured rates were the District of Columbia (30.3 percent), Texas (25.3 percent), New Mexico (24.5 percent), Louisiana (23.8 percent), Florida (23.5 percent), Mississippi (22.1 percent), Oklahoma (22.1 percent), Nevada (21.8 percent), California (21.7 percent),Arizona (21.1 percent), Alabama (20.6 percent), and Idaho (20.6 percent).


The most common symptom Infectious spondyloarthritis occurs through the transmission of a microorganism by various routes, causing an infection in the spine. It can be diagnosed on any desired MRI based on clinical suspicion in the presence of an appropriate clinical manifestation (fever, pain, loss of strength) along with a significant increase in leukocyte, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) laboratory parameters. The definitive diagnosis is made by demonstration of the microorganism in the biopsy material. Since the disease is rare and low back pain is very common in the population, the diagnosis is often missed and delayed. [1] Therefore, it still remains an important cause of comorbidity. Delayed diagnosis of this disease, which can be treated with appropriate antibiotic therapy, may result in disability by causing neurological sequelae. [2] The aim of this review is to provide information about infectious spondylodiscitis at a level to manage the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up process, to keep this diagnosis in mind in patients with risk factors who present with back pain and local tenderness in the spine, especially in patients from endemic regions of tuberculosis and brucellosis, and to expand the investigation in this direction.


The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) precludes the filing of "second or successive" federal habeas corpus petitions—when a petitioner files a habeas petition for the second time, it will generally be dismissed. In Magwood v Patterson, the Supreme Court held that this prohibition did not bar the filing of a technically "second" habeas petition challenging aspects of a resentencing that resulted from the partial grant of the petitioner's prior habeas petition. Because this resentencing led to the entry of a new judgment, the Court explained, the petition was not barred by AEDPA as, while it was the petitioner's second filing overall, it was his first petition challenging this new judgment. This Comment addresses a question explicitly reserved by the Court in Magwood: whether its holding extends to petitioners who, rather than challenging an aspect of their resentencing, challenge an aspect of their conviction or sentence that predates and remains unaltered by the resentencing and resulting new judgment. The circuit courts are split as to this issue. Based on principles of statutory interpretation, this Comment concludes that Magwood should extend to cases in which a habeas petitioner challenges an undisturbed component of his conviction or sentence. This is first because of the principle that the statutory language of AEDPA must be interpreted the same way in all cases implicating the statute—the Supreme Court's holding turned on its interpretation of this language, and this language applies regardless of what claims are brought in a habeas petition. As the split among the lower courts stems in part from the courts' differing conceptions of what constitutes a new judgment, this Comment next turns to defining a judgment, concluding that the conviction and sentence comprise a single criminal judgment and each conviction and sentence does not have its own distinct judgment. Because there is only one judgment, a resentencing creates a new judgment with respect to all aspects of the case and, under Magwood, a habeas petition challenging any aspect of this new judgment is not second or successive. In addition, this extension of Magwood aligns with the purposes of AEDPA and better enables petitioners to bring meritorious challenges to the legality of their imprisonment.


∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC), an active ingredient of marijuana, evokes a number of biological effects including anti-cancer and anti-estrogenic actions. We and others have so far focused on and investigated the latter action. We recently reported that ∆9-THC up-regulates the expression of estrogen receptor β (ERβ, ESR2), resulting in the abrogation of 17β-estradiol (E2)-mediated ERα signaling (Takeda et al., Chem. Res. Toxicol., 26, 1073-1079, 2013). This finding may shed light on the possible endocrine-disrupting mechanism(s) employed by cannabinoids including ∆9-THC. Although previous studies have suggested that HU-210, a synthetic analog of ∆9-THC, evokes a set of endocrine alterations closely related to those of ∆9-THC, none have examined the effects of cannabinoids with a focus on the expression of ERβ, a "suppressive" molecule for ERα-mediated signaling. Thus, we herein determined whether HU-210 is also an endocrine modifier similar to ∆9-THC using ERα-positive MCF-7 cells in which the expression of ERβ is maintained at very low levels. The results of the present study revealed that HU-210, despite having a similar structure to ∆9-THC, did not modulate E2/ERα signaling or induce ERβ.


This article explores the practice of Rudolf Laban's Flow Effort as a form of touch which is perceived in the energetic, subtle body of the mover. Central to the discussion is a series of reflections on studio practices undertaken during the Covid-19 pandemic, in Laban for Actors classes, at Rose Bruford College in 2020. In these sessions students and teachers returned to studios wearing masks and maintained a two-meter distance: through studio practice we considered energetic touch without physical touch. In this article, I explore how Flow Effort can be perceived as vibration in the subtle somatic body of the mover, and how the interplay of intensive-extensive vibrational rhythms in body movement may constitute a kind of energetic touch. This field of 'energetic touch' radiates from the mover and is emphatically relational reflecting Laban's perception of touch as not simply proximal contact between people or things but as deeply regenerative and socially significant.


Background: Ureterocele is a cystic dilatation of the distal ureter. It remains a rare urologic condition in non-Caucasians and is even less common in adults. Single-system ureteroceles are usually found in adults, and thus the name adult ureterocele. Though uncommon, urologists practicing in this region should be acquainted with the management. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of folders of 10 adult patients who were admitted for surgical treatment of ureterocele in our center between 2000 and 2009 was done. The information obtained included: age, sex, type and number of ureterocele, associated disease, type of surgical intervention, complications, and follow-up. Results: The age range was 20-49 years, with a mean age of 31 years. Of these patients, seven were females and three were males. Six patients had unilateral ureterocele while four had bilateral disease, making a total of 14 ureteroceles. The presenting symptoms were flank pain and painful micturition, each occurring in 60% of the patients. Genitourinary tuberculosis was diagnosed in 4 (40%) patients. Other associated pathologies were impacted stone in the ureterocele and vesical schistosomiasis. The treatment was mainly by open method (70%), while the rest had endoscopic treatment. All the patients did well and there were no significant perioperative complications. Conclusion: The finding of associated pathology in our patients supports the theory of an acquired origin. Urologists practicing in this region need to have a high index of suspicion and be acquainted with the variable clinical presentations, radiographic features, and treatment options in order to be able to effectively manage these occasional cases.


Hyperandrogenism is a common disorder in the reproductive age female. It is associated with cutaneous manifestations and ovulatory dysfunction. The degree of hyperandrogenaemia is directly related to the severity of ovulatory dysfunction. The ovulatory dysfunction frequently leads to infertility. The most common form of hyperandrogenism is idiopathic glucocorticoid-suppressible hyperandrogenism (IGSH). The management of this disorder involves appropriate use of physiological doses of glucocorticoids. This treatment leads not only to normalization of serum androgen levels but also to amelioration of cutaneous symptoms and improvement in ovulatory function. In infertile women with ovulatory dysfunction secondary to IGSH, occurrence of pregnancy after treatment with glucocorticoids is directly related to the degree of the suppression of serum androgen levels. In other words, this treatment does not 'induce ovulation', but its effectiveness in improving ovulatory function is a result of a correction of the hyperandrogenic state. At physiological doses glucocorticoid therapy does not appear to be associated with significant side-effects. With appropriate management, androgen levels can be maintained within the normal range indefinitely. Furthermore, in a majority of patients, androgen levels remain within the normal range for a long time (years) after discontinuation of chronic glucocorticoid therapy.


In recent years neural computing has emerged as a practical technology, with successful applications in many fields. The majority of these applications are concerned with problems in pattern recognition, and make use of feedforward network architectures such as the multilayer perceptron and the radial basis function network. Also, it has become widely acknowledged that successful applications of neural computing require a principled, rather than ad hoc, approach. (From the preface to "Neural Networks for Pattern Recognition" by C.M. Bishop, Oxford Univ Press 1995.) This NATO volume, based on a 1997 workshop, presents a coordinated series of tutorial articles covering recent developments in the field of neural computing. It is ideally suited to graduate students and researchers.


Objective While cognition can be affected during sensorimotor multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses, the relevance of isolated cognitive relapses (ICRs ie, those occurring in absence of new sensorimotor symptoms) remain poorly characterised. Here, we decided to explore the relationship between ICR, subjective evaluation of cognitive performance and long-term cognitive decline in a group of subjects with relapsing-remitting MS. Methods We analysed the cognitive performance of 99 clinically stable relapsing-remitting MS for whom data from four consequent clinical and cognitive evaluations were available, that is, a baseline evaluation (t0), followed in the subsequent 6 months by a second evaluation performed not later than 2 weeks after a routine brain scan positive for at least one area of gadolinium enhancement (t1) and two gadolinium enhancement-negative follow-up evaluations after 6 months (t2) and 1 year (t3) from t1. Based on published literature, we defined as a meaningful change in cognition a transient reduction of Symbol Digit Modalities Test score of at least four points at t1 compared with t0 and t2. Results ICRs were found in 17 patients and were not associated with subjective cognitive deficits or depression. Subjects who presented with an ICR at t1 presented with a significantly reduced cognitive performance at the follow-up evaluations compared with patients without ICR. Conclusions and relevance We showed that ICRs were not associated with changes in mood, fatigue levels or cognitive performance self-evaluations. Our study introduces an operational definition of ICRs and suggests to their role as a factor for cognitive decline in MS.


Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of minocycline in the management of HIV-associated cognitive impairment. Methods: We enrolled HIV-positive participants with a CD4 count of 250 to 500 cells/μL in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. They received 100 mg of minocycline or matching placebo orally every 12 hours for 24 weeks. Cognitive function was measured using the Uganda Neuropsychological Test Battery Summary Measure (U NP Sum) and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering (MSK) scale. The primary efficacy measure was the 24-week change in an average of 9 standardized U NP Sum z scores. Results: Seventy-three participants were enrolled. Of these, 90% were female, 49% were between the ages 30 and 39 years, and 74% had 6 or more years of education. One participant had MSK score of stage 1 (i.e., mild HIV dementia), and 72 participants had MSK stage 0.5 (i.e., equivocal or subclinical dementia) at the baseline evaluation. The minocycline effect on the 24-week change of the U NP Sum compared with placebo was 0.03 (95% confidence interval −0.51, 0.46; p = 0.37). Conclusion: Minocycline was safe and well tolerated in HIV-positive individuals. However, it did not improve HIV-associated cognitive impairment. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class II evidence that 100 mg of minocycline given orally every 12 hours for 24 weeks had no significant effect compared with placebo in the improvement of cognitive function in antiretroviral therapy–naive, HIV-positive patients.


of Dissertation Multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1) is a member of the adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. MRP1 actively effluxes a variety of endogenous and exogenous substrates from cells, ultimately, working to remove these compounds from the body. MRP1 was initially discovered based on its ability to confer resistance against a variety of chemotherapeutics when overexpressed in cancer cells lines. MRP1 function is important for a number of physiological processes, including regulating cellular and extracellular levels of the anti-inflammatory leukotriene C4 (LTC4) and the antioxidant glutathione (GSH). Our studies have focused on the role of MRP1 in regulating hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal and differentiation and the role of CK2 as a regulator of MRP1 function. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) cellular levels are tightly regulated and fluctuations in ROS levels affect many cellular processes, including the self-renewal and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells and kinase signaling pathways. MRP1 regulates ROS through the transport of reduced and oxidized GSH. MRP1 is highly expressed in HSCs, therefore we hypothesized that MRP1 regulates ROS levels in HSCs via efflux of GSH. We have shown that MRP1 regulates HSC self-renewal by modulating cellular ROS via the efflux of GSH. The decrease in ROS results in downregulation of p38 activity and altered expression of a number of redox response genes. CK2 is a master regulator of the cell and controls cell growth, proliferation, death and survival. Yeast studies from our lab using Ycf1p (a homologue of MRP1) and Cka1p (a homologue of CK2) have found that Cka1p regulates Ycf1p function. This result suggests that CK2 regulates MRP1 function via phosphorylation. We have found that CK2 does regulate MRP1 function via phosphorylation of the N-terminal extension at Thr249. Using A549, H460, and HeLa cancer cell lines, we found that inhibition of CK2 with tetrabromobenzimidazole (TBBz) reduces MRP1 function and increases cellular toxicity to known MRP1 substrates. MRP1: A TARGET FOR HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL DISEASES


The problem of estimating the transfer function of a linear, stochastic system is considered. The transfer function is parametrized as a black box and no given order is chosen a priori. This means that the model orders may increase to infinity when the number of observed data tends to infinity. The consistency and convergence properties of the resulting transfer function estimates are investigated. Asymptotic expressions for the variances and distributions of these estimates are also derived for the case that the model orders increase. It is shown that the variance of the transfer function estimate at a certain frequency is asymptotically given by the noise-to-signal ratio at that frequency mulliplied by the model-order-to-number-of-data-points ratio.


AIMS
Structural and functional heterogeneities in cardiac tissue have been implicated in conduction block and arrhythmogenesis. However, the propensity of specific sites within the heart to initiate conduction block has not been systematically explored. We utilized cardiomyocyte cultures replicating the realistic, magnetic resonance imaging-measured tissue boundaries and fibre directions of ventricular cross-sections to investigate their roles in the development of conduction block.

METHODS AND RESULTS
The Sprague-Dawley neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were micropatterned to obtain cultures with realistic ventricular tissue boundaries and either random or realistic fibre directions. Rapid pacing was applied at multiple sites, with action potential propagation optically mapped. Excitation either failed at the stimulus site or conduction block developed remotely, often initiating reentry. The incidence of conduction block in isotropic monolayers (0% of cultures) increased with the inclusion of realistic tissue boundaries (17%) and further with realistic fibre directions (34%). Conduction block incidence was stimulus site-dependent and highest (77%) with rapid pacing from the right ventricular (RV) free wall. Furthermore, conduction block occurred exclusively at the insertion of the RV free wall into the septum, where structure-mediated current source-load mismatches acutely reduced wavefront and waveback velocity. Tissue boundaries and sharp gradients in fibre direction uniquely determined the evolution, shape, and position of conduction block lines.

CONCLUSION
Our study suggests that specific micro- and macrostructural features of the ventricle determine the incidence and spatiotemporal characteristics of conduction block, independent of spatial heterogeneities in ion channel expression.


This PhD thesis contributes new empirical knowledge to the question of what paths bilingual acquisition of sound structure can take in early simultaneous bilinguals. The issues of language differentiation and interaction are considered in their relationship to language input, crosslinguistic structure and longitudinal effects.

Two Russian-Scottish English subjects aged between 3;4 and 4;5 were recorded longitudinally. Russian was spoken in their families, and Scottish English in the community (Edinburgh, UK). The family environments were similar, but one subject had received substantially more input in Russian than the other one. We addressed the detail of their production of prominent syllable-nuclear vowels in Scottish English and in Russian with regard to their vowel quality, duration and vocal effort. Language differentiation and interaction patterns were derived by accounting for the language mode, and by statistical comparison of the crosslinguistic structures to the speech of monolingual peers (n=7) and adults (n=14).

Subjects' bilingual results revealed both substantial language differentiation and systematic language interaction patterns. The extent of language differentiation and directionality of interaction depended on the amount of language exposure. Its directionality did not necessarily depend on the markedness of the crosslinguistic structures, and could be bi-directional for the same properties. Longitudinally, language differentiation increased, while interaction reduced. The amount of reduction depended on both language input and the structural complexity of the languages with segmental tense/lax contract and complex postvocalic vowel duration conditioning showing more persistent language interaction effects.

The results confirmed the importance of language input. We showed that in bilingual phonological development language interaction should be considered as a normal but non-obligatory process. Besides, some structurally complex processes potentially explainable by 'markedness' (applied to isolated segments) could rather be explained by lexical and phonotactic factors.


This study aims to analyze the Diyala weir problems and compares it with the safe limit and proposes the treatment for these problems. One of the most influencing problems in the site of weir was the formation of the hydraulic jump, it was found that the scour occurs due to the position of the hydraulic jump and the sequence depth of the jump is higher than the tail water depth. Some treatment procedures are suggested, these treatments cover this problem by presenting a suitable stilling basin as well as recommended to use a low weir at end of basin to produce a back water curve that should be increase the stage of tail water and ensuring the stability of a hydraulic jump .


Author(s): Handy, Susan | Abstract: Cars provide an unparalleled level of mobility but have negative financial, public health, environmental, and social impacts. Reducing the need for driving in California would produce a range of household- and community-level benefits. Driving is associated with adverse health effects (e.g., obesity, high blood pressure, depression, injuries, fatalities), while commuting by walking or biking provides numerous physical and mental health benefits. A reduction in driving would also improve public health by decreasing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. It would save substantial sums of money: households spend about $9,000/year or 16% of their expenses on private vehicle ownership (2017 data) and the state spends over $500 million per year on highway maintenance. A less car-dependent society would also be more equitable for those with limited income or limited physical abilities who cannot drive, to the benefit not just of those individuals but the community as a whole. While it is not realistic in the foreseeable future for most Californians to live without their cars, it is possible to decrease car dependence. Doing so requires a shift away from a century-old prioritization of the goal of reducing vehicle delays over other important goals. Creating a less car-dependent world is not necessarily more costly to the public and can be achieved over time through changes in land use and transportation planning practices. Answers to many of the frequently asked questions about such efforts are provided.View the NCST Project Webpage


A new approach to single channel speech enhancement is proposed using a modified a priori SNR and spectral gain control. The proposed approach is first directed toward finding self adaptive averaging factor to estimate the apriori SNR. Next, spectral gain is reduced in order to suppress effects of the noise in the speech absent frames. Further, in the speech present frames, in order to reduce signal distortion, the spectral gain is controlled to be unity based on an SNR calculated by using a ridgeline spectrum. Finally, the original noisy speech is added to the estimated speech in a ratio is controlled by the long term averaged SNR of the estimated noise and the noisy speech. Computer simulations by using speech signals, the white noise, the car noise and the babble noise have been carried out using several available methods and the proposed method. It is observed that there is improvement in speech quality by the proposed method.


