Quantification of four ionophores in soil, sediment and manure using pressurised liquid extraction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bak, Søren Alex; Hansen, Martin; Pedersen, Kenneth Munk

2013-01-01

A multi-residue pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) methodology has been established for the determination of the four ionophores: lasalocid, monensin, salinomycin and narasin in solid environmental matrices. The PLE methodology is combined with solid phase extraction as clean-up using liquid...... chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry applying electrospray ionisation for detection. The samples were freeze-dried prior to extraction. The absolute recoveries for soil and sediment ranged from 71 to 123% (relative standard deviation (RSDs) below 16%) and in the range 94-133% (RSDs 9...

Salinomycin, A Polyether Ionophoric Antibiotic, Inhibits Adipogenesis

Science.gov (United States)

Szkudlarek-Mikho, Maria; Saunders, Rudel A.; Yap, Sook Fan; Ngeow, Yun Fong; Chin, Khew-Voon

2012-01-01

The polyether ionophoric antibiotics including monensin, salinomycin, and narasin, are widely used in veterinary medicine and as food additives and growth promoters in animal husbandry including poultry farming. Their effects on human health, however, are not fully understood. Recent studies showed that salinomycin is a cancer stem cell inhibitor. Since poultry consumption has risen sharply in the last three decades, we asked whether the consumption of meat tainted with growth promoting antibiotics might have effects on adipose cells. We showed in this report that the ionophoric antibiotics inhibit the differentiation of preadipocytes into adipocytes. The block of differentiation is not due to the induction of apoptosis nor the inhibition of cell proliferation. In addition, salinomycin also suppresses the transcriptional activity of the CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ. These results suggest that the ionophoric antibiotics can be exploited as novel anti-obesity therapeutics and as pharmacological probes for the study of adipose biology. Further, the pharmacological effects of salinomycin could be a harbinger of its toxicity on the adipose tissue and other susceptible target cells in cancer therapy. PMID:23123626

Effects of ionophores and antibiotics on in vitro hydrogen sulfide production, dry matter disappearance, and total gas production in cultures with a steam-flaked corn-based substrate with or without added sulfur.

Science.gov (United States)

Quinn, M J; May, M L; Hales, K E; DiLorenzo, N; Leibovich, J; Smith, D R; Galyean, M L

2009-05-01

Effects of 3 ionophores and 2 antibiotics on in vitro H(2)S production, IVDMD, total gas production, and VFA profile with or without added S were examined. In Exp. 1, ruminal fluid from 2 ruminally cannulated steers fed a steam-flaked corn-based diet (75% concentrate) without ionophore and antibiotics for 28 d before collection was used to inoculate in vitro cultures. Treatments were control (no ionophore or antibiotic), 3 ionophores (lasalocid sodium and monensin sodium at 5 mg/L or laidlomycin propionate at 1.65 mg/L), and 2 antibiotics (chlortetracycline hydrochloride at 5 mg/L and tylosin tartarate at 1.25 mg/L). Cultures also had 0 or 1.75 mg of S/L (from sodium sulfate). No S x ionophore-antibiotic treatment interactions were noted (P > 0.53) for IVDMD, total gas production, and H(2)S production. Hydrogen sulfide (mumol/g of fermentable DM) was increased (P production tended (P = 0.09) to be increased with additional S; however, IVDMD was not affected by added S (P = 0.90). Production of H(2)S was not affected by ionophores or antibiotics (P > 0.18). On average, IVDMD (P = 0.05) was greater for ionophores than for antibiotics, whereas total gas production was less for ionophores than for control (P antibiotics (P 0.20) in acetate, propionate, or acetate:propionate between ionophores and control (S x treatment interaction, P = 0.03). In Exp. 2, the effects of ionophore-antibiotic combinations with added S were examined using the same procedures as in Exp. 1. Treatments were control, monensin plus tylosin (MT), and lasalocid plus chlortetracycline (LCTC), with concentrations of the ionophores and antibiotics as in Exp. 1. No differences were observed among treatments for H(2)S production (P > 0.55). Treatments MT and LCTC tended (P = 0.06) to increase IVDMD and decreased (P = 0.02) gas production vs. control. Proportion of acetate (P = 0.01) and acetate:propionate (P antibiotics we evaluated did not affect production of H(2)S gas in an in vitro rumen culture

Salinomycin, a polyether ionophoric antibiotic, inhibits adipogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szkudlarek-Mikho, Maria; Saunders, Rudel A.; Yap, Sook Fan; Ngeow, Yun Fong; Chin, Khew-Voon

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Salinomycin inhibits preadipocyte differentiation into adipocytes. ► Salinomycin inhibits transcriptional regulation of adipogenesis. ► Pharmacological effects of salinomycin suggest toxicity in cancer therapy. -- Abstract: The polyether ionophoric antibiotics including monensin, salinomycin, and narasin, are widely used in veterinary medicine and as food additives and growth promoters in animal husbandry including poultry farming. Their effects on human health, however, are not fully understood. Recent studies showed that salinomycin is a cancer stem cell inhibitor. Since poultry consumption has risen sharply in the last three decades, we asked whether the consumption of meat tainted with growth promoting antibiotics might have effects on adipose cells. We showed in this report that the ionophoric antibiotics inhibit the differentiation of preadipocytes into adipocytes. The block of differentiation is not due to the induction of apoptosis nor the inhibition of cell proliferation. In addition, salinomycin also suppresses the transcriptional activity of the CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ. These results suggest that the ionophoric antibiotics can be exploited as novel anti-obesity therapeutics and as pharmacological probes for the study of adipose biology. Further, the pharmacological effects of salinomycin could be a harbinger of its toxicity on the adipose tissue and other susceptible target cells in cancer therapy.

Salinomycin, a polyether ionophoric antibiotic, inhibits adipogenesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szkudlarek-Mikho, Maria; Saunders, Rudel A. [Department of Medicine, Biochemistry and Cancer Biology, Center for Diabetes and Endocrine Research, College of Medicine, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614 (United States); Yap, Sook Fan [Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Pre-Clinical Sciences, University of Tunku Abdul Rahman (Malaysia); Ngeow, Yun Fong [Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603 (Malaysia); Chin, Khew-Voon, E-mail: khew-voon.chin@utoledo.edu [Department of Medicine, Biochemistry and Cancer Biology, Center for Diabetes and Endocrine Research, College of Medicine, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614 (United States)

2012-11-30

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Salinomycin inhibits preadipocyte differentiation into adipocytes. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Salinomycin inhibits transcriptional regulation of adipogenesis. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Pharmacological effects of salinomycin suggest toxicity in cancer therapy. -- Abstract: The polyether ionophoric antibiotics including monensin, salinomycin, and narasin, are widely used in veterinary medicine and as food additives and growth promoters in animal husbandry including poultry farming. Their effects on human health, however, are not fully understood. Recent studies showed that salinomycin is a cancer stem cell inhibitor. Since poultry consumption has risen sharply in the last three decades, we asked whether the consumption of meat tainted with growth promoting antibiotics might have effects on adipose cells. We showed in this report that the ionophoric antibiotics inhibit the differentiation of preadipocytes into adipocytes. The block of differentiation is not due to the induction of apoptosis nor the inhibition of cell proliferation. In addition, salinomycin also suppresses the transcriptional activity of the CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor {gamma}. These results suggest that the ionophoric antibiotics can be exploited as novel anti-obesity therapeutics and as pharmacological probes for the study of adipose biology. Further, the pharmacological effects of salinomycin could be a harbinger of its toxicity on the adipose tissue and other susceptible target cells in cancer therapy.

PVC membrane based potentiometric sensor for uranyl ion using thenoyl trifluoro acetone as ionophore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nanda, D.; Chouhan, H.P.S.; Maiti, B.

2004-01-01

Uranyl ion selective electrode based on thenoyl trifluoro acetone (TTA) incorporated into a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane has been developed where dibutyl phthalate and sodium tetraphenyl borate have been used as plasticizer and anion excluder respectively. The PVC membrane containing the active ionophore, TTA, and the other ingredients has been directly cast a graphite electrode. The electrode shows near Nernstian response to UO 2 2+ in the concentration range of 10 -1 to 10 -6 mol. L -1 an average slope of 30 mV/decade. Alkali and alkaline earth ions do not interfere with the determination of uranyl ion. Interference of transition metal ions and Th (IV) is eliminated using EDTA. (author)

Quartz crystal microbalance sensor using ionophore for ammonium ion detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Kosaki, Yasuhiro; Takano, Kosuke; Citterio, Daniel; Suzuki, Koji; Shiratori, Seimei

2012-01-01

Ionophore-based quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) ammonium ion sensors with a detection limit for ammonium ion concentrations as low as 2.2 microM were fabricated. Ionophores are molecules, which selectively bind a particular ion. In this study, one of the known ionophores for ammonium, nonactin, was used to detect ammonium ions for environmental in-situ monitoring of aquarium water for the first time. To fabricate the sensing films, poly(vinyl chloride) was used as the matrix for the immobilization of nonactin. Furthermore, the anionic additive, tetrakis (4-chlorophenyl) borate potassium salt and the plasticizer dioctyl sebacate were used to enhance the sensor properties. The sensor allowed detecting ammonium ions not only in static solution, but also in flowing water. The sensor showed a nearly linear response with the increase of the ammonium ion concentration. The QCM resonance frequency increased with the increase of ammonium ion concentration, suggesting a decreasing weight of the sensing film. The detailed response mechanism could not be verified yet. However, from the results obtained when using a different plasticizer, nitrophenyl octyl ether, it is considered that this effect is caused by the release of water molecules. Consequently, the newly fabricated sensor detects ammonium ions by discharge of water. It shows high selectivity over potassium and sodium ions. We conclude that the newly fabricated sensor can be applied for detecting ammonium ions in aquarium water, since it allows measuring low ammonium ion concentrations. This sensor will be usable for water quality monitoring and controlling.

A Solid-Contact Indium(III) Sensor based on a Thiosulfinate Ionophore Derived from Omeprazole

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abbas, Mohammad Nooredeen; Hend Samy Amer [National Research Centre, Cairo (Egypt)

2013-04-15

A novel solid-contact indium(III)-selective sensor based on bis-(1H-benzimidazole-5-methoxy-2-[(4-methoxy-3, 5-dimethyl-1-pyridinyl) 2-methyl]) thiosulfinate, known as an omeprazole dimer (OD) and a neutral ionophore, was constructed, and its performance characteristics were evaluated. The sensor was prepared by applying a membrane cocktail containing the ionophore to a graphite rod pre-coated with polyethylene dioxythiophene (PEDOT) conducting polymer as the ion-to-electron transducer. The membrane contained 3.6% OD, 2.3% oleic acid (OA) and 62% dioctyl phthalate (DOP) as the solvent mediator in PVC and produced a good potentiometric response to indium(III) ions with a Nernstian slope of 19.09 mV/decade. The constructed sensor possessed a linear concentration range from 3 Χ 10{sup -7} to 1 Χ 10{sup -2} M and a lower detection limit (LDL) of 1 Χ 10{sup -7} M indium(III) over a pH range of 4.0-7.0. It also displayed a fast response time and good selectivity for indium(III) over several other ions. The sensor can be used for longer than three months without any considerable divergence in potential. The sensor was utilized for direct and flow injection potentiometric (FIP) determination of indium(III) in alloys. The parameters that control the flow injection method were optimized. Indium(III) was quantitatively recovered, and the results agreed with those obtained using atomic absorption spectrophotometry, as confirmed by the f and t values. The sensor was also utilized as an indicator electrode for the potentiometric titration of fluoride in the presence of chloride, bromide, iodide and thiocyanate ions using indium(III) nitrate as the titrant.

Magnesium ionophore II as an extraction agent for trivalent europium and americium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Makrlik, Emanuel [Czech Univ. of Life Sciences, Prague (Czech Republic). Faculty of Environmental Sciences; Vanura, Petr [Univ. of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (Czech Republic). Dept. of Analytical Chemistry

2016-11-01

Solvent extraction of microamounts of trivalent europium and americium into nitrobenzene by using a mixture of hydrogen dicarbollylcobaltate (H{sup +}B{sup -}) and magnesium ionophore II (L) was studied. The equilibrium data were explained assuming that the species HL{sup +}, HL{sup +}{sub 2}, ML{sup 3+}{sub 2}, and ML{sup 3+}{sub 3} (M{sup 3+} = Eu{sup 3+}, Am{sup 3+}; L=magnesium, ionophore II) are extracted into the nitrobenzene phase. Extraction and stability constants of the cationic complex species in nitrobenzene saturated with water were determined and discussed. From the experimental results it is evident that this effective magnesium ionophore II receptor for the Eu{sup 3+} and Am{sup 3+} cations could be considered as a potential extraction agent for nuclear waste treatment.

Synthesis selective transport properties of cleft-type ionophores having two convergent hydroxamic acid functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Duck Hee; Choi, Mi Jung; Chang, Suk Kyu

2001-01-01

A series of cleft-type ionophores having two convergent hydroxamic acid functions are prepared and their selective ionophoric properties toward heavy metal and transition metal ions have been investigated. Hydroxamic acids 3 exhibited a prominent selectivity toward heavy metal ions of Hg 2+ and Pb 2+ , and transition metal ions of Cu 2+ over other transition metal and alkaline earth metal ions from slightly acidic source phase (pH 6) to an acidic receiving phase (pH 1). Selective ionophoric properties toward Pb 2+ and Cu 2+ ions over other surveyed metal ions are also confirmed by the FAB-MS measurements

Selective sensing of mercury(II) using PVC-based membranes incorporating recently synthesized 1,3-alternate thiacalix[4]crown ionophore.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahajan, Rakesh Kumar; Kamal, Ajar; Kumar, Naresh; Bhalla, Vandana; Kumar, Manoj

2013-05-01

The construction and electrodes characteristics of poly(vinylchloride) (PVC)-based polymeric membrane electrode (PME) and coated graphite electrode (CGE), incorporating 1,3-alternate thiacalix[4]crown as ionophore for estimation of Hg(II) ions, are reported here. The best potential response was observed for PME-1 having membrane composition of: ionophore (6.2 mg), PVC (100.0 mg), 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether (2-NPOE; 200.0 mg), and sodium tetraphenyl borate (NaTPB; 2.0 mg); for CGE-1 with the membrane composition: ionophore (3.5 mg), PVC (40.0 mg), 2-NPOE (80.0 mg), and NaTPB (2.0 mg). The electrodes exhibits Nernstian slope of 29.16 mV/decade with PME-1 and 30.39 mV/decade with CGE-1 for Hg(II) ions over wide concentration range, i.e., 1.0 × 10(-1) to 5.0 × 10(-6) M with PME-1 and 1.0 × 10(-1) to 5.0 × 10(-7) M with CGE-1. Lower detection limits were found to be 9.77 × 10(-6) M for PME-1 and 7.76 × 10(-7) M for CGE-1 with response time varying from 10 to 20 s. Also, these electrodes work within pH range of 2.0-6.0 for PME-1 and 1.5-6.5 for CGE-1. Overall, CGE-1 has been found to be better than PME-1. CGE-1 has been used as indicator electrode for the potentiometric titration of Hg(II) ions with EDTA as well as successfully applied for determination of Hg(II) content in wastewater, insecticide, dental amalgam, and ayurvedic medicines samples with very good performance (0.9974 correlation coefficient in the comparison against volumetric method).

The Novel SCN''- Ion-selective Electrode Based on the 1-Benzyl-3-(4-nitrophenyl) thio-urea Ionophore

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Kyung Mi; Kang, Dong Hyeon; Choe, Ju Eun; You, Jung Min; Go, Min Jeong; Lee, Jung Seong; Jeon, Seung Won [Chungnam National University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-09-15

A potentiometric sensor based on the 1-benzyl-3-(4-nitrophenyl) thio-urea was synthesized and tested as an ionophore in PVC based membrane sensor towards SCN - ions. This membrane exhibits a linear stable response over a wide concentration range (1.0 × 10''-5 to 1.0 × 10''-2 M) with a slope of -59.2 mV/dec., a detection limit of log[SCN''- ] = -5.05, and a selectivity coefficient for thiocyanate against perchlorate anion of logK{sub s}cn''pot = -0.133. The selectivity series of the membrane is as follows: SCN''- > ClO{sub 4}''- > I''- >NO{sub 3}''- >HSO{sub 3}''- > Cl''-HSO{sub '}'-''4 > F''- > CH{sub 3}COO''- > HCO''-''3 > Br''- > H{sub 2}PO{sub 4}''- > SO{sub 3}''-''2 > SO{sub 4}''-''2 > CO{sub 3}''-''2. The proposed electrode showed good selectivity and a good response for the SCN''- ion over a wide variety of other anions in pH 6.0 buffer solutions and has a fast response time of about < 5s.. The influences of the membrane by pH, ionophore, and plasticizer were studied.

Extraction and detection of Ionophores in the Aquatic Environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bak, Søren Alex; Hansen, Martin; Krogh, Kristine Andersen

. Coccidiosis is a major disease in poultry as well as in many other hosts. Ionophores are the most heavily applied sup-group of the two sub-groups of anticoccidial agents, because they also have antibacterial properties. After the ban of antibiotic growth promoters Ionophores are used extensively worldwide......Anticoccidial agents or coccidiostatics are the only anti-bacterial substances still authorised as feed additives within the European Union (Vincent et al. 2011). Anticoccidial agents are used for the prevention of the disease coccidiosis, which is caused by a unicellular intestinal parasite...... as prophylactic chemotherapeutics and growth promoters in livestock production. As an example, the yearly consumptions of active compounds are more than 10 tonnes in Denmark and for the Republic of Korea more than 800 tonnes (Hansen et al. 2009a, Kim et al. 2008). In long term this could cause problems...

Polymeric optical sensors for selective and sensitive nitrite detection using cobalt(III) corrole and rhodium(III) porphyrin as ionophores

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Si; Wo, Yaqi; Meyerhoff, Mark E., E-mail: mmeyerho@umich.edu

2014-09-16

Highlights: • We examine cobalt(III) corroles and rhodium(III) porphyrins as ionophores in polymeric films for optical sensors to detect nitrite. • Different types of proton chromoionophores are evaluated to optimize nitrite response. • Selectivity over lipophilic anions such as perchlorate and thiocyanate is observed. • Both ionophores yield optical sensors that are fully reversible. • The cobalt(III) corrole based sensor is employed to determine nitric oxide emission rates from NO donor doped polymers with good accuracy. - Abstract: Cobalt(III) 5,10,15-tris(4-tert-butylphenyl) corrole with a triphenylphosphine axial ligand and rhodium(III) 5,10,15,20-tetra(p-tert-butylphenyl) porphyrin are incorporated into plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) films to fabricate nitrite-selective bulk optodes via absorbance measurements. The resulting films yield sensitive, fast and fully reversible response toward nitrite with significantly enhanced nitrite selectivity over other anions including lipophilic anions such as thiocyanate and perchlorate. The selectivity patterns differ greatly from the Hofmeister series based on anion lipophilicity and are consistent with selectivity obtained with potentiometric sensors based on the same ionophores. The optical nitrite sensors are shown to be useful for detecting rates of emission of nitric oxide (NO) from NO releasing polymers containing S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine.

Voltammetric Thin-Layer Ionophore-Based Films: Part 2. Semi-Empirical Treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Dajing; Cuartero, Maria; Crespo, Gaston A; Bakker, Eric

2017-01-03

This work reports on a semiempirical treatment that allows one to rationalize and predict experimental conditions for thin-layer ionophore-based films with cation-exchange capacity read out with cyclic voltammetry. The transition between diffusional mass transport and thin-layer regime is described with a parameter (α), which depends on membrane composition, diffusion coefficient, scan rate, and electrode rotating speed. Once the thin-layer regime is fulfilled (α = 1), the membrane behaves in some analogy to a potentiometric sensor with a second discrimination variable (the applied potential) that allows one to operate such electrodes in a multianalyte detection mode owing to the variable applied ion-transfer potentials. The limit of detection of this regime is defined with a second parameter (β = 2) and is chosen in analogy to the definition of the detection limit for potentiometric sensors provided by the IUPAC. The analytical equations were validated through the simulation of the respective cyclic voltammograms under the same experimental conditions. While simulations of high complexity and better accuracy satisfactorily reproduced the experimental voltammograms during the forward and backward potential sweeps (companion paper 1), the semiempirical treatment here, while less accurate, is of low complexity and allows one to quite easily predict relevant experimental conditions for this emergent methodology.

ethane as ionophore in potentiometric sensor for Pb(II) ions

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

solvent media up to 30% (v/v) non-aqueous contents. Selectivity of the ... PVC; neutral carrier; ionophore; liquid membrane; lead ions; selectivity coefficients; Nernstian ... Health Organization (WHO) and US Environmental ... The first new tripo-.

ethane as ionophore in potentiometric sensor for Pb(II) ions

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

tiometric sensors have attracted attention for their simple construction, low-cost, good ... of lead can cause serious health problems, includ- ing nervous system ... tripodal ionophore as a copper (II) selective electrode.16. Several studies have ...

Schiff bases as cadmium(II) selective ionophores in polymeric membrane electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, V.K.; Singh, A.K.; Gupta, Barkha

2007-01-01

The construction and performance characteristics of polymeric membrane electrodes based on two neutral ionophores, N,N'-[bis(pyridin-2-yl)formylidene]butane-1,4-diamine (S 1 ) and N-(2-pyridinylmethylene)-1,2-benzenediamine (S 2 ) for quantification of cadmium ions, are described. The influences of membrane compositions on the potentiometric response of the electrodes have been found to substantially improve the performance characteristics. The best performance was obtained with the electrode having a membrane composition (w/w) of (S 1 ) (2.15%):PVC (32.2%):o-NPOE (64.5%):KTpClPB (1.07%). The proposed electrode exhibits Nernstian response in the concentration range of 7.9 x 10 -8 to 1.0 x 10 -1 M Cd 2+ with limit of detection 5.0 x 10 -8 M, performs satisfactorily over wide pH range (2.0-8.0) with a fast response time (10 s). The sensor has been found to work satisfactorily in partially non-aqueous media up to 30% (v/v) content of methanol, ethanol and acetonitrile and could be used for a period of 2 months. The analytical usefulness of the proposed electrode has been evaluated by its application in the determination of cadmium in real samples. The practical utility of the membrane electrode has also been observed in the presence of surfactants

Schiff bases as cadmium(II) selective ionophores in polymeric membrane electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gupta, V.K. [Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee, Roorkee 247667 (India)]. E-mail: vinodfcy@iitr.ernet.in; Singh, A.K. [Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee, Roorkee 247667 (India); Gupta, Barkha [Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee, Roorkee 247667 (India)

2007-02-05

The construction and performance characteristics of polymeric membrane electrodes based on two neutral ionophores, N,N'-[bis(pyridin-2-yl)formylidene]butane-1,4-diamine (S{sub 1}) and N-(2-pyridinylmethylene)-1,2-benzenediamine (S{sub 2}) for quantification of cadmium ions, are described. The influences of membrane compositions on the potentiometric response of the electrodes have been found to substantially improve the performance characteristics. The best performance was obtained with the electrode having a membrane composition (w/w) of (S{sub 1}) (2.15%):PVC (32.2%):o-NPOE (64.5%):KTpClPB (1.07%). The proposed electrode exhibits Nernstian response in the concentration range of 7.9 x 10{sup -8} to 1.0 x 10{sup -1} M Cd{sup 2+} with limit of detection 5.0 x 10{sup -8} M, performs satisfactorily over wide pH range (2.0-8.0) with a fast response time (10 s). The sensor has been found to work satisfactorily in partially non-aqueous media up to 30% (v/v) content of methanol, ethanol and acetonitrile and could be used for a period of 2 months. The analytical usefulness of the proposed electrode has been evaluated by its application in the determination of cadmium in real samples. The practical utility of the membrane electrode has also been observed in the presence of surfactants.

Copper as a target for prostate cancer therapeutics: copper-ionophore pharmacology and altering systemic copper distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Denoyer, Delphine; Pearson, Helen B.; Clatworthy, Sharnel A.S.; Smith, Zoe M.; Francis, Paul S.; Llanos, Roxana M.; Volitakis, Irene; Phillips, Wayne A.; Meggyesy, Peter M.; Masaldan, Shashank; Cater, Michael A.

2016-01-01

Copper-ionophores that elevate intracellular bioavailable copper display significant therapeutic utility against prostate cancer cells in vitro and in TRAMP (Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of Mouse Prostate) mice. However, the pharmacological basis for their anticancer activity remains unclear, despite impending clinical trails. Herein we show that intracellular copper levels in prostate cancer, evaluated in vitro and across disease progression in TRAMP mice, were not correlative with copper-ionophore activity and mirrored the normal levels observed in patient prostatectomy tissues (Gleason Score 7 & 9). TRAMP adenocarcinoma cells harbored markedly elevated oxidative stress and diminished glutathione (GSH)-mediated antioxidant capacity, which together conferred selective sensitivity to prooxidant ionophoric copper. Copper-ionophore treatments [CuII(gtsm), disulfiram & clioquinol] generated toxic levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in TRAMP adenocarcinoma cells, but not in normal mouse prostate epithelial cells (PrECs). Our results provide a basis for the pharmacological activity of copper-ionophores and suggest they are amendable for treatment of patients with prostate cancer. Additionally, recent in vitro and mouse xenograft studies have suggested an increased copper requirement by prostate cancer cells. We demonstrated that prostate adenocarcinoma development in TRAMP mice requires a functional supply of copper and is significantly impeded by altered systemic copper distribution. The presence of a mutant copper-transporting Atp7b protein (tx mutation: A4066G/Met1356Val) in TRAMP mice changed copper-integration into serum and caused a remarkable reduction in prostate cancer burden (64% reduction) and disease severity (grade), abrogating adenocarcinoma development. Implications for current clinical trials are discussed. PMID:27175597

Evaluation of ionophore sensitivity of Eimeria acervulina and Eimeria maxima isolated from the Algerian to Jijel province poultry farms.

Science.gov (United States)

Djemai, Samir; Mekroud, Abdeslam; Jenkins, Mark C

2016-07-15

The present study represents the first description of ionophore resistance in recovered from commercial Algerian (Jijel-Algeria) broiler farms. Microscopy and intervening transcribed sequence 1 PCR (ITS1 PCR) revealed only 2 Eimeria species present in litter from these farms- namely Eimeria acervulina and Eimeria maxima. A pool of these isolates were evaluated in broiler chickens (Cobb 500) for sensitivity to 5 anticoccidial compounds-diclazuril (1ppm), lasalocid (125ppm), monensin (125ppm), narasin (70ppm) and salinomycin (60ppm). As indicated by anticoccidial sensitivity profiles based on lesion scores and anticoccidial index (ACI), complete resistance to monensin and narasin, partial resistance to salinomycin and lasalocid, and complete sensitivity to diclazuril was observed. While lack of sensitivity to monensin is not surprising given its use for years as the sole anticoccidial compound, the resistance to monoether (narasin) and polyether (lasalocid) ionophores suggests that cross-resistance has developed in a segment of the Eimeria population. The fairly uniform Eimeria species composition among all poultry farms suggests that E. acervulina and E. maxima more rapidly develop resistance to ionophore drugs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of ionophore antibiotics nactins produced by fecal Streptomyces from sheep.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jun; Tan, Hongming; Lu, Yu; Cao, Lixiang

2014-04-01

To investigate the correlation between fecal actinobacteria and host animals, Streptomyces was isolated from fresh faeces of healthy sheep and secondary metabolites were analyzed. The most frequently isolated strain S161 with antibiotic activity against bacteria and fungi were analyzed. The S161 showed the highest 99 % similarity to Streptomyces canus DSB17 based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Metabolite analysis based on MS and NMR spectra showed that S161 produces nactins, cyclotetralactones derived from nonactic acid and homononactic acid as building units of ionophoretic character. Due to ionophores are antimicrobial compounds that are commonly fed to ruminant animals to improve feed efficiency, stable beneficial interactions between Streptomyces bacteria and vertebrates have been demonstrated.

Trace Level Determination of Polyether Ionophores in Feed

Science.gov (United States)

Rokka, Mervi; Jestoi, Marika; Peltonen, Kimmo

2013-01-01

A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric method was developed and validated to determine six polyether ionophores (lasalocid sodium, monensin sodium, salinomycin sodium, narasin, maduramicin ammonium alpha, and semduramicin sodium) in feed samples. The method developed was very straightforward, involving extraction with 84% acetonitrile of the coccidiostats from the feed samples and filtration of the raw extract prior to chromatographic analysis. Method validation included the determination of selectivity, linearity, specificity, repeatability, the limit of detection, limit of quantification, decision limit (CCα), detection capability (CCβ), and recovery. Feed samples from the Finnish national feed control programme and suspected carry-over samples from a feed manufacturer were analysed in parallel with an existing liquid chromatography method coupled with ultraviolet detection. All feed control samples were negative in LC-UV, but with the developed MS method, monensin, salinomycin, and narasin were detected at concentrations of <0.025–0.73 mg/kg, <0.025–0.027 mg/kg, and <0.025–1.6 mg/kg, respectively. In suspected carry-over samples after an output of 2.0 tonnes of unmedicated feed in the pelletizer line, the concentrations of monensin, salinomycin, and narasin varied from undetected to 16 mg/kg. In the mixer line, after 3.2 tonnes of unmedicated feed output, the concentrations of monensin, salinomycin, and narasin varied from undetected to 2.4 mg/kg. PMID:23484082

Ion-Selective Electrodes for the Potentiometric Determination of Pramoxine HCl Using Different Ionophores.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramadan, Nesrin K; Merey, Hanan A

2012-12-01

Four novel pramoxine HCl (PAM) selective electrodes were investigated with 2-nitrophenyl octylether as a plasticiser in a polymeric matrix of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Sensor 1 was fabricated using sodium-tetraphenylborate (TPB) as an anionic exchanger without incorporation of an ionophore. Sensor 2 used 2-hydroxy propyl -cyclodextrin as an ionophore, while sensors 3 and 4 were constructed using 4-sulfocalix-6-arene and 4-sulfocalix-8-arene respectively as ionophores. Linear responses of PAM within the concentration ranges of 1.0 × 10-4 to 1.0 × 10-2 mol L-1 and 1.0 × 10-5 to 1.0 × 10-2 mol L-1 were obtained using sensors 1 and 2, respectively and 1.0 × 10-6 to 1.0 × 10-2 mol L-1 were obtained using sensors 3 and 4. Nernstian slopes of 50.4 ± 0.6, 54.3 ± 0.8, 56.3 ± 0.3 and 59.1 ± 0.5 mV/decade over the pH range of 3.0-6.0 were observed. The selectivity coefficients of the developed sensors indicated excellent selectivity for PAM. The utility of 2-hydroxy- propylcyclodextrin (2HP-β-CD) and 4-sulfocalix [6,8] arene (SC 6, 8) as ionophores had a significant influence on increasing the membrane sensitivity and selectivity of sensors 2, 3 and 4 compared to sensor 1. The proposed sensors displayed useful analytical characteristics for the determination of PAM in bulk powder, pharmaceutical formulation, and in biological fluid. Validation of the method showed the suitability of the proposed electrodes for the use in the quality control assessment of the drug. Furthermore, statistical comparison between the results obtained by the proposed method and the official method of the drug was performed and no significant difference was found.

Genetic Screening Strategy for Rapid Access to Polyether Ionophore Producers and Products in Actinomycetes ▿ †

OpenAIRE

Wang, Hao; Liu, Ning; Xi, Lijun; Rong, Xiaoying; Ruan, Jisheng; Huang, Ying

2011-01-01

Polyether ionophores are a unique class of polyketides with broad-spectrum activity and outstanding potency for the control of drug-resistant bacteria and parasites, and they are produced exclusively by actinomycetes. A special epoxidase gene encoding a critical tailoring enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of these compounds has been found in all five of the complete gene clusters of polyether ionophores published so far. To detect potential producer strains of these antibiotics, a pair of d...

Experimental and theoretical study on complexation of Li+ with lithium ionophore VIII

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Makrlík, E.; Novák, V.; Vaňura, P.; Bouř, Petr

2013-01-01

Roč. 144, č. 11 (2013), s. 1607-1611 ISSN 0026-9247 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : ionophores * macrocycles * complexation * DFT calculations * structures Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 1.347, year: 2013

A thiourea derivative as potential ionophore for copper sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Ying, Kook Shih; Heng, Lee Yook; Hassan, Nurul Izzaty; Hasbullah, Siti Aishah

2018-04-01

A new thiourea derivative, N1,N3-bis[[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]carbamothioyl]isophthalamide (TPC), as a potential copper ionophore was investigated. TPC was immobilized via drop casting method into poly(n-butyl acrylate) pBA membrane and the sensor was characterized by potentiometric method. The sensor fabricated based on TPC showed a Nernstian response towards copper ion with the slope of 27.07±2.84 mV/decade in the range of 1.0×10-6 - 1.0-10-4 M and limit of detection of 6.24 × 10-7 M. In addition, based on the separate solution method (SSM), the logarithm selectivity coefficients were less than -3.00 for monovalent, divalent and trivalent cations that are present in the environmental water samples such as K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Fe3+. This confirmed that the sensor fabricated with TPC exhibited good sensitivity and selectivity towards copper ion.

Quantification of four ionophores in soil, sediment and manure using pressurised liquid extraction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bak, Søren Alex; Hansen, Martin; Pedersen, Kenneth Munk

2013-01-01

A multi-residue pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) methodology has been established for the determination of the four ionophores: lasalocid, monensin, salinomycin and narasin in solid environmental matrices. The PLE methodology is combined with solid phase extraction as clean-up using liquid...

Complexation of the cesium cation with lithium ionophore VIII: extraction and DFT study

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Makrlík, E.; Novák, Vít; Vaňura, P.; Bouř, Petr

2013-01-01

Roč. 298, č. 3 (2013), s. 2065-2068 ISSN 0236-5731 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : cesium cation * lithium ionophore VIII * complexation * extraction and stability constants * water-nitrobenzene system * DFT calculations * structures Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry , Separation Impact factor: 1.415, year: 2013

Characterization of Anthraquinone-DerivedRedox Switchable Ionophores and Their Complexes with Li+, Na+, K+, Ca+, and Mg+ Metal Ions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vaishali Vyas

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Anthraquinone derived redox switchable ionophores 1,5 bis (2-(2-(2-ethoxy ethoxy ethoxyanthracene-9,10-dione (V1 and 1,8-bis(2-(2-(2-ethoxyethoxyethoxy anthracene—9,10-dione (V2 have been used for isolation, extraction and liquid membrane transport studies of Li+, Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ metal ions. These isolated complexes were characterized by melting point determination, CV and IR, 1H NMR spectral analysis. Ionophore V2 shows maximum shift in reduction potential (ΔE with Ca(Pic2. The observed sequence for the shifting in reduction potential (ΔE between V2 and their complexes is V2 calcium picrate (42 mV > V2 potassium picrate (33 mV > V2 lithium picrate (25 mV > V2 sodium picrate (18 mV > V2 magnesium picrate (15 mV. These findings are also supported by results of extraction, back extraction and transport studies. Ionophore V2 complexed with KPic and showed much higher extractability and selectivity towards K+ than V1. These synthetic ionophores show positive and negative cooperativity towards alkali and alkaline earth metal ions in reduced and oxidized state. Hence, this property can be used in selective separation and enrichment of metal ions using electrochemically driven ion transport.

Total digestibility and in situ degradability of bulky diets with the inclusion of ionophores or probiotics for cattle and buffaloes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lúcia Maria Zeoula

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The effects of ionophores (monensin and probiotic (Saccharomyces cerevisiae + selenium + chromium in diets with 80% forage were evaluated on the digestibility of nutrients. Three buffaloes, Murrah (Bubalus bubalis and three cattle, Holstein (Bos taurus, with an average weight of 520 ± 30 kg and 480 ± 182 kg, respectively, with rumen cannula, over experimental design with two 3 x 3 Latin squares in a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement, with the absence or presence of additives: ionophore or probiotic and two species, were used. The internal flow indicator of fecal dry matter (DM was the acid insoluble ash. DM, crude protein (CP and neutral detergent fiber (NDF ruminal degradability of Tifton 85 hay was conducted for cattle and buffaloes. A diet containing probiotics had higher dry matter and organic matter digestibility in buffalo and cattle, indicating a good performance in bulky diets. The potential and effective dry matter degradability in diet with probiotic in buffaloes, were smaller than diet with ionophore, suggesting that there was a better digestion of nutrients in the intestine of these animals. The potential and effective degradability of neutral detergent fiber and crude protein in the diet containing ionophores were superior than diet containing probiotic. Buffaloes showed higher capacity of dry matter and fiber digestion than cattle.