The popularity of microblogging, with special emphasis on twitter, the most famous application of the kind, is growing rapidly. This kind of tools for micro-exchange of information and communication is changing the daily life of knowledgeable worker as well as Internet savvy people. From this perspective this paper aims to show how Twitter can be used during conferences, and furthermore how different people are using it. With the help of a survey and analysis of the collected data, benefits regarding the use of a microblogging tool such as Twitter can be presented. The publication shows evidence on how Twitter can enhance the knowledge of a given group or community by micro-connecting a diverse online audience. Statistical data was also used to support this research.


Iron-deficiency anemia is a common anemia (low red blood cell or hemoglobin levels) caused by insufficient dietary intake and absorption of iron, and/or iron loss from bleeding which can originate from a range of sources such as the intestinal, uterine or urinary tract.Iron deficiency causes approximately half of all anemia cases worldwide, and affects women more often than men. World estimates of iron deficiency occurrence are somewhat vague, but the true number probably exceeds one billion people, This is a descriptive study carried out on 1365 patients in different age and gender in the Department of hematology at special Laboratory in south Amman the capital of Jordan between January 2012 to December 2013 using a Celtic instruments and blood film for identification of anemia. The subjects, Red blood cell size and color, concentration of hemoglobin, the percentage of blood volume, were further confirmed for iron deficiency anemia Ferritin test were done. Objective was to determine the Prevalence of Iron deficiency Anemia in childbearing age, adolescent girls, menopause age , toddlers and finally adult male. Prevalence of Iron deficiency Anemia was found to be the predominant in the population which was 42.8 %. Among the Iron deficiency Anemia positive (37.5% females, 15% males) . Iron deficiency Anemia was in female more than male . We conclude iron deficiency are still relatively common in adolescent girls, and women of childbearing age. alarming condition about Iron deficiency Anemia in Jordan.


REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY
Endotoxaemia is frequently presumed on the basis of clinical signs in horses with colic.

OBJECTIVE
Measurements of plasma endotoxin (LPS) are rarely made in clinical cases and there is little information on the correlations between this variable, clinical variables and outcomes.

OBJECTIVES
To measure LPS levels in plasma of horses presented to the Philip Leverhulme Equine Hospital on admission and daily for up to 4 days and to relate LPS levels to selected clinical parameters, such as heart rate and packed cell volume, and outcomes.

METHODS
Blood samples were collected and stored at -20°C prior to assay of the plasma using a validated kinetic chromogenic Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) assay. Clinical parameters and outcome variables were collected from hospital records. Associations were determined by Chi-squared test and logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS
Daily blood samples were collected from 234 horses. LPS was detected in 26.5% of the study population and in 29% of those horses presented for colic. Horses providing samples with detectable LPS were more likely to die whilst in the hospital than those that did not (P = 0.045). Horses presenting with colic were more likely to have detectable LPS in their plasma than noncolic cases (P = 0.037), although LPS was detected in the plasma of 8 out of 42 noncolic horses. A horse that did not meet the study definition of clinical endotoxaemia was 10 times less likely to provide a positive LPS sample (OR 0.10, 95% CI: 0.05-0.22).

CONCLUSIONS
The proportion of horses providing samples with detectable LPS was similar to other studies.

POTENTIAL RELEVANCE
LPS was detected in the minority of horses presented with colic. Increased levels of LPS positively correlated with packed cell volume and with risk of mortality in colic cases.


This work analyzes the use of the mortar element method and moving band technique to perform the movement in electrical machines. To improve the accuracy of the methods, high order hierarchic interpolation is used on the interface between moving and fixed parts. Results with first, second, and third order hierarchic interpolation are shown in order to compare conforming and nonconforming approaches.


Abstract Microplastic particles (MPs) less than 5 mm in size swirl and bob in freshwaters and seas around the world. To familiarize college biology students with the pressing issue of microplastic pollution and designing their own experiments, I assigned investigatation into whether marine copepods (Tigriopus californicus) or freshwater cladocerans (Daphnia magna) ingest MPs in the laboratory. Groups of students produced a title, hypothesis, and annotated bibliography. They developed their experiments in a project planning table. They carried out three weeks of experiments. Students wrote papers or gave poster presentations. They wrote reflections that revealed expected gains, such as recognition of the importance of sample size, and more nuanced gains, such as developing personal views on working with live organisms. The students found that 20 µm of blue MPs could be seen within the digestive tract and released fecal pellets of Tigriopus californicus within 24 hours. And, 20 µm of red MPs accumulated in the digestive tract of Daphnia magna within two days. The ingestion did not increase death rates over controls (in keeping with much published research on this topic). Students had the opportunity to see and reflect on the direct interaction of organisms with plastic pollution.


Background: The influence of smoking on the natural history of HPV infection in men is not well understood. Smoking could influence the incidence and persistence of HPV infections by suppressing local immune function, increased cellular proliferation, upregulated proinflammatory factors, or induced host DNA damage resulting in increased susceptibility to infection. The purpose of this analysis is to assess prevalent HPV infections by smoking status in men, and to determine baseline risk of HPV infection associated with smoking. Methods: The HPV in Men (HIM) study is a multinational prospective study of the natural history of HPV infections in men. Samples from the coronal sulcus, glans penis, shaft, and scrotum were combined for HPV DNA testing. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between smoking and any-, oncogenic-, and nononcogenic HPV infections. Results: Our analyses revealed that current smoking was associated with an increased risk of any HPV infection (OR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.01–1.41) and oncogenic HPV infection (OR = 1.24; 95% CI: 1.05–1.47). However, the association between smoking and any HPV infection (OR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.05–1.73) and oncogenic HPV infection (OR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.11–1.92) was only evident among men reporting fewer lifetime sexual partners. Discussion: These results suggest that current smokers with the fewest number of sexual partners are associated with an increased risk for oncogenic HPV infection. Impact: The relationship between smoking and HPV infection remains understudied in men; these data shed new light on the interplay between smoking, sexual activity, and risk of HPV infection. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(1); 102–10. ©2011 AACR.


In the paper authors verify two problems of methods of operational research in optical burst switching. The first problem is at edge node, related to the medium access delay. The second problem is at an intermediate node related to buffering delay. A correction coefficient K of transmission speed is obtained from the first analysis. It is used in to provide a full-featured link of nominal data rate. Simulations of the second problem reveal interesting results. It is not viable to prepare routing and wavelength assignment based on end-to-end delay, i.e. link's length or number of hops, as commonly used in other frameworks (OCS, Ethernet, IP, etc.) nowadays. Other parameters such as buffering probability must be taken into consideration as well. Based on the buffering probability an estimation of the number of optical/electrical converters can be made. This paper concentrates important traffic constraints of buffered optical burst switching. It allows authors to prepare optimization algorithms for regenerators placement in CAROBS networks using methods of operational research.


The relationship of host and symbionts is complex and dynamic. Symbionts can significantly impact host phenotypes and parasite epidemics may be influenced by interactions among symbionts. Aphids are well known for their symbiotic associations with bacteria. However, few studies have examined the offsprings of parasitized host and the ecological implications of a dynamic microbiome longitudinaly. In the present study, we surveyed the microbiota in non-parasitized aphids and parasitized aphids its offspring for over four consecutive generations by using high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing. Across hosts, parasite strongly altered symbiont composition of parasitized aphids offspring, especially in the fourth generation. Moreover, parasitism reduced weight and reproductive capacity of the parasitized offspring and influenced parasite epidemics. Taken together, these results indicate that parasitoids can influence host-microbiome interactions by altering the symbionts composition in the host offspring. Our findings further supports the importance host-parasite-microbiome tirad interactions, which can create intense reciprocal selection resulting in coevolution between species.


In this paper we present the design of a fin-like dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) that drives a miniature autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). The fin-like actuator is modular and independent of the body of the AUV. All electronics required to run the actuator are inside the 100 mm long 3D-printed body, allowing for autonomous mobility of the AUV. The DEA is easy to manufacture, requires no pre-stretch of the elastomers, and is completely sealed for underwater operation. The output thrust force can be tuned by stacking multiple actuation layers and modifying the Young's modulus of the elastomers. The AUV is reconfigurable by a shift of its center of mass, such that both planar and vertical swimming can be demonstrated on a single vehicle. For the DEA we measured thrust force and swimming speed for various actuator designs ran at frequencies from 1 Hz to 5 Hz. For the AUV we demonstrated autonomous planar swimming and closed-loop vertical diving. The actuators capable of outputting the highest thrust forces can power the AUV to swim at speeds of up to 0.55 body lengths per second. The speed falls in the upper range of untethered swimming robots powered by soft actuators. Our tunable DEAs also demonstrate the potential to mimic the undulatory motions of fish fins.