Chloroquine is a zinc ionophore.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Xue

Full Text Available Chloroquine is an established antimalarial agent that has been recently tested in clinical trials for its anticancer activity. The favorable effect of chloroquine appears to be due to its ability to sensitize cancerous cells to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and induce apoptosis. The present study investigated the interaction of zinc ions with chloroquine in a human ovarian cancer cell line (A2780. Chloroquine enhanced zinc uptake by A2780 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, as assayed using a fluorescent zinc probe. This enhancement was attenuated by TPEN, a high affinity metal-binding compound, indicating the specificity of the zinc uptake. Furthermore, addition of copper or iron ions had no effect on chloroquine-induced zinc uptake. Fluorescent microscopic examination of intracellular zinc distribution demonstrated that free zinc ions are more concentrated in the lysosomes after addition of chloroquine, which is consistent with previous reports showing that chloroquine inhibits lysosome function. The combination of chloroquine with zinc enhanced chloroquine's cytotoxicity and induced apoptosis in A2780 cells. Thus chloroquine is a zinc ionophore, a property that may contribute to chloroquine's anticancer activity.

Comparative study of 2-hydroxy propyl beta cyclodextrin and calixarene as ionophores in potentiometric ion-selective electrodes for neostigmine bromide.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Kosasy, Amira M; Nebsen, Marianne; Abd El-Rahman, Mohamed K; Salem, Maissa Y; El-Bardicy, Mohamed G

2011-08-15

Three novel neostigmine bromide (NEO) selective electrodes were investigated with 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether as a plasticiser in a polymeric matrix of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Sensor 1 was fabricated using tetrakis(4-chlorophenyl)borate (TpClPB) as an anionic exchanger without incorporation of an ionophore. Sensor 2 used 2-hydroxy propyl β-cyclodextrin as an ionophore while sensor 3 was constructed using 4-sulfocalix-8-arene as an ionophore. Linear responses of NEO within the concentration ranges of 10(-5) to 10(-2), 10(-6) to 10(-2) and 10(-7) to 10(-2) mol L(-1) were obtained using sensors 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Nernstian slopes of 51.6 ± 0.8, 52.9 ± 0.6 and 58.6 ± 0.4 mV/decade over the pH range of 4-9 were observed. The selectivity coefficients of the developed sensors indicated excellent selectivity for NEO. The utility of 2-hydroxy propyl β-cyclodextrin and 4-sulfocalix[8]arene as ionophores had a significant influence on increasing the membrane sensitivity and selectivity of sensors 2 and 3 compared to sensor 1. The proposed sensors displayed useful analytical characteristics for the determination of NEO in bulk powder, different pharmaceutical formulations, and biological fluids (plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)) and in the presence of its degradation product (3-hydroxyphenyltrimethyl ammonium bromide) and thus could be used for stability-indicating methods. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cd(II and Pb(II complexes of the polyether ionophorous antibiotic salinomycin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tanabe Makoto

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The natural polyether ionophorous antibiotics are used for the treatment of coccidiosis in poultry and ruminants. They are effective agents against infections caused by Gram-positive microorganisms. On the other hand, it was found that some of these compounds selectively bind lead(II ions in in vivo experiments, despite so far no Pb(II-containing compounds of defined composition have been isolated and characterized. To assess the potential of polyether ionophores as possible antidotes in the agriculture, a detailed study on their in vitro complexation with toxic metal ions is required. In the present paper we report for the first time the preparation and the structure elucidation of salinomycin complexes with ions of cadmium(II and lead(II. Results New metal(II complexes of the polyether ionophorous antibiotic salinomycin with Cd(II and Pb(II ions were prepared and structurally characterized by IR, FAB-MS and NMR techniques. The spectroscopic information and elemental analysis data reveal that sodium salinomycin (SalNa undergoes a reaction with heavy metal(II ions to form [Cd(Sal2(H2O2] (1 and [Pb(Sal(NO3] (2, respectively. Abstraction of sodium ions from the cavity of the antibiotic is occurring during the complexation reaction. Salinomycin coordinates with cadmium(II ions as a bidentate monoanionic ligand through the deprotonated carboxylic moiety and one of the hydroxyl groups to yield 1. Two salinomycin anions occupy the equatorial plane of the Cd(II center, while two water molecules take the axial positions of the inner coordination sphere of the metal(II cation. Complex 2 consists of monoanionic salinomycin acting in polydentate coordination mode in a molar ratio of 1: 1 to the metal ion with one nitrate ion for charge compensation. Conclusion The formation of the salinomycin heavy metal(II complexes indicates a possible antidote activity of the ligand in case of chronic/acute intoxications likely to occur in the stock

Cd(II) and Pb(II) complexes of the polyether ionophorous antibiotic salinomycin

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background The natural polyether ionophorous antibiotics are used for the treatment of coccidiosis in poultry and ruminants. They are effective agents against infections caused by Gram-positive microorganisms. On the other hand, it was found that some of these compounds selectively bind lead(II) ions in in vivo experiments, despite so far no Pb(II)-containing compounds of defined composition have been isolated and characterized. To assess the potential of polyether ionophores as possible antidotes in the agriculture, a detailed study on their in vitro complexation with toxic metal ions is required. In the present paper we report for the first time the preparation and the structure elucidation of salinomycin complexes with ions of cadmium(II) and lead(II). Results New metal(II) complexes of the polyether ionophorous antibiotic salinomycin with Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions were prepared and structurally characterized by IR, FAB-MS and NMR techniques. The spectroscopic information and elemental analysis data reveal that sodium salinomycin (SalNa) undergoes a reaction with heavy metal(II) ions to form [Cd(Sal)2(H2O)2] (1) and [Pb(Sal)(NO3)] (2), respectively. Abstraction of sodium ions from the cavity of the antibiotic is occurring during the complexation reaction. Salinomycin coordinates with cadmium(II) ions as a bidentate monoanionic ligand through the deprotonated carboxylic moiety and one of the hydroxyl groups to yield 1. Two salinomycin anions occupy the equatorial plane of the Cd(II) center, while two water molecules take the axial positions of the inner coordination sphere of the metal(II) cation. Complex 2 consists of monoanionic salinomycin acting in polydentate coordination mode in a molar ratio of 1: 1 to the metal ion with one nitrate ion for charge compensation. Conclusion The formation of the salinomycin heavy metal(II) complexes indicates a possible antidote activity of the ligand in case of chronic/acute intoxications likely to occur in the stock farming

Potentiometric polymeric membrane electrodes for mercury detection using calixarene ionophores.

Science.gov (United States)

Tyagi, Sonika; Agarwal, Himanshu; Ikram, Saiqa

2010-01-01

It is here established that potentiometric polymeric membrane electrodes based on electrically neutral ionophores are a useful analytical tool for the detection of heavy metal ions from environmental and industrial waste water. PVC based membrane containing p-tert-butyl-calix[4]arenethioether derivative as active material along with sodiumtetraphenylborate (NaTPB) as solvent mediator and dibutylphthalate as a plasticizer in the ratio 45:9:460:310 (w/w%) (I:NaTPB:DBP:PVC) exhibits good properties with a Nernstian response of 29.50+/-1.0 mV per decade of activity and a working concentration range of 7.2 x 10(-8)-1.0 x 10(-1) M. The electrode gave more stable potential readings when used around pH 2.5-6.8 and exhibits fast response time of 14 s. The sensors were found to work satisfactorily in partially non-aqueous media up to 40% (v/v) content of acetone, methanol or ethanol and could be used over a period of 7-9 months. Excellent selectivity for Hg(2+) ions is indicated by match potential method and fixed interference method. The sensors could be used successfully in the estimation of mercury in different sample.

Effect of ionophores on phosphate and arsenate transport in Micrococcus lysodeikticus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Friedberg, I

1977-09-01

The effects of ionophores on P/sub i/ and arsenate transport, at acid and alkaline environment, were investigated in whole cells of Micrococcus lysodeikticus, a Gram positive obligatory aerobic bacterium. The results suggest that both ..delta.. Psi and ..delta.. pH contribute to the driving force of P/sub i/ transport; ..delta.. Psi seems to be predominant at pH 7.8, whereas at pH 5.5, the transport is primarily driven by ..delta.. pH. 12 references, 1 figure.

Salinomycin and Other Polyether Ionophores Are a New Class of Antiscarring Agent*

Science.gov (United States)

Woeller, Collynn F.; O'Loughlin, Charles W.; Roztocil, Elisa; Feldon, Steven E.; Phipps, Richard P.

2015-01-01

Although scarring is a component of wound healing, excessive scar formation is a debilitating condition that results in pain, loss of tissue function, and even death. Many tissues, including the lungs, heart, skin, and eyes, can develop excessive scar tissue as a result of tissue injury, chronic inflammation, or autoimmune disease. Unfortunately, there are few, if any, effective treatments to prevent excess scarring, and new treatment strategies are needed. Using HEK293FT cells stably transfected with a TGFβ-dependent luciferase reporter, we performed a small molecule screen to identify novel compounds with antiscarring activity. We discovered that the polyether ionophore salinomycin potently inhibited the formation of scar-forming myofibroblasts. Salinomycin (250 nm) blocked TGFβ-dependent expression of the cardinal myofibroblast products α smooth muscle actin, calponin, and collagen in primary human fibroblasts without causing cell death. Salinomycin blocked phosphorylation and activation of TAK1 and p38, two proteins fundamentally involved in signaling myofibroblast and scar formation. Expression of constitutively active mitogen activated kinase kinase 6, which activates p38 MAPK, attenuated the ability of salinomycin to block myofibroblast formation, demonstrating that salinomycin targets the p38 kinase pathway to disrupt TGFβ signaling. These data identify salinomycin and other polyether ionophores as novel potential antiscarring therapeutics. PMID:25538236

Electroanalytical performance of a terbium(III)-selective sensor based on a neutral ionophore in environmental and medicinal samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gupta, V.K.; Singh, A.K.; Gupta, Barkha [Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee, Department of Chemistry, Roorkee (India)

2008-04-15

A new highly selective terbium(III) electrode was prepared with a polymeric film doped using S-2-benzothiazolyl-2-amino-{alpha}-(methoxyimino)-4-thiazolethiol acetate as an electroactive material, benzyl acetate (BA) as a plasticizer, and potassium tetrakis(4-chlorophenyl) borate (KTpClPB) as an anionic site in the percentage ratio 3.17:1.58:63.4:31.7 (ionophore-KTpClPB-BA-PVC, w/w). The electrode exhibited a linear response with a near Nernstian slope of 19.5 mV/decade within the concentration range 1.5 x 10{sup -7}-1.0 x 10{sup -2} M terbium ions, with a working pH range from 2.0 to 8.0, and a fast response time of 10 s and presented satisfactory reproducibility. The limit of detection was 9.3 x 10{sup -8} M. The results show that this electrode can be used in ethanol media up to 30% (v/v) concentration without interference. It can be used for 3 months without any considerable divergence in the potentials. Selectivity coefficients for terbium(III) with respect to many cations were investigated. The electrode is highly selective for terbium(III) ions over a large number of monovalent, bivalent, and trivalent cations. This shows the valuable property of the proposed electrode. The stability constant of the ionophore towards Tb{sup 3+} ions was determined with the sandwich membrane method. It was successfully used as an indicator electrode in potentiometric determination of terbium(III) ions with EDTA and in direct determination in tap water and binary mixtures with quantitative results. The utility of the proposed electrode was also determined in the presence of ionic and nonionic surfactants and in the presence of fluoride ions in four pharmaceutical (mouthwash) preparations. (orig.)

Electroanalytical performance of a terbium(III)-selective sensor based on a neutral ionophore in environmental and medicinal samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, V.K.; Singh, A.K.; Gupta, Barkha

2008-01-01

A new highly selective terbium(III) electrode was prepared with a polymeric film doped using S-2-benzothiazolyl-2-amino-α-(methoxyimino)-4-thiazolethiol acetate as an electroactive material, benzyl acetate (BA) as a plasticizer, and potassium tetrakis(4-chlorophenyl) borate (KTpClPB) as an anionic site in the percentage ratio 3.17:1.58:63.4:31.7 (ionophore-KTpClPB-BA-PVC, w/w). The electrode exhibited a linear response with a near Nernstian slope of 19.5 mV/decade within the concentration range 1.5 x 10 -7 -1.0 x 10 -2 M terbium ions, with a working pH range from 2.0 to 8.0, and a fast response time of 10 s and presented satisfactory reproducibility. The limit of detection was 9.3 x 10 -8 M. The results show that this electrode can be used in ethanol media up to 30% (v/v) concentration without interference. It can be used for 3 months without any considerable divergence in the potentials. Selectivity coefficients for terbium(III) with respect to many cations were investigated. The electrode is highly selective for terbium(III) ions over a large number of monovalent, bivalent, and trivalent cations. This shows the valuable property of the proposed electrode. The stability constant of the ionophore towards Tb 3+ ions was determined with the sandwich membrane method. It was successfully used as an indicator electrode in potentiometric determination of terbium(III) ions with EDTA and in direct determination in tap water and binary mixtures with quantitative results. The utility of the proposed electrode was also determined in the presence of ionic and nonionic surfactants and in the presence of fluoride ions in four pharmaceutical (mouthwash) preparations. (orig.)

Lithium ionophore VIII as an extraordinarily effective receptor for the strontium cation: Experimental and theoretical study

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Makrlík, E.; Novák, Vít; Vaňura, P.; Bouř, Petr

2014-01-01

Roč. 1061, Mar 5 (2014), s. 110-113 ISSN 0022-2860 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : strontium cation * lithium ionophore VIII * complexation * extraction and stability constants * DFT calculations * structures Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 1.602, year: 2014

Validation of a liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric method to determine six polyether ionophores in raw, UHT, pasteurized and powdered milk.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Mararlene Ulberg; Spisso, Bernardete Ferraz; Jacob, Silvana do Couto; Monteiro, Mychelle Alves; Ferreira, Rosana Gomes; Carlos, Betânia de Souza; da Nóbrega, Armi Wanderley

2016-04-01

This study aimed to validate a method developed for the determination of six antibiotics from the polyether ionophore class (lasalocid, maduramicin, monensin, narasin, salinomycin and semduramicin) at residue levels in raw, UHT, pasteurized and powdered milk using QuEChERS extraction and high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The validation was conducted under an in-house laboratory protocol that is primarily based on 2002/657/EC Decision, but takes in account the variability of matrix sources. Overall recoveries between 93% and 113% with relative standard deviations up to 16% were obtained under intermediate precision conditions. CCα calculated values did not exceed 20% the Maximum Residue Limit for monensin and 25% the Maximum Levels for all other substances. The method showed to be simple, fast and suitable for verifying the compliance of raw and processed milk samples regarding the limits recommended by Codex Alimentarius and those adopted in European Community for polyether ionophores. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Utilization of adenosine triphosphate in rat mast cells during histamine release induced by the ionophore A23187

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Torben

1979-01-01

The role of endogenous adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in histamine release from rat mast cells induced by the ionophore A23187 in vitro has been studied. 2 The amount of histamine released by calcium from rat mast cells primed with the ionophore A23187 was dependent on the ATP content of the mast...... cells. 3 In aerobic experiments a drastic reduction in mast cell ATP content was found during the time when histamine release induced by A23187 takes place. 4 Anaerobic experiments were performed with metabolic inhibitors (antimycin A, oligomycin, and carbonyl cyanide p......-trifluorometroxyphenylnydrazone), which are known to block the energy-dependent calcium uptake by isolated mitochondria. The mast cell ATP content was reduced during A23187-induced histamine release under anaerobic conditions in the presence of glucose. This indicates an increased utilization of ATP during the release process. 5...

Thiopental and Phenytoin as Novel Ionophores for Potentiometric Determination of Lead (II Ions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasser M. Abd EL-Karem

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Two novel polymeric membrane sensors for the analysis of Pb(II have been developed based ontwo therapeutic drugs, thiopental (TP and phenytoin (PT as two new ionophores and potassium tetrakis(p-chlorophenyl borate (KTpClPB as a lipophilic additive, in plasticized PVC membranes. The sensors show a Nernstian response for Pb(II ions over the wide concentration ranges of 1×10-2 - 7×10-6 M and 1×10-2 - 8×10-6 M for the sensors based on thiopental and phenytoin, respectively. The proposed sensors have a fast response time and can be used for more than nine weeks without any considerable divergence in potentials. The sensors exhibit comparatively good selectivity with respect to alkaline, alkaline earth and some transition and heavy metal ions. They were employed for direct determination of lead in solder alloys and in galena rocks with a good agreement with the obtained results by atomic absorption spectroscopy.

Salinomycin and other polyether ionophores are a new class of antiscarring agent.

Science.gov (United States)

Woeller, Collynn F; O'Loughlin, Charles W; Roztocil, Elisa; Feldon, Steven E; Phipps, Richard P

2015-02-06

Although scarring is a component of wound healing, excessive scar formation is a debilitating condition that results in pain, loss of tissue function, and even death. Many tissues, including the lungs, heart, skin, and eyes, can develop excessive scar tissue as a result of tissue injury, chronic inflammation, or autoimmune disease. Unfortunately, there are few, if any, effective treatments to prevent excess scarring, and new treatment strategies are needed. Using HEK293FT cells stably transfected with a TGFβ-dependent luciferase reporter, we performed a small molecule screen to identify novel compounds with antiscarring activity. We discovered that the polyether ionophore salinomycin potently inhibited the formation of scar-forming myofibroblasts. Salinomycin (250 nm) blocked TGFβ-dependent expression of the cardinal myofibroblast products α smooth muscle actin, calponin, and collagen in primary human fibroblasts without causing cell death. Salinomycin blocked phosphorylation and activation of TAK1 and p38, two proteins fundamentally involved in signaling myofibroblast and scar formation. Expression of constitutively active mitogen activated kinase kinase 6, which activates p38 MAPK, attenuated the ability of salinomycin to block myofibroblast formation, demonstrating that salinomycin targets the p38 kinase pathway to disrupt TGFβ signaling. These data identify salinomycin and other polyether ionophores as novel potential antiscarring therapeutics. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Novel amide polar-embedded reversed-phase column for the fast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method to determine polyether ionophores in environmental waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrero, P; Borrull, F; Pocurull, E; Marcé, R M

2012-11-09

A fast chromatographic method has been developed that takes less than 5 min per run to determine five polyether ionophores with a novel amide polar-embedded reversed-phase column coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. A comparison between Oasis HLB and Oasis MAX sorbents for the solid-phase extraction was done. Oasis HLB sorbent gave recoveries close to 90% and the repeatability (%RSD, 25-100 ng/L, n=3) of the method was less than 7% for all compounds in all matrices. The presence of polyether ionophores in environmental waters such as river water and sewage was investigated. Monensin and narasin were frequently determined in influent and effluent sewage at concentrations from 10 ng/L to 47 ng/L in influents and from 6 ng/L to 34 ng/L in effluents. In river waters, polyether ionophores were not detected in any sample. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of new carbon paste electrodes based on gold nano-particles self-assembled to mercapto compounds as suitable ionophores for potentiometric determination of copper ions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rasoul Pourtaghavi Talemi

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In the present study, we investigate the potentiometric behavior of Cu2+ carbon paste electrodes based on two mercapto compounds 2-ethylmino-5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (EAMT and 2-acetylamino-5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (AAMT self-assembled on gold nano-paricle (GNP as ionophore. Then, the obtained results from the modified electrodes are compared. The self-assembled ionophores exhibit a high selectivity for copper ion (Cu2+, in which the sulfur and nitrogen atoms in their structure play a significant role as the effective coordination donor site for the copper ion. Among these electrodes, the best performance was obtained with the sensor with a EAMT/graphite powder/paraffin oil weight ratio of 4.0/68/28 with 200 µL of GNP which exhibits the working concentration range of 1.6×10−9 to 6.3×10−2 M and a nernstian slope of 28.9±0.4 mVdecade−1 of copper(II activity. The detection limit of electrode was 2.9(±0.2×10−10M and potential response was pH ; in other words, it was independent across the range of 2.8–6.3. The proposed electrode presented very good selectivity and sensitivity towards the Cu2+ ions over a wide variety of cations including alkali, alkaline earth, transition and heavy metal ions. Moreover, the proposed electrode was successfully applied as an indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration of Cu(II ions with EDTA and also the potentiometric determination of copper ions in spiked water samples.

Autoradiographic localization of GABA-regulated chloride ionophore binding site using t-[3H]butylbicycloorthobenzoate (TBOB)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Connor, L.H.; McEwen, B.S.

1986-01-01

t-Butylbicycloorthobenzoate (TBOB) has been shown to bind with high affinity to sites on or near the chloride ionophore in rat brain membrane preparations. The present study used in vitro quantitative autoradiography to localize the regional distribution of [ 3 H]TBOB binding sites in rat forebrain. Receptors were labelled with 10 nM [ 3 H]TBOB. Nonspecific binding was determined by adding 10 μM picrotoxin to the incubation. Autoradiograms were generated using LKB Ultrofilm and then quantitated using computer-assisted spot-densitometry. The highest specific binding was found in frontal cortex layer 4, islands of Calleja, and ventral palladium. High binding was also found in many regions including anterior hypothalamic n., ventromedial hypothalamic n., dentate gyrus, stratum oriens and stratum lacunosum moleculare of hippocampus, and substantia nigra. Nonspecific binding represented 5 to 15% of total binding and was uniformly low throughout all brain regions. Thus, this selective probe for GABA-regulated chloride ionophore binding sites should provide a useful tool for characterizing this system and its relationship to convulsant and depressant drug action

Determination of regulatory ionophore coccidiostat residues in feedstuffs at carry-over levels by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Stramenga, Arianna; Colagrande, Maria Novella; Campana, Guido; Scortichini, Giampiero; Migliorati, Giacomo; Compagnone, Dario

2017-01-01

In this study samples of feedstuffs were collected from different feed mills and animal farms located in central Italy and analyzed for ionophore coccidiostat residues at carry-over levels by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Since unavoidable cross-contamination of feedstuffs may occur during their production as well as distribution and storage, the collection of samples covered all these different stages. Residues of lasalocid, monensin, salinomycin and maduramicin were detected in 32.4% of samples, both at production and storage level. The maximum content for unavoidable carry-over set by Regulation (EU) No 574/2011 was exceeded in 11.3% of samples. The variability of the results highlighted the different approach of each investigated feed business operator to avoid any cross-contamination in non-target feed. The method developed in this study can be able to detect ionophore coccidiostats at low concentrations consequent to carry-over. PMID:28792977

[Effect of damage integrity rat brain synaptic membranes on the functional activity GABA(A)-receptor/Cl(-)-ionophore complex in the CNC].

Science.gov (United States)

Rebrov, I G; Kalinina, M V

2013-01-01

Functional activity of the CGABA(A)-receptor/Cl(-) ionophore complex was investigated the muscimol-stimulated entry of the radioactive isotope 36Cl(-) in synaptoneurosomes in changing the structure and permeability of neuronal membranes. Integrity of the membranes was damaged by removal of Ca(+2) and Mg(+2) from the incubation medium and by the method of freezing-thawing synaptoneurosomes. In both cases, an increase in basal 36Cl(-) entry into synaptoneurosomes, indicating increased nonspecific permeability of neuronal membranes, and decreased activity the CABA(A)-receptor/Cl(-) ionophore complex. The conclusion about the relationship of processes damage neuronal membranes and reducing the inhibitory processes in the epileptic focus.

Biosynthetic machinery of ionophore polyether lasalocid: enzymatic construction of polyether skeleton.

Science.gov (United States)

Minami, Atsushi; Oguri, Hiroki; Watanabe, Kenji; Oikawa, Hideaki

2013-08-01

Diversity of natural polycyclic polyethers originated from very simple yet versatile strategy consisting of epoxidation of linear polyene followed by epoxide opening cascade. To understand two-step enzymatic transformations at molecular basis, a flavin containing monooxygenase (EPX) Lsd18 and an epoxide hydrolase (EH) Lsd19 were selected as model enzymes for extensive investigation on substrate specificity, catalytic mechanism, cofactor requirement and crystal structure. This pioneering study on prototypical lasalocid EPX and EH provides insight into detailed mechanism of ionophore polyether assembly machinery and clarified remaining issues for polyether biosynthesis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of antibiotics such as macrolides, ionophores and tiamulin in liquid manure by HPLC-MS/MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlüsener, Michael P; Bester, Kai; Spiteller, Michael

2003-04-01

A method for the analysis of several macrolide and ionophore antibiotics as well as tiamulin in liquid manure was developed. Reversed-phase liquid chromatography and atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI) tandem mass spectrometry was used for detection.High-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) separation of the antibiotics was achieved in 35 min. The analytes were extracted with ethyl acetate and the extracts were cleaned up by solid-phase extraction on a diol SPE cartridge. Recovery experiments with spiked liquid manure concentrations varying from 6 to 2,000 microg kg(-1) gave constant recovery rates. The recovery rates for the macrolides erythromycin, roxithromycin and oleandomycin were 75-94%, that for the ionophore salinomycin was 119%, while that for the pleuromutilin tiamulin was 123%, when using a macrolide internal standard. The relative standard deviation was found to be 15-36% and the limits of detection were 0.4-11.0 micro g kg(-1). The maximum concentrations found in manure samples were 43 micro g kg(-1) for tiamulin and 11 micro g kg(-1) for salinomycin.

Titanium (III) cation selective electrode based on synthesized tris(2pyridyl) methylamine ionophore and its application in water samples

Science.gov (United States)

Rezayi, Majid; Karazhian, Reza; Abdollahi, Yadollah; Narimani, Leila; Sany, Seyedeh Belin Tavakoly; Ahmadzadeh, Saeid; Alias, Yatimah

2014-04-01

The introduction of low detection limit ion selective electrodes (ISEs) may well pave the way for the determination of trace targets of cationic compounds. This research focuses on the detection of titanium (III) cation using a new PVC-membrane sensor based on synthesized tris(2pyridyl) methylamine (tpm) ionophore. The application and validation of the proposed sensor was done using potentiometric titration, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The membrane sensor exhibited a Nernstian response to the titanium (III) cation over a concentration range of 1.0 × 10-6-1.0 × 10-2 M and pH range from 1-2.5. The Nernstian slope, the lower of detection (LOD), and the response time (t95%) of the proposed sensor were 29.17 +/- 0.24 mV/dec, 7.9 × 10-7 M, and 20 s, respectively. The direct determination of 4-39 μg/ml of titanium (III) standard solution showed an average recovery of 94.60 and a mean relative standard deviation of 1.8 at 100.0 μg/ml. Finally, the utilization of the electrodes as end-point indicators for potentiometric titration with EDTA solutions for titanium (III) sensor was successfully carried out.

Evaluation of ionophore sensitivity of Eimeria acervulina and Eimeria maxima isolated from the Algerian Jijel province poultry farms

Science.gov (United States)

The present study represents the first description of ionophore resistance in Eimeria recovered from commercial Algerian (Jijel-Algeria) broiler farms. Microscopy and ITS1 PCR revealed only 2 Eimeria species present in litter from these farms- namely E. acervulina and E. maxima. A pool of these is...

Fabrication of a highly selective cadmium (II) sensor based on 1,13-bis(8-quinolyl)-1,4,7,10,13-pentaoxatridecane as a supramolecular ionophore

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghaemi, Arezoo, E-mail: arezooghaemi@yahoo.com; Tavakkoli, Haman; Mombeni, Tayebeh

2014-05-01

A new cadmium (II) ion selective sensor based on 1,13-bis(8-quinolyl)-1,4,7,10,13-pentaoxatridecane (kryptofix5) as a supramolecular carrier has been developed. The membrane solutions containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC), plasticizer, sodium tetraphenylborate (NaTPB) as a lipophilic ionic additive and kryptofix5 as an ionophore were directly coated on the surface of graphite rods. The best composition of the coated membrane (w/w%) was found to be: 30.0% PVC, 61.0% dioctyl sebacate (DOS), 6.0% NaTPB and 3.0% kryptofix5. The sensor indicates a good linear response for Cd{sup 2+} cation over a wide concentration range from 1.0 × 10{sup −5} to 1.0 × 10{sup −1} M with a Nernstian slope of 29.8 ± 0.1 mV/decade and the detection limit is 8.4 × 10{sup −6} M. The response time of the sensor is 15 s and it can be used for 7 weeks without significant drift in potential. The sensor operates in the wide pH range of 1.0–6.0. This sensor reveals a very good selectivity toward Cd{sup 2+} ion over a wide range of alkali, transition and heavy metal cations. The sensor was used as an indicator electrode for potentiometric titration of Cd{sup 2+} using sodium fluoride and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) solutions with a sharp potential change that occurred at the end point. In addition, the proposed sensor was successfully used for determination of Cd{sup 2+} cation in real water samples. - Graphical abstract: Fabrication of a highly selective cadmium (II) sensor based on 1,13-bis(8-quinolyl)-1,4,7,10,13-pentaoxatridecane as a supramolecular ionophore. - Highlights: • Fabrication of a novel Cd{sup 2+} selective sensor with high sensitivity and selectivity • Using fabricated sensor in a wide pH range with fast response time • Replacing expensive techniques with this low cost sensor with low detection limit • Excellent capability of this sensor for measuring Cd{sup 2+} in real samples.

Prospective regularization design in prior-image-based reconstruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dang, Hao; Siewerdsen, Jeffrey H; Stayman, J Webster

2015-01-01

Prior-image-based reconstruction (PIBR) methods leveraging patient-specific anatomical information from previous imaging studies and/or sequences have demonstrated dramatic improvements in dose utilization and image quality for low-fidelity data. However, a proper balance of information from the prior images and information from the measurements is required (e.g. through careful tuning of regularization parameters). Inappropriate selection of reconstruction parameters can lead to detrimental effects including false structures and failure to improve image quality. Traditional methods based on heuristics are subject to error and sub-optimal solutions, while exhaustive searches require a large number of computationally intensive image reconstructions. In this work, we propose a novel method that prospectively estimates the optimal amount of prior image information for accurate admission of specific anatomical changes in PIBR without performing full image reconstructions. This method leverages an analytical approximation to the implicitly defined PIBR estimator, and introduces a predictive performance metric leveraging this analytical form and knowledge of a particular presumed anatomical change whose accurate reconstruction is sought. Additionally, since model-based PIBR approaches tend to be space-variant, a spatially varying prior image strength map is proposed to optimally admit changes everywhere in the image (eliminating the need to know change locations a priori). Studies were conducted in both an ellipse phantom and a realistic thorax phantom emulating a lung nodule surveillance scenario. The proposed method demonstrated accurate estimation of the optimal prior image strength while achieving a substantial computational speedup (about a factor of 20) compared to traditional exhaustive search. Moreover, the use of the proposed prior strength map in PIBR demonstrated accurate reconstruction of anatomical changes without foreknowledge of change locations in

Logarithmic Laplacian Prior Based Bayesian Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shuanghui; Liu, Yongxiang; Li, Xiang; Bi, Guoan

2016-04-28

This paper presents a novel Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging (ISAR) algorithm based on a new sparse prior, known as the logarithmic Laplacian prior. The newly proposed logarithmic Laplacian prior has a narrower main lobe with higher tail values than the Laplacian prior, which helps to achieve performance improvement on sparse representation. The logarithmic Laplacian prior is used for ISAR imaging within the Bayesian framework to achieve better focused radar image. In the proposed method of ISAR imaging, the phase errors are jointly estimated based on the minimum entropy criterion to accomplish autofocusing. The maximum a posterior (MAP) estimation and the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) are utilized to estimate the model parameters to avoid manually tuning process. Additionally, the fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Hadamard product are used to minimize the required computational efficiency. Experimental results based on both simulated and measured data validate that the proposed algorithm outperforms the traditional sparse ISAR imaging algorithms in terms of resolution improvement and noise suppression.

Logarithmic Laplacian Prior Based Bayesian Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuanghui Zhang

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a novel Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging (ISAR algorithm based on a new sparse prior, known as the logarithmic Laplacian prior. The newly proposed logarithmic Laplacian prior has a narrower main lobe with higher tail values than the Laplacian prior, which helps to achieve performance improvement on sparse representation. The logarithmic Laplacian prior is used for ISAR imaging within the Bayesian framework to achieve better focused radar image. In the proposed method of ISAR imaging, the phase errors are jointly estimated based on the minimum entropy criterion to accomplish autofocusing. The maximum a posterior (MAP estimation and the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE are utilized to estimate the model parameters to avoid manually tuning process. Additionally, the fast Fourier Transform (FFT and Hadamard product are used to minimize the required computational efficiency. Experimental results based on both simulated and measured data validate that the proposed algorithm outperforms the traditional sparse ISAR imaging algorithms in terms of resolution improvement and noise suppression.

Estimating security betas using prior information based on firm fundamentals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cosemans, M.; Frehen, R.; Schotman, P.C.; Bauer, R.

2010-01-01

This paper proposes a novel approach for estimating time-varying betas of individual stocks that incorporates prior information based on fundamentals. We shrink the rolling window estimate of beta towards a firm-specific prior that is motivated by asset pricing theory. The prior captures structural

A calixarene-based ion-selective electrode for thallium(I) detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chester, Ryan; Sohail, Manzar; Ogden, Mark I.; Mocerino, Mauro; Pretsch, Ernö; De Marco, Roland

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Tuning of metal binding cavities in thallium(I) calixarene ionophores. • Novel calixarene-based ionophores with improved selectivity for thallium(I). • Sandwich membrane characterization of thallium(I) binding in novel calixarenes. • Improved selectivity and sensitivity with novel thallium(I) calixarene ionophores. • Solid contact ion-selective electrodes for novel thallium(I) calixarene ionophores. - Abstract: Three new calixarene Tl + ionophores have been utilized in Tl + ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) yielding Nernstian response in the concentration range of 10 −2 –10 −6 M TlNO 3 with a non-optimized filling solution in a conventional liquid contact ISE configuration. The complex formation constants (log β IL ) for two of the calixarene derivatives with thallium(I) (i.e. 6.44 and 5.85) were measured using the sandwich membrane technique, with the other ionophore immeasurable due to eventual precipitation of the ionophore during these long-term experiments. Furthermore, the unbiased selectivity coefficients for these ionophores displayed excellent selectivity against Zn 2+ , Ca 2+ , Ba 2+ , Cu 2+ , Cd 2+ and Al 3+ with moderate selectivity against Pb 2+ , Li + , Na + , H + , K + , NH 4 + and Cs + , noting that silver was the only significant interferent with these calixarene-based ionophores. When optimizing the filling solution in a liquid contact ISE, it was possible to achieve a lower limit of detection of approximately 8 nM according to the IUPAC definition. Last, the new ionophores were also evaluated in four solid-contact (SC) designs leading to Nernstian response, with the best response noted with a SC electrode utilizing a gold substrate, a poly(3-octylthiophene) (POT) ion-to-electron transducer and a poly(methyl methacrylate)–poly(decyl methacrylate) (PMMA–PDMA) co-polymer membrane. This electrode exhibited a slope of 58.4 mV decade −1 and a lower detection limit of 30.2 nM. Due to the presence of an undesirable

Prior-based artifact correction (PBAC) in computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heußer, Thorsten; Brehm, Marcus; Ritschl, Ludwig; Sawall, Stefan; Kachelrieß, Marc

2014-01-01

Purpose: Image quality in computed tomography (CT) often suffers from artifacts which may reduce the diagnostic value of the image. In many cases, these artifacts result from missing or corrupt regions in the projection data, e.g., in the case of metal, truncation, and limited angle artifacts. The authors propose a generalized correction method for different kinds of artifacts resulting from missing or corrupt data by making use of available prior knowledge to perform data completion. Methods: The proposed prior-based artifact correction (PBAC) method requires prior knowledge in form of a planning CT of the same patient or in form of a CT scan of a different patient showing the same body region. In both cases, the prior image is registered to the patient image using a deformable transformation. The registered prior is forward projected and data completion of the patient projections is performed using smooth sinogram inpainting. The obtained projection data are used to reconstruct the corrected image. Results: The authors investigate metal and truncation artifacts in patient data sets acquired with a clinical CT and limited angle artifacts in an anthropomorphic head phantom data set acquired with a gantry-based flat detector CT device. In all cases, the corrected images obtained by PBAC are nearly artifact-free. Compared to conventional correction methods, PBAC achieves better artifact suppression while preserving the patient-specific anatomy at the same time. Further, the authors show that prominent anatomical details in the prior image seem to have only minor impact on the correction result. Conclusions: The results show that PBAC has the potential to effectively correct for metal, truncation, and limited angle artifacts if adequate prior data are available. Since the proposed method makes use of a generalized algorithm, PBAC may also be applicable to other artifacts resulting from missing or corrupt data

Ion content and the response of L5178Y-R and L5178Y-S cells to X rays and ionophore A23178

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szumiel, I.; Wodek, D.; Lustvik, G.

1984-01-01

We examined the response of L5178Y-S (radiosensitive, LY-S) and L5178-R (radioresistant, LY-R) lymphoblast to X-irradiation with concomittant treatment with divalent cation ionophore, A23187 (3 h or 5 h, 5 μg/ml). Cells treated with A23187 alone progressed through the cell cycle more slowly than the untreated cells and their cloning efficiency was reduced. In both cell strains the ionophore prolonged duration of the postirradiation mitotic delay. Radiation-induced inhibition of DNA synthesis was reversed by A23187 in LY-S but not in LY-R cells. Cells subjected to the ionophore treatment survived X-irradiation in almost the same way as untreated cells, as if the effect of A23187 treatment were reversed by irradiation. There was also a reversion in the ion content: A23187 caused a marked increase in Na + content and a decrease in K + content, irradiation itself did not change the ion content, whereas in the A23187-treated cells it restored almost the same pattern as that found in the control cells. We found less Mg 2+ ions in LY-S cells after treatment with A23187 and A23187+X than in LY-R cells, in relation to untreated (control) cells. These observations point to the possible importance of ion transport for recovery from radiation damage. (orig.)

Fast Potentiometric Analysis of Lead in Aqueous Medium under Competitive Conditions Using an Acridono-Crown Ether Neutral Ionophore

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ádám Golcs

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Lead is a particularly toxic heavy metal that is present above acceptable levels in the water of many countries. This article describes a quick detection method of lead(II ions using a polyvinyl chloride (PVC-based ion-selective membrane electrode containing an acridono-crown ether ionophore by potentiometry. The electrochemical cell exhibits a Nernstian response for lead(II ions between the concentration range of 10−4 to 10−2 M, and can be used in the pH range of 4–7. The applicability of this sensor was verified by measuring a multicomponent aqueous sample. Under the given conditions, this electrode is suitable for the selective quantitative analysis of lead(II ions in the presence of many additional metal ions.

Spatially adapted augmentation of age-specific atlas-based segmentation using patch-based priors

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Mengyuan; Seshamani, Sharmishtaa; Harrylock, Lisa; Kitsch, Averi; Miller, Steven; Chau, Van; Poskitt, Kenneth; Rousseau, Francois; Studholme, Colin

2014-03-01

One of the most common approaches to MRI brain tissue segmentation is to employ an atlas prior to initialize an Expectation- Maximization (EM) image labeling scheme using a statistical model of MRI intensities. This prior is commonly derived from a set of manually segmented training data from the population of interest. However, in cases where subject anatomy varies significantly from the prior anatomical average model (for example in the case where extreme developmental abnormalities or brain injuries occur), the prior tissue map does not provide adequate information about the observed MRI intensities to ensure the EM algorithm converges to an anatomically accurate labeling of the MRI. In this paper, we present a novel approach for automatic segmentation of such cases. This approach augments the atlas-based EM segmentation by exploring methods to build a hybrid tissue segmentation scheme that seeks to learn where an atlas prior fails (due to inadequate representation of anatomical variation in the statistical atlas) and utilize an alternative prior derived from a patch driven search of the atlas data. We describe a framework for incorporating this patch-based augmentation of EM (PBAEM) into a 4D age-specific atlas-based segmentation of developing brain anatomy. The proposed approach was evaluated on a set of MRI brain scans of premature neonates with ages ranging from 27.29 to 46.43 gestational weeks (GWs). Results indicated superior performance compared to the conventional atlas-based segmentation method, providing improved segmentation accuracy for gray matter, white matter, ventricles and sulcal CSF regions.

Ionophore-Based Potentiometric Sensors for the Flow-Injection Determination of Promethazine Hydrochloride in Pharmaceutical Formulations and Human Urine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suad Mustafa Al-Araji

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Plasticised poly(vinyl chloride-based membranes containing the ionophores (α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrins (CD, dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6 and dibenzo-30-crown-10 (DB30C10 were evaluated for their potentiometric response towards promethazine (PM in a flow injection analysis (FIA set-up. Good responses were obtained when β- and γ-CDs, and DB30C10 were used. The performance characteristics were further improved when tetrakis(4-chlorophenyl borate (KTPB was added to the membrane. The sensor based on β-CD, bis(2-ethylhexyl adipate (BEHA and KTPB exhibited the best performance among the eighteen sensor compositions that were tested. The response was linear from 1 x 10−5 to 1 x 10−2 M, slope was 61.3 mV decade−1, the pH independent region ranged from 4.5 to 7.0, a limit of detection of 5.3 x 10−6 M was possible and a lifetime of more than a month was observed when used in the FIA system. Other plasticisers such as dioctyl phenylphosphonate and tributyl phosphate do not show significant improvements in the quality of the sensors. The promising sensors were further tested for the effects of foreign ions (Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Cr3+, Fe3+, glucose, fructose. FIA conditions (e.g., effects of flow rate, injection volume, pH of the carrier stream were also studied when the best sensor was used (based on β-CD. The sensor was applied to the determination of PM in four pharmaceutical preparations and human urine that were spiked with different levels of PM. Good agreement between the sensor and the manufacturer’s claimed values (for pharmaceutical preparations was obtained, while mean recoveries of 98.6% were obtained for spiked urine samples. The molecular recognition features of the sensors as revealed by molecular modelling were rationalised by the nature of the interactions and complexation energies between the host and guest molecules.

The Determination of Six Ionophore Coccidiostats in Feed by Liquid Chromatography with Postcolumn Derivatisation and Spectrofotometric/Fluorescence Detection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Małgorzata Olejnik

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The control of levels of anticoccidial feed additives in targeted feeds plays an important role in the assurance of efficiency of animal treatment, prevention of drug resistance, and food safety. The robust and labour-efficient method for the simultaneous determination of six ionophore coccidiostats (lasalocid, maduramicin, monensin, narasin, salinomycin, and semduramicin in targeted feed has been developed. Properly grinded and homogenized feed sample was spiked with internal standard (monesin methyl ester and extracted with methanol. The extract was analysed with reversed phase HPLC without any further purification. The separation of the analytes with conventional C18 and core-shell columns was compared. Lasalocid was analysed with fluorescence detection, whereas other ionophores were detected with UV-Vis detector after derivatisation with vanillin in the presence of sulfuric acid. Fortified samples and targeted feeds at authorized levels were used for method validation. Recovery was in the range of 85–110%, depending on the analyte. The within-laboratory reproducibility did not exceed the target value from Horwitz equation. The results of the proficiency tests (z-scores in the range of −1.0 to 1.9 confirmed the reliability of the developed protocol.

Formulating informative, data-based priors for failure probability estimation in reliability analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guikema, Seth D.

2007-01-01

Priors play an important role in the use of Bayesian methods in risk analysis, and using all available information to formulate an informative prior can lead to more accurate posterior inferences. This paper examines the practical implications of using five different methods for formulating an informative prior for a failure probability based on past data. These methods are the method of moments, maximum likelihood (ML) estimation, maximum entropy estimation, starting from a non-informative 'pre-prior', and fitting a prior based on confidence/credible interval matching. The priors resulting from the use of these different methods are compared qualitatively, and the posteriors are compared quantitatively based on a number of different scenarios of observed data used to update the priors. The results show that the amount of information assumed in the prior makes a critical difference in the accuracy of the posterior inferences. For situations in which the data used to formulate the informative prior is an accurate reflection of the data that is later observed, the ML approach yields the minimum variance posterior. However, the maximum entropy approach is more robust to differences between the data used to formulate the prior and the observed data because it maximizes the uncertainty in the prior subject to the constraints imposed by the past data

Pyrethroid insecticides and radioligand displacement from the GABA receptor chloride ionophore complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crofton, K.M.; Reiter, L.W.; Mailman, R.B.

1987-01-01

Radioligand binding displacement studies were conducted to determine the effects of Type I and II pyrethroids on 3 H-flunitrazepam (FLU), 3 H-muscimol (MUS), and ( 35 S-t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate (TBPS) binding. Competition experiments with 3 H-FLU and 3 H-MUS indicate a lack of competition for binding by the pyrethroids. Type I pyrethroids failed to compete for the binding of ( 35 S-TBPS at concentrations as high as 50 pM. Type II pyrethroids inhibited ( 35 S-TBPS binding to rat brain synaptosomes with Ki values ranging from 5-10 pM. The data presented suggest that the interaction of Type II pyrethroids with the GABA receptor-ionophore complex is restricted to a site near the TBPS/picrotoxinin binding site

A calixarene-based ion-selective electrode for thallium(I) detection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chester, Ryan [Nanochemistry Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia 6845 (Australia); Sohail, Manzar [Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Locked Bag 4, Maroochydore DC, Queensland 4556 (Australia); Ogden, Mark I.; Mocerino, Mauro [Nanochemistry Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia 6845 (Australia); Pretsch, Ernö [ETH Zürich, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics (IBP), Universitätstrasse 16, CH-8092, Zürich (Switzerland); De Marco, Roland, E-mail: rdemarc1@usc.edu.au [Nanochemistry Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia 6845 (Australia); Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Locked Bag 4, Maroochydore DC, Queensland 4556 (Australia)

2014-12-03

Highlights: • Tuning of metal binding cavities in thallium(I) calixarene ionophores. • Novel calixarene-based ionophores with improved selectivity for thallium(I). • Sandwich membrane characterization of thallium(I) binding in novel calixarenes. • Improved selectivity and sensitivity with novel thallium(I) calixarene ionophores. • Solid contact ion-selective electrodes for novel thallium(I) calixarene ionophores. - Abstract: Three new calixarene Tl{sup +} ionophores have been utilized in Tl{sup +} ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) yielding Nernstian response in the concentration range of 10{sup −2}–10{sup −6} M TlNO{sub 3} with a non-optimized filling solution in a conventional liquid contact ISE configuration. The complex formation constants (log β{sub IL}) for two of the calixarene derivatives with thallium(I) (i.e. 6.44 and 5.85) were measured using the sandwich membrane technique, with the other ionophore immeasurable due to eventual precipitation of the ionophore during these long-term experiments. Furthermore, the unbiased selectivity coefficients for these ionophores displayed excellent selectivity against Zn{sup 2+}, Ca{sup 2+}, Ba{sup 2+}, Cu{sup 2+}, Cd{sup 2+} and Al{sup 3+} with moderate selectivity against Pb{sup 2+}, Li{sup +}, Na{sup +}, H{sup +}, K{sup +}, NH{sub 4}{sup +} and Cs{sup +}, noting that silver was the only significant interferent with these calixarene-based ionophores. When optimizing the filling solution in a liquid contact ISE, it was possible to achieve a lower limit of detection of approximately 8 nM according to the IUPAC definition. Last, the new ionophores were also evaluated in four solid-contact (SC) designs leading to Nernstian response, with the best response noted with a SC electrode utilizing a gold substrate, a poly(3-octylthiophene) (POT) ion-to-electron transducer and a poly(methyl methacrylate)–poly(decyl methacrylate) (PMMA–PDMA) co-polymer membrane. This electrode exhibited a slope of 58.4 mV decade

Indomethacin increases the formation of lipoxygenase products in calcium ionophore stimulated human neutrophils.

Science.gov (United States)

Docherty, J C; Wilson, T W

1987-10-29

Arachidonic acid metabolism in human neutrophils stimulated in vitro with the calcium ionophore A23187 was studied using combined HPLC and radioimmunoassays. Indomethacin (0.1 and 1.0 microM) caused a 300% increase in LTB4 formation in neutrophils stimulated with A23187. 5-, 12- and 15-HETE levels were also increased. In the presence of exogenous arachidonic acid 1.0 microM Indomethacin caused a 37% increase in LTB4 formation. Acetyl Salicylic Acid and Ibuprofen had no effect on the formation of lipoxygenase metabolites. The effect of indomethacin on LTB4 formation does not appear to be due to a simple redirection of substrate arachidonic acid from the cyclooxygenase to the lipoxygenase pathways.

Monensin, a polyether ionophore antibiotic, overcomes TRAIL resistance in glioma cells via endoplasmic reticulum stress, DR5 upregulation and c-FLIP downregulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Mi Jin; Kang, You Jung; Kim, In Young; Kim, Eun Hee; Lee, Ju Ahn; Lim, Jun Hee; Kwon, Taeg Kyu; Choi, Kyeong Sook

2013-08-01

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-induced ligand (TRAIL) is preferentially cytotoxic to cancer cells over normal cells. However, many cancer cells, including malignant glioma cells, tend to be resistant to TRAIL. Monensin (a polyether ionophore antibiotic that is widely used in veterinary medicine) and salinomycin (a compound that is structurally related to monensin and shows cancer stem cell-inhibiting activity) are currently recognized as anticancer drug candidates. In this study, we show that monensin effectively sensitizes various glioma cells, but not normal astrocytes, to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis; this occurs at least partly via monensin-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, CHOP-mediated DR5 upregulation and proteasome-mediated downregulation of c-FLIP. Interestingly, other polyether antibiotics, such as salinomycin, nigericin, narasin and lasalocid A, also stimulated TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in glioma cells via ER stress, CHOP-mediated DR5 upregulation and c-FLIP downregulation. Taken together, these results suggest that combined treatment of glioma cells with TRAIL and polyether ionophore antibiotics may offer an effective therapeutic strategy.

Effect of heparin, caffeine and calcium ionophore A23187 on in vitro induction of the acrosome reaction of fresh ram spermatozoa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K.H. El-Shahat

2016-04-01

Conclusion: The best concentration of heparin, caffeine and ionophore A23187 are 75 μg/mL, 1 mg/mL, 1.55 mM/mL for 3, 1, 4 h incubation respectively and can be used for in vitro fertilization in sheep.

Quantitative proteomic studies in resistance mechanisms of Eimeria tenella against polyether ionophores.

Science.gov (United States)

Thabet, Ahmed; Honscha, Walther; Daugschies, Arwid; Bangoura, Berit

2017-05-01

Polyether ionophores are widely used to treat and control coccidiosis in chickens. Widespread use of anticoccidials resulted in worldwide resistance. Mechanisms of resistance development and expansion are complex and poorly understood. Relative proteomic quantification using LC-MS/MS was used to compare sensitive reference strains (Ref-1, Ref-2) with putatively resistant and moderately sensitive field strains (FS-R, FS-mS) of Eimeria tenella after isotopic labelling with tandem mass tags (TMT). Ninety-seven proteins were identified, and 25 of them were regulated. Actin was significantly upregulated in resistant strains in comparison with their sensitive counterparts. On the other hand, microneme protein (MIC4) was downregulated in resistant strains. Optimization of labelling E. tenella sporozoites by TMT might identify further proteins that play a role in the obvious complex mechanism leading to resistance against Monensin.

Myoglobin-biomimetic electroactive materials made by surface molecular imprinting on silica beads and their use as ionophores in polymeric membranes for potentiometric transduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira, Felismina T C; Dutra, Rosa A F; Noronha, Joao P C; Sales, M Goreti F

2011-08-15

Myoglobin (Mb) is among the cardiac biomarkers playing a major role in urgent diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. Its monitoring in point-of-care is therefore fundamental. Pursuing this goal, a novel biomimetic ionophore for the potentiometric transduction of Mb is presented. It was synthesized by surface molecular imprinting (SMI) with the purpose of developing highly efficient sensor layers for near-stereochemical recognition of Mb. The template (Mb) was imprinted on a silane surface that was covalently attached to silica beads by means of self-assembled monolayers. First the silica was modified with an external layer of aldehyde groups. Then, Mb was attached by reaction with its amine groups (on the external surface) and subsequent formation of imine bonds. The vacant places surrounding Mb were filled by polymerization of the silane monomers 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) and propyltrimethoxysilane (PTMS). Finally, the template was removed by imine cleavage after treatment with oxalic acid. The results materials were finely dispersed in plasticized PVC selective membranes and used as ionophores in potentiometric transduction. The best analytical features were found in HEPES buffer of pH 4. Under this condition, the limits of detection were of 1.3 × 10(-6)mol/L for a linear response after 8.0 × 10(-7) mol/L with an anionic slope of -65.9 mV/decade. The imprinting effect was tested by preparing non-imprinted (NI) particles and employing these materials as ionophores. The resulting membranes showed no ability to detect Mb. Good selectivity was observed towards creatinine, sacarose, fructose, galactose, sodium glutamate, and alanine. The analytical application was conducted successfully and showed accurate and precise results. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dual optoelectronic visual detection and quantification of spectroscopically silent heavy metal toxins: A multi-measurand sensing strategy based on Rhodamine 6G as chromo or fluoro ionophore

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prathish, K.P.; James, D.; Jaisy, J. [Inorganic and Polymeric Materials Group, National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR), Industrial Estate (P.O), Pappanamcode, Trivandrum 695019 (India); Prasada Rao, T., E-mail: rao@csrrltrd.ren.nic.in [Inorganic and Polymeric Materials Group, National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR), Industrial Estate (P.O), Pappanamcode, Trivandrum 695019 (India)

2009-08-04

A novel colorimetric chemo-sensor for the simultaneous visual detection and quantification of spectroscopically silent heavy metal toxins viz. cadmium, lead and mercury has been developed. This is based on the proposed sequential ligand exchange (SLE) mechanism of iodide from Pb-I{sup -}-Rhodamine 6G ion associate with citrate (without affecting ion associates of Cd and Hg) and subsequently from Cd-I{sup -}-Rhodamine 6G ion associate with EDTA (without affecting Hg-I{sup -}-Rhodamine 6G). Multi-measurand detection and quantification by colorimetry is possible as the individual toxins gives identical bathochromic shifts in aqueous solution, i.e. from 530 to 575 nm on formation of ternary ion associates in singular, binary and ternary mixtures. The visual detection provides a simple, quick and sensitive detection method in addition to quantification via spectrophotometry with Sandell sensitivities of 1.1, 15 and 2.5 {mu}g dm{sup -2} for cadmium, lead and mercury, respectively. The developed procedure has been successfully tested for the analysis of environmental (cast alkali, lead acid battery and zinc manufacturing industry effluents) samples. Furthermore, the multi-measurand quantification of the above-mentioned heavy metal toxins based on fluorescence quenching and use of Pyronine G as chromo-ionophore instead of Rhodamine 6G is also described.

Military Base Closures: Updated Status of Prior Base Realignments and Closures

Science.gov (United States)

As the Department of Defense (DOD) prepares for the 2005 base realignment and closure (BRAC) round, questions continue to be raised about the transfer and environmental cleanup of unneeded property arising from the prior four BRAC rounds and their impact on cost and savings and on local economies.

Polyether ionophores: broad-spectrum and promising biologically active molecules for the control of drug-resistant bacteria and parasites.

Science.gov (United States)

Kevin Ii, Dion A; Meujo, Damaris Af; Hamann, Mark T

2009-02-01

As multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens continue to emerge, there is a substantial amount of pressure to identify new drug candidates. Carboxyl polyethers, also referred to as polyether antibiotics, are a unique class of compounds with outstanding potency against a variety of critical infectious disease targets including protozoa, bacteria and viruses. The characteristics of these molecules that are of key interest are their selectivity and high potency against several MDR etiological agents. Although many studies have been published about carboxyl polyether antibiotics, there are no recent reviews of this class of drugs. The purpose of this review is to provide the reader with an overview of the spectrum of activity of polyether antibiotics, their mechanism of action, toxicity and potential as drug candidates to combat drug-resistant infectious diseases. Polyether ionophores show a high degree of promise for the potential control of drug-resistant bacterial and parasitic infections. Despite the long history of use of this class of drugs, very limited medicinal chemistry and drug optimization studies have been reported, thus leaving the door open to these opportunities in the future. Scifinder and PubMed were the main search engines used to locate articles relevant to the topic presented in the present review. Keywords used in our search were specific names of each of the 88 compounds presented in the review as well as more general terms such as polyethers, ionophores, carboxylic polyethers and polyether antibiotics.

Combinatorial screening of potentiometric Pb(II) sensors from polysulfoaminoanthraquinone solid ionophore.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Mei-Rong; Ding, Yong-Bo; Li, Xin-Gui

2014-03-10

A potentiometric Pb(II)-selective sensor was fabricated by a combinatorial screening of electrically conducting polysulfoaminoanthraquinone (PSA) nanoparticles as a solid ionophore, ion exchangers (oleic acid (OA) and NaTPB), plasticizers in a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) matrix, membrane thickness, inner filling ion species, and concentration. The membrane sensor with the composition of PSA/PVC/DOP (dioctyl phthalate)/OA (1.0:33:61:5.0) exhibited the best performance, including a slope of 29.3 mV decade(-1) in the concentration range 10(-6.3)-10(-1.6) M, detection limit of 1.6 × 10(-7) M, response time of 16 s, lifetime of five months, and good response reversibility. The proposed sensor has demonstrated good selectivity for Pb(II) over other monovalent, divalent and trivalent interfering ions, and could be used in a pH range of 3.62-5.22. The Pb(II) sensor has been successfully applied for the determination of Pb(II) concentration in real-world samples and also as an indicator electrode for potentiometric titration of lead ions.

Salinomycin Hydroxamic Acids: Synthesis, Structure, and Biological Activity of Polyether Ionophore Hybrids.

Science.gov (United States)

Borgström, Björn; Huang, Xiaoli; Chygorin, Eduard; Oredsson, Stina; Strand, Daniel

2016-06-09

The polyether ionophore salinomycin has recently gained attention due to its exceptional ability to selectively reduce the proportion of cancer stem cells within a number of cancer cell lines. Efficient single step strategies for the preparation of hydroxamic acid hybrids of this compound varying in N- and O-alkylation are presented. The parent hydroxamic acid, salinomycin-NHOH, forms both inclusion complexes and well-defined electroneutral complexes with potassium and sodium cations via 1,3-coordination by the hydroxamic acid moiety to the metal ion. A crystal structure of an cationic sodium complex with a noncoordinating anion corroborates this finding and, moreover, reveals a novel type of hydrogen bond network that stabilizes the head-to-tail conformation that encapsulates the cation analogously to the native structure. The hydroxamic acid derivatives display down to single digit micromolar activity against cancer cells but unlike salinomycin selective reduction of ALDH(+) cells, a phenotype associated with cancer stem cells was not observed. Mechanistic implications are discussed.

Ionophorèse et électroporation : administration cutanée de médicaments et d'ADN

OpenAIRE

Préat, Véronique; Vandermeulen, Gaëlle; Daugimont, Liévin; Wascotte, Valentine

2009-01-01

La peau est une cible intéressante pour l'administration de médicaments et d'ADN qui cependant reste limitée par la faible perméabilité du stratum corneum. L'ionophorèse et l'électroporation ont été largement étudiées afin d'obtenir une administration transdermique. Dans les deux cas, le passage de courant perturbe la perméabilité de la peau et même la perméabilité cellulaire dans le cas précis de l'électroporation. Ces deux techniques permettent d'élargir le spectre des substances administra...

Prior Elicitation, Assessment and Inference with a Dirichlet Prior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Evans

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Methods are developed for eliciting a Dirichlet prior based upon stating bounds on the individual probabilities that hold with high prior probability. This approach to selecting a prior is applied to a contingency table problem where it is demonstrated how to assess the prior with respect to the bias it induces as well as how to check for prior-data conflict. It is shown that the assessment of a hypothesis via relative belief can easily take into account what it means for the falsity of the hypothesis to correspond to a difference of practical importance and provide evidence in favor of a hypothesis.

A solid-contact pH-selective electrode based on tridodecylamine as hydrogen neutral ionophore

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jianxin; Guo, Yixuan; Li, Shangjin; Xu, Hui

2016-10-01

The solid-state pH electrode has the potential possibility to be used in many extreme situations with satisfactory accuracy and low cost. But its performance is affected by the solid electrolyte, preparation process, and the structure of the sensitive membrane, etc. In this work, the relationships between these factors and the characteristic of the prepared electrode were verified by controlling the preparation conditions with a variety of electrochemical methods. Firstly, the solid electrolyte poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT/PSS) was electrochemically deposited on the screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) substrate by a potentiostatic method in an aqueous solution containing 0.01 M 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) and 0.1 M polystyrene sulfonic (PSS) acid as the supporting electrolyte. The PEDOT films were then characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in the 0.1 M NaNO3 aqueous solution in order to obtain the optimized polymerization potential and charges where the PEDOT film would have a higher redox capacitance. Finally, the pH electrode was prepared by coating the SPCE/PEDOT(PSS) with a plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane containing tridodecylamine as hydrogen ionophore manually, and experiments were carried out to study the effect of the usage of PVC per square millimeter on the response time and stability of the electrode to optimize the PVC film thickness. The potentiometric response of the pH electrode was studied in the buffer solutions with pH ranging from 5.00 to 10.81 by the open-circuit potential (OCP) method. Experimental results show that the sensitivity of the electrode is  -55.7  ±  0.5 mV pH-1 (r 2  >  0.9980) at room temperature (24  ±  1 °C) with pH ranging from 2.00-10.50, approximating to the theoretical nernstian slope (-59.16 mV pH-1),and the response time was less than 10 s. Moreover, it has low impedance, high accuracy and potential stability as well as some

A solid-contact pH-selective electrode based on tridodecylamine as hydrogen neutral ionophore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Jianxin; Guo, Yixuan; Li, Shangjin; Xu, Hui

2016-01-01

The solid-state pH electrode has the potential possibility to be used in many extreme situations with satisfactory accuracy and low cost. But its performance is affected by the solid electrolyte, preparation process, and the structure of the sensitive membrane, etc. In this work, the relationships between these factors and the characteristic of the prepared electrode were verified by controlling the preparation conditions with a variety of electrochemical methods. Firstly, the solid electrolyte poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT/PSS) was electrochemically deposited on the screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) substrate by a potentiostatic method in an aqueous solution containing 0.01 M 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) and 0.1 M polystyrene sulfonic (PSS) acid as the supporting electrolyte. The PEDOT films were then characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in the 0.1 M NaNO3 aqueous solution in order to obtain the optimized polymerization potential and charges where the PEDOT film would have a higher redox capacitance. Finally, the pH electrode was prepared by coating the SPCE/PEDOT(PSS) with a plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane containing tridodecylamine as hydrogen ionophore manually, and experiments were carried out to study the effect of the usage of PVC per square millimeter on the response time and stability of the electrode to optimize the PVC film thickness. The potentiometric response of the pH electrode was studied in the buffer solutions with pH ranging from 5.00 to 10.81 by the open-circuit potential (OCP) method. Experimental results show that the sensitivity of the electrode is  −55.7  ±  0.5 mV pH −1 ( r 2   >  0.9980) at room temperature (24  ±  1 °C) with pH ranging from 2.00–10.50, approximating to the theoretical nernstian slope (−59.16 mV pH −1 ),and the response time was less than 10 s. Moreover, it has low impedance, high accuracy and potential stability

The alpha hemolysin of Escherichia Coli power the metabolism oxidative of neutrophils human beings in response to the peptide chemotactic FMLP: comparison with the ionophore of calcium A23187

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, J.

2000-01-01

The calcium ionophore ionomycin primes polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) for increased superoxide production upon stimulation with the chemotactic peptide FMLP (Helman Finkel, T. et al J Biol Chem 1987; 262: 12589-12596) In this investigation we assessed the effect of PMN priming with either alpha hemolysin (AH) or the calcium ionophore A23187, both of which increase intracellular calcium, on the oxidative metabolism of PMN (as measured by chemiluminescence) in response to secondary stimulation with FMLP. Both A23187 and AH priming increased, the luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence in response to secondary stimulation with FMLP, indicating overstimulation of PMLP oxidative metabolism. Additional experiments using lucigenin as chemiluminescence enhancer showed that A23187, but not AH priming of PMN, increased superoxide release in a manner similar to that reported for ionomycin. These results are discussed in reference to infectious processes involving hemolytic E. coli (Author) [es

Application of Bayesian Decision Theory Based on Prior Information in the Multi-Objective Optimization Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xia Lei

2010-12-01

Full Text Available General multi-objective optimization methods are hard to obtain prior information, how to utilize prior information has been a challenge. This paper analyzes the characteristics of Bayesian decision-making based on maximum entropy principle and prior information, especially in case that how to effectively improve decision-making reliability in deficiency of reference samples. The paper exhibits effectiveness of the proposed method using the real application of multi-frequency offset estimation in distributed multiple-input multiple-output system. The simulation results demonstrate Bayesian decision-making based on prior information has better global searching capability when sampling data is deficient.

Multiple signaling pathways mediated by dopamine and calcium ionophore A23187 in human platelets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saeed, S.A.; Waqar, M.A.

2009-01-01

This study was undertaken to investigate the mechanism(s) of platelet aggregation induced by the synergistic action of dopamine (DA) and a Ca/sup +2/-ionophore, A23187. DA showed non significant effect on platelet aggregation over a wide range of concentrations (up to 500 micro M), but did potentiate the aggregation response of A23187. Aggregation induced by A23187 was inhibited by calcium channel blockers (diltiazem and verpamil), receptor blockers (chlorpromazine and haloperidol) and a cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor (indomethacin). However, the inhibitory effect of these blockers was more pronounced (with a selectivity ratio of 1.5-28) in the aggregation induced by synergistic effect of A23187 and DA. A phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (P1 3-Kinase) inhibitor, wortmanin (1C/sub 50/. 25-30 nM), inhibited aggregation induced by either A23187 or DA and act synergistically. This synergistic effect on platelet aggregation is mediated through multiple signaling pathways. (author)

Poly (Vinyl Chloride Based Ion Selective Electrode for Determination of Zr (IV Ions Based on 2, 6-Dibenzylidenecyclohexanone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Syed A. Nabi

2008-08-01

Full Text Available A selective poly (vinyl chloride-based membrane sensor using 2,6-Dibenzylidenecyclohexanone as an ionophore have been prepared and explored as Zr (IV selective electrode. The sensitivity, working range and response time shows a significant dependence on the concentration of ionophore. The electrode prepared with 100 mg of PVC, 10 mg of ionophore and 5 ml of dibutylthylate shows the best performance. The electrode works well in the concentration range of 1×10-1-5×10-5 with a nerstian slope 55±2 eV and response time of 18 seconds. The sensor works well over the pH range 3-6. The sensor can be used for the period of over 1 month with out deviation in response characteristics. The selectivity of the electrode was studied and it was found that the electrode exhibited good selectivity for zirconium (IV over some alkaline earth metal ions. The electrode was also used as indicator electrode for potentiometeric titration of Zr (IV ions against EDTA solution.

Gene regulatory network inference by point-based Gaussian approximation filters incorporating the prior information.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Bin; Wang, Xiaodong

2013-12-17

: The extended Kalman filter (EKF) has been applied to inferring gene regulatory networks. However, it is well known that the EKF becomes less accurate when the system exhibits high nonlinearity. In addition, certain prior information about the gene regulatory network exists in practice, and no systematic approach has been developed to incorporate such prior information into the Kalman-type filter for inferring the structure of the gene regulatory network. In this paper, an inference framework based on point-based Gaussian approximation filters that can exploit the prior information is developed to solve the gene regulatory network inference problem. Different point-based Gaussian approximation filters, including the unscented Kalman filter (UKF), the third-degree cubature Kalman filter (CKF3), and the fifth-degree cubature Kalman filter (CKF5) are employed. Several types of network prior information, including the existing network structure information, sparsity assumption, and the range constraint of parameters, are considered, and the corresponding filters incorporating the prior information are developed. Experiments on a synthetic network of eight genes and the yeast protein synthesis network of five genes are carried out to demonstrate the performance of the proposed framework. The results show that the proposed methods provide more accurate inference results than existing methods, such as the EKF and the traditional UKF.

A calixarene-based ion-selective electrode for thallium(I) detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Chester, Ryan; Sohail, Manzar; Ogden, Mark I; Mocerino, Mauro; Pretsch, Ernö; De Marco, Roland

2014-12-03

Three new calixarene Tl(+) ionophores have been utilized in Tl(+) ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) yielding Nernstian response in the concentration range of 10(-2)-10(-6)M TlNO3 with a non-optimized filling solution in a conventional liquid contact ISE configuration. The complex formation constants (logβIL) for two of the calixarene derivatives with thallium(I) (i.e. 6.44 and 5.85) were measured using the sandwich membrane technique, with the other ionophore immeasurable due to eventual precipitation of the ionophore during these long-term experiments. Furthermore, the unbiased selectivity coefficients for these ionophores displayed excellent selectivity against Zn(2+), Ca(2+), Ba(2+), Cu(2+), Cd(2+) and Al(3+) with moderate selectivity against Pb(2+), Li(+), Na(+), H(+), K(+), NH4(+) and Cs(+), noting that silver was the only significant interferent with these calixarene-based ionophores. When optimizing the filling solution in a liquid contact ISE, it was possible to achieve a lower limit of detection of approximately 8nM according to the IUPAC definition. Last, the new ionophores were also evaluated in four solid-contact (SC) designs leading to Nernstian response, with the best response noted with a SC electrode utilizing a gold substrate, a poly(3-octylthiophene) (POT) ion-to-electron transducer and a poly(methyl methacrylate)-poly(decyl methacrylate) (PMMA-PDMA) co-polymer membrane. This electrode exhibited a slope of 58.4mVdecade(-1) and a lower detection limit of 30.2nM. Due to the presence of an undesirable water layer and/or leaching of redox mediator from the graphite redox buffered SC, a coated wire electrode on gold and graphite redox buffered SC yielded grossly inferior detection limits against the polypyrrole/PVC SC and POT/PMMA-PDMA SC ISEs that did not display signs of a water layer or leaching of SC ingredients into the membrane. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

One-pot synthesis and antiproliferative activity of novel double-modified derivatives of the polyether ionophore monensin A.

Science.gov (United States)

Klejborowska, Greta; Maj, Ewa; Wietrzyk, Joanna; Stefańska, Joanna; Huczyński, Adam

2018-05-02

Monensin A (MON) is a polyether ionophore antibiotic, which shows a wide spectrum of biological activity. New MON derivatives such as double-modified ester-carbonates and double-modified amide-carbonates were obtained by a new and efficient one-pot synthesis with triphosgene as the activating reagent and the respective alcohol or amine. All new derivatives were tested for their antiproliferative activity against two drug-sensitive (MES-SA, LoVo) and two drug-resistant (MES-SA/DX5, LoVo/DX) cancer cell lines, and were also studied for their antimicrobial activity against different Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis bacterial strains. For the first time, the activity of MON and its derivatives against MES-SA and MES-SA/DX5 were evaluated. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

SU-E-J-68: Adaptive Radiotherapy of Head and Neck Cancer: Re-Planning Based On Prior Dose

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dogan, N; Padgett, K [University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL (United States); Evans, J; Sleeman, W; Song, S [Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA (United States); Fatyga, M [Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, AZ (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: Adaptive Radiotherapy (ART) with frequent CT imaging has been used to improve dosimetric accuracy by accounting for anatomical variations, such as primary tumor shrinkage and/or body weight loss, in Head and Neck (H&N) patients. In most ART strategies, the difference between the planned and the delivered dose is estimated by generating new plans on repeated CT scans using dose-volume constraints used with the initial planning CT without considering already delivered dose. The aim of this study was to assess the dosimetric gains achieved by re-planning based on prior dose by comparing them to re-planning not based-on prior dose for H&N patients. Methods: Ten locally-advanced H&N cancer patients were selected for this study. For each patient, six weekly CT imaging were acquired during the course of radiotherapy. PTVs, parotids, cord, brainstem, and esophagus were contoured on both planning and six weekly CT images. ART with weekly re-plans were done by two strategies: 1) Generating a new optimized IMRT plan without including prior dose from previous fractions (NoPriorDose) and 2) Generating a new optimized IMRT plan based on the prior dose given from previous fractions (PriorDose). Deformable image registration was used to accumulate the dose distributions between planning and six weekly CT scans. The differences in accumulated doses for both strategies were evaluated using the DVH constraints for all structures. Results: On average, the differences in accumulated doses for PTV1, PTV2 and PTV3 for NoPriorDose and PriorDose strategies were <2%. The differences in Dmean to the cord and brainstem were within 3%. The esophagus Dmean was reduced by 2% using PriorDose. PriorDose strategy, however, reduced the left parotid D50 and Dmean by 15% and 14% respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrated significant parotid sparing, potentially reducing xerostomia, by using ART with IMRT optimization based on prior dose for weekly re-planning of H&N cancer patients.

Criminal charges prior to and after initiation of office-based buprenorphine treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harris Elizabeth E

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is little data on the impact of office-based buprenorphine therapy on criminal activity. The goal of this study was to determine the impact of primary care clinic-based buprenorphine maintenance therapy on rates of criminal charges and the factors associated with criminal charges in the 2 years after initiation of treatment. Methods We collected demographic and outcome data on 252 patients who were given at least one prescription for buprenorphine. We searched a public database of criminal charges and recorded criminal charges prior to and after enrollment. We compared the total number of criminal cases and drug cases 2 years before versus 2 years after initiation of treatment. Results There was at least one criminal charge made against 38% of the subjects in the 2 years after initiation of treatment; these subjects were more likely to have used heroin, to have injected drugs, to have had any prior criminal charges, and recent criminal charges. There was no significant difference in the number of subjects with any criminal charge or a drug charge before and after initiation of treatment. Likewise, the mean number of all cases and drug cases was not significantly different between the two periods. However, among those who were opioid-negative for 6 or more months in the first year of treatment, there was a significant decline in criminal cases. On multivariable analysis, having recent criminal charges was significantly associated with criminal charges after initiation of treatment (adjusted odds ratio 3.92; subjects who were on opioid maintenance treatment prior to enrollment were significantly less likely to have subsequent criminal charges (adjusted odds ratio 0.52. Conclusions Among subjects with prior criminal charges, initiation of office-based buprenorphine treatment did not appear to have a significant impact on subsequent criminal charges.