• A new test, involving the use of a suspension of latex particles, was applied to 1,606 samples of serum from 907 patients whose clinical diagnoses, whether of rheumatic disease or otherwise, had been established. The latex particles in stock suspension had a fairly uniform mean diameter of 1.17 microns. For the test they were mixed with borate buffer and gamma globulin. When the serum to be tested is added to this mixture it may or may not cause aggregation of the particles. A positive test is indicated by discernible aggregation, which can be read with the naked eye. Of 291 patients who met the clinical criteria for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, 245 (84.2%) showed positive latex fixation tests; the 46 instances of false-negative reactions have been studied. Of 414 patients with rheumatic disease other than rheumatoid arthritis, 399 (96.3%) gave negative latex fixation reactions; the 15 false-positive reactions have likewise been studied. The test was as reliable as are the various sheep cell agglutination tests now used for serologic detection of rheumatoid arthritis, and it had the advantage of being simple, very inexpensive, fast, and clinically useful.


CrN films with deposition rates of 30-190 nm/min were deposited on Si (111) substrates by middle-frequency magnetron sputtering methods. XRD, SEM, EDS and microhardness tests were used to investigate the effects of bias voltages and total gas pressure on the structure and mechanical properties of the resulting CrN films. With the increasing of bias voltages and total gas pressure, the preferential diffraction orientation changed from (111) to (200). A smooth surface was observed by the SEM experiments and the thickness of the film was about 2 µm. The deposition rates and Cr content of resulting films were highly influenced by the magnitude of the bias voltage and total gas pressure. RMS and Ra properties of the CrN films increased when increased total gas pressure or decreased bias voltage. CrN films produced under optimal conditions have an almost 1:1 Cr:N ratio as determined by EDS. The hardness of the CrN film increased from 2200 to 2700 HV when increased the bias voltages from 0 to 200 V.


This paper is about distance education design in a CSCL framework, building on theories of communities of practice. One teacher and nine student groups in higher education have been followed during one course. An analysis is made on1098 posted contributions, and interviews made with all participants. The result shows that the teacher says she is embraced by socio cultural theories. However, in practice she carries through the course in a constructivist manner, leaving it up to the students to form their pedagogical practice to a great extent on their own. Structuring assignments, feedback, designing for the unexpected, teacher as a co-learner, are aspects highlighted in the analysis.


In our increasingly multicultural world, people manage their multiple cultural identities in a number of different ways. This study examines two mechanisms that individuals use in negotiating cultural identities: hybridising, which is characterised by picking and choosing the desirable elements from two or more cultures and blending them together in a novel way, and alternating, which involves shifting identities depending on the circumstances. The study also investigates how these styles are affected by contextual factors and how they are related to mental health outcomes. The data were collected through a 12-day diary study with 870 Hispanic university students. Multilevel modelling was used to examine longitudinal relationships between the hybrid and alternating cultural identity styles, perceived negative context of reception, and psychological well-being. The main findings are that within individuals, negative perceptions of the context of reception predict greater alternating style, and the alternating style, in turn, predicts greater depression, while the hybrid style leads to increased well-being. Reciprocal relationships between these variables were also found. Although preliminary, findings also show that the alternating and hybrid identity styles operate in a reciprocal relationship. The within-individual approach, which allows us to report idiosyncratic changes in the cultural identity styles in response to the context of everyday life, makes a unique contribution to understanding how bicultural individuals negotiate multiple cultural identities.


In this paper the authors' aim is to reflect on the impact the Sars-CoV-2 Pandemic has had and is still having on our external and internal reality, in terms of individual and collective implications. In an open dialog with colleagues and patients, through a psychoanalytic viewpoint capable of respecting the suffering and the solutions identified by the Ego-subject within the "therapeutic dance", it was possible during this period to observe movements and processes underlying these changes. Throughout the paper, the authors highlight both difficulties and resources that the patients put in play within the relational space and the need to "reconfigure" them; our focus is on the creativity and the repercussions this event, significant for the majority of the Society, has had on the practices and beliefs of each of us. The peculiar experience of loneliness and isolation, faced during this pandemic emergency, has profoundly transformed and shaped our living space, demanding a collective reorganization of the social space and thus forcing us to rethink our humanity. In the relational exchange, the possibility of finding one's own space to exist and to inhabit one's present, can be unfolded. A shared resilience is necessary to face current challenges.


For the requirement of pipeline station construction project, Grade X80 Longitudinally Submerged Arc Welded (LSAW) induction bend pipe 1422 mm in diameter and wall thickness greater than 25 mm have been developed for pipeline station service applications at −45 °C. The mother pipe of the bends was welded by Ni-Cr-Cu-Mo-Nb-V micro-alloyed Thermo Mechanical Control Process (TMCP) steel plates. After the heat cycle of the bent pipe manufacturing, the microstructure of the base material of the bent pipe consisted of lath bainite ferrite (LBF) and granular bainite (GB). Therefore, it can obtain high strength and excellent low temperature toughness, which can meet the requirements of the project. On the other hand, the welding of the longitudinal seam-welds of the bend mother pipe uses a typical multi-wire two-pass submerged arc welding (SAW) process, which has a large amount of welding heat input. This results in a coarse columnar weld structure with a large amount of fine acicular ferrite so that the seam weld still has a good low temperature impact toughness. However, after the thermal cycling of the bend, the acicular ferrite in the microstructure of the weld metal was greatly reduced, and the grain size was unevenly distributed, which caused the low temperature toughness of the weld metal to deteriorate significantly. In order to solve this problem, the Gleeble3500 thermal simulation test machine was used to test the phase transition critical point Ac3 of the base material and the seam weld metal of the mother pipe. In order to optimize the induction bend process parameters, the influence of heating temperature, cooling rate and tempering temperature on microstructure and mechanical properties were examined. In addition, on the basis of the existing welding process, the welding wire and flux for pipe-making seam-welding were improved, and the pipe-making welding process of the bent mother pipe was improved.


To be a coherent and genuinely alternative conception to the shareholder model, any moral stakeholder theory must meet the following conditions: (1) It must be an ethical theory; (2) It must identify a limited group as stakeholders; (3) The group must be identified on morally relevant grounds; (4) Stakeholder claims must be non-universal; (5) And not held against everyone. A principle for identifying the stakeholder is suggested as a person who has much to lose – financially, socially, or psychologically – by the failure of the firm. The emerging picture contrasts sharply with the conventional conception of the firm.


We present an external-cavity wavelength-tunable laser with a semiconductor optical amplifier-modulator monolithically integrated on the gain chip. The modulator chirp is analyzed, and it is explained how the chirp can be partially cancelled by self-phase modulation in the transmission fiber. Full C-band transmission of 2.5-Gb/s data over 360 km is demonstrated with small power penalty


This document is the report for Work Package 7 (WP7) of the EU-funded project Power2Youth (P2Y). WP7 provides an overview of the key policy messages for the EU that arise from the research conducted as part of Work Packages 1–6. These key messages are: (1) young people face multiple forms of marginalization, with the exact nature and combination depending on their social circumstances (including but not exclusively nationality, place of residence, socio-economic class, religion, sect, gender and clan); (2) the problems faced by young people in the South and East Mediterranean (SEM) countries are reminiscent of those faced by young people in the EU; however, they are often faced in more extreme form (e.g., rates of graduate unemployment) and some are quite different (e.g., the extreme levels of political and personal insecurity endured by SEM young people); (3) although young people are particularly vulnerable to processes of marginalization, these processes are not exclusive to them and are indicative of deeper structural problems (political and economic) affecting populations as a whole; (4) the processes that do most to marginalize young people (and people more generally) are not currently addressed by national policies; in fact, national policies can exacerbate young people's problems; and (5) policy-making, or interventions in support of national policy-making, by external actors can also exacerbate the problems when they inadvertently endorse government policies that perpetuate deep structural problems such as authoritarianism, corruption or over-reliance on a weak private sector to create demand for labour. This report also offers a set of guiding principles for EU policymakers based on conclusions drawn from across the Power2Youth projects. To be aligned with these principles, all policies should: (1) ensure that they "do no harm"; (2) recognize that, predominantly, young people's problems are not "problems with young people" but reflect deep-seated structural weaknesses of SEM states; and (3) be helpful to young people – which means tackling these problems.


Celiac disease is one of the most prevalent digestive conditions. Diagnosis requires that strict criteria are used so that a life-long gluten-free diet may be correctly prescribed. Although genetic susceptibility has been known for a long time, there have been elusive environmental factors that lead to the occurrence of clinical disease. Many studies have addressed the identification of environmental modifiers, and different lines of research have been tried with variable success and even contradictory results. Infections and age of gluten introduction into the diet in the first few months of life have been evaluated, but a firm relationship could not be established. A recent paper addresses a fascinating hypothesis that could explain how some infectious agents might modulate the immune system and modify response to dietary antigens. Subsequently, animal models with genetic susceptibility were tested, and, indeed, there was abnormal response to gluten. These observations still do not provide final answers about the pathophysiology of celiac disease but certainly lead to progress in the knowledge of gluten sensitization and the role of some environmental factors.