Lessons learned: the effect of prior technology use on Web-based interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, Joanne C; Wade, Shari L; Wolfe, Christopher R

2008-04-01

This study examined the role of regular prior technology use in treatment response to an online family problem-solving (OFPS) intervention and an Internet resource intervention (IRI) for pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants were 150 individuals in 40 families of children with TBI randomly assigned to OFPS intervention or an IRI. All families received free computers and Internet access to TBI resources. OFPS families received Web-based sessions and therapist-guided synchronous videoconferences focusing on problem solving, communication skills, and behavior management. All participants completed measures of depression, anxiety, and computer usage. OFPS participants rated treatment satisfaction, therapeutic alliance, and Web site and technology comfort. With the OFPS intervention, depression and anxiety improved significantly more among technology using parents (n = 14) than nontechnology users (n = 6). Technology users reported increasing comfort with technology over time, and this change was predictive of depression at followup. Satisfaction and ease-of-use ratings did not differ by technology usage. Lack of regular prior home computer usage and nonadherence were predictive of anxiety at followup. The IRI was not globally effective. However, controlling for prior depression, age, and technology at work, there was a significant effect of technology at home for depression. Families with technology experience at home (n = 11) reported significantly greater improvements in depression than families without prior technology experience at home (n = 8). Although Web-based OFPS was effective in improving caregiver functioning, individuals with limited computer experience may benefit less from an online intervention due to increased nonadherence.

Development of pvc membrane based potentiometric pH sensor using amine type neutral carrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, M.F.

1999-01-01

The glass membrane-based pH-electrode has proved its utility over decades. However some limitations are associated with these type of sensors. It can not be used for measuring pH of hydrofluoric acid solution and is difficult to miniaturize for biological applications due to its high resistance and fragility. In the present investigation modified PVC-membranes have been cast by incorporating lipophilic salt tetrabutyl ammonium tetraphenylborate and sodium tetraphenylborate along with electro active compound tri-n-octylamine as neutral carrier. The performance comparison of fabricated pH-sensitive membrane electrode has been carried out regarding their Nernstian slope and life time. The performance comparison of the membrane electrodes fabricated from laboratory grade tri-n-octylamine and those prepared from highly purified ionophore was also carried out. The slopes of the modified membrane electrodes based on pure ionophore were 59 mV/decade H/sup +/ ions and commercial ionophore 54 mV/decade H/sup +/ ions. The linear range was from pH 5-11. In the range of pH 6-10 response was excellent. The measurement of selectivity coefficients for the probable, interfering ions (anions and cations) were also carried out. (author)

Penalised Complexity Priors for Stationary Autoregressive Processes

KAUST Repository

Sø rbye, Sigrunn Holbek; Rue, Haavard

2017-01-01

The autoregressive (AR) process of order p(AR(p)) is a central model in time series analysis. A Bayesian approach requires the user to define a prior distribution for the coefficients of the AR(p) model. Although it is easy to write down some prior, it is not at all obvious how to understand and interpret the prior distribution, to ensure that it behaves according to the users' prior knowledge. In this article, we approach this problem using the recently developed ideas of penalised complexity (PC) priors. These prior have important properties like robustness and invariance to reparameterisations, as well as a clear interpretation. A PC prior is computed based on specific principles, where model component complexity is penalised in terms of deviation from simple base model formulations. In the AR(1) case, we discuss two natural base model choices, corresponding to either independence in time or no change in time. The latter case is illustrated in a survival model with possible time-dependent frailty. For higher-order processes, we propose a sequential approach, where the base model for AR(p) is the corresponding AR(p-1) model expressed using the partial autocorrelations. The properties of the new prior distribution are compared with the reference prior in a simulation study.

Penalised Complexity Priors for Stationary Autoregressive Processes

KAUST Repository

Sørbye, Sigrunn Holbek

2017-05-25

The autoregressive (AR) process of order p(AR(p)) is a central model in time series analysis. A Bayesian approach requires the user to define a prior distribution for the coefficients of the AR(p) model. Although it is easy to write down some prior, it is not at all obvious how to understand and interpret the prior distribution, to ensure that it behaves according to the users\\' prior knowledge. In this article, we approach this problem using the recently developed ideas of penalised complexity (PC) priors. These prior have important properties like robustness and invariance to reparameterisations, as well as a clear interpretation. A PC prior is computed based on specific principles, where model component complexity is penalised in terms of deviation from simple base model formulations. In the AR(1) case, we discuss two natural base model choices, corresponding to either independence in time or no change in time. The latter case is illustrated in a survival model with possible time-dependent frailty. For higher-order processes, we propose a sequential approach, where the base model for AR(p) is the corresponding AR(p-1) model expressed using the partial autocorrelations. The properties of the new prior distribution are compared with the reference prior in a simulation study.

A Novel Sensor for Monitoring of Iron(III) Ions Based on Porphyrins

Science.gov (United States)

Vlascici, Dana; Fagadar-Cosma, Eugenia; Popa, Iuliana; Chiriac, Vlad; Gil-Agusti, Mayte

2012-01-01

Three A3B porphyrins with mixed carboxy-, phenoxy-, pyridyl-, and dimethoxy-substituent functionalization on the meso-phenyl groups were obtained by multicomponent synthesis, fully characterized and used as ionophores for preparing PVC-based membrane sensors selective to iron(III). The membranes have an ionophore:PVC:plasticizer composition ratio of 1:33:66. Sodium tetraphenylborate was used as additive (20 mol% relative to ionophore). The performance characteristics (linear concentration range, slope and selectivity) of the sensors were investigated. The best results were obtained for the membrane based on 5-(4-carboxyphenyl)-10,15,20-tris(4-phenoxyphenyl)-porphyrin plasticized with bis(2-ethylhexyl)sebacate, in a linear range from 1 × 10−7–1 × 10−1 M with a slope of 21.6 mV/decade. The electrode showed high selectivity with respect to alkaline and heavy metal ions and a response time of 20 s. The influence of pH on the sensor response was studied. The sensor was used for a period of six weeks and the utility has been tested for the quantitative determination of Fe(III) in recovered solutions from spent lithium ion batteries and for the quantitative determination of Fe(III) in tap water samples. PMID:22969395

A novel sensor for monitoring of iron(III) ions based on porphyrins.

Science.gov (United States)

Vlascici, Dana; Fagadar-Cosma, Eugenia; Popa, Iuliana; Chiriac, Vlad; Gil-Agusti, Mayte

2012-01-01

Three A(3)B porphyrins with mixed carboxy-, phenoxy-, pyridyl-, and dimethoxy-substituent functionalization on the meso-phenyl groups were obtained by multicomponent synthesis, fully characterized and used as ionophores for preparing PVC-based membrane sensors selective to iron(III). The membranes have an ionophore:PVC:plasticizer composition ratio of 1:33:66. Sodium tetraphenylborate was used as additive (20 mol% relative to ionophore). The performance characteristics (linear concentration range, slope and selectivity) of the sensors were investigated. The best results were obtained for the membrane based on 5-(4-carboxyphenyl)-10,15,20-tris(4-phenoxyphenyl)-porphyrin plasticized with bis(2-ethylhexyl)sebacate, in a linear range from 1 × 10(-7)-1 × 10(-1) M with a slope of 21.6 mV/decade. The electrode showed high selectivity with respect to alkaline and heavy metal ions and a response time of 20 s. The influence of pH on the sensor response was studied. The sensor was used for a period of six weeks and the utility has been tested for the quantitative determination of Fe(III) in recovered solutions from spent lithium ion batteries and for the quantitative determination of Fe(III) in tap water samples.

Improved compressed sensing-based cone-beam CT reconstruction using adaptive prior image constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ho; Xing, Lei; Davidi, Ran; Li, Ruijiang; Qian, Jianguo; Lee, Rena

2012-04-01

Volumetric cone-beam CT (CBCT) images are acquired repeatedly during a course of radiation therapy and a natural question to ask is whether CBCT images obtained earlier in the process can be utilized as prior knowledge to reduce patient imaging dose in subsequent scans. The purpose of this work is to develop an adaptive prior image constrained compressed sensing (APICCS) method to solve this problem. Reconstructed images using full projections are taken on the first day of radiation therapy treatment and are used as prior images. The subsequent scans are acquired using a protocol of sparse projections. In the proposed APICCS algorithm, the prior images are utilized as an initial guess and are incorporated into the objective function in the compressed sensing (CS)-based iterative reconstruction process. Furthermore, the prior information is employed to detect any possible mismatched regions between the prior and current images for improved reconstruction. For this purpose, the prior images and the reconstructed images are classified into three anatomical regions: air, soft tissue and bone. Mismatched regions are identified by local differences of the corresponding groups in the two classified sets of images. A distance transformation is then introduced to convert the information into an adaptive voxel-dependent relaxation map. In constructing the relaxation map, the matched regions (unchanged anatomy) between the prior and current images are assigned with smaller weight values, which are translated into less influence on the CS iterative reconstruction process. On the other hand, the mismatched regions (changed anatomy) are associated with larger values and the regions are updated more by the new projection data, thus avoiding any possible adverse effects of prior images. The APICCS approach was systematically assessed by using patient data acquired under standard and low-dose protocols for qualitative and quantitative comparisons. The APICCS method provides an

Image segmentation with a novel regularized composite shape prior based on surrogate study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Tingting, E-mail: tingtingzhao@mednet.ucla.edu; Ruan, Dan, E-mail: druan@mednet.ucla.edu [The Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States)

2016-05-15

Purpose: Incorporating training into image segmentation is a good approach to achieve additional robustness. This work aims to develop an effective strategy to utilize shape prior knowledge, so that the segmentation label evolution can be driven toward the desired global optimum. Methods: In the variational image segmentation framework, a regularization for the composite shape prior is designed to incorporate the geometric relevance of individual training data to the target, which is inferred by an image-based surrogate relevance metric. Specifically, this regularization is imposed on the linear weights of composite shapes and serves as a hyperprior. The overall problem is formulated in a unified optimization setting and a variational block-descent algorithm is derived. Results: The performance of the proposed scheme is assessed in both corpus callosum segmentation from an MR image set and clavicle segmentation based on CT images. The resulted shape composition provides a proper preference for the geometrically relevant training data. A paired Wilcoxon signed rank test demonstrates statistically significant improvement of image segmentation accuracy, when compared to multiatlas label fusion method and three other benchmark active contour schemes. Conclusions: This work has developed a novel composite shape prior regularization, which achieves superior segmentation performance than typical benchmark schemes.

Image segmentation with a novel regularized composite shape prior based on surrogate study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Tingting; Ruan, Dan

2016-01-01

Purpose: Incorporating training into image segmentation is a good approach to achieve additional robustness. This work aims to develop an effective strategy to utilize shape prior knowledge, so that the segmentation label evolution can be driven toward the desired global optimum. Methods: In the variational image segmentation framework, a regularization for the composite shape prior is designed to incorporate the geometric relevance of individual training data to the target, which is inferred by an image-based surrogate relevance metric. Specifically, this regularization is imposed on the linear weights of composite shapes and serves as a hyperprior. The overall problem is formulated in a unified optimization setting and a variational block-descent algorithm is derived. Results: The performance of the proposed scheme is assessed in both corpus callosum segmentation from an MR image set and clavicle segmentation based on CT images. The resulted shape composition provides a proper preference for the geometrically relevant training data. A paired Wilcoxon signed rank test demonstrates statistically significant improvement of image segmentation accuracy, when compared to multiatlas label fusion method and three other benchmark active contour schemes. Conclusions: This work has developed a novel composite shape prior regularization, which achieves superior segmentation performance than typical benchmark schemes.

Association of prior HPV vaccination with reduced preterm birth: A population based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawton, Beverley; Howe, Anna S; Turner, Nikki; Filoche, Sara; Slatter, Tania; Devenish, Celia; Hung, Noelyn Anne

2018-01-02

Emerging evidence suggests that HPV infection is associated with negative pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth (PTB), and pre-eclampsia. We aimed to determine if prior HPV vaccination reduced adverse pregnancy outcomes. A New Zealand population-based retrospective study linking first pregnancy outcome data (2008-2014 n = 35,646) with prior quadrivalent HPV vaccination status. Primary outcomes were likelihood (odds ratios, ORs) of PTB, pre-eclampsia, and stillbirth. Exposure groups were based on HPV vaccination. Adjusted ORs were calculated for each outcome, controlling for mother's age at delivery, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, health board region at time of delivery, and body mass index and smoking status at time of registration with maternity care provider. Mother's mean age at delivery was 19 (SD 2.1) years. Of 34,994 the pregnancies included in the final study analyses 62.3% of women were unvaccinated, 11.0% vaccinated with one or two doses and 27.7% vaccinated with three doses prior to pregnancy. PTB (OR: 0.87; CI 0.78, 0.96)) was significantly lower for women who previously received the HPV vaccine. A dose response effect was found with each successive dose received decreasing the likelihood of PTB. No associations between the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups were shown for pre-eclampsia or stillbirth. Prior receipt of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine was associated with a significant reduction in PTB (13%); suggesting that HPV vaccination may be effective in reducing PTB. The potential global public health impact is considerable and there is urgency to undertake further research to replicate and explore these findings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Figure-ground segmentation based on class-independent shape priors

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yang; Liu, Yang; Liu, Guojun; Guo, Maozu

2018-01-01

We propose a method to generate figure-ground segmentation by incorporating shape priors into the graph-cuts algorithm. Given an image, we first obtain a linear representation of an image and then apply directional chamfer matching to generate class-independent, nonparametric shape priors, which provide shape clues for the graph-cuts algorithm. We then enforce shape priors in a graph-cuts energy function to produce object segmentation. In contrast to previous segmentation methods, the proposed method shares shape knowledge for different semantic classes and does not require class-specific model training. Therefore, the approach obtains high-quality segmentation for objects. We experimentally validate that the proposed method outperforms previous approaches using the challenging PASCAL VOC 2010/2012 and Berkeley (BSD300) segmentation datasets.

Studies on the matched potential method for determining the selectivity coefficients of ion-selective electrodes based on neutral ionophores: experimental and theoretical verification.

Science.gov (United States)

Tohda, K; Dragoe, D; Shibata, M; Umezawa, Y

2001-06-01

A theory is presented that describes the matched potential method (MPM) for the determination of the potentiometric selectivity coefficients (KA,Bpot) of ion-selective electrodes for two ions with any charge. This MPM theory is based on electrical diffuse layers on both the membrane and the aqueous side of the interface, and is therefore independent of the Nicolsky-Eisenman equation. Instead, the Poisson equation is used and a Boltzmann distribution is assumed with respect to all charged species, including primary, interfering and background electrolyte ions located at the diffuse double layers. In this model, the MPM-selectivity coefficients of ions with equal charge (ZA = ZB) are expressed as the ratio of the concentrations of the primary and interfering ions in aqueous solutions at which the same amounts of the primary and interfering ions permselectively extracted into the membrane surface. For ions with unequal charge (ZA not equal to ZB), the selectivity coefficients are expressed as a function not only of the amounts of the primary and interfering ions permeated into the membrane surface, but also of the primary ion concentration in the initial reference solution and the delta EMF value. Using the measured complexation stability constants and single ion distribution coefficients for the relevant systems, the corresponding MPM selectivity coefficients can be calculated from the developed MPM theory. It was found that this MPM theory is capable of accurately and precisely predicting the MPM selectivity coefficients for a series of ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) with representative ionophore systems, which are generally in complete agreement with independently determined MPM selectivity values from the potentiometric measurements. These results also conclude that the assumption for the Boltzmann distribution was in fact valid in the theory. The recent critical papers on MPM have pointed out that because the MPM selectivity coefficients are highly concentration

Do Online Comments Influence the Public's Attitudes Toward an Organization? Effects of Online Comments Based on Individuals' Prior Attitudes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sung, Kang Hoon; Lee, Moon J

2015-01-01

The authors investigated the effects of reading different types of online comments about a company on people's attitude change based on individual's prior attitude toward the company. Based on Social Judgment Theory, several hypotheses were tested. The results showed that the effects of online comments interact with individuals' prior attitudes toward a corporation. People with a strong negative attitude toward a corporation were less influenced by other's online comments than people with a neutral attitude in general. However, people with a prior negative attitude were more affected by refutational two-sided comments than one-sided comments. The results suggest that the effects of user generated content should be studied in a holistic manner, not only by investigating the effects of online content itself, but also by examining how others' responses to the content shape or change individuals' attitudes based on their prior attitudes.

A pseudo-discrete algebraic reconstruction technique (PDART) prior image-based suppression of high density artifacts in computed tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pua, Rizza; Park, Miran; Wi, Sunhee; Cho, Seungryong, E-mail: scho@kaist.ac.kr

2016-12-21

We propose a hybrid metal artifact reduction (MAR) approach for computed tomography (CT) that is computationally more efficient than a fully iterative reconstruction method, but at the same time achieves superior image quality to the interpolation-based in-painting techniques. Our proposed MAR method, an image-based artifact subtraction approach, utilizes an intermediate prior image reconstructed via PDART to recover the background information underlying the high density objects. For comparison, prior images generated by total-variation minimization (TVM) algorithm, as a realization of fully iterative approach, were also utilized as intermediate images. From the simulation and real experimental results, it has been shown that PDART drastically accelerates the reconstruction to an acceptable quality of prior images. Incorporating PDART-reconstructed prior images in the proposed MAR scheme achieved higher quality images than those by a conventional in-painting method. Furthermore, the results were comparable to the fully iterative MAR that uses high-quality TVM prior images. - Highlights: • An accelerated reconstruction method, PDART, is proposed for exterior problems. • With a few iterations, soft prior image was reconstructed from the exterior data. • PDART framework has enabled an efficient hybrid metal artifact reduction in CT.

Piezoresistive microcantilever based lab-on-a-chip system for detection of macronutrients in the soil

Science.gov (United States)

Patkar, Rajul S.; Ashwin, Mamta; Rao, V. Ramgopal

2017-12-01

Monitoring of soil nutrients is very important in precision agriculture. In this paper, we have demonstrated a micro electro mechanical system based lab-on-a-chip system for detection of various soil macronutrients which are available in ionic form K+, NO3-, and H2PO4-. These sensors are highly sensitive piezoresistive silicon microcantilevers coated with a polymer matrix containing methyltridodecylammonium nitrate ionophore/ nitrate ionophore VI for nitrate sensing, 18-crown-6 ether for potassium sensing and Tributyltin chloride for phosphate detection. A complete lab-on-a-chip system integrating a highly sensitive current excited Wheatstone's bridge based portable electronic setup along with arrays of microcantilever devices mounted on a printed circuit board with a liquid flow cell for on the site experimentation for soil test has been demonstrated.

Detection and quantification of ionophore antibiotics in runoff, soil and poultry litter.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Peizhe; Barmaz, Delphine; Cabrera, Miguel L; Pavlostathis, Spyros G; Huang, Ching-Hua

2013-10-18

Ionophore antibiotics (IPAs) are widely used as coccidiostats in poultry and other livestock industries to promote growth and prevent infections. Because most of the ingested IPAs are excreted in poultry litter, which is primarily applied as grassland fertilizer, a significant amount of IPAs can be released into the litter-soil-water environment. A robust analytical method has been developed to quantify IPAs (monensin (MON), salinomycin (SAL) and narasin (NAR)) in complex environmental compartments including surface runoff, soil and poultry litter, with success to minimize matrix interference. The method for water samples involves solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) post-clean up steps. The method for solid samples involves bi-solvent LLE. IPAs were detected by HPLC-MS, with optimized parameters to achieve the highest sensitivity. Nigericin (NIG), an IPA not used in livestock industry, is successfully applied and validated as a surrogate standard. The method recoveries were at 92-95% and 81-85% in runoff samples from unfertilized and litter-fertilized fields, respectively. For solids, the method recoveries were at 93-99% in soils, and 79-83% in poultry litter samples. SAL was detected at up to 22mg/kg and MON and NAR at up to 4mg/kg in broiler litter from different farms. Up to 183μg/kg of MON was detected in litter-fertilized soils. All three IPAs were detected in the rainfall runoff from litter-fertilized lands at concentrations up to 9μg/L. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Prior-project

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engerer, Volkmar Paul; Roued-Cunliffe, Henriette; Albretsen, Jørgen

digitisation of Arthur Prior’s Nachlass kept in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. The DH infrastructure in question is the Prior Virtual Lab (PVL). PVL was established in 2011 in order to provide researchers in the field of temporal logic easy access to the papers of Arthur Norman Prior (1914-1969), and officially......In this paper, we present a DH research infrastructure which relies heavily on a combination of domain knowledge with information technology. The general goal is to develop tools to aid scholars in their interpretations and understanding of temporal logic. This in turn is based on an extensive...

Artificial oocyte activation with calcium ionophore for frozen sperm cycles.

Science.gov (United States)

Karabulut, Seda; Aksünger, Özlem; Ata, Can; Sağıroglu, Yusuf; Keskin, İlknur

2018-04-05

Fertilization problems are the major problems that may be faced in 30-55% of the patients during an intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycle. A successful oocyte activation depends on factors related to both sperm and oocyte, and one of the important factors that mediates the process is Ca 2+ concentration within the oocyte. Artificial oocyte activation (AOA) is a method used for fertilization problems that commonly involve the usage of Ca 2+ ionophores and is usually used in problems such as total fertilization failure (TFF) and globozoospermia. The aim of the present study was to investigate possible effects of AOA for different groups of patients with fertilization failure. Four groups of patients (previous TFF, low oocyte number, severe sperm quality, and frozen sperm (FS) group) that underwent ICSI with AOA were included in the study. All groups had similar control groups with same indications except TFF, where AOA was not performed. Fertilization rates were significantly higher in the TFF group than those observed in other AOA groups. Fertilization rates and quality of embryos observed in the remaining AOA groups were higher than those of the controls, which were statistically insignificant. Prgenancy rates were higher in all AOA groups compared to the controls, although the differences were significant in FS group only. Quality of embryos and pregnancy rates were lower in the TFF group compared to the remaining AOA groups indicating possible concomitant problems. Fertilization rates, quality of embryos and pregnancy rates seemed to be increased in all indication groups suggesting that not only TFF patients but also a wide variety of patients with different indications may benefit from AOA. ICSI: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection; ARTs: Assisted reproductive techniques; Ca: Calcium; AOA: Artificial oocyte activation; TFF: Total fertilization failures; OAT: Oligoasthenoteratozoospemia; IVF: In vitro fertilization; SOAT: Severe OAT; LON: Low ooctye number

In Vivo Histamine Optical Nanosensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heather A. Clark

2012-08-01

Full Text Available In this communication we discuss the development of ionophore based nanosensors for the detection and monitoring of histamine levels in vivo. This approach is based on the use of an amine-reactive, broad spectrum ionophore which is capable of recognizing and binding to histamine. We pair this ionophore with our already established nanosensor platform, and demonstrate in vitro and in vivo monitoring of histamine levels. This approach enables capturing rapid kinetics of histamine after injection, which are more difficult to measure with standard approaches such as blood sampling, especially on small research models. The coupling together of in vivo nanosensors with ionophores such as nonactin provide a way to generate nanosensors for novel targets without the difficult process of designing and synthesizing novel ionophores.

Effect of angiotensin II, ATP, and ionophore A23187 on potassium efflux in adrenal glomerulosa cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lobo, M.V.; Marusic, E.T.

1986-01-01

Angiotensin II stimulus on perifused bovine adrenal glomerulosa cells elicited an increase in 86Rb efflux from cells previously equilibrated with the radioisotope. When 45Ca fluxes were measured under similar conditions, it was observed that Ca and Rb effluxes occurred within the first 30 s of the addition of the hormone and were independent of the presence of external Ca. The 86Rb efflux due to angiotensin II was inhibited by quinine and apamin. The hypothesis that the angiotensin II response is a consequence of an increase in the K permeability of the glomerulosa cell membrane triggered by an increase in cytosolic Ca is supported by the finding that the divalent cation ionophore A23187 also initiated 86Rb or K loss (as measured by an external K electrode). This increased K conductance was also seen with 10(-4) M ATP. Quinine and apamin greatly reduced the effect of ATP or A23187 on 86Rb or K release in adrenal glomerulosa cells. The results suggest that Ca-dependent K channels or carriers are present in the membranes of bovine adrenal glomerulosa cells and are sensitive to hormonal stimulus

Silver ion recognition using potentiometric sensor based on recently synthesized isoquinoline-1,3-dione derivatives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AJAR KAMAL

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The four derivatives of isoquinoline-1,3-dione based on β-lactum (I-IV, have been explored as neutral ionophores for preparing poly(vinylchloride based polymeric membrane electrodes (PME selective to silver(I ions. The addition of sodium tetraphenylborate (NaTPB and dioctylsebacate (DOS as a plasticizer was found to improve the performance of ion selective electrodes. The best performance was obtained with PME-1 based on ionophore I having composition: ionophore (9.2 mg, PVC (100.1 mg, DOS (201.1 mg and NaTPB (1.5 mg in 5 mL tetrahydrofuran. The electrode response was linear with Nernstian slope of 58.44 mV/decade in the concentration range of 1.0 x 10-1 M to 5.0 x 10-6 M and detection limit of 5.83 x 10-6 M. It performs satisfactorily over wide pH range of 1.0-5.5. The proposed sensor can be used over a period of more than three months without any significant drift in potential and shows good selectivity to silver(I ion over a number of cations especially with no interference of mercury(II ions. Sharp end point was obtained when the sensor was used as an indicator electrode for the potentiometric titration of silver(I ions with chloride ions and therefore this electrode (PME-1 could be used for quantitative determination of silver(I ion in synthetic water, silver foil and dental amalgam samples.

Testability evaluation using prior information of multiple sources

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Wang Chao; Qiu Jing; Liu Guanjun; Zhang Yong

2014-01-01

Testability plays an important role in improving the readiness and decreasing the life-cycle cost of equipment. Testability demonstration and evaluation is of significance in measuring such testability indexes as fault detection rate (FDR) and fault isolation rate (FIR), which is useful to the producer in mastering the testability level and improving the testability design, and helpful to the consumer in making purchase decisions. Aiming at the problems with a small sample of testabil-ity demonstration test data (TDTD) such as low evaluation confidence and inaccurate result, a test-ability evaluation method is proposed based on the prior information of multiple sources and Bayes theory. Firstly, the types of prior information are analyzed. The maximum entropy method is applied to the prior information with the mean and interval estimate forms on the testability index to obtain the parameters of prior probability density function (PDF), and the empirical Bayesian method is used to get the parameters for the prior information with a success-fail form. Then, a parametrical data consistency check method is used to check the compatibility between all the sources of prior information and TDTD. For the prior information to pass the check, the prior credibility is calculated. A mixed prior distribution is formed based on the prior PDFs and the corresponding credibility. The Bayesian posterior distribution model is acquired with the mixed prior distribution and TDTD, based on which the point and interval estimates are calculated. Finally, examples of a flying control system are used to verify the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method is feasible and effective.

Immobilization of tris(2 pyridyl methylamine in a PVC-Membrane Sensor and Characterization of the Membrane Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rezayi Majid

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Due to the increasing industrial use of titanium compounds, its determination is the subject of considerable efforts. The ionophore or membrane active recognition is the most important component of any polymeric membrane sensor. The sensor’s response depends on the ionophore and bonding between the ionophore and the target ion. Ionophores with molecule-sized dimensions containing cavities or semi-cavities can surround the target ion. The bond between the ionophore and target ion gives different selectivity and sensitivity toward the other ions. Therefore, ionophores with different binding strengths can be used in the sensor. Results In the present work, poly (vinyl chloride (PVC based membrane incorporating tris (2 pyridyl methylamine (tpm as an ionophore has been prepared and explored as a titanium(III selective sensor. Conclusions The strengths of the ion–ionophore (Ti(OH2+-tpm interactions and the role of ionophore on membrane were tested by various techniques such as elemental analysis, UV–vis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD. All data approved the successful incorporation of organic group via covalent bond.

Military Base Closures: Updated Status of Prior Base Realignments and Closures

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2005-01-01

...) round, questions continue to be raised about the transfer and environmental cleanup of unneeded property arising from the prior four BRAC rounds and their impact on cost and savings and on local economies...

Reliable Dual Tensor Model Estimation in Single and Crossing Fibers Based on Jeffreys Prior

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jianfei; Poot, Dirk H. J.; Caan, Matthan W. A.; Su, Tanja; Majoie, Charles B. L. M.; van Vliet, Lucas J.; Vos, Frans M.

2016-01-01

Purpose This paper presents and studies a framework for reliable modeling of diffusion MRI using a data-acquisition adaptive prior. Methods Automated relevance determination estimates the mean of the posterior distribution of a rank-2 dual tensor model exploiting Jeffreys prior (JARD). This data-acquisition prior is based on the Fisher information matrix and enables the assessment whether two tensors are mandatory to describe the data. The method is compared to Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) of the dual tensor model and to FSL’s ball-and-stick approach. Results Monte Carlo experiments demonstrated that JARD’s volume fractions correlated well with the ground truth for single and crossing fiber configurations. In single fiber configurations JARD automatically reduced the volume fraction of one compartment to (almost) zero. The variance in fractional anisotropy (FA) of the main tensor component was thereby reduced compared to MLE. JARD and MLE gave a comparable outcome in data simulating crossing fibers. On brain data, JARD yielded a smaller spread in FA along the corpus callosum compared to MLE. Tract-based spatial statistics demonstrated a higher sensitivity in detecting age-related white matter atrophy using JARD compared to both MLE and the ball-and-stick approach. Conclusions The proposed framework offers accurate and precise estimation of diffusion properties in single and dual fiber regions. PMID:27760166

Response to baricitinib based on prior biologic use in patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis

Science.gov (United States)

Genovese, Mark C; Kremer, Joel M; Kartman, Cynthia E; Schlichting, Douglas E; Xie, Li; Carmack, Tara; Pantojas, Carlos; Sanchez Burson, Juan; Tony, Hans-Peter; Macias, William L; Rooney, Terence P; Smolen, Josef S

2018-01-01

Abstract Objective RA patients who have failed biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs) represent an unmet medical need. We evaluated the effects of baseline characteristics, including prior bDMARD exposure, on baricitinib efficacy and safety. Methods RA-BEACON patients (previously reported) had moderate to severe RA with insufficient response to one or more TNF inhibitor and were randomized 1:1:1 to once-daily placebo or 2 or 4 mg baricitinib. Prior bDMARD use was allowed. The primary endpoint was a 20% improvement in ACR criteria (ACR20) at week 12 for 4 mg vs placebo. An exploratory, primarily post hoc, subgroup analysis evaluated efficacy at weeks 12 and 24 by ACR20 and Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) ⩽10. An interaction P-value ⩽0.10 was considered significant, with significance at both weeks 12 and 24 given more weight. Results The odds ratios predominantly favored baricitinib over placebo and were generally similar to those in the overall study (3.4, 2.4 for ACR20 weeks 12 and 24, respectively). Significant quantitative interactions were observed for baricitinib 4 mg vs placebo at weeks 12 and 24: ACR20 by region (larger effect Europe) and CDAI ⩽10 by disease duration (larger effect ⩾10 years). No significant interactions were consistently observed for ACR20 by age; weight; disease duration; seropositivity; corticosteroid use; number of prior bDMARDs, TNF inhibitors or non-TNF inhibitors; or a specific prior TNF inhibitor. Treatment-emergent adverse event rates, including infections, appeared somewhat higher across groups with greater prior bDMARD use. Conclusion Baricitinib demonstrated a consistent, beneficial treatment effect in bDMARD-refractory patients across subgroups based on baseline characteristics and prior bDMARD use. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov (https://clinicaltrials.gov/), NCT01721044 PMID:29415145

Testability evaluation using prior information of multiple sources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Chao

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Testability plays an important role in improving the readiness and decreasing the life-cycle cost of equipment. Testability demonstration and evaluation is of significance in measuring such testability indexes as fault detection rate (FDR and fault isolation rate (FIR, which is useful to the producer in mastering the testability level and improving the testability design, and helpful to the consumer in making purchase decisions. Aiming at the problems with a small sample of testability demonstration test data (TDTD such as low evaluation confidence and inaccurate result, a testability evaluation method is proposed based on the prior information of multiple sources and Bayes theory. Firstly, the types of prior information are analyzed. The maximum entropy method is applied to the prior information with the mean and interval estimate forms on the testability index to obtain the parameters of prior probability density function (PDF, and the empirical Bayesian method is used to get the parameters for the prior information with a success-fail form. Then, a parametrical data consistency check method is used to check the compatibility between all the sources of prior information and TDTD. For the prior information to pass the check, the prior credibility is calculated. A mixed prior distribution is formed based on the prior PDFs and the corresponding credibility. The Bayesian posterior distribution model is acquired with the mixed prior distribution and TDTD, based on which the point and interval estimates are calculated. Finally, examples of a flying control system are used to verify the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method is feasible and effective.

Sets of priors reflecting prior-data conflict and agreement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Walter, G.M.; Coolen, F.P.A.; Carvalho, J.P.; Lesot, M.-J.; Kaymak, U.; Vieira, S.; Bouchon-Meunier, B.; Yager, R.R.

2016-01-01

Bayesian inference enables combination of observations with prior knowledge in the reasoning process. The choice of a particular prior distribution to represent the available prior knowledge is, however, often debatable, especially when prior knowledge is limited or data are scarce, as then

Prior use of durable medical equipment as a risk adjuster for health-based capitation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R.C. van Kleef (Richard); R.C.J.A. van Vliet (René)

2010-01-01

textabstractThis paper examines a new risk adjuster for capitation payments to Dutch health plans, based on the prior use of durable medical equipment (DME). The essence is to classify users of DME in a previous year into clinically homogeneous classes and to apply the resulting classification as a

Reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces of Gaussian priors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vaart, van der A.W.; Zanten, van J.H.; Clarke, B.; Ghosal, S.

2008-01-01

We review definitions and properties of reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces attached to Gaussian variables and processes, with a view to applications in nonparametric Bayesian statistics using Gaussian priors. The rate of contraction of posterior distributions based on Gaussian priors can be described

Varying prior information in Bayesian inversion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, Matthew; Curtis, Andrew

2014-01-01

Bayes' rule is used to combine likelihood and prior probability distributions. The former represents knowledge derived from new data, the latter represents pre-existing knowledge; the Bayesian combination is the so-called posterior distribution, representing the resultant new state of knowledge. While varying the likelihood due to differing data observations is common, there are also situations where the prior distribution must be changed or replaced repeatedly. For example, in mixture density neural network (MDN) inversion, using current methods the neural network employed for inversion needs to be retrained every time prior information changes. We develop a method of prior replacement to vary the prior without re-training the network. Thus the efficiency of MDN inversions can be increased, typically by orders of magnitude when applied to geophysical problems. We demonstrate this for the inversion of seismic attributes in a synthetic subsurface geological reservoir model. We also present results which suggest that prior replacement can be used to control the statistical properties (such as variance) of the final estimate of the posterior in more general (e.g., Monte Carlo based) inverse problem solutions. (paper)

Identification of genes involved in Ca2+ ionophore A23187-mediated apoptosis and demonstration of a high susceptibility for transcriptional repression of cell cycle genes in B lymphoblasts from a patient with Scott syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meyer Dominique

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In contrast to other agents able to induce apoptosis of cultured cells, Ca2+ ionophore A23187 was shown to elicit direct activation of intracellular signal(s. The phenotype of the cells derived from patients having the hemorrhagic disease Scott syndrome, is associated with an abnormally high proportion of apoptotic cells, both in basal culture medium and upon addition of low ionophore concentrations in long-term cultures. These features are presumably related to the mutation also responsible for the defective procoagulant plasma membrane remodeling. We analyzed the specific transcriptional re-programming induced by A23187 to get insights into the effect of this agent on gene expression and a defective gene regulation in Scott cells. Results The changes in gene expression upon 48 hours treatment with 200 nM A23187 were measured in Scott B lymphoblasts compared to B lymphoblasts derived from the patient's daughter or unrelated individuals using Affymetrix microarrays. In a similar manner in all of the B cell lines, results showed up-regulation of 55 genes, out of 12,000 represented sequences, involved in various pathways of the cell metabolism. In contrast, a group of 54 down-regulated genes, coding for histones and proteins involved in the cell cycle progression, was more significantly repressed in Scott B lymphoblasts than in the other cell lines. These data correlated with the alterations of the cell cycle phases in treated cells and suggested that the potent effect of A23187 in Scott B lymphoblasts may be the consequence of the underlying molecular defect. Conclusion The data illustrate that the ionophore A23187 exerts its pro-apoptotic effect by promoting a complex pattern of genetic changes. These results also suggest that a subset of genes participating in various steps of the cell cycle progress can be transcriptionally regulated in a coordinated fashion. Furthermore, this research brings a new insight into the defect

Web-Based Alcohol Intervention in First-Year College Students: Efficacy of Full-Program Administration Prior to Second Semester.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilbertson, Rebecca J; Norton, Tina R; Beery, Susan H; Lee, Kassandra R

2018-05-12

Commercially available, web-based interventions for the prevention of alcohol use are being adopted for universal use with first-year college students, yet few have received empirical evaluation. This randomized controlled trial investigated the effectiveness of a novel, commercially available, personalized web-based alcohol intervention, Alcohol-Wise (version 4.0, 3 rd Millennium Classrooms), on multiple measures of alcohol consumption, alcohol consequences, alcohol expectancies, academic achievement, and adaptation to college in first-year students. Participants received Alcohol-Wise either prior to first semester or were waitlisted and received the intervention second semester. As longitudinal effectiveness was of interest, follow-up surveys were conducted 10 weeks (n = 76) and 24 weeks (n = 64) following the web-based alcohol intervention. Completion of Alcohol-Wise had effects on academic achievement. Specifically, at the 24 week follow-up, academic achievement was higher in participants who received the intervention first semester of their freshman year as compared to the waitlist control. The incremental rise in heavy episodic drinking during the first semester of college was also reduced in waitlisted participants by Alcohol-Wise administration prior to second semester. Conclusion/Importance: Implications for the timing of web-based alcohol interventions to include administration prior to both first and second semesters of the freshman year are discussed.

Selective permeation of plutonium(IV) through a supported liquid membrane containing tri-iso-amyl phosphate as an ionophore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukla, J.P.; Kedari, C.S.; Dharmapurikar, G.R.

1998-01-01

Selective ionophoric mobility of plutonium with ease of concentration upgradation from aqueous nitrate solutions was investigated. A thin flat-sheet supported liquid membrane (SLM) impregnated with tri-iso-amyl phosphate (TAP) was used. Accurel polypropylene hydrophobic microporous membrane 'Enka' was tested as the solid polymeric support. The source phase generally contained extremely dilute (ca. 10 -6 mol/dm -3 ) to moderately concentrated plutonium(IV) nitrate solutions (ca. 10 -3 mol/dm -3 ) in about 4 mol/dm -3 HNO 3 . Membrane permeability and selectivity dependency on variables like nitric acid concentration in the source phase, carrier concentration, receiving phase composition, etc. were systematically evaluated. More than 90% pertraction of plutonium could be easily accomplished in single run employing a feed solution consisting of about 1 mg/dm -3 Pu and 4 mol/dm -3 HNO 3 , carrier concentration of 0.8 mol/dm -3 TAP/dodecane; the receiving phase was 0.5 mol/dm -3 sodium carbonate or 0.5 mol/dm -3 ascorbic acid. The selective diffusivity of plutonium(IV) was observed from various effluents originating from fuel reprocessing operations. Reusability of membrane supports was also found to be satisfactory. (author)

The relative role of neutrophils and platelets in the local accumulation of circulating lymphocytes at sites of ionophore A23187 inoculation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hayes, J.M.; Simmons, R.L. (Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA (USA))

1991-03-01

The early cellular infiltrate at inflammatory sites consists predominantly of neutrophils and cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. The mechanism by which circulating, unsensitized lymphocytes accumulate at sites of inflammation is unknown. The pattern of accumulation of 111indium-labeled circulating thymocytes in response to local injections of the ionophore A23187 was studied and compared with the pattern of (125)iodinated albumin accumulation as a measure of vascular permeability. The kinetics of thymocyte accumulation differed from those of vascular permeability. Sublethal total-body irradiation (750 rads) markedly decreased thymocyte accumulation but had little effect on vascular permeability. Irradiation of the local site alone had no effect. T lymphocyte, T lymphoblast, and platelet accumulation generally followed the same pattern as thymocytes. Intravenous injection of neutrophils, but not platelets, partially restored lymphocyte accumulation in vivo in irradiated mice via a pathway involving the circulating neutrophil, and seemed to be independent of changes in vascular permeability.

A Regions of Confidence Based Approach to Enhance Segmentation with Shape Priors.

Science.gov (United States)

Appia, Vikram V; Ganapathy, Balaji; Abufadel, Amer; Yezzi, Anthony; Faber, Tracy

2010-01-18

We propose an improved region based segmentation model with shape priors that uses labels of confidence/interest to exclude the influence of certain regions in the image that may not provide useful information for segmentation. These could be regions in the image which are expected to have weak, missing or corrupt edges or they could be regions in the image which the user is not interested in segmenting, but are part of the object being segmented. In the training datasets, along with the manual segmentations we also generate an auxiliary map indicating these regions of low confidence/interest. Since, all the training images are acquired under similar conditions, we can train our algorithm to estimate these regions as well. Based on this training we will generate a map which indicates the regions in the image that are likely to contain no useful information for segmentation. We then use a parametric model to represent the segmenting curve as a combination of shape priors obtained by representing the training data as a collection of signed distance functions. We evolve an objective energy functional to evolve the global parameters that are used to represent the curve. We vary the influence each pixel has on the evolution of these parameters based on the confidence/interest label. When we use these labels to indicate the regions with low confidence; the regions containing accurate edges will have a dominant role in the evolution of the curve and the segmentation in the low confidence regions will be approximated based on the training data. Since our model evolves global parameters, it improves the segmentation even in the regions with accurate edges. This is because we eliminate the influence of the low confidence regions which may mislead the final segmentation. Similarly when we use the labels to indicate the regions which are not of importance, we will get a better segmentation of the object in the regions we are interested in.

Terminology for pregnancy loss prior to viability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kolte, A M; Bernardi, L A; Christiansen, O B

2015-01-01

Pregnancy loss prior to viability is common and research in the field is extensive. Unfortunately, terminology in the literature is inconsistent. The lack of consensus regarding nomenclature and classification of pregnancy loss prior to viability makes it difficult to compare study results from...... different centres. In our opinion, terminology and definitions should be based on clinical findings, and when possible, transvaginal ultrasound. With this Early Pregnancy Consensus Statement, it is our goal to provide clear and consistent terminology for pregnancy loss prior to viability....

Investigating the Effectiveness of Inquiry-Based Instruction on Students with Different Prior Knowledge and Reading Abilities

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jing-Ru; Wang, Yuh-Chao; Tai, Hsin-Jung; Chen, Wen-Ju

2010-01-01

This study examined the differential impacts of an inquiry-based instruction on conceptual changes across levels of prior knowledge and reading ability. The instrument emphasized four simultaneously important components: conceptual knowledge, reading ability, attitude toward science, and learning environment. Although the learning patterns and…

PIRPLE: a penalized-likelihood framework for incorporation of prior images in CT reconstruction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stayman, J Webster; Dang, Hao; Ding, Yifu; Siewerdsen, Jeffrey H

2013-01-01

Over the course of diagnosis and treatment, it is common for a number of imaging studies to be acquired. Such imaging sequences can provide substantial patient-specific prior knowledge about the anatomy that can be incorporated into a prior-image-based tomographic reconstruction for improved image quality and better dose utilization. We present a general methodology using a model-based reconstruction approach including formulations of the measurement noise that also integrates prior images. This penalized-likelihood technique adopts a sparsity enforcing penalty that incorporates prior information yet allows for change between the current reconstruction and the prior image. Moreover, since prior images are generally not registered with the current image volume, we present a modified model-based approach that seeks a joint registration of the prior image in addition to the reconstruction of projection data. We demonstrate that the combined prior-image- and model-based technique outperforms methods that ignore the prior data or lack a noise model. Moreover, we demonstrate the importance of registration for prior-image-based reconstruction methods and show that the prior-image-registered penalized-likelihood estimation (PIRPLE) approach can maintain a high level of image quality in the presence of noisy and undersampled projection data. (paper)

Novel joint TOA/RSSI-based WCE location tracking method without prior knowledge of biological human body tissues.

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Ito, Takahiro; Anzai, Daisuke; Jianqing Wang

2014-01-01

This paper proposes a novel joint time of arrival (TOA)/received signal strength indicator (RSSI)-based wireless capsule endoscope (WCE) location tracking method without prior knowledge of biological human tissues. Generally, TOA-based localization can achieve much higher localization accuracy than other radio frequency-based localization techniques, whereas wireless signals transmitted from a WCE pass through various kinds of human body tissues, as a result, the propagation velocity inside a human body should be different from one in free space. Because the variation of propagation velocity is mainly affected by the relative permittivity of human body tissues, instead of pre-measurement for the relative permittivity in advance, we simultaneously estimate not only the WCE location but also the relative permittivity information. For this purpose, this paper first derives the relative permittivity estimation model with measured RSSI information. Then, we pay attention to a particle filter algorithm with the TOA-based localization and the RSSI-based relative permittivity estimation. Our computer simulation results demonstrates that the proposed tracking methods with the particle filter can accomplish an excellent localization accuracy of around 2 mm without prior information of the relative permittivity of the human body tissues.

Lung cancer gene expression database analysis incorporating prior knowledge with support vector machine-based classification method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huang Desheng

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A reliable and precise classification is essential for successful diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Gene expression microarrays have provided the high-throughput platform to discover genomic biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Rational use of the available bioinformation can not only effectively remove or suppress noise in gene chips, but also avoid one-sided results of separate experiment. However, only some studies have been aware of the importance of prior information in cancer classification. Methods Together with the application of support vector machine as the discriminant approach, we proposed one modified method that incorporated prior knowledge into cancer classification based on gene expression data to improve accuracy. A public well-known dataset, Malignant pleural mesothelioma and lung adenocarcinoma gene expression database, was used in this study. Prior knowledge is viewed here as a means of directing the classifier using known lung adenocarcinoma related genes. The procedures were performed by software R 2.80. Results The modified method performed better after incorporating prior knowledge. Accuracy of the modified method improved from 98.86% to 100% in training set and from 98.51% to 99.06% in test set. The standard deviations of the modified method decreased from 0.26% to 0 in training set and from 3.04% to 2.10% in test set. Conclusion The method that incorporates prior knowledge into discriminant analysis could effectively improve the capacity and reduce the impact of noise. This idea may have good future not only in practice but also in methodology.

Multi-energy CT based on a prior rank, intensity and sparsity model (PRISM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Hao; Osher, Stanley; Yu, Hengyong; Wang, Ge

2011-01-01

We propose a compressive sensing approach for multi-energy computed tomography (CT), namely the prior rank, intensity and sparsity model (PRISM). To further compress the multi-energy image for allowing the reconstruction with fewer CT data and less radiation dose, the PRISM models a multi-energy image as the superposition of a low-rank matrix and a sparse matrix (with row dimension in space and column dimension in energy), where the low-rank matrix corresponds to the stationary background over energy that has a low matrix rank, and the sparse matrix represents the rest of distinct spectral features that are often sparse. Distinct from previous methods, the PRISM utilizes the generalized rank, e.g., the matrix rank of tight-frame transform of a multi-energy image, which offers a way to characterize the multi-level and multi-filtered image coherence across the energy spectrum. Besides, the energy-dependent intensity information can be incorporated into the PRISM in terms of the spectral curves for base materials, with which the restoration of the multi-energy image becomes the reconstruction of the energy-independent material composition matrix. In other words, the PRISM utilizes prior knowledge on the generalized rank and sparsity of a multi-energy image, and intensity/spectral characteristics of base materials. Furthermore, we develop an accurate and fast split Bregman method for the PRISM and demonstrate the superior performance of the PRISM relative to several competing methods in simulations. (papers)

External Prior Guided Internal Prior Learning for Real-World Noisy Image Denoising

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jun; Zhang, Lei; Zhang, David

2018-06-01

Most of existing image denoising methods learn image priors from either external data or the noisy image itself to remove noise. However, priors learned from external data may not be adaptive to the image to be denoised, while priors learned from the given noisy image may not be accurate due to the interference of corrupted noise. Meanwhile, the noise in real-world noisy images is very complex, which is hard to be described by simple distributions such as Gaussian distribution, making real noisy image denoising a very challenging problem. We propose to exploit the information in both external data and the given noisy image, and develop an external prior guided internal prior learning method for real noisy image denoising. We first learn external priors from an independent set of clean natural images. With the aid of learned external priors, we then learn internal priors from the given noisy image to refine the prior model. The external and internal priors are formulated as a set of orthogonal dictionaries to efficiently reconstruct the desired image. Extensive experiments are performed on several real noisy image datasets. The proposed method demonstrates highly competitive denoising performance, outperforming state-of-the-art denoising methods including those designed for real noisy images.

A blind deconvolution method based on L1/L2 regularization prior in the gradient space

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Ying; Shi, Yu; Hua, Xia

2018-02-01

In the process of image restoration, the result of image restoration is very different from the real image because of the existence of noise, in order to solve the ill posed problem in image restoration, a blind deconvolution method based on L1/L2 regularization prior to gradient domain is proposed. The method presented in this paper first adds a function to the prior knowledge, which is the ratio of the L1 norm to the L2 norm, and takes the function as the penalty term in the high frequency domain of the image. Then, the function is iteratively updated, and the iterative shrinkage threshold algorithm is applied to solve the high frequency image. In this paper, it is considered that the information in the gradient domain is better for the estimation of blur kernel, so the blur kernel is estimated in the gradient domain. This problem can be quickly implemented in the frequency domain by fast Fast Fourier Transform. In addition, in order to improve the effectiveness of the algorithm, we have added a multi-scale iterative optimization method. This paper proposes the blind deconvolution method based on L1/L2 regularization priors in the gradient space can obtain the unique and stable solution in the process of image restoration, which not only keeps the edges and details of the image, but also ensures the accuracy of the results.

Spectrally Consistent Satellite Image Fusion with Improved Image Priors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg; Aanæs, Henrik; Jensen, Thomas B.S.

2006-01-01

Here an improvement to our previous framework for satellite image fusion is presented. A framework purely based on the sensor physics and on prior assumptions on the fused image. The contributions of this paper are two fold. Firstly, a method for ensuring 100% spectrally consistency is proposed......, even when more sophisticated image priors are applied. Secondly, a better image prior is introduced, via data-dependent image smoothing....

PET image reconstruction using multi-parametric anato-functional priors

Science.gov (United States)

Mehranian, Abolfazl; Belzunce, Martin A.; Niccolini, Flavia; Politis, Marios; Prieto, Claudia; Turkheimer, Federico; Hammers, Alexander; Reader, Andrew J.

2017-08-01

In this study, we investigate the application of multi-parametric anato-functional (MR-PET) priors for the maximum a posteriori (MAP) reconstruction of brain PET data in order to address the limitations of the conventional anatomical priors in the presence of PET-MR mismatches. In addition to partial volume correction benefits, the suitability of these priors for reconstruction of low-count PET data is also introduced and demonstrated, comparing to standard maximum-likelihood (ML) reconstruction of high-count data. The conventional local Tikhonov and total variation (TV) priors and current state-of-the-art anatomical priors including the Kaipio, non-local Tikhonov prior with Bowsher and Gaussian similarity kernels are investigated and presented in a unified framework. The Gaussian kernels are calculated using both voxel- and patch-based feature vectors. To cope with PET and MR mismatches, the Bowsher and Gaussian priors are extended to multi-parametric priors. In addition, we propose a modified joint Burg entropy prior that by definition exploits all parametric information in the MAP reconstruction of PET data. The performance of the priors was extensively evaluated using 3D simulations and two clinical brain datasets of [18F]florbetaben and [18F]FDG radiotracers. For simulations, several anato-functional mismatches were intentionally introduced between the PET and MR images, and furthermore, for the FDG clinical dataset, two PET-unique active tumours were embedded in the PET data. Our simulation results showed that the joint Burg entropy prior far outperformed the conventional anatomical priors in terms of preserving PET unique lesions, while still reconstructing functional boundaries with corresponding MR boundaries. In addition, the multi-parametric extension of the Gaussian and Bowsher priors led to enhanced preservation of edge and PET unique features and also an improved bias-variance performance. In agreement with the simulation results, the clinical results

On the prior probabilities for two-stage Bayesian estimates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohut, P.

1992-01-01

The method of Bayesian inference is reexamined for its applicability and for the required underlying assumptions in obtaining and using prior probability estimates. Two different approaches are suggested to determine the first-stage priors in the two-stage Bayesian analysis which avoid certain assumptions required for other techniques. In the first scheme, the prior is obtained through a true frequency based distribution generated at selected intervals utilizing actual sampling of the failure rate distributions. The population variability distribution is generated as the weighed average of the frequency distributions. The second method is based on a non-parametric Bayesian approach using the Maximum Entropy Principle. Specific features such as integral properties or selected parameters of prior distributions may be obtained with minimal assumptions. It is indicated how various quantiles may also be generated with a least square technique

Development of a new prior knowledge based image reconstruction algorithm for the cone-beam-CT in radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaegler, Sven

2016-01-01

The treatment of cancer in radiation therapy is achievable today by techniques that enable highly conformal dose distributions and steep dose gradients. In order to avoid mistreatment, these irradiation techniques have necessitated enhanced patient localization techniques. With an integrated x-ray tube at modern linear accelerators kV-projections can be acquired over a sufficiently large angular space and can be reconstructed to a volumetric image data set from the current situation of the patient prior to irradiation. The so-called Cone-Beam-CT (CBCT) allows a precise verification of patient positioning as well as adaptive radiotherapy. The benefits of an improved patient positioning due to a daily performed CBCT's is contrary to an increased and not negligible radiation exposure of the patient. In order to decrease the radiation exposure, substantial research effort is focused on various dose reduction strategies. Prominent strategies are the decrease of the charge per projection, the reduction of the number of projections as well as the reduction of the acquisition space. Unfortunately, these acquisition schemes lead to images with degraded quality with the widely used Feldkamp-Davis-Kress image reconstruction algorithm. More sophisticated image reconstruction techniques can deal with these dose-reduction strategies without degrading the image quality. A frequently investigated method is the image reconstruction by minimizing the total variation (TV), which is also known as Compressed Sensing (CS). A Compressed Sensing-based reconstruction framework that includes prior images into the reconstruction algorithm is the Prior-Image-Constrained- Compressed-Sensing algorithm (PICCS). The images reconstructed by PICCS outperform the reconstruction results of the conventional Feldkamp-Davis-Kress algorithm (FDK) based method if only a small number of projections are available. However, a drawback of PICCS is that major deviations between prior image data sets and the

Assessment of Prior Learning in Adult Vocational Education and Training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vibe Aarkrog

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The article deals about the results of a study of school-based Assessment of Prior Learning of adults who have enrolled as students in a VET college in order to qualify for occupations as skilled workers. Based on examples of VET teachers’ methods for assessing the students’ prior learning in the programs for gastronomes, respectively child care assistants the article discusses two issues in relation to Assessment of Prior Learing: the encounter of practical experience and school-based knowledge and the validity and reliability of the assessment procedures. Through focusing on the students’ knowing that and knowing why the assessment is based on a scholastic perception of the students’ needs for training, reflecting one of the most important challenges in Assessment of Prior Learning: how can practical experience be transformed into credits for the knowledge parts of the programs? The study shows that by combining several Assessment of Prior Learning methods and comparing the teachers’ assessments the teachers respond to the issues of validity and reliability. However, validity and reliability might be even further strengthened, if the competencies are well defined, if the education system is aware of securing a reasonable balance between knowing how, knowing that, and knowing why, and if the teachers are adequately trained for the assessment procedures.

Restoration and Enhancement of Underwater Images Based on Bright Channel Prior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yakun Gao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposed a new method of underwater images restoration and enhancement which was inspired by the dark channel prior in image dehazing field. Firstly, we proposed the bright channel prior of underwater environment. By estimating and rectifying the bright channel image, estimating the atmospheric light, and estimating and refining the transmittance image, eventually underwater images were restored. Secondly, in order to rectify the color distortion, the restoration images were equalized by using the deduced histogram equalization. The experiment results showed that the proposed method could enhance the quality of underwater images effectively.

Factors affecting learning of vector math from computer-based practice: Feedback complexity and prior knowledge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew F. Heckler

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In experiments including over 450 university-level students, we studied the effectiveness and time efficiency of several levels of feedback complexity in simple, computer-based training utilizing static question sequences. The learning domain was simple vector math, an essential skill in introductory physics. In a unique full factorial design, we studied the relative effects of “knowledge of correct response” feedback and “elaborated feedback” (i.e., a general explanation both separately and together. A number of other factors were analyzed, including training time, physics course grade, prior knowledge of vector math, and student beliefs about both their proficiency in and the importance of vector math. We hypothesize a simple model predicting how the effectiveness of feedback depends on prior knowledge, and the results confirm this knowledge-by-treatment interaction. Most notably, elaborated feedback is the most effective feedback, especially for students with low prior knowledge and low course grade. In contrast, knowledge of correct response feedback was less effective for low-performing students, and including both kinds of feedback did not significantly improve performance compared to elaborated feedback alone. Further, while elaborated feedback resulted in higher scores, the learning rate was at best only marginally higher because the training time was slightly longer. Training time data revealed that students spent significantly more time on the elaborated feedback after answering a training question incorrectly. Finally, we found that training improved student self-reported proficiency and that belief in the importance of the learned domain improved the effectiveness of training. Overall, we found that computer based training with static question sequences and immediate elaborated feedback in the form of simple and general explanations can be an effective way to improve student performance on a physics essential skill

Improving the Pattern Reproducibility of Multiple-Point-Based Prior Models Using Frequency Matching

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cordua, Knud Skou; Hansen, Thomas Mejer; Mosegaard, Klaus

2014-01-01

Some multiple-point-based sampling algorithms, such as the snesim algorithm, rely on sequential simulation. The conditional probability distributions that are used for the simulation are based on statistics of multiple-point data events obtained from a training image. During the simulation, data...... events with zero probability in the training image statistics may occur. This is handled by pruning the set of conditioning data until an event with non-zero probability is found. The resulting probability distribution sampled by such algorithms is a pruned mixture model. The pruning strategy leads...... to a probability distribution that lacks some of the information provided by the multiple-point statistics from the training image, which reduces the reproducibility of the training image patterns in the outcome realizations. When pruned mixture models are used as prior models for inverse problems, local re...

Time and order estimation of paintings based on visual features and expert priors

Science.gov (United States)

Cabral, Ricardo S.; Costeira, João P.; de La Torre, Fernando; Bernardino, Alexandre; Carneiro, Gustavo

2011-03-01

Time and order are considered crucial information in the art domain, and subject of many research efforts by historians. In this paper, we present a framework for estimating the ordering and date information of paintings and drawings. We formulate this problem as the embedding into a one dimension manifold, which aims to place paintings far or close to each other according to a measure of similarity. Our formulation can be seen as a manifold learning algorithm, albeit properly adapted to deal with existing questions in the art community. To solve this problem, we propose an approach based in Laplacian Eigenmaps and a convex optimization formulation. Both methods are able to incorporate art expertise as priors to the estimation, in the form of constraints. Types of information include exact or approximate dating and partial orderings. We explore the use of soft penalty terms to allow for constraint violation to account for the fact that prior knowledge may contain small errors. Our problem is tested within the scope of the PrintART project, which aims to assist art historians in tracing Portuguese Tile art "Azulejos" back to the engravings that inspired them. Furthermore, we describe other possible applications where time information (and hence, this method) could be of use in art history, fake detection or curatorial treatment.

Constrained noninformative priors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atwood, C.L.

1994-10-01

The Jeffreys noninformative prior distribution for a single unknown parameter is the distribution corresponding to a uniform distribution in the transformed model where the unknown parameter is approximately a location parameter. To obtain a prior distribution with a specified mean but with diffusion reflecting great uncertainty, a natural generalization of the noninformative prior is the distribution corresponding to the constrained maximum entropy distribution in the transformed model. Examples are given

Carrier-facilitated transport of Cd(II) through a supported liquid membrane containing thiacalix[4]arene derivatives as ionophore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaghbani, Asma; Tayeb, Rafik; Dhahbi, Mahmoud

2009-01-01

The feasibility of a facilitated transport process of cadmium ions through a SLM system incorporating new extractant agents, thiacalix[4]arenes, was studied. These molecules have sulfur atoms instead of usual methylene bridges. The chemical modification of the upper or the lower rim provides a great variety of supra molecules having different complexation ability and different conformational behaviour. The efficiency of the transport across the inner membrane organic liquid phase is shown to depend on the chemical (affinity) and structural (conformational states possible) parameters of these complexing molecules. In this work, two different thiacalix[4]arenes were selected as effective ionophore for the treatment of liquid media loaded in Cd(II). The results show that these thiacalix[4]arenes derivative ensure facilitated transport of cadmium cations through supported liquid membranes. Especially, the non-substituted thiacalix[4]arene can be considered as an effective extractant agent. The incidence of several parameters on transport efficiency such as pH of both aqueous solutions and carrier concentration was studied. The permeation of the species is due to a proton potential gradient (the driving force of the process) existing between the two opposite sides of the SLM. The initial flux, J, is found to be equal to 6.7.10 -7 mol.m -2 .s -1 , under optimal experimental conditions.

Estimating Security Betas Using Prior Information Based on Firm Fundamentals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cosemans, Mathijs; Frehen, Rik; Schotman, Peter; Bauer, Rob

2016-01-01

We propose a hybrid approach for estimating beta that shrinks rolling window estimates toward firm-specific priors motivated by economic theory. Our method yields superior forecasts of beta that have important practical implications. First, unlike standard rolling window betas, hybrid betas carry a

Prior Sensitivity Analysis in Default Bayesian Structural Equation Modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

van Erp, Sara; Mulder, Joris; Oberski, Daniel L

2017-11-27

Bayesian structural equation modeling (BSEM) has recently gained popularity because it enables researchers to fit complex models and solve some of the issues often encountered in classical maximum likelihood estimation, such as nonconvergence and inadmissible solutions. An important component of any Bayesian analysis is the prior distribution of the unknown model parameters. Often, researchers rely on default priors, which are constructed in an automatic fashion without requiring substantive prior information. However, the prior can have a serious influence on the estimation of the model parameters, which affects the mean squared error, bias, coverage rates, and quantiles of the estimates. In this article, we investigate the performance of three different default priors: noninformative improper priors, vague proper priors, and empirical Bayes priors-with the latter being novel in the BSEM literature. Based on a simulation study, we find that these three default BSEM methods may perform very differently, especially with small samples. A careful prior sensitivity analysis is therefore needed when performing a default BSEM analysis. For this purpose, we provide a practical step-by-step guide for practitioners to conducting a prior sensitivity analysis in default BSEM. Our recommendations are illustrated using a well-known case study from the structural equation modeling literature, and all code for conducting the prior sensitivity analysis is available in the online supplemental materials. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Estimating security betas using prior information based on firm fundamentals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cosemans, Mathijs; Frehen, Rik; Schotman, Peter; Bauer, Rob

We propose a hybrid approach for estimating beta that shrinks rolling window estimates towards firm-specific priors motivated by economic theory. Our method yields superior forecasts of beta that have important practical implications. First, hybrid betas carry a significant price of risk in the

Integrated potentiometric detector for use in chip-based flow cells

Science.gov (United States)

Tantra; Manz

2000-07-01

A new kind of potentiometric chip sensor for ion-selective electrodes (ISE) based on a solvent polymeric membrane is described. The chip sensor is designed to trap the organic cocktail inside the chip and to permit sample solution to flow past the membrane. The design allows the sensor to overcome technical problems of ruggedness and would therefore be ideal for industrial processes. The sensor performance for a Ba2+-ISE membrane based on a Vogtle ionophore showed electrochemical behavior similar to that observed in conventional electrodes and microelectrode arrangements.

Penalising Model Component Complexity: A Principled, Practical Approach to Constructing Priors

KAUST Repository

Simpson, Daniel

2017-04-06

In this paper, we introduce a new concept for constructing prior distributions. We exploit the natural nested structure inherent to many model components, which defines the model component to be a flexible extension of a base model. Proper priors are defined to penalise the complexity induced by deviating from the simpler base model and are formulated after the input of a user-defined scaling parameter for that model component, both in the univariate and the multivariate case. These priors are invariant to repa-rameterisations, have a natural connection to Jeffreys\\' priors, are designed to support Occam\\'s razor and seem to have excellent robustness properties, all which are highly desirable and allow us to use this approach to define default prior distributions. Through examples and theoretical results, we demonstrate the appropriateness of this approach and how it can be applied in various situations.

Penalising Model Component Complexity: A Principled, Practical Approach to Constructing Priors

KAUST Repository

Simpson, Daniel; Rue, Haavard; Riebler, Andrea; Martins, Thiago G.; Sø rbye, Sigrunn H.

2017-01-01

In this paper, we introduce a new concept for constructing prior distributions. We exploit the natural nested structure inherent to many model components, which defines the model component to be a flexible extension of a base model. Proper priors are defined to penalise the complexity induced by deviating from the simpler base model and are formulated after the input of a user-defined scaling parameter for that model component, both in the univariate and the multivariate case. These priors are invariant to repa-rameterisations, have a natural connection to Jeffreys' priors, are designed to support Occam's razor and seem to have excellent robustness properties, all which are highly desirable and allow us to use this approach to define default prior distributions. Through examples and theoretical results, we demonstrate the appropriateness of this approach and how it can be applied in various situations.

Supporting patients in obtaining and oncologists in providing evidence-based health-related quality of life information prior to and after esophageal cancer surgery

OpenAIRE

Jacobs, M.

2015-01-01

The overall aim of this thesis was to support patients in obtaining and oncologists in providing evidence-based HRQL data prior to and following esophageal cancer surgery. This thesis is divided in two parts. In Part I, we addressed the information needs of esophageal cancer patients prior to and following esophageal surgery, the barriers and facilitators patients experienced when discussing their information needs with their oncologist, and the development of a web-based question prompt shee...

Supporting patients in obtaining and oncologists in providing evidence-based health-related quality of life information prior to and after esophageal cancer surgery

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jacobs, M.

2015-01-01

The overall aim of this thesis was to support patients in obtaining and oncologists in providing evidence-based HRQL data prior to and following esophageal cancer surgery. This thesis is divided in two parts. In Part I, we addressed the information needs of esophageal cancer patients prior to and

Can natural selection encode Bayesian priors?

Science.gov (United States)

Ramírez, Juan Camilo; Marshall, James A R

2017-08-07

The evolutionary success of many organisms depends on their ability to make decisions based on estimates of the state of their environment (e.g., predation risk) from uncertain information. These decision problems have optimal solutions and individuals in nature are expected to evolve the behavioural mechanisms to make decisions as if using the optimal solutions. Bayesian inference is the optimal method to produce estimates from uncertain data, thus natural selection is expected to favour individuals with the behavioural mechanisms to make decisions as if they were computing Bayesian estimates in typically-experienced environments, although this does not necessarily imply that favoured decision-makers do perform Bayesian computations exactly. Each individual should evolve to behave as if updating a prior estimate of the unknown environment variable to a posterior estimate as it collects evidence. The prior estimate represents the decision-maker's default belief regarding the environment variable, i.e., the individual's default 'worldview' of the environment. This default belief has been hypothesised to be shaped by natural selection and represent the environment experienced by the individual's ancestors. We present an evolutionary model to explore how accurately Bayesian prior estimates can be encoded genetically and shaped by natural selection when decision-makers learn from uncertain information. The model simulates the evolution of a population of individuals that are required to estimate the probability of an event. Every individual has a prior estimate of this probability and collects noisy cues from the environment in order to update its prior belief to a Bayesian posterior estimate with the evidence gained. The prior is inherited and passed on to offspring. Fitness increases with the accuracy of the posterior estimates produced. Simulations show that prior estimates become accurate over evolutionary time. In addition to these 'Bayesian' individuals, we also

Prior-Based Quantization Bin Matching for Cloud Storage of JPEG Images.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xianming; Cheung, Gene; Lin, Chia-Wen; Zhao, Debin; Gao, Wen

2018-07-01

Millions of user-generated images are uploaded to social media sites like Facebook daily, which translate to a large storage cost. However, there exists an asymmetry in upload and download data: only a fraction of the uploaded images are subsequently retrieved for viewing. In this paper, we propose a cloud storage system that reduces the storage cost of all uploaded JPEG photos, at the expense of a controlled increase in computation mainly during download of requested image subset. Specifically, the system first selectively re-encodes code blocks of uploaded JPEG images using coarser quantization parameters for smaller storage sizes. Then during download, the system exploits known signal priors-sparsity prior and graph-signal smoothness prior-for reverse mapping to recover original fine quantization bin indices, with either deterministic guarantee (lossless mode) or statistical guarantee (near-lossless mode). For fast reverse mapping, we use small dictionaries and sparse graphs that are tailored for specific clusters of similar blocks, which are classified via tree-structured vector quantizer. During image upload, cluster indices identifying the appropriate dictionaries and graphs for the re-quantized blocks are encoded as side information using a differential distributed source coding scheme to facilitate reverse mapping during image download. Experimental results show that our system can reap significant storage savings (up to 12.05%) at roughly the same image PSNR (within 0.18 dB).

Low dose CBCT reconstruction via prior contour based total variation (PCTV) regularization: a feasibility study

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yingxuan; Yin, Fang-Fang; Zhang, Yawei; Zhang, You; Ren, Lei

2018-04-01

Purpose: compressed sensing reconstruction using total variation (TV) tends to over-smooth the edge information by uniformly penalizing the image gradient. The goal of this study is to develop a novel prior contour based TV (PCTV) method to enhance the edge information in compressed sensing reconstruction for CBCT. Methods: the edge information is extracted from prior planning-CT via edge detection. Prior CT is first registered with on-board CBCT reconstructed with TV method through rigid or deformable registration. The edge contours in prior-CT is then mapped to CBCT and used as the weight map for TV regularization to enhance edge information in CBCT reconstruction. The PCTV method was evaluated using extended-cardiac-torso (XCAT) phantom, physical CatPhan phantom and brain patient data. Results were compared with both TV and edge preserving TV (EPTV) methods which are commonly used for limited projection CBCT reconstruction. Relative error was used to calculate pixel value difference and edge cross correlation was defined as the similarity of edge information between reconstructed images and ground truth in the quantitative evaluation. Results: compared to TV and EPTV, PCTV enhanced the edge information of bone, lung vessels and tumor in XCAT reconstruction and complex bony structures in brain patient CBCT. In XCAT study using 45 half-fan CBCT projections, compared with ground truth, relative errors were 1.5%, 0.7% and 0.3% and edge cross correlations were 0.66, 0.72 and 0.78 for TV, EPTV and PCTV, respectively. PCTV is more robust to the projection number reduction. Edge enhancement was reduced slightly with noisy projections but PCTV was still superior to other methods. PCTV can maintain resolution while reducing the noise in the low mAs CatPhan reconstruction. Low contrast edges were preserved better with PCTV compared with TV and EPTV. Conclusion: PCTV preserved edge information as well as reduced streak artifacts and noise in low dose CBCT reconstruction

Generalized multiple kernel learning with data-dependent priors.

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Qi; Tsang, Ivor W; Gao, Shenghua; Wang, Li

2015-06-01

Multiple kernel learning (MKL) and classifier ensemble are two mainstream methods for solving learning problems in which some sets of features/views are more informative than others, or the features/views within a given set are inconsistent. In this paper, we first present a novel probabilistic interpretation of MKL such that maximum entropy discrimination with a noninformative prior over multiple views is equivalent to the formulation of MKL. Instead of using the noninformative prior, we introduce a novel data-dependent prior based on an ensemble of kernel predictors, which enhances the prediction performance of MKL by leveraging the merits of the classifier ensemble. With the proposed probabilistic framework of MKL, we propose a hierarchical Bayesian model to learn the proposed data-dependent prior and classification model simultaneously. The resultant problem is convex and other information (e.g., instances with either missing views or missing labels) can be seamlessly incorporated into the data-dependent priors. Furthermore, a variety of existing MKL models can be recovered under the proposed MKL framework and can be readily extended to incorporate these priors. Extensive experiments demonstrate the benefits of our proposed framework in supervised and semisupervised settings, as well as in tasks with partial correspondence among multiple views.

Uncertainty plus prior equals rational bias: an intuitive Bayesian probability weighting function.

Science.gov (United States)

Fennell, John; Baddeley, Roland

2012-10-01

Empirical research has shown that when making choices based on probabilistic options, people behave as if they overestimate small probabilities, underestimate large probabilities, and treat positive and negative outcomes differently. These distortions have been modeled using a nonlinear probability weighting function, which is found in several nonexpected utility theories, including rank-dependent models and prospect theory; here, we propose a Bayesian approach to the probability weighting function and, with it, a psychological rationale. In the real world, uncertainty is ubiquitous and, accordingly, the optimal strategy is to combine probability statements with prior information using Bayes' rule. First, we show that any reasonable prior on probabilities leads to 2 of the observed effects; overweighting of low probabilities and underweighting of high probabilities. We then investigate 2 plausible kinds of priors: informative priors based on previous experience and uninformative priors of ignorance. Individually, these priors potentially lead to large problems of bias and inefficiency, respectively; however, when combined using Bayesian model comparison methods, both forms of prior can be applied adaptively, gaining the efficiency of empirical priors and the robustness of ignorance priors. We illustrate this for the simple case of generic good and bad options, using Internet blogs to estimate the relevant priors of inference. Given this combined ignorant/informative prior, the Bayesian probability weighting function is not only robust and efficient but also matches all of the major characteristics of the distortions found in empirical research. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

New learning based super-resolution: use of DWT and IGMRF prior.