Abstract The relationship between Jorge Luis Borges' and Edgar Allan Poe's short fiction has attracted the attention of several literary critics over the past twenty-five years (Irwin, Bennett, and various others). This conversation, however, pays little attention to Poe's significant presence in Borges' literary criticism from the 1920s through 1986. This essay examines Borges' literary relationship with Poe as seen in Borges' literary criticism—articles, lectures, book-reviews, prologues, and interviews—and in various archival manuscripts and notations that Borges left behind. These materials demonstrate that Borges perennially re-read Poe and that his references to Poe's work shifted Poe's reputation in the Río de la Plata region and throughout Spanish America from poet to fiction writer.


Understanding the internal structure of our planet is a fundamental goal of the earth sciences. As direct observations are restricted to surface outcrops and borehole cores, we rely on geophysical data to study the earth's interior. In particular, seismic reflection data showing acoustic images of the subsurface provide us with critical insights into sedimentary, tectonic, and magmatic systems. However, interpretations of these large 2D grids or 3D seismic volumes are time-consuming, even for a well-trained person or team. Here, we demonstrate how to automate and accelerate the analysis of these increasingly large seismic data sets with machine learning. We are able to perform typical seismic interpretation tasks such as mapping tectonic faults, salt bodies, and sedimentary horizons at high accuracy using deep convolutional neural networks. We share our workflows and scripts, encouraging users to apply our methods to similar problems. Our methodology is generic and flexible, allowing an easy adaptation without major changes. Once trained, these models can analyze large volumes of data within seconds, opening a new pathway to study the processes shaping the internal structure of our planet.


SUMMARY Neuronal ensembles that hold specific memory (memory engrams) have been identified in the hippocampus, amygdala, and cortex. It has been hypothesized that engrams for a specific memory are distributed among multiple brain regions that are functionally connected. Here, we report the hitherto most extensive engram map for contextual fear memory by characterizing activity-tagged neurons in 409 regions using SHIELD-based tissue phenotyping. The mapping was aided by a novel engram index, which identified cFos+ brain regions holding engrams with a high probability. Optogenetic manipulations confirmed previously known engrams and revealed new engrams. Many of these engram holding-regions were functionally connected to the CA1 or amygdala engrams. Simultaneous chemogenetic reactivation of multiple engrams, which mimics natural memory recall, conferred a greater level of memory recall than reactivation of a single engram ensemble. Overall, our study supports the hypothesis that a memory is stored in functionally connected engrams distributed across multiple brain regions.


This article foregrounds the public voices of children of gay and lesbian parents in Australia. In doing so, it contributes to scholarship about these children but its focus is one that has been only partially explored. It begins by showing how children's welfare continues to be the ground on which both homophobic and pro-gay public discourse stakes territory. The article documents the emergence in Australia, since the early 2000s, of a new self-defined subject position, evident in a range of Internet sources. The article analyzes the ways in which the voices which speak from this position are both constituted by the pro-gay discourse and also speak back to it. Three themes are identified and analyzed: resistance to the binary opposition of the child at risk versus the prospering child, responses to heteronormativity and homophobia, and the "love makes a family" discourse. While the children of gay and lesbian parents are not immune to the public discourses that create them as objects of debate, attention to their self-consciously political voices reveals that they also resist the norms of the pro-gay position (and the homophobic position) and begin to create space for a more diverse picture of their lives.


Multiway spatial join is a common and heavyweight type of query for spatial data processing on relational database management systems. This article presents a complete solution to process this type of query in distributed systems. We proposed a cost-based optimizer for multiway spatial join queries, based on a novel use of multidimensional histograms, which are used to represent two metrics that describe a dataset: cardinality and size of the spatial objects, together with one feature that represents the location of the dataset partitions in the cluster. A new method for histogram construction is proposed, together with a formula to estimate the cost of multiway spatial join queries and to select good executions plans. A greedy algorithm is proposed to schedule query execution while minimizing both the makespan and the communication cost. We adapted the Clone Join algorithm to improve its execution time and to process multiway spatial join queries. The evaluation demonstrated that the new method for histogram construction performs better than a well-know method, and provides a better estimate for the cost of execution plans in 75% of the queries evaluated. The cost estimated by the proposed method is shown to be sufficiently close to real execution times, and our complete methodology was able to use the estimated costs to select the best execution plan for all queries used in the experiments. It also provided a nearly exact ordering of the query execution plans with respect to execution time.


The destruction of small unilamellar egg phosphatidylcholine vesicles in rat plasma was monitored by measuring release of encapsulated 125I-poly(vinylpyrrolidone) or carboxyfluorescein and by determining transfer of radiolabelled phosphatidylcholine to plasma lipoproteins by means of gel filtration. The susceptibility of the vesicles to the destructive action of plasma increased with decreasing vesicle size, as observed by incubating plasma with individual fractions constituting the small-vesicle peak on Sepharose CL-2B. This results in selective destruction of small vesicles when heterogeneous vesicle populations are incubated with plasma. Samples of homogeneous vesicle populations were incubated with a wide range of plasma concentrations, which resulted in extents of solute and phospholipid release ranging from 10 to 90%. When the extents of solute release were plotted against the extents of lipid release a linear, virtually 1:1, relationship was found, for both carboxyfluorescein and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) as the solute. This suggests that the release of solutes from small unilamellar phosphatidylcholine vesicles as a result of their interaction with plasma (lipo)proteins involves the total destruction of a fraction of the vesicles, the magnitude of which is determined by the vesicle: plasma ratio. Our results argue against a previously presented view suggesting that the interaction between such vesicles and plasma results in the formation of pores through which encapsulated solutes diffuse at Mr-dependent rates [Kirby & Gregoriadis (1981) Biochem. J. 199, 251-254]. The discrepancies between the two studies in observations as well as in interpretation are discussed.


Australian experience reveals an increasingly post-truth approach to economic evaluation, with governments ignoring or avoiding professional expertise when promoting their favoured projects and policies. Lack of formal guidelines for economic evaluation, such as those promulgated by Congress and successive American presidents, are a partial explanation. A concomitant hollowing-out of public service expertise in economic analysis has also occurred. More importantly, public sector agencies have even lost much of their capability to understand and assess evaluations carried out on their behalf by commercial consultants. An effective antidote to this deskilling would be the production and publication of analyses of major government policy and project proposals, as well as the development of a standardised analytical framework, reinforced with training for public servants.


A numerical study was conducted to evaluate the performance of wall mounted fuel-injectors designed for potential Supersonic Combustion Ramjet(S CRAM -jet) engine applications. The focus of this investigation was to numerically simulate existing combustor designs for the purpose of validating the numerical technique and the physical models developed. Three different injector designs of varying complexity were studied to fully understand the computational implications involved in accurate predictions. A dual transverse injection system and two streamwise injector designs were studied. The streamwise injectors were designed with swept ramps to enhance fuelair mixing and combustion characteristics at supersonic speeds without the large flow blockage and drag contribution of the transverse injection system. For this study, the Mass-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations and the chemical spdties continuity equations were solved. The computations were performed using a finite-volume implicit numerical technique and multiple block structured grid * Principal Research Scientist, Member AIAA. CopyrightQc 1992 by American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. No copyright is asserted in United States under Title 17, U. S. Code. The U. S. Government has a royalty free license to exercise all rights under the copyright claimed herein for Governmental purpose. All other rights are reserved by the copyright owner. system. The interfaces of the multiple block structured grid systems were numerically resolved using the fluxconservative technique. Detailed comparisons between the computations and existing experimental data are presented. These comparisons show that numerical predictions are in agreement with the experimental data. These comparisons also show that a number of turbulence model improvements are needed for accurate combustor flowfield predictions.


The porosity of an asteroid is important when studying the evolution of our solar system through small bodies and for planning mitigation strategies to avoid disasters due to asteroid impacts. Our knowledge of asteroid porosity largely relies on meteorites sampled on Earth. However, chondrites sampled on Earth are suggested to be sorted by strength. In this study, we obtained an estimate of the most porous structure of primordial "granular" chondrite parent bodies based on measurements of the compaction behavior of chondrite component analogs. We measured compaction curves of dust and dust–bead mixture samples. The dust sample consisted of various spherical and irregular particles with diameters on the order of 100–101 μm. The mixture sample consisted of dust and beads with different dust volume fractions (∼0.2–1). We used 1.5 and 4.8 μm particles as dust as a first step, although the typical size of materials in matrix may be much smaller. We approximated the compaction curve of each sample with a power-law form and calculated the porosity structure of the primordial chondrite parent bodies using the experimental results. Our results show that the primordial parent bodies are likely to have higher porosity than the chondrites. Moreover, the relatively higher volume fraction of the matrix may be one of the reasons why most meteorites with high porosity are carbonaceous chondrites.