Science.gov (United States)

Gajjar, Prakash P; Joshi, Manjunath V

2010-05-01

In this paper, we propose a new learning-based approach for super-resolving an image captured at low spatial resolution. Given the low spatial resolution test image and a database consisting of low and high spatial resolution images, we obtain super-resolution for the test image. We first obtain an initial high-resolution (HR) estimate by learning the high-frequency details from the available database. A new discrete wavelet transform (DWT) based approach is proposed for learning that uses a set of low-resolution (LR) images and their corresponding HR versions. Since the super-resolution is an ill-posed problem, we obtain the final solution using a regularization framework. The LR image is modeled as the aliased and noisy version of the corresponding HR image, and the aliasing matrix entries are estimated using the test image and the initial HR estimate. The prior model for the super-resolved image is chosen as an Inhomogeneous Gaussian Markov random field (IGMRF) and the model parameters are estimated using the same initial HR estimate. A maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation is used to arrive at the cost function which is minimized using a simple gradient descent approach. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach by conducting the experiments on gray scale as well as on color images. The method is compared with the standard interpolation technique and also with existing learning-based approaches. The proposed approach can be used in applications such as wildlife sensor networks, remote surveillance where the memory, the transmission bandwidth, and the camera cost are the main constraints.

Identification of subsurface structures using electromagnetic data and shape priors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tveit, Svenn, E-mail: svenn.tveit@uni.no [Uni CIPR, Uni Research, Bergen 5020 (Norway); Department of Mathematics, University of Bergen, Bergen 5020 (Norway); Bakr, Shaaban A., E-mail: shaaban.bakr1@gmail.com [Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut 71516 (Egypt); Uni CIPR, Uni Research, Bergen 5020 (Norway); Lien, Martha, E-mail: martha.lien@octio.com [Uni CIPR, Uni Research, Bergen 5020 (Norway); Octio AS, Bøhmergaten 44, Bergen 5057 (Norway); Mannseth, Trond, E-mail: trond.mannseth@uni.no [Uni CIPR, Uni Research, Bergen 5020 (Norway); Department of Mathematics, University of Bergen, Bergen 5020 (Norway)

2015-03-01

We consider the inverse problem of identifying large-scale subsurface structures using the controlled source electromagnetic method. To identify structures in the subsurface where the contrast in electric conductivity can be small, regularization is needed to bias the solution towards preserving structural information. We propose to combine two approaches for regularization of the inverse problem. In the first approach we utilize a model-based, reduced, composite representation of the electric conductivity that is highly flexible, even for a moderate number of degrees of freedom. With a low number of parameters, the inverse problem is efficiently solved using a standard, second-order gradient-based optimization algorithm. Further regularization is obtained using structural prior information, available, e.g., from interpreted seismic data. The reduced conductivity representation is suitable for incorporation of structural prior information. Such prior information cannot, however, be accurately modeled with a gaussian distribution. To alleviate this, we incorporate the structural information using shape priors. The shape prior technique requires the choice of kernel function, which is application dependent. We argue for using the conditionally positive definite kernel which is shown to have computational advantages over the commonly applied gaussian kernel for our problem. Numerical experiments on various test cases show that the methodology is able to identify fairly complex subsurface electric conductivity distributions while preserving structural prior information during the inversion.

Variational segmentation problems using prior knowledge in imaging and vision

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fundana, Ketut

This dissertation addresses variational formulation of segmentation problems using prior knowledge. Variational models are among the most successful approaches for solving many Computer Vision and Image Processing problems. The models aim at finding the solution to a given energy functional defined......, prior knowledge is needed to obtain the desired solution. The introduction of shape priors in particular, has proven to be an effective way to segment objects of interests. Firstly, we propose a prior-based variational segmentation model to segment objects of interest in image sequences, that can deal....... Many objects have high variability in shape and orientation. This often leads to unsatisfactory results, when using a segmentation model with single shape template. One way to solve this is by using more sophisticated shape models. We propose to incorporate shape priors from a shape sub...

An efficient ab initio DFT and PCM assessment of the potentiometric selectivity of a salophen type Schiff base.

Science.gov (United States)

Demir, Serkan; Yilmaz, Hakan; Dilimulati, Maowulidan; Andaç, Müberra

2014-06-01

As a neutral carrier component for the preparation of a potentiometric membrane sensor, the affinity and selectivity of the salophen type Schiff base ligand obtained by 1:2 condensation of 2.3-diaminopyridine with salicylaldehyde toward a series of common cations has been fully examined by DFT/B3LYP and integral equation formalism polarizable continum model (IEF-PCM or only given with PCM as default input in the computations) in combination with the experimental data. Both the potentiometric measurements and DFT calculations have exhibited that the ionophore shows appreciable selectivity for Cu(2+) ion over other cations. Four different approaches where the last three are the modified version of each other have been evaluated and compared with potentiometric data. Based upon the results of comparison among the approaches suggested to verify the selective behavior of ionophore toward Cu(2+), PCM implemented approach having a whole computational groundwork has given well-matched results with the observed data and with the method augmented with experimental hydration energies. The foremost interferences were detected by determining potentiometric selectivity coefficients for each metal ion relative to Cu(2+) and compared to the results obtained by the DFT calculations.

Quantum steganography using prior entanglement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mihara, Takashi

2015-01-01

Steganography is the hiding of secret information within innocent-looking information (e.g., text, audio, image, video, etc.). A quantum version of steganography is a method based on quantum physics. In this paper, we propose quantum steganography by combining quantum error-correcting codes with prior entanglement. In many steganographic techniques, embedding secret messages in error-correcting codes may cause damage to them if the embedded part is corrupted. However, our proposed steganography can separately create secret messages and the content of cover messages. The intrinsic form of the cover message does not have to be modified for embedding secret messages. - Highlights: • Our steganography combines quantum error-correcting codes with prior entanglement. • Our steganography can separately create secret messages and the content of cover messages. • Errors in cover messages do not have affect the recovery of secret messages. • We embed a secret message in the Steane code as an example of our steganography

Quantum steganography using prior entanglement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mihara, Takashi, E-mail: mihara@toyo.jp

2015-06-05

Steganography is the hiding of secret information within innocent-looking information (e.g., text, audio, image, video, etc.). A quantum version of steganography is a method based on quantum physics. In this paper, we propose quantum steganography by combining quantum error-correcting codes with prior entanglement. In many steganographic techniques, embedding secret messages in error-correcting codes may cause damage to them if the embedded part is corrupted. However, our proposed steganography can separately create secret messages and the content of cover messages. The intrinsic form of the cover message does not have to be modified for embedding secret messages. - Highlights: • Our steganography combines quantum error-correcting codes with prior entanglement. • Our steganography can separately create secret messages and the content of cover messages. • Errors in cover messages do not have affect the recovery of secret messages. • We embed a secret message in the Steane code as an example of our steganography.

Steroid modulation of the chloride ionophore in rat brain: structure-activity requirements, regional dependence and mechanism of action

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gee, K.W.; Bolger, M.B.; Brinton, R.E.; Coirini, H.; McEwen, B.S.

1988-08-01

Further in vitro studies of steroids active at the gamma-aminobutyric acidA (GABAA) receptor regulated Cl- channel labeled by (35S)-t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate ((35S)TBPS) reveal additional structural requirements necessary for activity. Evaluation of selected steroids for activity against TBPS-induced convulsions show similar requirements for activity. Interestingly, steroids (e.g., 5 alpha-pregnan-3 alpha, 20 alpha-diol) were identified that have high potency but limited efficacy as modulators of (35S)TBPS binding. These characteristics are reminiscent of the clinically useful benzodiazepines (BZs) such as clonazepam. However, interactions between the prototypical anesthetic-barbiturate, sodium pentobarbital, and steroids active at the Cl- channel suggest that they do not share a common site of action as allosteric modulators of (35S)TBPS and BZ receptor binding. The most potent steroid evaluated, 5 alpha-pregnan-3 alpha-ol-20-one, modulates (35S)TBPS binding at low concentrations (IC50 approximately 17 nM) in a regionally dependent manner. All (35S)TBPS binding sites appear to be functionally coupled to a steroid modulatory site. Because several of the active steroids are metabolites of progesterone, their ability to inhibit the binding of (3H)promegestrone to the cytosolic progestin receptor in rat uterus was evaluated. Those steroids showing potent activity at the GABAA receptor-Cl- ionophore were inactive at the intracellular progestin receptor. Such specificity coupled with their high potency provide additional support for the hypothesis that some of these steroids may be involved in the homeostatic regulation of brain excitability via the GABAA-BZ receptor complex.

Extracting Prior Distributions from a Large Dataset of In-Situ Measurements to Support SWOT-based Estimation of River Discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Hagemann, M.; Gleason, C. J.

2017-12-01

The upcoming (2021) Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) NASA satellite mission aims, in part, to estimate discharge on major rivers worldwide using reach-scale measurements of stream width, slope, and height. Current formalizations of channel and floodplain hydraulics are insufficient to fully constrain this problem mathematically, resulting in an infinitely large solution set for any set of satellite observations. Recent work has reformulated this problem in a Bayesian statistical setting, in which the likelihood distributions derive directly from hydraulic flow-law equations. When coupled with prior distributions on unknown flow-law parameters, this formulation probabilistically constrains the parameter space, and results in a computationally tractable description of discharge. Using a curated dataset of over 200,000 in-situ acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) discharge measurements from over 10,000 USGS gaging stations throughout the United States, we developed empirical prior distributions for flow-law parameters that are not observable by SWOT, but that are required in order to estimate discharge. This analysis quantified prior uncertainties on quantities including cross-sectional area, at-a-station hydraulic geometry width exponent, and discharge variability, that are dependent on SWOT-observable variables including reach-scale statistics of width and height. When compared against discharge estimation approaches that do not use this prior information, the Bayesian approach using ADCP-derived priors demonstrated consistently improved performance across a range of performance metrics. This Bayesian approach formally transfers information from in-situ gaging stations to remote-sensed estimation of discharge, in which the desired quantities are not directly observable. Further investigation using large in-situ datasets is therefore a promising way forward in improving satellite-based estimates of river discharge.

Assessment of prior learning in vocational education and training

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wahlgren, Bjarne; Aarkrog, Vibe

’ knowledge, skills and competences during the students’ performances and the methods that the teachers apply in order to assess the students’ prior learning in relation to the regulations of the current VET-program. In particular the study focuses on how to assess not only the students’ explicated knowledge......The article deals about the results of a study of the assessment of prior learning among adult workers who want to obtain formal qualifications as skilled workers. The study contributes to developing methods for assessing prior learning including both the teachers’ ways of eliciting the students...... and skills but also their competences, i.e. the way the students use their skills and knowledge to perform in practice. Based on a description of the assessment procedures the article discusses central issues in relation to the assessment of prior learning. The empirical data have been obtained in the VET...

A Simulation of Pell Grant Awards and Costs Using Prior-Prior Year Financial Data

Science.gov (United States)

Kelchen, Robert; Jones, Gigi

2015-01-01

We examine the likely implications of switching from a prior year (PY) financial aid system, the current practice in which students file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) using income data from the previous tax year, to prior-prior year (PPY), in which data from two years before enrollment is used. While PPY allows students to…

A selective potentiometric copper (II) ion sensor based on the functionalized ZnO nanorods.

Science.gov (United States)

Khun, K; Ibupoto, Z H; Liu, X; Nur, O; Willander, M; Danielsson, B

2014-09-01

In this work, ZnO nanorods were hydrothermally grown on the gold-coated glass substrate and characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The ZnO nanorods were functionalized by two different approaches and performance of the sensor electrode was monitored. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was carried out for the confirmation of interaction between the ionophore molecules and ZnO nanorods. In addition to this, the surface of the electrode was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showing the chemical and electronic state of the ionophore and ZnO nanorod components. The ionophore solution was prepared in the stabilizer, poly vinyl chloride (PVC) and additives, and then functionalized on the ZnO nanorods that have shown the Nernstian response with the slope of 31 mV/decade. However, the Cu2+ ion sensor was fabricated only by immobilizing the selective copper ion ionophore membrane without the use of PVC, plasticizers, additives and stabilizers and the sensor electrode showed a linear potentiometric response with a slope of 56.4 mV/decade within a large dynamic concentration range (from 1.0 x 10(-6) to 1.0 x 10(-1) M) of copper (II) nitrate solutions. The sensor showed excellent repeatability and reproducibility with response time of less than 10 s. The negligible response to potentially interfering metal ions such as calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), potassium (K+), iron (Fe3+), zinc (Zn2+), and sodium (Na+) allows this sensor to be used in biological studies. It may also be used as an indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration.

Novel LTCC-potentiometric microfluidic device for biparametric analysis of organic compounds carrying plastic antibodies as ionophores: application to sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim.

Science.gov (United States)

Almeida, S A A; Arasa, E; Puyol, M; Martinez-Cisneros, C S; Alonso-Chamarro, J; Montenegro, M C B S M; Sales, M G F

2011-12-15

Monitoring organic environmental contaminants is of crucial importance to ensure public health. This requires simple, portable and robust devices to carry out on-site analysis. For this purpose, a low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) microfluidic potentiometric device (LTCC/μPOT) was developed for the first time for an organic compound: sulfamethoxazole (SMX). Sensory materials relied on newly designed plastic antibodies. Sol-gel, self-assembling monolayer and molecular-imprinting techniques were merged for this purpose. Silica beads were amine-modified and linked to SMX via glutaraldehyde modification. Condensation polymerization was conducted around SMX to fill the vacant spaces. SMX was removed after, leaving behind imprinted sites of complementary shape. The obtained particles were used as ionophores in plasticized PVC membranes. The most suitable membrane composition was selected in steady-state assays. Its suitability to flow analysis was verified in flow-injection studies with regular tubular electrodes. The LTCC/μPOT device integrated a bidimensional mixer, an embedded reference electrode based on Ag/AgCl and an Ag-based contact screen-printed under a micromachined cavity of 600 μm depth. The sensing membranes were deposited over this contact and acted as indicating electrodes. Under optimum conditions, the SMX sensor displayed slopes of about -58.7 mV/decade in a range from 12.7 to 250 μg/mL, providing a detection limit of 3.85 μg/mL and a sampling throughput of 36 samples/h with a reagent consumption of 3.3 mL per sample. The system was adjusted later to multiple analyte detection by including a second potentiometric cell on the LTCC/μPOT device. No additional reference electrode was required. This concept was applied to Trimethoprim (TMP), always administered concomitantly with sulphonamide drugs, and tested in fish-farming waters. The biparametric microanalyzer displayed Nernstian behaviour, with average slopes -54.7 (SMX) and +57.8 (TMP) m

Matrix-Inversion-Free Compressed Sensing With Variable Orthogonal Multi-Matching Pursuit Based on Prior Information for ECG Signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Yih-Chun; Tsai, Pei-Yun; Huang, Ming-Hao

2016-05-19

Low-complexity compressed sensing (CS) techniques for monitoring electrocardiogram (ECG) signals in wireless body sensor network (WBSN) are presented. The prior probability of ECG sparsity in the wavelet domain is first exploited. Then, variable orthogonal multi-matching pursuit (vOMMP) algorithm that consists of two phases is proposed. In the first phase, orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) algorithm is adopted to effectively augment the support set with reliable indices and in the second phase, the orthogonal multi-matching pursuit (OMMP) is employed to rescue the missing indices. The reconstruction performance is thus enhanced with the prior information and the vOMMP algorithm. Furthermore, the computation-intensive pseudo-inverse operation is simplified by the matrix-inversion-free (MIF) technique based on QR decomposition. The vOMMP-MIF CS decoder is then implemented in 90 nm CMOS technology. The QR decomposition is accomplished by two systolic arrays working in parallel. The implementation supports three settings for obtaining 40, 44, and 48 coefficients in the sparse vector. From the measurement result, the power consumption is 11.7 mW at 0.9 V and 12 MHz. Compared to prior chip implementations, our design shows good hardware efficiency and is suitable for low-energy applications.

Self-prior strategy for organ reconstruction in fluorescence molecular tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yuan; Chen, Maomao; Su, Han; Luo, Jianwen

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study is to propose a strategy for organ reconstruction in fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) without prior information from other imaging modalities, and to overcome the high cost and ionizing radiation caused by the traditional structural prior strategy. The proposed strategy is designed as an iterative architecture to solve the inverse problem of FMT. In each iteration, a short time Fourier transform (STFT) based algorithm is used to extract the self-prior information in the space-frequency energy spectrum with the assumption that the regions with higher fluorescence concentration have larger energy intensity, then the cost function of the inverse problem is modified by the self-prior information, and lastly an iterative Laplacian regularization algorithm is conducted to solve the updated inverse problem and obtains the reconstruction results. Simulations and in vivo experiments on liver reconstruction are carried out to test the performance of the self-prior strategy on organ reconstruction. The organ reconstruction results obtained by the proposed self-prior strategy are closer to the ground truth than those obtained by the iterative Tikhonov regularization (ITKR) method (traditional non-prior strategy). Significant improvements are shown in the evaluation indexes of relative locational error (RLE), relative error (RE) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). The self-prior strategy improves the organ reconstruction results compared with the non-prior strategy and also overcomes the shortcomings of the traditional structural prior strategy. Various applications such as metabolic imaging and pharmacokinetic study can be aided by this strategy.

Acquisition of multiple prior distributions in tactile temporal order judgment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasuhito eNagai

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The Bayesian estimation theory proposes that the brain acquires the prior distribution of a task and integrates it with sensory signals to minimize the effect of sensory noise. Psychophysical studies have demonstrated that our brain actually implements Bayesian estimation in a variety of sensory-motor tasks. However, these studies only imposed one prior distribution on participants within a task period. In this study, we investigated the conditions that enable the acquisition of multiple prior distributions in temporal order judgment (TOJ of two tactile stimuli across the hands. In Experiment 1, stimulation intervals were randomly selected from one of two prior distributions (biased to right hand earlier and biased to left hand earlier in association with color cues (green and red, respectively. Although the acquisition of the two priors was not enabled by the color cues alone, it was significant when participants shifted their gaze (above or below in response to the color cues. However, the acquisition of multiple priors was not significant when participants moved their mouths (opened or closed. In Experiment 2, the spatial cues (above and below were used to identify which eye position or retinal cue position was crucial for the eye-movement-dependent acquisition of multiple priors in Experiment 1. The acquisition of the two priors was significant when participants moved their gaze to the cues (i.e., the cue positions on the retina were constant across the priors, as well as when participants did not shift their gazes (i.e., the cue positions on the retina changed according to the priors. Thus, both eye and retinal cue positions were effective in acquiring multiple priors. Based on previous neurophysiological reports, we discuss possible neural correlates that contribute to the acquisition of multiple priors.

Real-time single image dehazing based on dark channel prior theory and guided filtering

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zan

2017-10-01

Images and videos taken outside the foggy day are serious degraded. In order to restore degraded image taken in foggy day and overcome traditional Dark Channel prior algorithms problems of remnant fog in edge, we propose a new dehazing method.We first find the fog area in the dark primary color map to obtain the estimated value of the transmittance using quadratic tree. Then we regard the gray-scale image after guided filtering as atmospheric light map and remove haze based on it. Box processing and image down sampling technology are also used to improve the processing speed. Finally, the atmospheric light scattering model is used to restore the image. A plenty of experiments show that algorithm is effective, efficient and has a wide range of application.

An Adaptively Accelerated Bayesian Deblurring Method with Entropy Prior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong-Hoon Kim

2008-05-01

Full Text Available The development of an efficient adaptively accelerated iterative deblurring algorithm based on Bayesian statistical concept has been reported. Entropy of an image has been used as a “prior” distribution and instead of additive form, used in conventional acceleration methods an exponent form of relaxation constant has been used for acceleration. Thus the proposed method is called hereafter as adaptively accelerated maximum a posteriori with entropy prior (AAMAPE. Based on empirical observations in different experiments, the exponent is computed adaptively using first-order derivatives of the deblurred image from previous two iterations. This exponent improves speed of the AAMAPE method in early stages and ensures stability at later stages of iteration. In AAMAPE method, we also consider the constraint of the nonnegativity and flux conservation. The paper discusses the fundamental idea of the Bayesian image deblurring with the use of entropy as prior, and the analytical analysis of superresolution and the noise amplification characteristics of the proposed method. The experimental results show that the proposed AAMAPE method gives lower RMSE and higher SNR in 44% lesser iterations as compared to nonaccelerated maximum a posteriori with entropy prior (MAPE method. Moreover, AAMAPE followed by wavelet wiener filtering gives better result than the state-of-the-art methods.

Web-Based Education Prior to Outpatient Orthopaedic Surgery Enhances Early Patient Satisfaction Scores: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.

Science.gov (United States)

van Eck, Carola F; Toor, Aneet; Banffy, Michael B; Gambardella, Ralph A

2018-01-01

A good patient-surgeon relationship relies on adequate preoperative education and counseling. Several multimedia resources, such as web-based education tools, have become available to enhance aspects of perioperative care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an interactive web-based education tool on perioperative patient satisfaction scores after outpatient orthopaedic surgery. It was hypothesized that web-based education prior to outpatient orthopaedic surgery enhances patient satisfaction scores. Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. All patients undergoing knee arthroscopy with meniscectomy, chondroplasty, or anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction or shoulder arthroscopy with rotator cuff repair were eligible for inclusion and were randomized to the study or control group. The control group received routine education by the surgeon, whereas the study group received additional web-based education. At the first postoperative visit, all patients completed the OAS CAHPS (Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey. Differences in patient satisfaction scores between the study and control groups were determined with an independent t test. A total of 177 patients were included (104 [59%] males; mean age, 42 ± 14 years); 87 (49%) patients were randomized to receive additional web-based education. Total patient satisfaction score was significantly higher in the study group (97 ± 5) as compared with the control group (94 ± 8; P = .019), specifically for the OAS CAHPS core measure "recovery" (92 ± 13 vs 82 ± 23; P = .001). Age, sex, race, workers' compensation status, education level, overall health, emotional health, procedure type and complexity, and addition of a video did not influence patient satisfaction scores. Supplemental web-based patient education prior to outpatient orthopaedic surgery enhances patient satisfaction scores.

Stereotactic Ablative Radiosurgery for Locally-Advanced or Recurrent Skull Base Malignancies with Prior External Beam Radiation Therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karen Mann Xu

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR is an attractive modality to treat malignancies invading the skull base as it can deliver a highly conformal dose with minimal toxicity. However, variation exists in the prescribed dose and fractionation. The purpose of our study is to examine the local control, survival and toxicities in SABR for the treatment of malignant skull base tumors. Methods and Materials: A total of 31 patients and 40 locally-advanced or recurrent head and neck malignancies involving the skull base treated with a common SABR regimen which delivers a radiation dose of 44 Gy in 5 fractions from January 1st, 2004 to December 31st, 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. The local control rate (LC, progression-free survival rate (PFS, overall survival rate (OS and toxicities were reported.Results: The median follow-up time of all patients was 11.4 months (range: 0.6-67.2 months. The median tumor volume was 27 cm3 (range: 2.4-205 cm3. All patients received prior EBRT with a median radiation dose of 64 Gy (range: 24-75.6 Gy delivered in 12 to 42 fractions. 20 patients had surgeries prior to SABR. 19 patients received chemotherapy. Specifically, 8 patients received concurrent cetuximab (ErbituxTM with SABR. The median time-to-progression (TTP was 3.3 months (range: 0-16.9 months. For the 29 patients (93.5% who died, the median time from the end of first SABR to death was 10.3 months (range: 0.5-41.4 months. The estimated 1-year overall survival (OS rate was 35%. The estimated 2-year OS rate was 12%. Treatment was well-tolerated without grade 4 or 5 treatment-related toxicities.Conclusions: SABR has been shown to achieve low toxicities in locally-advanced or recurrent, previously irradiated head and neck malignancies invading the skull base.

In vitro effect of pH on resistance of ruminal bacteria to intracellular potassium depletion, and effect of pH and ionophores on ammonia and microbial protein production Efeito do pH in vitro sobre a resistência de bactérias do rúmen à perda de potássio intracelular e efeito do pH e de ionóforos sobre a produção de amônia e proteína microbiana

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W.M. Leopoldino

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Ruminal fluid from steers fed on pasture was incubated with artificial media at pH 5.5 and 7.0 in two experiments. In the first, the effect of monensin level on resistance of ruminal bacteria to potassium depletion was evaluated; in the second, effects of the ionophores monensin and lasalocid on ammonia and protein production were quantified. In experiment 1, culture media affected potassium level. The monensin concentration needed to cause half maximal potassium depletion was 2.77µM at pH 5.5 but was 0.056µM at pH 7.0, showing that bacteria incubated at pH 5.5 were more tolerant to monensin than those incubated at pH 7.0. Both ionophores as well as increased acidity caused decreased ammonia production. Both ionophores inhibited ammonia production by 56%, independently of pH. In cultures incubated at pH 5.5 compared to pH 7.0, ammonia production was decreased by 50.5%, independently of the ionophores. Therefore, effects of ionophores and acidity were additive, and the maximum inhibition occurred in the presence of an ionophore at low pH (75.2%. Microbial protein production was lowest when lasalocid was present in a low pH culture medium, causing inhibition of microbial growth.Em dois estudos, o líquido ruminal de bovinos mantidos sob pastagem foi usado para incubação in vitro em diferentes meios artificiais com valores de pH 5,5 e 7,0, para avaliar a ação de níveis crescentes de monensina na resistência à perda de potássio de bactérias do rúmen e verificar o efeito de monensina e lasalocida na produção de amônia e de proteína microbiana em pH 5,5 e 7,0. O meio utilizado para determinar a perda de potássio interferiu nos valores absolutos de potássio. A concentração de monensina necessária para causar a metade da perda máxima de potássio foi de 2,77µM em pH 5,5 e 0,056µM em pH 7,0, evidenciando que as bactérias incubadas em meios com pH 5,5 foram mais resistentes à monensina que aquelas incubadas em meios com pH 7

Prior implicit knowledge shapes human threshold for orientation noise

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Jeppe H; Bex, Peter J; Fiser, József

2015-01-01

, resulting in an image-class-specific threshold that changes the shape and position of the dipper function according to image class. These findings do not fit a filter-based feed-forward view of orientation coding, but can be explained by a process that utilizes an experience-based perceptual prior...

Bayesian Image Segmentations by Potts Prior and Loopy Belief Propagation

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Kazuyuki; Kataoka, Shun; Yasuda, Muneki; Waizumi, Yuji; Hsu, Chiou-Ting

2014-12-01

This paper presents a Bayesian image segmentation model based on Potts prior and loopy belief propagation. The proposed Bayesian model involves several terms, including the pairwise interactions of Potts models, and the average vectors and covariant matrices of Gauss distributions in color image modeling. These terms are often referred to as hyperparameters in statistical machine learning theory. In order to determine these hyperparameters, we propose a new scheme for hyperparameter estimation based on conditional maximization of entropy in the Potts prior. The algorithm is given based on loopy belief propagation. In addition, we compare our conditional maximum entropy framework with the conventional maximum likelihood framework, and also clarify how the first order phase transitions in loopy belief propagations for Potts models influence our hyperparameter estimation procedures.

Bayesian linear regression : different conjugate models and their (in)sensitivity to prior-data conflict

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Walter, G.M.; Augustin, Th.; Kneib, Thomas; Tutz, Gerhard

2010-01-01

The paper is concerned with Bayesian analysis under prior-data conflict, i.e. the situation when observed data are rather unexpected under the prior (and the sample size is not large enough to eliminate the influence of the prior). Two approaches for Bayesian linear regression modeling based on

Chromosomal differences between acute nonlymphocytic leukemia in patients with prior solid tumors and prior hematologic malignancies. A study of 14 cases with prior breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamuris, Z.; Dumont, J.; Dutrillaux, B.; Aurias, A.

1989-01-01

A cytogenetic study of 14 patients with secondary acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (S-ANLL) with prior treatment for breast cancer is reported. The chromosomes recurrently involved in numerical or structural anomalies are chromosomes 7, 5, 17, and 11, in decreasing order of frequency. The distribution of the anomalies detected in this sample of patients is similar to that observed in published cases with prior breast or other solid tumors, though anomalies of chromosome 11 were not pointed out, but it significantly differs from that of the S-ANLL with prior hematologic malignancies. This difference is principally due to a higher involvement of chromosome 7 in patients with prior hematologic malignancies and of chromosomes 11 and 17 in patients with prior solid tumors. A genetic determinism involving abnormal recessive alleles located on chromosomes 5, 7, 11, and 17 uncovered by deletions of the normal homologs may be a cause of S-ANLL. The difference between patients with prior hematologic malignancies or solid tumors may be explained by different constitutional mutations of recessive genes in the two groups of patients

New Riemannian Priors on the Univariate Normal Model

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Salem Said

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The current paper introduces new prior distributions on the univariate normal model, with the aim of applying them to the classification of univariate normal populations. These new prior distributions are entirely based on the Riemannian geometry of the univariate normal model, so that they can be thought of as “Riemannian priors”. Precisely, if {pθ ; θ ∈ Θ} is any parametrization of the univariate normal model, the paper considers prior distributions G( θ - , γ with hyperparameters θ - ∈ Θ and γ > 0, whose density with respect to Riemannian volume is proportional to exp(−d2(θ, θ - /2γ2, where d2(θ, θ - is the square of Rao’s Riemannian distance. The distributions G( θ - , γ are termed Gaussian distributions on the univariate normal model. The motivation for considering a distribution G( θ - , γ is that this distribution gives a geometric representation of a class or cluster of univariate normal populations. Indeed, G( θ - , γ has a unique mode θ - (precisely, θ - is the unique Riemannian center of mass of G( θ - , γ, as shown in the paper, and its dispersion away from θ - is given by γ.  Therefore, one thinks of members of the class represented by G( θ - , γ as being centered around θ - and  lying within a typical  distance determined by γ. The paper defines rigorously the Gaussian distributions G( θ - , γ and describes an algorithm for computing maximum likelihood estimates of their hyperparameters. Based on this algorithm and on the Laplace approximation, it describes how the distributions G( θ - , γ can be used as prior distributions for Bayesian classification of large univariate normal populations. In a concrete application to texture image classification, it is shown that  this  leads  to  an  improvement  in  performance  over  the  use  of  conjugate  priors.

Implicit Priors in Galaxy Cluster Mass and Scaling Relation Determinations

Science.gov (United States)

Mantz, A.; Allen, S. W.

2011-01-01

Deriving the total masses of galaxy clusters from observations of the intracluster medium (ICM) generally requires some prior information, in addition to the assumptions of hydrostatic equilibrium and spherical symmetry. Often, this information takes the form of particular parametrized functions used to describe the cluster gas density and temperature profiles. In this paper, we investigate the implicit priors on hydrostatic masses that result from this fully parametric approach, and the implications of such priors for scaling relations formed from those masses. We show that the application of such fully parametric models of the ICM naturally imposes a prior on the slopes of the derived scaling relations, favoring the self-similar model, and argue that this prior may be influential in practice. In contrast, this bias does not exist for techniques which adopt an explicit prior on the form of the mass profile but describe the ICM non-parametrically. Constraints on the slope of the cluster mass-temperature relation in the literature show a separation based the approach employed, with the results from fully parametric ICM modeling clustering nearer the self-similar value. Given that a primary goal of scaling relation analyses is to test the self-similar model, the application of methods subject to strong, implicit priors should be avoided. Alternative methods and best practices are discussed.

Source Localization by Entropic Inference and Backward Renormalization Group Priors

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Nestor Caticha

2015-04-01

Full Text Available A systematic method of transferring information from coarser to finer resolution based on renormalization group (RG transformations is introduced. It permits building informative priors in finer scales from posteriors in coarser scales since, under some conditions, RG transformations in the space of hyperparameters can be inverted. These priors are updated using renormalized data into posteriors by Maximum Entropy. The resulting inference method, backward RG (BRG priors, is tested by doing simulations of a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI experiment. Its results are compared with a Bayesian approach working in the finest available resolution. Using BRG priors sources can be partially identified even when signal to noise ratio levels are up to ~ -25dB improving vastly on the single step Bayesian approach. For low levels of noise the BRG prior is not an improvement over the single scale Bayesian method. Analysis of the histograms of hyperparameters can show how to distinguish if the method is failing, due to very high levels of noise, or if the identification of the sources is, at least partially possible.

Accommodating Uncertainty in Prior Distributions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Picard, Richard Roy [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Vander Wiel, Scott Alan [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-01-19

A fundamental premise of Bayesian methodology is that a priori information is accurately summarized by a single, precisely de ned prior distribution. In many cases, especially involving informative priors, this premise is false, and the (mis)application of Bayes methods produces posterior quantities whose apparent precisions are highly misleading. We examine the implications of uncertainty in prior distributions, and present graphical methods for dealing with them.

Fluorinated tripodal receptors for potentiometric chloride detection in biological fluids.

Science.gov (United States)

Pankratova, Nadezda; Cuartero, Maria; Jowett, Laura A; Howe, Ethan N W; Gale, Philip A; Bakker, Eric; Crespo, Gastón A

2018-01-15

Fluorinated tripodal compounds were recently reported to be efficient transmembrane transporters for a series of inorganic anions. In particular, this class of receptors has been shown to be suitable for the effective complexation of chloride, nitrate, bicarbonate and sulfate anions via hydrogen bonding. The potentiometric properties of urea and thiourea-based fluorinated tripodal receptors are explored here for the first time, in light of the need for reliable sensors for chloride monitoring in undiluted biological fluids. The ion selective electrode (ISE) membranes with tren-based tris-urea bis(CF 3 ) tripodal compound (ionophore I) were found to exhibit the best selectivity for chloride over major lipophilic anions such as salicylate ( [Formula: see text] ) and thiocyanate ( [Formula: see text] ). Ionophore I-based ISEs were successfully applied for chloride determination in undiluted human serum as well as artificial serum sample, the slope of the linear calibration at the relevant background of interfering ions being close to Nernstian (49.8±1.7mV). The results of potentiometric measurements were confirmed by argentometric titration. Moreover, the ionophore I-based ISE membrane was shown to exhibit a very good long-term stability of potentiometric performance over the period of 10 weeks. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) titrations, potentiometric sandwich membrane experiments and density functional theory (DFT) computational studies were performed to determine the binding constants and suggest 1:1 complexation stoichiometry for the ionophore I with chloride as well as salicylate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bayesian seismic inversion based on rock-physics prior modeling for the joint estimation of acoustic impedance, porosity and lithofacies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Passos de Figueiredo, Leandro, E-mail: leandrop.fgr@gmail.com [Physics Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis (Brazil); Grana, Dario [Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie (United States); Santos, Marcio; Figueiredo, Wagner [Physics Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis (Brazil); Roisenberg, Mauro [Informatic and Statistics Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis (Brazil); Schwedersky Neto, Guenther [Petrobras Research Center, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

2017-05-01

We propose a Bayesian approach for seismic inversion to estimate acoustic impedance, porosity and lithofacies within the reservoir conditioned to post-stack seismic and well data. The link between elastic and petrophysical properties is given by a joint prior distribution for the logarithm of impedance and porosity, based on a rock-physics model. The well conditioning is performed through a background model obtained by well log interpolation. Two different approaches are presented: in the first approach, the prior is defined by a single Gaussian distribution, whereas in the second approach it is defined by a Gaussian mixture to represent the well data multimodal distribution and link the Gaussian components to different geological lithofacies. The forward model is based on a linearized convolutional model. For the single Gaussian case, we obtain an analytical expression for the posterior distribution, resulting in a fast algorithm to compute the solution of the inverse problem, i.e. the posterior distribution of acoustic impedance and porosity as well as the facies probability given the observed data. For the Gaussian mixture prior, it is not possible to obtain the distributions analytically, hence we propose a Gibbs algorithm to perform the posterior sampling and obtain several reservoir model realizations, allowing an uncertainty analysis of the estimated properties and lithofacies. Both methodologies are applied to a real seismic dataset with three wells to obtain 3D models of acoustic impedance, porosity and lithofacies. The methodologies are validated through a blind well test and compared to a standard Bayesian inversion approach. Using the probability of the reservoir lithofacies, we also compute a 3D isosurface probability model of the main oil reservoir in the studied field.

Prior opportunities to identify abuse in children with abusive head trauma.