Aim: This study aimed to understand the role of music in increasing the exercise performance. Method: Ninety seven volunteers (54 male, 43 female) were subjected to isotonic exercise (sub maximal treadmill work) on three consecutive days. The exercise protocol on the first day consisted of rest, exercise for 5 min, and then rest. On the second day, they were asked to exercise and rest with slow music and the third day with fast music. Parameters such as Pulse rate, SBP and DBP were measured for the pre-and post-exercise periods. Bruce protocol and BORG scale of rating of perceived exertion was used. Post exercise recovery was also correlated with gender and BMI. Results: It was found that listening to music during exercise has favorable influence on cardio vascular variables like pulse rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and also lessens individual's perception of exertion. Slow music favoring recovery of PR &DBP (p>0.05), fast music hastens SBP recovery (p=0.003). Conclusion: The study concluded that music hastens post exercise recovery and slow music has greater relaxation effect than fast or no music.


One of the most studied transcription factors in hematopoiesis is the leucine zipper CCAAT-enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα), which is mainly involved in cell fate decisions for myeloid differentiation. Its involvement in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is diverse, with patients frequently exhibiting mutations, deregulation of gene expression, or alterations in the function of C/EBPα. In this review, we emphasize the importance of C/EBPα for neutrophil maturation, its role in myeloid priming of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, and its indispensable requirement for AML development. We discuss that mutations in the open reading frame of CEBPA lead to an altered C/EBPα function, affecting the expression of downstream genes and consequently deregulating myelopoiesis. The emerging transcriptional mechanisms of CEBPA are discussed based on recent studies. Novel insights on how these mechanisms may be deregulated by oncoproteins or mutations/variants in CEBPA enhancers are suggested in principal to reveal novel mechanisms of how CEBPA is deregulated at the transcriptional level.


Johnson, G.D. 2018. Orthacanthus platypternus (Cope, 1883) (Chondrichthyes: Xenacanthiformes) teeth and other isolated vertebrate remains from a single horizon in the early Permian (Artinskian) Craddock Bonebed, lower Clear Fork Group, Baylor County, Texas, USA. Acta Geologica Polonica, 68 (3), 421–436. Warszawa. An unusual 6–8 cm layer of prismatic cartilage and matrix containing some 8,800 teeth, coprolites, incomplete occipital spines, and denticles of Orthacanthus platypternus (Cope, 1883) occurs in the lower Permian (Artinskian) Craddock Bonebed in Texas, USA. It is the only species of shark present in the Clear Fork Group except for three worn Xenacanthus Beyrich, 1848 occipital spine fragments and two teeth of ?Lissodus (Polyacrodus) zideki (Johnson, 1981) (Hybodontoidei), both being the first occurrences in this unit. Analysis of measurements of teeth with complete bases randomly selected from 3,050 initially available teeth failed to reveal the presence of sexual dimorphism or the discrete presence of juveniles as expected, based on an independent study which identified the presence of Orthacanthus juvenile occipital spines. A few highly symmetrical small teeth are present, which had not been previously observed in the Texas lower Permian. They may be symphyseals and restricted only to juveniles. Other unusual teeth include germinal teeth and deformed teeth, both of which occur in the Clear Fork and underlying Wichita groups. One tooth displays an apparent example of the equivalent of an "enamel pearl" on one of its cusps. The most unusual teeth are those that appear to have undergone various stages of resorption. Only the lingual margin of the base is affected in which the apical button is resorbed to varying degrees until only the labial margin with the basal tubercle and the three cusps are all that remain. If the teeth were undergoing resorption, then the perplexing problem is why the apical button is resorbed and not the superjacent basal tubercle. Other vertebrate remains include palaeoniscoid scales and teeth and unidentified tetrapod bone fragments, jaw fragments, and teeth. Rare fragments of bones (scales?) bear a "comb edge" which have not been previously observed in the Texas lower Permian.


The mental health of young people is a pressing concern in global development. However, there is little research on how young adults report their own mental health. The interview data gathered in this study (n = 74) explored young adults' well-being during the transition period from care to independent living under an English local authority and in Finland. Participatory action research methods were employed. The interview schedule included 71 open and closed questions, and was analysed by content and summarised using the SPSS software application and Excel tables. The themes concerning mental health and social relationships were divided into three categories: 'They have been there for me', 'My friends are the only ones' and 'They just guided me'. Participants who felt they had supportive social networks also felt their mental well-being and security to be better than those who did not. Overall, the findings demonstrated that good, significant social relations provided a sense of security but did not guarantee a positive mental outlook. Exploring young adults' own evaluations of their social networks provides social work practitioners with sensitive information with which to find ways for young people to support their mental health in their own terms.


Background: Patient's adherence to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) regimen has a critical effect on its outcome. There is a great interest to assess the impact of pharmacist counselling, treatment characteristics, patient's knowledge, patient's socio-demographic and medical history on medication adherence and H. pylori eradication rate. Objectives: This study assessed the impact of pharmacist counselling, patient's knowledge, socio-demographic and medical history on medication adherence and H. pylori eradication rate. Methods: This is a prospective, randomised, controlled study, conducted on Jordanian H. pylori infected outpatients. A total of 200 patients have volunteered and met the inclusion criteria that were randomly assigned for intervention and control groups. To avoid the contamination between these patients, the study population was separated by a reasonable geographical distance and there was no relationship between them. Each group consisted of 100 patients, the intervention group was subjected to pharmacist counselling, then followed-up for 14 days, while the control group went through normal hospital procedure. Medication adherence in both groups was assessed by the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 (MMAS-8) and pill count method. Data were collected from patients in both groups through questionnaires, medical records and laboratory test results. Four weeks following the completed eradication regimen, both groups were subjected to stool antigen test and dyspeptic symptoms assessment to confirm H. pylori eradication. Data were analysed by the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS v20). Results and Discussion: 51.5% of patients were male, where their mean age was 44.9 ± 14.9 years. There were significant differences ' (MS) = Main Supervisor (CS) = Co Supervisor in medication adherence by pill count (27.0%, 45.5%), by MMAS-8 scale (28.5%, 46.0%o), and a significant difference in eradication rate (27.5%, 43.5%) after applying pharmacist counselling. However, pharmacist counselling was not a significant predictor of medication adherence and H. pylori eradication rate. There was no association between the patient's socio-demography and medical history with medication adherence. The relationships between the regimen complexity and side effect with medication adherence and H. pylori eradication rate were significant. Furthermore, regimen complexity was a significant predictor of medication adherence with P < 0.05, while regimen side effect was not a predictor of medication adherence and both were not predictors of H. pylori eradication rate. There was a significant difference in a sufficient patient's knowledge after receiving pharmacist counselling with 25.5% and 50.5%o. Furthermore, the relationships between a patient's knowledge with medication adherence (measured by pill count and MMAS-8 scale) and the eradication rate were significant. The patient's knowledge was a good predictor of medication adherence and H. pylori eradication rate. The association of medication adherence with H. pylori eradication rate was a significant predictor of eradication with P < 0.05. Successful H. pylori eradication significantly improved dyspeptic symptoms. Conclusion: This study reflects the importance role of pharmacist counselling, patient's knowledge and patient's medication adherence in successful eradication rate, whereas patients who received pharmacist counselling exhibited a sufficient knowledge and a perfect rate of medication adherence and in turn lead to successful H. pylori eradication.


ABSTRACT Two investigational anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (anti-MRSA) β-lactams, ceftaroline (a cephalosporin) and ME1036 (a carbapenem), were subjected to susceptibility testing by reference broth microdilution methods using 152 strains of community-acquired MRSA from the United States (47 medical centers). Ceftaroline and ME1036 were 64- and >128-fold more potent than ceftriaxone, respectively. All isolates had the Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec type IV, while 67.8% of isolates displayed pulsed-field gel electrophoresis clonal type USA300-0114.


Given one or more query vertices, Community Search (CS) aims to find densely intra-connected and loosely inter-connected structures containing query vertices. Attributed Community Search (ACS), a related problem, is more challenging since it finds communities with both cohesive structures and homogeneous vertex attributes. However, most methods for the CS task rely on inflexible pre-defined structures and studies for ACS treat each attribute independently. Moreover, the most popular ACS strategies decompose ACS into two separate sub-problems, i.e., the CS task and subsequent attribute filtering task. However, in real-world graphs, the community structure and the vertex attributes are closely correlated to each other. This correlation is vital for the ACS problem. In this vein, we argue that the separation strategy cannot fully capture the correlation between structure and attributes simultaneously and it would compromise the final performance.
 In this paper, we propose Graph Neural Network (GNN) models for both CS and ACS problems, i.e., Query Driven-GNN (QD-GNN) and Attributed Query Driven-GNN (AQD-GNN). In QD-GNN, we combine the local query-dependent structure and global graph embedding. In order to extend QD-GNN to handle attributes, we model vertex attributes as a bipartite graph and capture the relation between attributes by constructing GNNs on this bipartite graph. With a Feature Fusion operator, AQD-GNN processes the structure and attribute simultaneously and predicts communities according to each attributed query. Experiments on real-world graphs with ground-truth communities demonstrate that the proposed models outperform existing CS and ACS algorithms in terms of both efficiency and effectiveness. More recently, an interactive setting for CS is proposed that allows users to adjust the predicted communities. We further verify our approaches under the interactive setting and extend to the attributed context. Our method achieves 2.37% and 6.29% improvements in F1-score than the state-of-the-art model without attributes and with attributes respectively.


Author(s): Notton, Timothy | Advisor(s): Weinberger, Leor S | Abstract: Effective population-level control of viral infections faces significant challenges including: how to therapeutically target the highest-risk populations, circumvent behavioral barriers, and overcome pathogen persistence and resistance mechanisms. A potential solution to overcome these barriers is the use of transmissible antivirals such as defective interfering particles (DIPs) or recently-proposed therapeutic interfering particles (TIPs). These transmissible antivirals are molecular parasites and transmit by 'piggybacking' on wildtype viral replication. By competing effectively for pools of common goods produced by the wildtype virus, DIPs/TIPs can interfere with wildtype virus replication and reduce viral loads in patients. As obligate parasites, TIPs would transmit via the same risk factors and transmission routes as wildtype viruses, automatically reaching high-risk populations, and thereby substantially limiting viral transmission even in resource-poor settings.At present, methods to generate such transmissible antivirals are ad hoc and rely on either expert knowledge to rationally design transmissible antivirals or a laborious and often lengthy process of prospecting for rare, spontaneously-occurring subgenomic mutants. Thus, while deletion mutants of human viruses are desired for use as viral vectors, live-attenuated vaccines, and transmissible antivirals, modern technologies to generate them at scale are not available.We introduce a new tool to overcome this barrier: a high-throughput method to generate diverse libraries of barcoded viral deletion mutants (g 1E5 unique mutants) at modest expense in a period of fewer than 5 days. The method is scalable and cyclical: viral strains with multiple deletions can be obtained by iterating the process. As proof of concept, we demonstrate the construction and screening of libraries of g 23, 000 barcoded deletion mutants of HIV-1 and g 90, 000 barcoded deletion mutants of Zika virus (ZIKV). Through repeated in vitro passage and deep sequencing of the pooled viral mutants, we are able to comprehensively map the cis-acting elements of HIV-1 and ZIKV at single base resolution. Moreover, we are able to track the prevalence of each barcoded deletion mutant through in vitro passage, and identify a subset of deletion mutants that are efficiently mobilized and amplified by the wildtype virus.For HIV-1, our results recapitulate empirical reports of cis-acting elements in the literature. We identify four cis-acting regions in the HIV-1 genome which could not be complemented in trans: (1) 5' LTR through the matrix domain of Gag, (2) cPPT/CTS, (3) RREthrough SA7, (4) PPT through 3' LTR. Thus the minimal proviral size of an HIV-1 vector with two intact LTRs is approximately 2.6 kbp.For ZIKV, we identify two cis-acting regions: (1) 5' UTR though C, (2) NS2A through the 3' UTR. We show that deletions which induce frameshift of the common open reading frame do not persist, in agreement with a basic mechanism of flaviviral replication. These results suggest a model where Pr, M, E, and NS1 can be provided in trans, but not C, NS2A/B, NS3, NS4A/B, and NS5.Finally, we use the information garnered in the HIV-1 screen to construct a library of transmissible antivirals. Use a modular cloning strategy, we assemble a combinatorial library of multiply-deleted mutants that are composed of a subset of adaptive HIV deletion mutants. We find that mutants with deletions of the accessory region vif –vpu, when combined with gag/pol deletions, interfere with wildtype virus replication and transmit efficiently in single round studies. These results suggest a model of interference where transcriptional asymmetry allows this subset of deletion mutants to compete effectively for a common pool of capsid proteins provided by the wildtype virus.Taken in whole, we show that we have developed a framework for generating transmissible antivirals from first principles. The method is of general use in virology, where the technology can be used to generate live-attenuated vaccines, viral vectors, and replicons, as well as to understand fundamental principles of viral replication and genetics in diverse viral systems. It is of particular interest in emerging viral infections, where therapies must be quickly generated and deployed.


Despite the introduction of new technology and new ways to make payments, the Survey of Consumer Payment Choice (SCPC) finds that consumer payment behavior has remained stable over the past decade. In the 10 years of the survey, debit cards, cash, and credit cards consistently have been the most popular payment instruments. In 2017, U.S. consumers ages 18 and older made 70 payments per month on average. Debit cards accounted for 31.8 percent of those monthly payments, cash for 27.4 percent, and credit cards for 23.2 percent. The SCPC continues to measure new ways to shop and pay and found that the increase in the number of purchases made online between 2015 and 2017 is statistically significant. In 2017, consumers on average made 5.6 online purchases per month, which account for 8 percent of all transactions and are up from 6.9 percent of all transactions in 2015. Use of mobile technologies continued to grow: In 2017, one-third of consumers made a mobile payment, compared with one-fourth in 2015. Compared with the findings for 2015, a greater share of credit card adopters paid their balance in full at the end of the month in 2017: 45 percent in 2017 versus 41 percent in 2015.


Previous studies have often highlighted macro factors as explaining the adoption and use of cell phones in developing economies. However, micro factors, which directly affect the end user's motivations, have been underinvestigated. We examine the influence of micro factors on both individuals' attitude toward and their use of cell phones. Data were collected through a survey of 463 cell-phone users in Guinea. Results show that mobility, familiarity, social influence, and resources possession influence the attitude toward and the use of cellular telephones. In contrast, the hypothesis that subscription conditions are the main influence on cell-phone use is not verified.


Missing data present challenges in data analysis. Naive analyses such as complete-case and available-case analysis may introduce bias and loss of efficiency, and produce unreliable results. Multiple imputation (MI) is one of the most widely used methods for handling missing data which can be partly attributed to its ease of use. However, existing MI methods implemented in most statistical software are not applicable to or do not perform well in high-dimensional settings where the number of predictors is large relative to the sample size. To remedy this issue, we develop an MI approach that uses dimension reduction techniques. Specifically, in constructing imputation models in the presence of high-dimensional data our approach uses sure independent screening followed by either sparse principal component analysis (sPCA) or sufficient dimension reduction (SDR) techniques. Our simulation studies, conducted for high-dimensional data, demonstrate that using SIS followed by sPCA to perform MI achieves better performance than the other imputation methods including several existing imputation approaches. We apply our approach to analysis of gene expression data from a prostate cancer study.


The problem of programming scalable multicore processors has renewed interest in message-passing languages and frameworks. Such languages and frameworks are typically actor-oriented, implementing some variant of the standard Actor semantics. This paper analyzes some of the more significant efforts to build actor-oriented frameworks for the JVM platform. It compares the frameworks in terms of their execution semantics, the communication and synchronization abstractions provided, and the representations used in the implementations. It analyzes the performance of actor-oriented frameworks to determine the costs of supporting different actor properties on JVM. The analysis suggests that with suitable optimizations, standard Actor semantics and some useful communication and synchronization abstractions may be supported with reasonable efficiency on the JVM platform.


: A patient with no previous relevant history presented with recurrent cerebral hemorrhages of which he died 4 years 5 months after the onset. On autopsy, an amyloid angiopathy was present and localised to the cerebrovascular system. Hemorrhages were associated with some small infarcts in the subcortical regions. The leptomeninges and the cortical arteries were mostly involved by an infiltration mainly in the adventitia and media. There were no senile plaques in the cortex. The amyloid deposit present in the senile plaques and in the vessel walls of the amyloid angiopathy could be the result of two distinct pathological processes.


We look at mothers who have lost parental responsibility and who have been ordered to spend no or at best minimal supervised time with their child(ren). Our case sample included 50 recent interim and final first instance judgments heard in the Federal Circuit Court or the Family Court, as well as 13 judgments from the Family Court of Australia Full Court. We discover that the nature and quality of the pre-existing attachment of mother and child are outweighed by a view that the child(ren) would be at an unacceptable risk of harm in the mother's care attributable to some sort of maternal dysfunction or an inability to acknowledge (and/or treat) its impact on her parenting capacity. The most common maternal harm identified by judicial officers was emotional and included the mother's inability to facilitate a meaningful relationship between the father and his child(ren); in some matters this derived from the mother's concerns about physical or sexual harm perpetrated by the father. In addition, decision-making themes found in our analysis included siblings, children's views and the important role of the independent children's lawyer and family consultant. We conclude by highlighting areas of concern and make recommendations to prevent inconsistencies and undue influence in proceedings.