Science.gov (United States)

Letson, Megan M; Cooper, Jennifer N; Deans, Katherine J; Scribano, Philip V; Makoroff, Kathi L; Feldman, Kenneth W; Berger, Rachel P

2016-10-01

Infants with minor abusive injuries are at risk for more serious abusive injury, including abusive head trauma (AHT). Our study objective was to determine if children with AHT had prior opportunities to detect abuse and to describe the opportunities. All AHT cases from 7/1/2009 to 12/31/2011 at four tertiary care children's hospitals were included. A prior opportunity was defined as prior evaluation by either a medical or child protective services (CPS) professional when the symptoms and/or referral could be consistent with abuse but the diagnosis was not made and/or an alternate explanation was given and accepted. Two-hundred-thirty-two children with AHT were identified; median age (IQR) was 5.40 (3.30, 14.60) months. Ten percent (22/232) died. Of the 232 patients diagnosed with AHT, 31% (n=73) had a total of 120 prior opportunities. Fifty-nine children (25%) had at least one prior opportunity to identify abuse in a medical setting, representing 98 prior opportunities. An additional 14 (6%) children had 22 prior opportunities through previous CPS involvement. There were no differences between those with and without a prior opportunity based on age, gender, race, insurance, mortality, or institution. Children with prior opportunities in a medical setting were more likely to have chronic subdural hemorrhage (48 vs. 17%, p<0.01) and healing fractures (31 vs. 19%, p=0.05). The most common prior opportunities included vomiting 31.6% (38/120), prior CPS contact 20% (24/120), and bruising 11.7% (14/120). Improvements in earlier recognition of AHT and subsequent intervention might prevent additional injuries and reduce mortality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solid-contact potentiometric sensors and multisensors based on polyaniline and thiacalixarene receptors for the analysis of some beverages and alcoholic drinks

Science.gov (United States)

Sorvin, Michail; Belyakova, Svetlana; Stoikov, Ivan; Shamagsumova, Rezeda; Evtugyn, Gennady

2018-04-01

Electronic tongue is a sensor array that aims to discriminate and analyze complex media like food and beverages on the base of chemometrics approaches for data mining and pattern recognition. In this review, the concept of electronic tongue comprising of solid-contact potentiometric sensors with polyaniline and thacalix[4]arene derivatives is described. The electrochemical reactions of polyaniline as a background of solid-contact sensors and the characteristics of thiacalixarenes and pillararenes as neutral ionophores are briefly considered. The electronic tongue systems described were successfully applied for assessment of fruit juices, green tea, beer and alcoholic drinks They were classified in accordance with the origination, brands and styles. Variation of the sensor response resulted from the reactions between Fe(III) ions added and sample components, i.e., antioxidants and complexing agents. The use of principal component analysis and discriminant analysis is shown for multisensor signal treatment and visualization. The discrimination conditions can be optimized by variation of the ionophores, Fe(III) concentration and sample dilution. The results obtained were compared with other electronic tongue systems reported for the same subjects.

Apples and oranges: avoiding different priors in Bayesian DNA sequence analysis

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Posch Stefan

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background One of the challenges of bioinformatics remains the recognition of short signal sequences in genomic DNA such as donor or acceptor splice sites, splicing enhancers or silencers, translation initiation sites, transcription start sites, transcription factor binding sites, nucleosome binding sites, miRNA binding sites, or insulator binding sites. During the last decade, a wealth of algorithms for the recognition of such DNA sequences has been developed and compared with the goal of improving their performance and to deepen our understanding of the underlying cellular processes. Most of these algorithms are based on statistical models belonging to the family of Markov random fields such as position weight matrix models, weight array matrix models, Markov models of higher order, or moral Bayesian networks. While in many comparative studies different learning principles or different statistical models have been compared, the influence of choosing different prior distributions for the model parameters when using different learning principles has been overlooked, and possibly lead to questionable conclusions. Results With the goal of allowing direct comparisons of different learning principles for models from the family of Markov random fields based on the same a-priori information, we derive a generalization of the commonly-used product-Dirichlet prior. We find that the derived prior behaves like a Gaussian prior close to the maximum and like a Laplace prior in the far tails. In two case studies, we illustrate the utility of the derived prior for a direct comparison of different learning principles with different models for the recognition of binding sites of the transcription factor Sp1 and human donor splice sites. Conclusions We find that comparisons of different learning principles using the same a-priori information can lead to conclusions different from those of previous studies in which the effect resulting from different

Challenges in relation to assessment of prior learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wahlgren, Bjarne; Aarkrog, Vibe

2013-01-01

The paper deals about preliminary results from an on-going project: “From unskilled worker to skilled worker in record time”. The aim of the project is to qualify unskilled workers for skilled positions in record time by drafting up a plan for the training based on assessment of the students’ (the....... Observations and or with the students about the students’ workplace based experiences and learning and 2. Drafting up an individual study plan based on the individual student’s prior learning....

Iterated random walks with shape prior

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pujadas, Esmeralda Ruiz; Kjer, Hans Martin; Piella, Gemma

2016-01-01

the parametric probability density function. Then, random walks is performed iteratively aligning the prior with the current segmentation in every iteration. We tested the proposed approach with natural and medical images and compared it with the latest techniques with random walks and shape priors......We propose a new framework for image segmentation using random walks where a distance shape prior is combined with a region term. The shape prior is weighted by a confidence map to reduce the influence of the prior in high gradient areas and the region term is computed with k-means to estimate....... The experiments suggest that this method gives promising results for medical and natural images....

Intermediates in monensin biosynthesis: A late step in biosynthesis of the polyether ionophore monensin is crucial for the integrity of cation binding

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Wolfgang Hüttel

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Polyether antibiotics such as monensin are biosynthesised via a cascade of directed ring expansions operating on a putative polyepoxide precursor. The resulting structures containing fused cyclic ethers and a lipophilic backbone can form strong ionophoric complexes with certain metal cations. In this work, we demonstrate for monensin biosynthesis that, as well as ether formation, a late-stage hydroxylation step is crucial for the correct formation of the sodium monensin complex. We have investigated the last two steps in monensin biosynthesis, namely hydroxylation catalysed by the P450 monooxygenase MonD and O-methylation catalysed by the methyl-transferase MonE. The corresponding genes were deleted in-frame in a monensin-overproducing strain of Streptomyces cinnamonensis. The mutants produced the expected monensin derivatives in excellent yields (ΔmonD: 1.13 g L−1 dehydroxymonensin; ΔmonE: 0.50 g L−1 demethylmonensin; and double mutant ΔmonDΔmonE: 0.34 g L−1 dehydroxydemethylmonensin. Single crystals were obtained from purified fractions of dehydroxymonensin and demethylmonensin. X-ray structure analysis revealed that the conformation of sodium dimethylmonensin is very similar to that of sodium monensin. In contrast, the coordination of the sodium ion is significantly different in the sodium dehydroxymonensin complex. This shows that the final constitution of the sodium monensin complex requires this tailoring step as well as polyether formation.

Intermediates in monensin biosynthesis: A late step in biosynthesis of the polyether ionophore monensin is crucial for the integrity of cation binding.

Science.gov (United States)

Hüttel, Wolfgang; Spencer, Jonathan B; Leadlay, Peter F

2014-01-01

Polyether antibiotics such as monensin are biosynthesised via a cascade of directed ring expansions operating on a putative polyepoxide precursor. The resulting structures containing fused cyclic ethers and a lipophilic backbone can form strong ionophoric complexes with certain metal cations. In this work, we demonstrate for monensin biosynthesis that, as well as ether formation, a late-stage hydroxylation step is crucial for the correct formation of the sodium monensin complex. We have investigated the last two steps in monensin biosynthesis, namely hydroxylation catalysed by the P450 monooxygenase MonD and O-methylation catalysed by the methyl-transferase MonE. The corresponding genes were deleted in-frame in a monensin-overproducing strain of Streptomyces cinnamonensis. The mutants produced the expected monensin derivatives in excellent yields (ΔmonD: 1.13 g L(-1) dehydroxymonensin; ΔmonE: 0.50 g L(-1) demethylmonensin; and double mutant ΔmonDΔmonE: 0.34 g L(-1) dehydroxydemethylmonensin). Single crystals were obtained from purified fractions of dehydroxymonensin and demethylmonensin. X-ray structure analysis revealed that the conformation of sodium dimethylmonensin is very similar to that of sodium monensin. In contrast, the coordination of the sodium ion is significantly different in the sodium dehydroxymonensin complex. This shows that the final constitution of the sodium monensin complex requires this tailoring step as well as polyether formation.

Weakly supervised semantic segmentation using fore-background priors

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Zheng; Xiao, Zhitao; Yu, Mingjun

2017-07-01

Weakly-supervised semantic segmentation is a challenge in the field of computer vision. Most previous works utilize the labels of the whole training set and thereby need the construction of a relationship graph about image labels, thus result in expensive computation. In this study, we tackle this problem from a different perspective. We proposed a novel semantic segmentation algorithm based on background priors, which avoids the construction of a huge graph in whole training dataset. Specifically, a random forest classifier is obtained using weakly supervised training data .Then semantic texton forest (STF) feature is extracted from image superpixels. Finally, a CRF based optimization algorithm is proposed. The unary potential of CRF derived from the outputting probability of random forest classifier and the robust saliency map as background prior. Experiments on the MSRC21 dataset show that the new algorithm outperforms some previous influential weakly-supervised segmentation algorithms. Furthermore, the use of efficient decision forests classifier and parallel computing of saliency map significantly accelerates the implementation.

CT-based liver volumetry in a porcine model: impact on clinical volumetry prior to living donated liver transplantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frericks, B.B.J.; Kiene, T.; Stamm, G.; Shin, H.; Galanski, M.

2004-01-01

Purpose: Exact preoperative determination of the liver volume is of great importance prior to hepatobiliary surgery, especially in living donated liver transplantation (LDLT). In the current literature, a strong correlation between preoperatively calculated and intraoperatively measured liver volumes has been described. Such accuracy seems questionable, primarily due to a difference in the perfusion state of the liver in situ versus after explantation. Purpose of the study was to asses the influence of the perfusion state on liver volume and the validity of the preoperative liver volumetry prior to LDLT. Methods: In an experimental study, 20 porcine livers were examined. The livers were weighted and their volumes were determined by water displacement prior and after fluid infusion to achieve a pressure physiologically found in the liver veins. The liver volumes in the different perfusion states were calculated based on CT-data. The calculated values were compared with the volume measured by water displacement and the weight of the livers. Results: Assessment of calculated CT volumes and water displacements at identical perfusion states showed a tight correlation and differed on average by 4 ± 5%. However, livers before and after fluid infusion showed a 33 ± 8% (350 ± 150 ml) difference in volume. Conclusion: CT-volumetry acquires highly accurate data as confirmed by water displacement studies. However, the perfusion state has major impact on liver volume, which has to be accounted for in clinical use. (orig.) [de

On selecting a prior for the precision parameter of Dirichlet process mixture models

Science.gov (United States)

Dorazio, R.M.

2009-01-01

In hierarchical mixture models the Dirichlet process is used to specify latent patterns of heterogeneity, particularly when the distribution of latent parameters is thought to be clustered (multimodal). The parameters of a Dirichlet process include a precision parameter ?? and a base probability measure G0. In problems where ?? is unknown and must be estimated, inferences about the level of clustering can be sensitive to the choice of prior assumed for ??. In this paper an approach is developed for computing a prior for the precision parameter ?? that can be used in the presence or absence of prior information about the level of clustering. This approach is illustrated in an analysis of counts of stream fishes. The results of this fully Bayesian analysis are compared with an empirical Bayes analysis of the same data and with a Bayesian analysis based on an alternative commonly used prior.

Finding A Minimally Informative Dirichlet Prior Using Least Squares

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, Dana

2011-01-01

In a Bayesian framework, the Dirichlet distribution is the conjugate distribution to the multinomial likelihood function, and so the analyst is required to develop a Dirichlet prior that incorporates available information. However, as it is a multiparameter distribution, choosing the Dirichlet parameters is less straightforward than choosing a prior distribution for a single parameter, such as p in the binomial distribution. In particular, one may wish to incorporate limited information into the prior, resulting in a minimally informative prior distribution that is responsive to updates with sparse data. In the case of binomial p or Poisson λ, the principle of maximum entropy can be employed to obtain a so-called constrained noninformative prior. However, even in the case of p, such a distribution cannot be written down in the form of a standard distribution (e.g., beta, gamma), and so a beta distribution is used as an approximation in the case of p. In the case of the multinomial model with parametric constraints, the approach of maximum entropy does not appear tractable. This paper presents an alternative approach, based on constrained minimization of a least-squares objective function, which leads to a minimally informative Dirichlet prior distribution. The alpha-factor model for common-cause failure, which is widely used in the United States, is the motivation for this approach, and is used to illustrate the method. In this approach to modeling common-cause failure, the alpha-factors, which are the parameters in the underlying multinomial model for common-cause failure, must be estimated from data that are often quite sparse, because common-cause failures tend to be rare, especially failures of more than two or three components, and so a prior distribution that is responsive to updates with sparse data is needed.

Natural priors, CMSSM fits and LHC weather forecasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allanach, Benjamin C.; Cranmer, Kyle; Lester, Christopher G.; Weber, Arne M.

2007-01-01

Previous LHC forecasts for the constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model (CMSSM), based on current astrophysical and laboratory measurements, have used priors that are flat in the parameter tan β, while being constrained to postdict the central experimental value of M Z . We construct a different, new and more natural prior with a measure in μ and B (the more fundamental MSSM parameters from which tan β and M Z are actually derived). We find that as a consequence this choice leads to a well defined fine-tuning measure in the parameter space. We investigate the effect of such on global CMSSM fits to indirect constraints, providing posterior probability distributions for Large Hadron Collider (LHC) sparticle production cross sections. The change in priors has a significant effect, strongly suppressing the pseudoscalar Higgs boson dark matter annihilation region, and diminishing the probable values of sparticle masses. We also show how to interpret fit information from a Markov Chain Monte Carlo in a frequentist fashion; namely by using the profile likelihood. Bayesian and frequentist interpretations of CMSSM fits are compared and contrasted

Assessment of the metabolic effects of the ionophore grisorixin on myocardial cells in culture with 14-C-labelled substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maublant, J.C.; Gachon, P.; Ross, M.R.; Davidson, W.D.; Mena, I.

1984-01-01

Cultures of myocardial cells were utilized to verify the hypothesis that the ionophore grisorixin could facilitate the anaerobic and impair the aerobic metabolism in the myocardium. This was suggested by previous experiments in which the authors found an increase in the cardiac work without increase in the oxygen consumption, while the myocardial uptake of 123-Iodo-hexadecenoic acid was decreased. Tissue cultures were prepared by trypsinization of the myocardium of two to four-day old newborn mice. The cultures were incubated with 14-C-glucose (n=10), 14-C-octanoate (n=14) or 14-C-acetate (n=12). Except for the controls (n=19), they also received 1 μg/ml of an alcoholic solution of grisorixin or 200 μl of 60% alcohol. The cultures were then placed in a circuit with a closed circulation of air which passed through a vibrating reed electrometer for detection of the beta radiations of the 14-CO/sub 2/ liberated by the 14-C labelled substrates. The activity was permanently recorded for measurements of the rate of consumption of these substrates. Compared to the control values, the metabolic rate with grisorixin was significantly decreased for octanoate (77 +- 22 vs 169 +- 62 rho mole/min/mg prot, rho<0.01) and acetate (2.7 +- 1.0 vs 6.0 +- 1.3 rho mole/min/mg prot, rho<0.01). The results for glucose were 1.05 +- 0.24 vs 0.88 +- 0.24 n mole/min/mg prot, (rho<0.10). Alcohol alone produced no significant effect except on the octanoate consumption. These results provide direct evidence that grisorixin favors the anaerobic pathway in the metabolism of the myocardial cells

Characterisation of As-deformed microstructure of ODS NI-Base superalloy and ODS ferritic steel prior to directional recrystallisation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baloch, M.M.; Memon, S.A.

2007-01-01

The materials studied are unusual in the sense that they have been prepared from mechanically alloyed procedures, including compaction and hot extrusion. It was felt necessary to characterise the initial microstructure thoroughly prior to directional recrystallisation of the alloys. Following consolidation by hot extrusion, dispersion strengthened superalloys appear to display a very fine sub-micron grain size consisting of both dislocation free recrystallised material and un- recrystallised regions of high dislocation density. It is found that there is a very fine dislocation cell structure in the ODS (Oxide Dispersion Strengthened) Ferritic stainless Steel prior to recrystallisation treatment, which shows that alloy is in old-deformed condition after mechanical alloying, extrusion I hot-working. This is in contrast to the mechanically alloyed Nickel Base Superalloy, which have consistently been found to be in primary recrystallisation state following extrusion. In order to understand the recrystallisation behaviour of the two mechanically illoyed materials with commercial designations MA6000 and MA956, a measurement of the orientation relationship between adjacent grains in the as- deformed ODS alloys has also been carried out using Transmission Electron microscope. (author)

Advanced prior modeling for 3D bright field electron tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Sreehari, Suhas; Venkatakrishnan, S. V.; Drummy, Lawrence F.; Simmons, Jeffrey P.; Bouman, Charles A.

2015-03-01

Many important imaging problems in material science involve reconstruction of images containing repetitive non-local structures. Model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) could in principle exploit such redundancies through the selection of a log prior probability term. However, in practice, determining such a log prior term that accounts for the similarity between distant structures in the image is quite challenging. Much progress has been made in the development of denoising algorithms like non-local means and BM3D, and these are known to successfully capture non-local redundancies in images. But the fact that these denoising operations are not explicitly formulated as cost functions makes it unclear as to how to incorporate them in the MBIR framework. In this paper, we formulate a solution to bright field electron tomography by augmenting the existing bright field MBIR method to incorporate any non-local denoising operator as a prior model. We accomplish this using a framework we call plug-and-play priors that decouples the log likelihood and the log prior probability terms in the MBIR cost function. We specifically use 3D non-local means (NLM) as the prior model in the plug-and-play framework, and showcase high quality tomographic reconstructions of a simulated aluminum spheres dataset, and two real datasets of aluminum spheres and ferritin structures. We observe that streak and smear artifacts are visibly suppressed, and that edges are preserved. Also, we report lower RMSE values compared to the conventional MBIR reconstruction using qGGMRF as the prior model.

The Influence of Prior Knowledge on the Retrieval-Directed Function of Note Taking in Prior Knowledge Activation

Science.gov (United States)

Wetzels, Sandra A. J.; Kester, Liesbeth; van Merrienboer, Jeroen J. G.; Broers, Nick J.

2011-01-01

Background: Prior knowledge activation facilitates learning. Note taking during prior knowledge activation (i.e., note taking directed at retrieving information from memory) might facilitate the activation process by enabling learners to build an external representation of their prior knowledge. However, taking notes might be less effective in…

Main Road Extraction from ZY-3 Grayscale Imagery Based on Directional Mathematical Morphology and VGI Prior Knowledge in Urban Areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Bo; Wu, Huayi; Wang, Yandong; Liu, Wenming

2015-01-01

Main road features extracted from remotely sensed imagery play an important role in many civilian and military applications, such as updating Geographic Information System (GIS) databases, urban structure analysis, spatial data matching and road navigation. Current methods for road feature extraction from high-resolution imagery are typically based on threshold value segmentation. It is difficult however, to completely separate road features from the background. We present a new method for extracting main roads from high-resolution grayscale imagery based on directional mathematical morphology and prior knowledge obtained from the Volunteered Geographic Information found in the OpenStreetMap. The two salient steps in this strategy are: (1) using directional mathematical morphology to enhance the contrast between roads and non-roads; (2) using OpenStreetMap roads as prior knowledge to segment the remotely sensed imagery. Experiments were conducted on two ZiYuan-3 images and one QuickBird high-resolution grayscale image to compare our proposed method to other commonly used techniques for road feature extraction. The results demonstrated the validity and better performance of the proposed method for urban main road feature extraction.

Main Road Extraction from ZY-3 Grayscale Imagery Based on Directional Mathematical Morphology and VGI Prior Knowledge in Urban Areas.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bo Liu

Full Text Available Main road features extracted from remotely sensed imagery play an important role in many civilian and military applications, such as updating Geographic Information System (GIS databases, urban structure analysis, spatial data matching and road navigation. Current methods for road feature extraction from high-resolution imagery are typically based on threshold value segmentation. It is difficult however, to completely separate road features from the background. We present a new method for extracting main roads from high-resolution grayscale imagery based on directional mathematical morphology and prior knowledge obtained from the Volunteered Geographic Information found in the OpenStreetMap. The two salient steps in this strategy are: (1 using directional mathematical morphology to enhance the contrast between roads and non-roads; (2 using OpenStreetMap roads as prior knowledge to segment the remotely sensed imagery. Experiments were conducted on two ZiYuan-3 images and one QuickBird high-resolution grayscale image to compare our proposed method to other commonly used techniques for road feature extraction. The results demonstrated the validity and better performance of the proposed method for urban main road feature extraction.

Main Road Extraction from ZY-3 Grayscale Imagery Based on Directional Mathematical Morphology and VGI Prior Knowledge in Urban Areas

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Bo; Wu, Huayi; Wang, Yandong; Liu, Wenming

2015-01-01

Main road features extracted from remotely sensed imagery play an important role in many civilian and military applications, such as updating Geographic Information System (GIS) databases, urban structure analysis, spatial data matching and road navigation. Current methods for road feature extraction from high-resolution imagery are typically based on threshold value segmentation. It is difficult however, to completely separate road features from the background. We present a new method for extracting main roads from high-resolution grayscale imagery based on directional mathematical morphology and prior knowledge obtained from the Volunteered Geographic Information found in the OpenStreetMap. The two salient steps in this strategy are: (1) using directional mathematical morphology to enhance the contrast between roads and non-roads; (2) using OpenStreetMap roads as prior knowledge to segment the remotely sensed imagery. Experiments were conducted on two ZiYuan-3 images and one QuickBird high-resolution grayscale image to compare our proposed method to other commonly used techniques for road feature extraction. The results demonstrated the validity and better performance of the proposed method for urban main road feature extraction. PMID:26397832

Effects of prior information on decoding degraded speech: an fMRI study.

Science.gov (United States)

Clos, Mareike; Langner, Robert; Meyer, Martin; Oechslin, Mathias S; Zilles, Karl; Eickhoff, Simon B

2014-01-01

Expectations and prior knowledge are thought to support the perceptual analysis of incoming sensory stimuli, as proposed by the predictive-coding framework. The current fMRI study investigated the effect of prior information on brain activity during the decoding of degraded speech stimuli. When prior information enabled the comprehension of the degraded sentences, the left middle temporal gyrus and the left angular gyrus were activated, highlighting a role of these areas in meaning extraction. In contrast, the activation of the left inferior frontal gyrus (area 44/45) appeared to reflect the search for meaningful information in degraded speech material that could not be decoded because of mismatches with the prior information. Our results show that degraded sentences evoke instantaneously different percepts and activation patterns depending on the type of prior information, in line with prediction-based accounts of perception. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Graphene-based biomimetic materials targeting urine metabolite as potential cancer biomarker: application over different conductive materials for potentiometric transduction

Science.gov (United States)

Truta, Liliana A.A.N.A.; Ferreira, Nádia S.; Sales, M. Goreti F.

2015-01-01

This works presents a novel surface Smart Polymer Antibody Material (SPAM) for Carnitine (CRT, a potential biomarker of ovarian cancer), tested for the first time as ionophore in potentiometric electrodes of unconventional configuration. The SPAM material consisted of a 3D polymeric network created by surface imprinting on graphene layers. The polymer was obtained by radical polymerization of (vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium chloride and 4-styrenesulfonic acid (signaling the binding sites), and vinyl pivalate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (surroundings). Non-imprinted material (NIM) was prepared as control, by excluding the template from the procedure. These materials were then used to produce several plasticized PVC membranes, testing the relevance of including the SPAM as ionophore, and the need for a charged lipophilic additive. The membranes were casted over solid conductive supports of graphite or ITO/FTO. The effect of pH upon the potentiometric response was evaluated for different pHs (2-9) with different buffer compositions. Overall, the best performance was achieved for membranes with SPAM ionophore, having a cationic lipophilic additive and tested in HEPES (4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid) buffer, pH 5.1. Better slopes were achieved when the membrane was casted on conductive glass (−57.4mV/decade), while the best detection limits were obtained for graphite-based conductive supports (3.6×10−5mol/L). Good selectivity was observed against BSA, ascorbic acid, glucose, creatinine and urea, tested for concentrations up to their normal physiologic levels in urine. The application of the devices to the analysis of spiked samples showed recoveries ranging from 91% (± 6.8%) to 118% (± 11.2%). Overall, the combination of the SPAM sensory material with a suitable selective membrane composition and electrode design has lead to a promising tool for point-of-care applications. PMID:26456975

Compositional-prior-guided image reconstruction algorithm for multi-modality imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Qianqian; Moore, Richard H.; Kopans, Daniel B.; Boas, David A.

2010-01-01

The development of effective multi-modality imaging methods typically requires an efficient information fusion model, particularly when combining structural images with a complementary imaging modality that provides functional information. We propose a composition-based image segmentation method for X-ray digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) and a structural-prior-guided image reconstruction for a combined DBT and diffuse optical tomography (DOT) breast imaging system. Using the 3D DBT images from 31 clinically measured healthy breasts, we create an empirical relationship between the X-ray intensities for adipose and fibroglandular tissue. We use this relationship to then segment another 58 healthy breast DBT images from 29 subjects into compositional maps of different tissue types. For each breast, we build a weighted-graph in the compositional space and construct a regularization matrix to incorporate the structural priors into a finite-element-based DOT image reconstruction. Use of the compositional priors enables us to fuse tissue anatomy into optical images with less restriction than when using a binary segmentation. This allows us to recover the image contrast captured by DOT but not by DBT. We show that it is possible to fine-tune the strength of the structural priors by changing a single regularization parameter. By estimating the optical properties for adipose and fibroglandular tissue using the proposed algorithm, we found the results are comparable or superior to those estimated with expert-segmentations, but does not involve the time-consuming manual selection of regions-of-interest. PMID:21258460

On Bayesian reliability analysis with informative priors and censoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coolen, F.P.A.

1996-01-01

In the statistical literature many methods have been presented to deal with censored observations, both within the Bayesian and non-Bayesian frameworks, and such methods have been successfully applied to, e.g., reliability problems. Also, in reliability theory it is often emphasized that, through shortage of statistical data and possibilities for experiments, one often needs to rely heavily on judgements of engineers, or other experts, for which means Bayesian methods are attractive. It is therefore important that such judgements can be elicited easily to provide informative prior distributions that reflect the knowledge of the engineers well. In this paper we focus on this aspect, especially on the situation that the judgements of the consulted engineers are based on experiences in environments where censoring has also been present previously. We suggest the use of the attractive interpretation of hyperparameters of conjugate prior distributions when these are available for assumed parametric models for lifetimes, and we show how one may go beyond the standard conjugate priors, using similar interpretations of hyper-parameters, to enable easier elicitation when censoring has been present in the past. This may even lead to more flexibility for modelling prior knowledge than when using standard conjugate priors, whereas the disadvantage of more complicated calculations that may be needed to determine posterior distributions play a minor role due to the advanced mathematical and statistical software that is widely available these days

The Prior Internet Resources 2017

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engerer, Volkmar Paul; Albretsen, Jørgen

2017-01-01

The Prior Internet Resources (PIR) are presented. Prior’s unpublished scientific manuscripts and his wast letter correspondence with fellow researchers at the time, his Nachlass, is now subject to transcription by Prior-researchers worldwide, and form an integral part of PIR. It is demonstrated...

Selective Distance-Based K+ Quantification on Paper-Based Microfluidics.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerold, Chase T; Bakker, Eric; Henry, Charles S

2018-04-03

In this study, paper-based microfluidic devices (μPADs) capable of K + quantification in aqueous samples, as well as in human serum, using both colorimetric and distance-based methods are described. A lipophilic phase containing potassium ionophore I (valinomycin) was utilized to achieve highly selective quantification of K + in the presence of Na + , Li + , and Mg 2+ ions. Successful addition of a suspended lipophilic phase to a wax printed paper-based device is described and offers a solution to current approaches that rely on organic solvents, which damage wax barriers. The approach provides an avenue for future alkali/alkaline quantification utilizing μPADs. Colorimetric spot tests allowed for K + quantification from 0.1-5.0 mM using only 3.00 μL of sample solution. Selective distance-based quantification required small sample volumes (6.00 μL) and gave responses sensitive enough to distinguish between 1.0 and 2.5 mM of sample K + . μPADs using distance-based methods were also capable of differentiating between 4.3 and 6.9 mM K + in human serum samples. Distance-based methods required no digital analysis, electronic hardware, or pumps; any steps required for quantification could be carried out using the naked eye.

Imprecision and prior-data conflict in generalized Bayesian inference

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Walter, Gero; Augustin, T. (Thomas)

2009-01-01

A great advantage of imprecise probability models over models based on precise, traditional probabilities is the potential to reflect the amount of knowledge they stand for. Consequently, imprecise probability models promise to offer a vivid tool for handling situations of prior-data conflict in

Generalized Bayesian inference with sets of conjugate priors for dealing with prior-data conflict : course at Lund University

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Walter, G.

2015-01-01

In the Bayesian approach to statistical inference, possibly subjective knowledge on model parameters can be expressed by so-called prior distributions. A prior distribution is updated, via Bayes’ Rule, to the so-called posterior distribution, which combines prior information and information from

The Importance of Prior Knowledge.

Science.gov (United States)

Cleary, Linda Miller

1989-01-01

Recounts a college English teacher's experience of reading and rereading Noam Chomsky, building up a greater store of prior knowledge. Argues that Frank Smith provides a theory for the importance of prior knowledge and Chomsky's work provided a personal example with which to interpret and integrate that theory. (RS)

SEMANTIC LABELLING OF ULTRA DENSE MLS POINT CLOUDS IN URBAN ROAD CORRIDORS BASED ON FUSING CRF WITH SHAPE PRIORS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Yao

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a labelling method for the semantic analysis of ultra-high point density MLS data (up to 4000 points/m2 in urban road corridors is developed based on combining a conditional random field (CRF for the context-based classification of 3D point clouds with shape priors. The CRF uses a Random Forest (RF for generating the unary potentials of nodes and a variant of the contrastsensitive Potts model for the pair-wise potentials of node edges. The foundations of the classification are various geometric features derived by means of co-variance matrices and local accumulation map of spatial coordinates based on local neighbourhoods. Meanwhile, in order to cope with the ultra-high point density, a plane-based region growing method combined with a rule-based classifier is applied to first fix semantic labels for man-made objects. Once such kind of points that usually account for majority of entire data amount are pre-labeled; the CRF classifier can be solved by optimizing the discriminative probability for nodes within a subgraph structure excluded from pre-labeled nodes. The process can be viewed as an evidence fusion step inferring a degree of belief for point labelling from different sources. The MLS data used for this study were acquired by vehicle-borne Z+F phase-based laser scanner measurement, which permits the generation of a point cloud with an ultra-high sampling rate and accuracy. The test sites are parts of Munich City which is assumed to consist of seven object classes including impervious surfaces, tree, building roof/facade, low vegetation, vehicle and pole. The competitive classification performance can be explained by the diverse factors: e.g. the above ground height highlights the vertical dimension of houses, trees even cars, but also attributed to decision-level fusion of graph-based contextual classification approach with shape priors. The use of context-based classification methods mainly contributed to smoothing of

Semantic Labelling of Ultra Dense Mls Point Clouds in Urban Road Corridors Based on Fusing Crf with Shape Priors

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, W.; Polewski, P.; Krzystek, P.

2017-09-01

In this paper, a labelling method for the semantic analysis of ultra-high point density MLS data (up to 4000 points/m2) in urban road corridors is developed based on combining a conditional random field (CRF) for the context-based classification of 3D point clouds with shape priors. The CRF uses a Random Forest (RF) for generating the unary potentials of nodes and a variant of the contrastsensitive Potts model for the pair-wise potentials of node edges. The foundations of the classification are various geometric features derived by means of co-variance matrices and local accumulation map of spatial coordinates based on local neighbourhoods. Meanwhile, in order to cope with the ultra-high point density, a plane-based region growing method combined with a rule-based classifier is applied to first fix semantic labels for man-made objects. Once such kind of points that usually account for majority of entire data amount are pre-labeled; the CRF classifier can be solved by optimizing the discriminative probability for nodes within a subgraph structure excluded from pre-labeled nodes. The process can be viewed as an evidence fusion step inferring a degree of belief for point labelling from different sources. The MLS data used for this study were acquired by vehicle-borne Z+F phase-based laser scanner measurement, which permits the generation of a point cloud with an ultra-high sampling rate and accuracy. The test sites are parts of Munich City which is assumed to consist of seven object classes including impervious surfaces, tree, building roof/facade, low vegetation, vehicle and pole. The competitive classification performance can be explained by the diverse factors: e.g. the above ground height highlights the vertical dimension of houses, trees even cars, but also attributed to decision-level fusion of graph-based contextual classification approach with shape priors. The use of context-based classification methods mainly contributed to smoothing of labelling by removing

Prior Exposure and Educational Environment towards Entrepreneurial Intention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karla Soria-Barreto

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This research is based on the responses to a questionnaire applied to 351 students of business management in Chile and Colombia. Through the analysis of structural equations on Ajzen’s model, we found that entrepreneurial education, the University environment, and the prior entrepreneurial exposure are mediated by the factors of the Ajzen`s model to generate entrepreneurial intention in higher education students. The results show that entrepreneurial education strengthens the perceived control of behavior and, with it, albeit in a differentiated way, the entrepreneurial intention of men and women. University environment affects entrepreneurial intention through attitude towards entrepreneurship; and finally, the work experience, used as one of the variables that measure prior entrepreneurial exposure, explains the entrepreneurial intention inversely through the subjective norms. We found that gender has a moderate effect on perceived control of behavior and entrepreneurial education. The scarce studies on the impact of the University environment and the mixed results of the entrepreneurial education and prior entrepreneurial exposure toward entrepreneurial intention show the necessity for further research. A second contribution is the opportunity to present new evidence about the relationship between University environment, entrepreneurial education and prior exposure to developing countries of South America, including the gender effect (moderator for entrepreneurial intention. It is important to note that most of the research in this area applies to developed countries, and some scholars suggest that extrapolating the results is not convenient.

l0 Sparsity for Image Denoising with Local and Global Priors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoni Gao

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We propose a l0 sparsity based approach to remove additive white Gaussian noise from a given image. To achieve this goal, we combine the local prior and global prior together to recover the noise-free values of pixels. The local prior depends on the neighborhood relationships of a search window to help maintain edges and smoothness. The global prior is generated from a hierarchical l0 sparse representation to help eliminate the redundant information and preserve the global consistency. In addition, to make the correlations between pixels more meaningful, we adopt Principle Component Analysis to measure the similarities, which can be both propitious to reduce the computational complexity and improve the accuracies. Experiments on the benchmark image set show that the proposed approach can achieve superior performance to the state-of-the-art approaches both in accuracy and perception in removing the zero-mean additive white Gaussian noise.

Depth image enhancement using perceptual texture priors

Science.gov (United States)

Bang, Duhyeon; Shim, Hyunjung

2015-03-01

A depth camera is widely used in various applications because it provides a depth image of the scene in real time. However, due to the limited power consumption, the depth camera presents severe noises, incapable of providing the high quality 3D data. Although the smoothness prior is often employed to subside the depth noise, it discards the geometric details so to degrade the distance resolution and hinder achieving the realism in 3D contents. In this paper, we propose a perceptual-based depth image enhancement technique that automatically recovers the depth details of various textures, using a statistical framework inspired by human mechanism of perceiving surface details by texture priors. We construct the database composed of the high quality normals. Based on the recent studies in human visual perception (HVP), we select the pattern density as a primary feature to classify textures. Upon the classification results, we match and substitute the noisy input normals with high quality normals in the database. As a result, our method provides the high quality depth image preserving the surface details. We expect that our work is effective to enhance the details of depth image from 3D sensors and to provide a high-fidelity virtual reality experience.

Analysis of Extracting Prior BRDF from MODIS BRDF Data

OpenAIRE

Hu Zhang; Ziti Jiao; Yadong Dong; Peng Du; Yang Li; Yi Lian; Tiejun Cui

2016-01-01

Many previous studies have attempted to extract prior reflectance anisotropy knowledge from the historical MODIS Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) product based on land cover or Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data. In this study, the feasibility of the method is discussed based on MODIS data and archetypal BRDFs. The BRDF is simplified into six archetypal BRDFs that represent different reflectance anisotropies. Five-year time series of MODIS BRDF data over ...

A New Pansharpening Method Based on Spatial and Spectral Sparsity Priors.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xiyan; Condat, Laurent; Bioucas-Diaz, Jose; Chanussot, Jocelyn; Xia, Junshi

2014-06-27

The development of multisensor systems in recent years has led to great increase in the amount of available remote sensing data. Image fusion techniques aim at inferring high quality images of a given area from degraded versions of the same area obtained by multiple sensors. This paper focuses on pansharpening, which is the inference of a high spatial resolution multispectral image from two degraded versions with complementary spectral and spatial resolution characteristics: a) a low spatial resolution multispectral image; and b) a high spatial resolution panchromatic image. We introduce a new variational model based on spatial and spectral sparsity priors for the fusion. In the spectral domain we encourage low-rank structure, whereas in the spatial domain we promote sparsity on the local differences. Given the fact that both panchromatic and multispectral images are integrations of the underlying continuous spectra using different channel responses, we propose to exploit appropriate regularizations based on both spatial and spectral links between panchromatic and the fused multispectral images. A weighted version of the vector Total Variation (TV) norm of the data matrix is employed to align the spatial information of the fused image with that of the panchromatic image. With regard to spectral information, two different types of regularization are proposed to promote a soft constraint on the linear dependence between the panchromatic and the fused multispectral images. The first one estimates directly the linear coefficients from the observed panchromatic and low resolution multispectral images by Linear Regression (LR) while the second one employs the Principal Component Pursuit (PCP) to obtain a robust recovery of the underlying low-rank structure. We also show that the two regularizers are strongly related. The basic idea of both regularizers is that the fused image should have low-rank and preserve edge locations. We use a variation of the recently proposed

Savings for visuomotor adaptation require prior history of error, not prior repetition of successful actions.