This article examines how rural communities living in flood-prone river basins of Cambodia and Fiji have responded to increasing variability of floods and other natural hazards under the influence of climate change and other risk factors. Particular emphasis is placed on risk perceptions and adaptive strategies of households and communities with regard to regular and catastrophic floods and how the livelihoods of vulnerable groups are affected by floods and other climate-induced disasters. Our research approach integrates the food, water and energy security nexus with the rural livelihood framework. The study aims at identifying the spatial extent and dynamics of flood events and determining the factors that enhance adaptive capacities of flood-affected communities and households. Our study finds that access to resources as well as local socio-cultural contexts are important determinants of coping and adaptation practices at the community and household level in the two countries. Findings also suggest that research participants had a profound understanding of flood flows, extent and impacts that complements knowledge gained from hydrological and remote sensing methods. We conclude that blending local and scientific knowledge is a promising approach to enhancing adaptive capacity and resilience. ABStrACt INStruCtIoN: Set the StArt PAge oF thIS ArtICle Below. eNSure PArAgrAPh Style "MetA__FIrSt-PAge" IS uSed.


Investigation and Development of Energy Saving Techniques for Modern x86 Platforms with a Special Emphasis on Embedded Environments by Sven Plaga In recent times there is a growing emphasis on energy saving solutions for processor-based systems of all types, and there is a particular emphasis on energy-saving solutions to sustain battery life in portable and remote equipment. Some 75 percent of the world's data processing solutions employ the x86 processor technology, in one form or another, as the underlying computing architecture. However, the ubiquitous x86 technology is characterized by high dissipation loss in relation to its computing power. Despite this significant drawback, the x86 technology is used in many applications, including embedded processor solutions. This research project is concerned with the development of a novel technical solution which will help to make x86 based embedded systems more energy efficient. The work focuses on the widely-used PICMG COM Express Standard. The proposed solution defines an intelligent interface, referred to as the "Embedded Controller Management Interface", which is used to optimise the energy management for the embedded system. This "Embedded Controller Management Interface" is implemented by using a dedicated microcontroller to handle the various energy management tasks. The prototype implementation consists of an adapter which includes a FPGA and an ARM-7 microcontroller to perform the various measurements. The collected data can be accessed remotely via Ethernet and is provided to the DUT (device under test) using a standardised Application Programming Interface (API) or a standard bus system, such as the I2C. The work in this project includes background theoretical research for energy use in embedded systems, measurements of energy use in embedded systems, and the requirements specification and design for the special management interface board. The circuit implementations for some selected core modules are presented and test results for the research work to date are presented. The results of this research work show it is possible to monitor the electrical power consumption of an embedded module in order to perform instantaneous on-line energy profiling.


Isotopic (δ17O and δ18O) measurements of stratospheric and mesospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2), along with trace species concentrations (N2O, CO, and CO2), were made in samples collected from a rocket-borne cryogenic whole air sampler. A large mass-independent isotopic anomaly was observed in CO2, which may in part derive from photochemical coupling to ozone (O3). The data also require an additional isotopic fractionation process, which is presently unidentified. Mesospheric O2 isotope ratios differed from those in the troposphere and stratosphere. The cause of this isotopic variation in O2 is presently unknown. The inability to account for these observations represents a fundamental gap in the understanding of the O2 chemistry in the stratosphere and mesosphere.


Although
interfacial solution structure impacts environmental, biological and
technological phenomena, including colloidal stability, protein assembly,
heterogeneous nucleation, and water desalination, its molecular details remain
poorly understood. Here, we visualize the three-dimensional (3D) hydration
structure at the boehmite(010)-water interface using fast force mapping (FFM). Using
a self-consistent scheme to decouple long-range tip-sample interactions from
short-range solvation forces, we obtain the solution structure with lattice
resolution. The results are benchmarked against molecular dynamics simulations
that explicitly include the effects of the tip with different levels of approximation
and systematically account for tip size, chemistry, and confinement effects. We
find four laterally structured water layers within one nanometer of the surface,
with the highest water densities at sites adjacent to hydroxyl groups. The
findings reveal a complex relationship between site-specific chemistry, water
density, and long-range particle interactions; and represent a major step
forward towards quantitative data interpretation and widespread implementation
of 3D FFM.


Borrowing items, equipment, media, and booking study rooms are all part of circulation services in the Ray W. Howard library.


This briefing paper begins by tracing the development of the Community Payback Order in Scotland, paying particular attention to how the concept has been defined and conceptualised. The paper offers an interpretation of how Community Payback can, and even should, be understood, and then explores some of the challenges around delivering this vision of Community Payback.


Underwater robots typically rely on acoustic sensors like sonar to perceive their surroundings. However, these sensors are often inundated with multiple sources and types of noise, which makes using raw data for any meaningful inference with features, objects, or boundary returns very difficult. While several conventional methods of dealing with noise exist, their success rates are unsatisfactory. This paper presents a novel application of conditional Generative Adversarial Networks (cGANs) to train a model to produce noise-free sonar images, outperforming several conventional filtering methods. Estimating free space is crucial for autonomous robots performing active exploration and mapping. Thus, we apply our approach to the task of underwater occupancy mapping and show superior free and occupied space inference when compared to conventional methods.


This paper estimates the level of transient and persistent efficiency in the use of electricity in Swiss households using the generalized true random effects model (GTREM). A panel dataset of 1, 994 Swiss households from 2010 to 2014 collected via a household survey is used to estimate an electricity demand frontier function. We further investigate whether energy and investment literacy have an influence on the household electricity consumption. The results show significant inefficiencies in the use of electricity among Swiss households, both transient (11%) and persistent (22%). We note that the high persistent inefficiency is indicative of structural problems faced by households and systematic behavioral shortcomings in residential electricity consumption. These results indicate a considerable potential for electricity savings and thus reaching the reduction targets defined by the Swiss federal council as part of the Energy Strategy 2050, wherein end-use efficiency improvement is one of the main pillars. The results support a positive role of energy and, in particular, investment literacy in reducing household electricity consumption. Policies targeting an improvement of these attributes could help to improve efficiency in the use of energy within households.


An analysis of a continuous-time bandpass sigma–delta modulator in a configuration with an upconverter is given for a RF class D amplifier application. The upconverter multiplies the modulator pulse train with a synchronised clock signal and maps each modulator bit to an integer multiple k of a (+1, −1) or (−1, +1) pattern depending on the sign of the modulator bit. The upconversion is equivalent to an extension of Manchester encoding, which is usually defined for k=1. The analysis focuses on evaluating the impact of upconversion on the modulator coding efficiency and the average pulse period. A design equation is derived, which shows that coding efficiency is dependent only on the upconversion frequency ratio, while the average pulse period depends only on k. The equations provide a designer with a way of evaluating the trade-offs in the amplifier system and show that encoding with k=1 is the most efficient configuration for maximising coding efficiency and minimising switching power loss.


Climate shocks are predicted to increase in magnitude and frequency as the climate changes, notably impacting poor and vulnerable communities across the Tropics. The urgency to better understand and improve communities' resilience is reflected in international agreements such as the Paris Agreement and the multiplication of adaptation research and action programs. In turn, the need for collecting and communicating evidence on the climate resilience of communities has increasingly drawn questions concerning how to assess resilience. While empirical case studies are often used to delve into the context-specific nature of resilience, synthesizing results is essential to produce generalizable findings at the scale at which policies are designed. Yet datasets, methods and modalities that enable cross-case analyses that draw from individual local studies are still rare in climate resilience literature. We use empirical case studies on the impacts of El Niño on smallholder households from five countries to test the application of quantitative data aggregation for policy recommendation. We standardized data into an aggregated dataset to explore how key demographic factors affected the impact of climate shocks, modeled as crop loss. We find that while cross-study results partially align with the findings from the individual projects and with theory, several challenges associated with quantitative aggregation remain when examining complex, contextual and multi-dimensional concepts such as resilience. We conclude that future exercises synthesizing cross-site empirical evidence in climate resilience could accelerate research to policy impact by using mixed methods, focusing on specific landscapes or regional scales, and facilitating research through the use of shared frameworks and learning exercises.


There is a need to design computational methods to support the prediction of gene regulatory networks (GRNs). Such models should offer both biologically meaningful and computationally accurate predictions which, in combination with other techniques, may improve large-scale integrative studies. This paper presents a new machine-learning method for the prediction of putative regulatory associations from expression data which exhibit properties never or only partially addressed by other techniques recently published. The method was tested on a Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene expression data set. The results were statistically validated and compared with the relationships inferred by two machine-learning approaches to GRN prediction. Furthermore, the resulting predictions were assessed using domain knowledge. The proposed algorithm may be able to accurately predict relevant biological associations between genes. One of the most relevant features of this new method is the prediction of adaptive regulation thresholds for the discretization of gene expression values, which is required prior to the rule association learning process. Moreover, an important advantage consists of its low computational cost to infer association rules. The proposed system may significantly support exploratory large-scale studies of automated identification of potentially relevant gene expression associations.