Science.gov (United States)

Leow, Li-Ann; de Rugy, Aymar; Marinovic, Welber; Riek, Stephan; Carroll, Timothy J

2016-10-01

When we move, perturbations to our body or the environment can elicit discrepancies between predicted and actual outcomes. We readily adapt movements to compensate for such discrepancies, and the retention of this learning is evident as savings, or faster readaptation to a previously encountered perturbation. The mechanistic processes contributing to savings, or even the necessary conditions for savings, are not fully understood. One theory suggests that savings requires increased sensitivity to previously experienced errors: when perturbations evoke a sequence of correlated errors, we increase our sensitivity to the errors experienced, which subsequently improves error correction (Herzfeld et al. 2014). An alternative theory suggests that a memory of actions is necessary for savings: when an action becomes associated with successful target acquisition through repetition, that action is more rapidly retrieved at subsequent learning (Huang et al. 2011). In the present study, to better understand the necessary conditions for savings, we tested how savings is affected by prior experience of similar errors and prior repetition of the action required to eliminate errors using a factorial design. Prior experience of errors induced by a visuomotor rotation in the savings block was either prevented at initial learning by gradually removing an oppositely signed perturbation or enforced by abruptly removing the perturbation. Prior repetition of the action required to eliminate errors in the savings block was either deprived or enforced by manipulating target location in preceding trials. The data suggest that prior experience of errors is both necessary and sufficient for savings, whereas prior repetition of a successful action is neither necessary nor sufficient for savings. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Bayesian image reconstruction in SPECT using higher order mechanical models as priors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, S.J.; Gindi, G.; Rangarajan, A.

1995-01-01

While the ML-EM (maximum-likelihood-expectation maximization) algorithm for reconstruction for emission tomography is unstable due to the ill-posed nature of the problem, Bayesian reconstruction methods overcome this instability by introducing prior information, often in the form of a spatial smoothness regularizer. More elaborate forms of smoothness constraints may be used to extend the role of the prior beyond that of a stabilizer in order to capture actual spatial information about the object. Previously proposed forms of such prior distributions were based on the assumption of a piecewise constant source distribution. Here, the authors propose an extension to a piecewise linear model--the weak plate--which is more expressive than the piecewise constant model. The weak plate prior not only preserves edges but also allows for piecewise ramplike regions in the reconstruction. Indeed, for the application in SPECT, such ramplike regions are observed in ground-truth source distributions in the form of primate autoradiographs of rCBF radionuclides. To incorporate the weak plate prior in a MAP approach, the authors model the prior as a Gibbs distribution and use a GEM formulation for the optimization. They compare quantitative performance of the ML-EM algorithm, a GEM algorithm with a prior favoring piecewise constant regions, and a GEM algorithm with the weak plate prior. Pointwise and regional bias and variance of ensemble image reconstructions are used as indications of image quality. The results show that the weak plate and membrane priors exhibit improved bias and variance relative to ML-EM techniques

Chromoionophoric Recognition of Alkylamines by Nitro Derivative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Ju Hee; Hwang, Ah Ran; Choe, Jong In; Chang, Suk Kyu

2004-01-01

The molecular design of efficient and selective chromogenic and fluorogenic ionophore systems for the sensing of chemically and biologically important ionic guests has attracted much attention in the past decade. Many of the compounds are based on the well-known molecular framework of crown ethers, calixarenes, and other EDTA type efficient chelating compounds. Among them the calix[4]arenes are particularly attractive for their selective ionophoric properties toward many of interesting organic ammonium guests. Particularly, the calix[4]arene-crown ethers are known to have unique binding properties toward some of alkali, alkaline earth metal ions, and biogenic amines. Many of the chromogenic sensing materials are developed by conjugating molecular framework of calix[4]- arene-crown ethers with suitable signaling functions of azophenols, thiazoles, and indophenols. Quite unexpectedly, however, the ionophoric properties of simple nitro derivative of calix[4]arene-crown ethers were not reported, except for the closely related structure having ester-ether functions in crown moiety, in spite of their synthetically easy availability and expectedly efficient ionophoric properties toward organic amine guests. In this paper, we report the ionophoric properties of dinitro derivative of calix[4]arene-crown-5 ether 1 toward representative alkylammonium ions aiming for the development of efficient and selective chromogenic sensing material for the biologically important organic amine guests. The Ba 2+ -selective chromogenic behavior of 1 over the representative alkali and alkaline earth metal ions has been reported earlier.

Investigations of anomalous gravity signals prior to 71 large earthquakes based on a 4-years long superconducting gravimeter records

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dijin Wang

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Using continuous 1-Hz sampling time-series recorded by a SG (superconducting gravimeter at Hsinchu station, Taiwan of China, we investigate the anomalous gravity signals prior to 71 large earthquakes with moment magnitude larger than 7.0 (Mw7.0 occurred between 1 Jan 2008 and 31 Dec 2011. We firstly evaluate the noise level of the SG records at Hsinchu (HS station in microseismic bands from 0.05 Hz to 0.1 Hz by computing the PSD (power spectral density of seismically quiet days selected based on the RMS of records. Based on the analysis of the noise level and the spectral features of the seismically quiet SG records at HS station, we detect AGSs (anomalous gravity signals prior to large earthquakes. We apply HHT (Hilbert-Huang transformation to establish the TFEP (time-frequency-energy paradigms and MS (marginal spectra of the SG data before the large earthquakes, and the characteristics of TFEP and MS of the SGs data during the typhoon event are also analyzed. By comparing the spectral characteristics of the SGs data during seismically quiet period, three types of AGSs are found; and the occurrence rate of AGSs before 71 earthquakes is given in terms of the cases with different epicenter distance and different focal depth. The statistical results show that 56.3% of all the examined large earthquakes were preceded by AGSs; and if we constrain the epicenter distance to be smaller than 3500 km and focal depth less than 300 km, 75.3% of the examined large earthquakes can be associated with the AGSs. Especially, we note that for all the large earthquakes occurred in the Eurasian plate in recent four years, the precursory AGSs can always be found in the SG data recorded at HS station. Our investigations suggest that the AGSs prior to large earthquakes may be related to focal depth, epicentre distance and location.

Joint estimation of activity and attenuation for PET using pragmatic MR-based prior: application to clinical TOF PET/MR whole-body data for FDG and non-FDG tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Sangtae; Cheng, Lishui; Shanbhag, Dattesh D.; Qian, Hua; Kaushik, Sandeep S.; Jansen, Floris P.; Wiesinger, Florian

2018-02-01

Accurate and robust attenuation correction remains challenging in hybrid PET/MR particularly for torsos because it is difficult to segment bones, lungs and internal air in MR images. Additionally, MR suffers from susceptibility artifacts when a metallic implant is present. Recently, joint estimation (JE) of activity and attenuation based on PET data, also known as maximum likelihood reconstruction of activity and attenuation, has gained considerable interest because of (1) its promise to address the challenges in MR-based attenuation correction (MRAC), and (2) recent advances in time-of-flight (TOF) technology, which is known to be the key to the success of JE. In this paper, we implement a JE algorithm using an MR-based prior and evaluate the algorithm using whole-body PET/MR patient data, for both FDG and non-FDG tracers, acquired from GE SIGNA PET/MR scanners with TOF capability. The weight of the MR-based prior is spatially modulated, based on MR signal strength, to control the balance between MRAC and JE. Large prior weights are used in strong MR signal regions such as soft tissue and fat (i.e. MR tissue classification with a high degree of certainty) and small weights are used in low MR signal regions (i.e. MR tissue classification with a low degree of certainty). The MR-based prior is pragmatic in the sense that it is convex and does not require training or population statistics while exploiting synergies between MRAC and JE. We demonstrate the JE algorithm has the potential to improve the robustness and accuracy of MRAC by recovering the attenuation of metallic implants, internal air and some bones and by better delineating lung boundaries, not only for FDG but also for more specific non-FDG tracers such as 68Ga-DOTATOC and 18F-Fluoride.

Finding a minimally informative Dirichlet prior distribution using least squares

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, Dana; Atwood, Corwin

2011-01-01

In a Bayesian framework, the Dirichlet distribution is the conjugate distribution to the multinomial likelihood function, and so the analyst is required to develop a Dirichlet prior that incorporates available information. However, as it is a multiparameter distribution, choosing the Dirichlet parameters is less straightforward than choosing a prior distribution for a single parameter, such as p in the binomial distribution. In particular, one may wish to incorporate limited information into the prior, resulting in a minimally informative prior distribution that is responsive to updates with sparse data. In the case of binomial p or Poisson λ, the principle of maximum entropy can be employed to obtain a so-called constrained noninformative prior. However, even in the case of p, such a distribution cannot be written down in the form of a standard distribution (e.g., beta, gamma), and so a beta distribution is used as an approximation in the case of p. In the case of the multinomial model with parametric constraints, the approach of maximum entropy does not appear tractable. This paper presents an alternative approach, based on constrained minimization of a least-squares objective function, which leads to a minimally informative Dirichlet prior distribution. The alpha-factor model for common-cause failure, which is widely used in the United States, is the motivation for this approach, and is used to illustrate the method. In this approach to modeling common-cause failure, the alpha-factors, which are the parameters in the underlying multinomial model for common-cause failure, must be estimated from data that are often quite sparse, because common-cause failures tend to be rare, especially failures of more than two or three components, and so a prior distribution that is responsive to updates with sparse data is needed.

Finding a Minimally Informative Dirichlet Prior Distribution Using Least Squares

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, Dana; Atwood, Corwin

2011-01-01

In a Bayesian framework, the Dirichlet distribution is the conjugate distribution to the multinomial likelihood function, and so the analyst is required to develop a Dirichlet prior that incorporates available information. However, as it is a multiparameter distribution, choosing the Dirichlet parameters is less straight-forward than choosing a prior distribution for a single parameter, such as p in the binomial distribution. In particular, one may wish to incorporate limited information into the prior, resulting in a minimally informative prior distribution that is responsive to updates with sparse data. In the case of binomial p or Poisson, the principle of maximum entropy can be employed to obtain a so-called constrained noninformative prior. However, even in the case of p, such a distribution cannot be written down in closed form, and so an approximate beta distribution is used in the case of p. In the case of the multinomial model with parametric constraints, the approach of maximum entropy does not appear tractable. This paper presents an alternative approach, based on constrained minimization of a least-squares objective function, which leads to a minimally informative Dirichlet prior distribution. The alpha-factor model for common-cause failure, which is widely used in the United States, is the motivation for this approach, and is used to illustrate the method. In this approach to modeling common-cause failure, the alpha-factors, which are the parameters in the underlying multinomial aleatory model for common-cause failure, must be estimated from data that is often quite sparse, because common-cause failures tend to be rare, especially failures of more than two or three components, and so a prior distribution that is responsive to updates with sparse data is needed.

Divergent Priors and well Behaved Bayes Factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R.W. Strachan (Rodney); H.K. van Dijk (Herman)

2011-01-01

textabstractDivergent priors are improper when defined on unbounded supports. Bartlett's paradox has been taken to imply that using improper priors results in ill-defined Bayes factors, preventing model comparison by posterior probabilities. However many improper priors have attractive properties

Improving Bayesian credibility intervals for classifier error rates using maximum entropy empirical priors.

Science.gov (United States)

Gustafsson, Mats G; Wallman, Mikael; Wickenberg Bolin, Ulrika; Göransson, Hanna; Fryknäs, M; Andersson, Claes R; Isaksson, Anders

2010-06-01

Successful use of classifiers that learn to make decisions from a set of patient examples require robust methods for performance estimation. Recently many promising approaches for determination of an upper bound for the error rate of a single classifier have been reported but the Bayesian credibility interval (CI) obtained from a conventional holdout test still delivers one of the tightest bounds. The conventional Bayesian CI becomes unacceptably large in real world applications where the test set sizes are less than a few hundred. The source of this problem is that fact that the CI is determined exclusively by the result on the test examples. In other words, there is no information at all provided by the uniform prior density distribution employed which reflects complete lack of prior knowledge about the unknown error rate. Therefore, the aim of the study reported here was to study a maximum entropy (ME) based approach to improved prior knowledge and Bayesian CIs, demonstrating its relevance for biomedical research and clinical practice. It is demonstrated how a refined non-uniform prior density distribution can be obtained by means of the ME principle using empirical results from a few designs and tests using non-overlapping sets of examples. Experimental results show that ME based priors improve the CIs when employed to four quite different simulated and two real world data sets. An empirically derived ME prior seems promising for improving the Bayesian CI for the unknown error rate of a designed classifier. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of analyzing fewer image frames per segment during offline volumetric radiofrequency based intravascular ultrasound measurements of target lesions prior to percutaneous coronary interventions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huisman, J.; Hartmann, M.; Hartmann, M.; Mintz, G.S.; van Houwelingen, G.K.; Stoel, M.G.; de Man, F.H.; Louwerenburg, H.; von Birgelen, Clemens

2012-01-01

In the present study, we evaluated the impact of a 50% reduction in number of image frames (every second frame) on the analysis time and variability of offline volumetric radiofrequency-based intravascular ultrasound (RF-IVUS) measurements in target lesions prior to percutaneous coronary

Evolution of Industry Knowledge in the Public Domain: Prior Art Searching for Software Patents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinseok Park

2005-03-01

Full Text Available Searching prior art is a key part of the patent application and examination processes. A comprehensive prior art search gives the inventor ideas as to how he can improve or circumvent existing technology by providing up to date knowledge on the state of the art. It also enables the patent applicant to minimise the likelihood of an objection from the patent office. This article explores the characteristics of prior art associated with software patents, dealing with difficulties in searching prior art due to the lack of resources, and considers public contribution to the formation of prior art databases. It addresses the evolution of electronic prior art in line with technological development, and discusses laws and practices in the EPO, USPTO, and the JPO in relation to the validity of prior art resources on the Internet. This article also investigates the main features of searching sources and tools in the three patent offices as well as non-patent literature databases. Based on the analysis of various searching databases, it provides some strategies of efficient prior art searching that should be considered for software-related inventions.

Abdominal multi-organ CT segmentation using organ correlation graph and prediction-based shape and location priors.

Science.gov (United States)

Okada, Toshiyuki; Linguraru, Marius George; Hori, Masatoshi; Summers, Ronald M; Tomiyama, Noriyuki; Sato, Yoshinobu

2013-01-01

The paper addresses the automated segmentation of multiple organs in upper abdominal CT data. We propose a framework of multi-organ segmentation which is adaptable to any imaging conditions without using intensity information in manually traced training data. The features of the framework are as follows: (1) the organ correlation graph (OCG) is introduced, which encodes the spatial correlations among organs inherent in human anatomy; (2) the patient-specific organ shape and location priors obtained using OCG enable the estimation of intensity priors from only target data and optionally a number of untraced CT data of the same imaging condition as the target data. The proposed methods were evaluated through segmentation of eight abdominal organs (liver, spleen, left and right kidney, pancreas, gallbladder, aorta, and inferior vena cava) from 86 CT data obtained by four imaging conditions at two hospitals. The performance was comparable to the state-of-the-art method using intensity priors constructed from manually traced data.

Effects of prior aversive experience upon retrograde amnesia induced by hypothermia.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, R A; Riccio, D C; Gehres, L

1975-08-01

Two experiments examined the extent to which retrograde amnesia (RA) is attenuated by prior learning experiences. In Experiment 1, rats initially received either passive avoidance training in a step-through apparatus, exposure to the apparatus, or noncontingent footshock. When training on a second but different passive avoidance task was followed by hypothermia treatment, RA was obtained only in the latter two groups. In Experiment 2, one-way active avoidance training, yoked noncontingent shocks, or apparatus exposure constituted the initial experience. Subsequent step-down passive avoidance training and amnestic treatment resulted in memory loss for the prior apparatus exposure group, but not for either of the preshocked conditions. These experiments demonstrate that certain types of prior aversive experience can substantially modify the magnitude of RA, and, in conjunction with other familiarization studies, emphasize a paradox for interpretations of RA based solely upon CNS disruption. The possibility that hypothermia treatment serves as an important contextual or encoding cue necessary for memory retrieval was considered. It was suggested that prior experience may block RA by enabling rats to differentiate training and treatment conditions.

Incorporation prior belief in the general path model: A comparison of information sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coble, Jamie; Hines, Wesley

2014-01-01

The general path model (GPM) is one approach for performing degradation-based, or Type III, prognostics. The GPM fits a parametric function to the collected observations of a prognostic parameter and extrapolates the fit to a failure threshold. This approach has been successfully applied to a variety of systems when a sufficient number of prognostic parameter observations are available. However, the parametric fit can suffer significantly when few data are available or the data are very noisy. In these instances, it is beneficial to include additional information to influence the fit to conform to a prior belief about the evolution of system degradation. Bayesian statistical approaches have been proposed to include prior information in the form of distributions of expected model parameters. This requires a number of run-to-failure cases with tracked prognostic parameters; these data may not be readily available for many systems. Reliability information and stressor-based (Type I and Type II, respectively) prognostic estimates can provide the necessary prior belief for the GPM. This article presents the Bayesian updating framework to include prior information in the GPM and compares the efficacy of including different information sources on two data sets.

Prior knowledge in recalling arguments in bioethical dilemmas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiemke Katharina Schmidt

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Prior knowledge is known to facilitate learning new information. Normally in studies confirming this outcome the relationship between prior knowledge and the topic to be learned is obvious: the information to be acquired is part of the domain or topic to which the prior knowledge belongs. This raises the question as to whether prior knowledge of various domains facilitates recalling information. In this study 79 eleventh-grade students completed a questionnaire on their prior knowledge of seven different domains related to the bioethical dilemma of prenatal diagnostics. The students read a text containing arguments for and arguments against prenatal diagnostics. After one week and again 12 weeks later they were asked to write down all the arguments they remembered. Prior knowledge helped them recall the arguments one week (r = .350 and 12 weeks (r = .316 later. Prior knowledge of three of the seven domains significantly helped them recall the arguments one week later (correlations between r = .194 to r = .394. Partial correlations with interest as a control item revealed that interest did not explain the relationship between prior knowledge and recall. Prior knowledge of different domains jointly supports the recall of arguments related to bioethical topics.

Calcium-regulated in vivo protein phosphorylation in Zea mays L. root tips

Science.gov (United States)

Raghothama, K. G.; Reddy, A. S.; Friedmann, M.; Poovaiah, B. W.

1987-01-01

Calcium dependent protein phosphorylation was studied in corn (Zea mays L.) root tips. Prior to in vivo protein phosphorylation experiments, the effect of calcium, ethyleneglycol-bis-(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N-N' -tetraacetic acid (EGTA) and calcium ionophore (A-23187) on phosphorus uptake was studied. Calcium increased phosphorus uptake, whereas EGTA and A-23187 decreased it. Consequently, phosphorus concentration in the media was adjusted so as to attain similar uptake in different treatments. Phosphoproteins were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Distinct changes in phosphorylation were observed following altered calcium levels. Calcium depletion in root tips with EGTA and A-23187 decreased protein phosphorylation. However, replenishment of calcium following EGTA and ionophore pretreatment enhanced phosphorylation of proteins. Preloading of the root tips with 32P in the presence of EGTA and A-23187 followed by a ten minute calcium treatment, resulted in increased phosphorylation indicating the involvement of calcium, calcium and calmodulin-dependent kinases. Calmodulin antagonist W-7 was effective in inhibiting calcium-promoted phosphorylation. These studies suggest a physiological role for calcium-dependent phosphorylation in calcium-mediated processes in plants.

Random walks with shape prior for cochlea segmentation in ex vivo μCT

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruiz Pujadas, Esmeralda; Kjer, Hans Martin; Piella, Gemma

2016-01-01

Purpose Cochlear implantation is a safe and effective surgical procedure to restore hearing in deaf patients. However, the level of restoration achieved may vary due to differences in anatomy, implant type and surgical access. In order to reduce the variability of the surgical outcomes, we...... propose a new framework for cochlea segmentation in ex vivo μCT images using random walks where a distance-based shape prior is combined with a region term estimated by a Gaussian mixture model. The prior is also weighted by a confidence map to adjust its influence according to the strength of the image...... contour. Random walks is performed iteratively, and the prior mask is aligned in every iteration. Results We tested the proposed approach in ten μCT data sets and compared it with other random walks-based segmentation techniques such as guided random walks (Eslami et al. in Med Image Anal 17...

How effective are messages and their characteristics in changing behavioural intentions to substitute plant-based foods for red meat? The mediating role of prior beliefs.

Science.gov (United States)

Vainio, Annukka; Irz, Xavier; Hartikainen, Hanna

2018-06-01

By means of a population-based survey experiment, we analysed the effectiveness of two message characteristics - message framing and the refutation of misinformation - in persuading respondents to reduce their consumption of red meat and increase that of plant-based alternatives. We also tested whether the effects of those two message characteristics were moderated by prior beliefs about the health and climate impacts of red meat consumption. The data were collected with an online survey of the adult population living in Finland (N = 1279). We found that messages had a small but desired effect on intentions when the effect of prior beliefs was taken into account, but that that effect was strongly moderated by prior beliefs. In particular, messages changed behavioural intentions among the "meat-sceptics" (i.e., those believing relatively strongly in the negative health and climate effects of meat consumption) but not among the "meat believers" (defined symmetrically). The combination of frames and refutation of misinformation were not found to be more effective strategies than the provision of information through single-framed, one-sided messages. We found limited evidence that the way a message was formulated determined its effectiveness in changing behaviours. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neutrino masses and their ordering: global data, priors and models

Science.gov (United States)

Gariazzo, S.; Archidiacono, M.; de Salas, P. F.; Mena, O.; Ternes, C. A.; Tórtola, M.

2018-03-01

We present a full Bayesian analysis of the combination of current neutrino oscillation, neutrinoless double beta decay and Cosmic Microwave Background observations. Our major goal is to carefully investigate the possibility to single out one neutrino mass ordering, namely Normal Ordering or Inverted Ordering, with current data. Two possible parametrizations (three neutrino masses versus the lightest neutrino mass plus the two oscillation mass splittings) and priors (linear versus logarithmic) are exhaustively examined. We find that the preference for NO is only driven by neutrino oscillation data. Moreover, the values of the Bayes factor indicate that the evidence for NO is strong only when the scan is performed over the three neutrino masses with logarithmic priors; for every other combination of parameterization and prior, the preference for NO is only weak. As a by-product of our Bayesian analyses, we are able to (a) compare the Bayesian bounds on the neutrino mixing parameters to those obtained by means of frequentist approaches, finding a very good agreement; (b) determine that the lightest neutrino mass plus the two mass splittings parametrization, motivated by the physical observables, is strongly preferred over the three neutrino mass eigenstates scan and (c) find that logarithmic priors guarantee a weakly-to-moderately more efficient sampling of the parameter space. These results establish the optimal strategy to successfully explore the neutrino parameter space, based on the use of the oscillation mass splittings and a logarithmic prior on the lightest neutrino mass, when combining neutrino oscillation data with cosmology and neutrinoless double beta decay. We also show that the limits on the total neutrino mass ∑ mν can change dramatically when moving from one prior to the other. These results have profound implications for future studies on the neutrino mass ordering, as they crucially state the need for self-consistent analyses which explore the

Example-driven manifold priors for image deconvolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Jie; Turaga, Pavan; Patel, Vishal M; Chellappa, Rama

2011-11-01

Image restoration methods that exploit prior information about images to be estimated have been extensively studied, typically using the Bayesian framework. In this paper, we consider the role of prior knowledge of the object class in the form of a patch manifold to address the deconvolution problem. Specifically, we incorporate unlabeled image data of the object class, say natural images, in the form of a patch-manifold prior for the object class. The manifold prior is implicitly estimated from the given unlabeled data. We show how the patch-manifold prior effectively exploits the available sample class data for regularizing the deblurring problem. Furthermore, we derive a generalized cross-validation (GCV) function to automatically determine the regularization parameter at each iteration without explicitly knowing the noise variance. Extensive experiments show that this method performs better than many competitive image deconvolution methods.

Influence of prior knowledge of exercise duration on pacing strategies during game-based activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabbett, Tim J; Walker, Ben; Walker, Shane

2015-04-01

To investigate the influence of prior knowledge of exercise duration on the pacing strategies employed during game-based activities. Twelve semiprofessional team-sport athletes (mean ± SD age 22.8 ± 2.1 y) participated in this study. Players performed 3 small-sided games in random order. In one condition (Control), players were informed that they would play the small-sided game for 12 min and then completed the 12-min game. In a 2nd condition (Deception), players were told that they would play the small-sided game for 6 minutes, but after completing the 6-min game, they were asked to complete another 6 min. In a 3rd condition (Unknown), players were not told how long they would be required to play the small-sided game, but the activity was terminated after 12 min. Movement was recorded using a GPS unit sampling at 10 Hz. Post hoc inspection of video footage was undertaken to count the number of possessions and the number and quality of disposals. Higher initial intensities were observed in the Deception (130.6 ± 3.3 m/min) and Unknown (129.3 ± 2.4 m/min) conditions than the Control condition (123.3 ± 3.4 m/min). Greater amounts of high-speed running occurred during the initial phases of the Deception condition, and more low-speed activity occurred during the Unknown condition. A moderately greater number of total skill involvements occurred in the Unknown condition than the Control condition. These findings suggest that during game-based activities, players alter their pacing strategy based on the anticipated endpoint of the exercise bout.

Does attention speed up processing? Decreases and increases of processing rates in visual prior entry.

Science.gov (United States)

Tünnermann, Jan; Petersen, Anders; Scharlau, Ingrid

2015-03-02

Selective visual attention improves performance in many tasks. Among others, it leads to "prior entry"--earlier perception of an attended compared to an unattended stimulus. Whether this phenomenon is purely based on an increase of the processing rate of the attended stimulus or if a decrease in the processing rate of the unattended stimulus also contributes to the effect is, up to now, unanswered. Here we describe a novel approach to this question based on Bundesen's Theory of Visual Attention, which we use to overcome the limitations of earlier prior-entry assessment with temporal order judgments (TOJs) that only allow relative statements regarding the processing speed of attended and unattended stimuli. Prevalent models of prior entry in TOJs either indirectly predict a pure acceleration or cannot model the difference between acceleration and deceleration. In a paradigm that combines a letter-identification task with TOJs, we show that indeed acceleration of the attended and deceleration of the unattended stimuli conjointly cause prior entry. © 2015 ARVO.

Attentional and Contextual Priors in Sound Perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolmetz, Michael; Elhilali, Mounya

2016-01-01

Behavioral and neural studies of selective attention have consistently demonstrated that explicit attentional cues to particular perceptual features profoundly alter perception and performance. The statistics of the sensory environment can also provide cues about what perceptual features to expect, but the extent to which these more implicit contextual cues impact perception and performance, as well as their relationship to explicit attentional cues, is not well understood. In this study, the explicit cues, or attentional prior probabilities, and the implicit cues, or contextual prior probabilities, associated with different acoustic frequencies in a detection task were simultaneously manipulated. Both attentional and contextual priors had similarly large but independent impacts on sound detectability, with evidence that listeners tracked and used contextual priors for a variety of sound classes (pure tones, harmonic complexes, and vowels). Further analyses showed that listeners updated their contextual priors rapidly and optimally, given the changing acoustic frequency statistics inherent in the paradigm. A Bayesian Observer model accounted for both attentional and contextual adaptations found with listeners. These results bolster the interpretation of perception as Bayesian inference, and suggest that some effects attributed to selective attention may be a special case of contextual prior integration along a feature axis.

Total Variability Modeling using Source-specific Priors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shepstone, Sven Ewan; Lee, Kong Aik; Li, Haizhou

2016-01-01

sequence of an utterance. In both cases the prior for the latent variable is assumed to be non-informative, since for homogeneous datasets there is no gain in generality in using an informative prior. This work shows in the heterogeneous case, that using informative priors for com- puting the posterior......, can lead to favorable results. We focus on modeling the priors using minimum divergence criterion or fac- tor analysis techniques. Tests on the NIST 2008 and 2010 Speaker Recognition Evaluation (SRE) dataset show that our proposed method beats four baselines: For i-vector extraction using an already...... trained matrix, for the short2-short3 task in SRE’08, five out of eight female and four out of eight male common conditions, were improved. For the core-extended task in SRE’10, four out of nine female and six out of nine male common conditions were improved. When incorporating prior information...

Quantitative Evidence Synthesis with Power Priors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rietbergen, C.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/322847796

2016-01-01

The aim of this thesis is to provide the applied researcher with a practical approach for quantitative evidence synthesis using the conditional power prior that allows for subjective input and thereby provides an alternative tgbgo deal with the difficulties as- sociated with the joint power prior

Hops (Humulus lupulus L. Bitter Acids: Modulation of Rumen Fermentation and Potential As an Alternative Growth Promoter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael D. Flythe

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Antibiotics can improve ruminant growth and efficiency by altering rumen fermentation via selective inhibition of microorganisms. However, antibiotic use is increasingly restricted due to concerns about the spread of antibiotic-resistance. Plant-based antimicrobials are alternatives to antibiotics in animal production. The hops plant (Humulus lupulus L. produces a range of bioactive secondary metabolites, including antimicrobial prenylated phloroglucinols, which are commonly called alpha- and beta-acids. These latter compounds can be considered phyto-ionophores, phytochemicals with a similar antimicrobial mechanism of action to ionophore antibiotics (e.g., monensin, lasalocid. Like ionophores, the hop beta-acids inhibit rumen bacteria possessing a classical Gram-positive cell envelope. This selective inhibition causes several effects on rumen fermentation that are beneficial to finishing cattle, such as decreased proteolysis, ammonia production, acetate: propionate ratio, and methane production. This article reviews the effects of hops and hop secondary metabolites on rumen fermentation, including the physiological mechanisms on specific rumen microorganisms, and consequences for the ruminant host and ruminant production. Further, we propose that hop beta-acids are useful model natural products for ruminants because of (1 the ionophore-like mechanism of action and spectrum of activity and (2 the literature available on the plant due to its use in brewing.

Students' inductive reasoning skills and the relevance of prior knowledge: an exploratory study with a computer-based training course on the topic of acne vulgaris.

Science.gov (United States)

Horn-Ritzinger, Sabine; Bernhardt, Johannes; Horn, Michael; Smolle, Josef

2011-04-01

The importance of inductive instruction in medical education is increasingly growing. Little is known about the relevance of prior knowledge regarding students' inductive reasoning abilities. The purpose is to evaluate this inductive teaching method as a means of fostering higher levels of learning and to explore how individual differences in prior knowledge (high [HPK] vs. low [LPK]) contribute to students' inductive reasoning skills. Twenty-six LPK and 18 HPK students could train twice with an interactive computer-based training object to discover the underlying concept before doing the final comprehension check. Students had a median of 76.9% of correct answers in the first, 90.9% in the second training, and answered 92% of the final assessment questions correctly. More important, 86% of all students succeeded with inductive learning, among them 83% of the HPK students and 89% of the LPK students. Prior knowledge did not predict performance on overall comprehension. This inductive instructional strategy fostered students' deep approaches to learning in a time-effective way.

Recruiting for Prior Service Market

Science.gov (United States)

2008-06-01

perceptions, expectations and issues for re-enlistment • Develop potential marketing and advertising tactics and strategies targeted to the defined...01 JUN 2008 2. REPORT TYPE N/A 3. DATES COVERED - 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Recruiting for Prior Service Market 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT...Command First Handshake to First Unit of Assignment An Army of One Proud to Be e e to Serve Recruiting for Prior Service Market MAJ Eric Givens / MAJ Brian

Interactive lesion segmentation with shape priors from offline and online learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Shepherd, Tony; Prince, Simon J D; Alexander, Daniel C

2012-09-01

In medical image segmentation, tumors and other lesions demand the highest levels of accuracy but still call for the highest levels of manual delineation. One factor holding back automatic segmentation is the exemption of pathological regions from shape modelling techniques that rely on high-level shape information not offered by lesions. This paper introduces two new statistical shape models (SSMs) that combine radial shape parameterization with machine learning techniques from the field of nonlinear time series analysis. We then develop two dynamic contour models (DCMs) using the new SSMs as shape priors for tumor and lesion segmentation. From training data, the SSMs learn the lower level shape information of boundary fluctuations, which we prove to be nevertheless highly discriminant. One of the new DCMs also uses online learning to refine the shape prior for the lesion of interest based on user interactions. Classification experiments reveal superior sensitivity and specificity of the new shape priors over those previously used to constrain DCMs. User trials with the new interactive algorithms show that the shape priors are directly responsible for improvements in accuracy and reductions in user demand.

Development of a pH sensing membrane electrode based on a new calix[4]arene derivative.

Science.gov (United States)

Kormalı Ertürün, H Elif; Demirel Özel, Ayça; Sayın, Serkan; Yılmaz, Mustafa; Kılıç, Esma

2015-01-01

A new pH sensing poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane electrode was developed by using recently synthesized 5,17-bis(4-benzylpiperidine-1-yl)methyl-25,26,27,28-tetrahydroxy calix[4]arene as an ionophore. The effects of membrane composition, inner filling solution and conditioning solution on the potential response of the proposed pH sensing membrane electrode were investigated. An optimum membrane composition of 3% ionophore, 67% o-nitrophenyl octyl ether (o-NPOE) as plasticizer, 30% PVC was found. The electrode exhibited a near-Nernstian slope of 58.7±1.1 mV pH(-1) in the pH range 1.9-12.7 at 20±1 °C. It showed good selectivity for H(+) ions in the presence of some cations and anions and a longer lifetime of at least 12 months when compared with the other PVC membrane pH electrodes reported in the literature. Having a wide working pH range, it was not only applied as a potentiometric indicator electrode in various acid-base titrations, but also successfully employed in different real samples. It has good reproducibility and repeatability with a response time of 6-7s. Compared to traditional glass pH electrode, it exhibited excellent potentiometric response after being used in fluoride-containing media. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The influence of prior knowledge on the retrieval-directed function of note taking in prior knowledge activation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wetzels, Sandra; Kester, Liesbeth; Van Merriënboer, Jeroen; Broers, Nick

2010-01-01

Wetzels, S. A. J., Kester, L., Van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & Broers, N. J. (2011). The influence of prior knowledge on the retrieval-directed function of note taking in prior knowledge activation. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 81(2), 274-291. doi: 10.1348/000709910X517425

Ocorrência de resíduos de ionóforos poliéteres em leite UHT comercializado na região metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro | Occurrence of polyether ionophore residues in UHT milk marketed in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mararlene Ulberg Pereira

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Os ionóforos poliéteres são antibióticos utilizados em bovinos como promotores de crescimento, para aumentar a produção de leite em vacas em lactação e prevenir e tratar a coccidiose. Os ionóforos poliéteres autorizados como aditivos antimicrobianos no Brasil para uso na alimentação de bovinos e vacas leiteiras são a lasalocida e a monensina sódica. Entretanto, poucos são os métodos analíticos para determinação destes resíduos em leite e não há dados de monitoramento disponíveis no Brasil. Essa classe ainda não está incluída nos programas de controle de resíduos em leite implementados pela Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária e pelo Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a ocorrência de seis ionóforos poliéteres em leite UHT empregando um método analítico desenvolvido e validado no Instituto Nacional de Controle de Qualidade em Saúde. O método foi aplicado em 102 amostras de leite integral UHT comercializadas na região metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro. Nas amostras analisadas somente resíduos do antibiótico monensina foram encontrados. Esta substância foi detectada em 14% das amostras, mas as concentrações estimadas foram bem inferiores ao limite máximo de resíduo de 2 µg/kg recomendado pelo Codex Alimentarius e pela Comunidade Europeia. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Polyether ionophore antibiotics are used in cattle to promote growth, to increase milk production in lactating cows, and to prevent and treat coccidiosis. In Brazil, lasalocid and monensin are the two polyether ionophores that are allowed as antimicrobial additives in cattle and dairy cow feed. However, there are few methods for determining the residues of these additives in milk, and no monitoring data are available in Brazil. These residues are not yet included in the residue control programs in the milk matrix

Abdominal multi-organ segmentation from CT images using conditional shape-location and unsupervised intensity priors.

Science.gov (United States)

Okada, Toshiyuki; Linguraru, Marius George; Hori, Masatoshi; Summers, Ronald M; Tomiyama, Noriyuki; Sato, Yoshinobu

2015-12-01

This paper addresses the automated segmentation of multiple organs in upper abdominal computed tomography (CT) data. The aim of our study is to develop methods to effectively construct the conditional priors and use their prediction power for more accurate segmentation as well as easy adaptation to various imaging conditions in CT images, as observed in clinical practice. We propose a general framework of multi-organ segmentation which effectively incorporates interrelations among multiple organs and easily adapts to various imaging conditions without the need for supervised intensity information. The features of the framework are as follows: (1) A method for modeling conditional shape and location (shape-location) priors, which we call prediction-based priors, is developed to derive accurate priors specific to each subject, which enables the estimation of intensity priors without the need for supervised intensity information. (2) Organ correlation graph is introduced, which defines how the conditional priors are constructed and segmentation processes of multiple organs are executed. In our framework, predictor organs, whose segmentation is sufficiently accurate by using conventional single-organ segmentation methods, are pre-segmented, and the remaining organs are hierarchically segmented using conditional shape-location priors. The proposed framework was evaluated through the segmentation of eight abdominal organs (liver, spleen, left and right kidneys, pancreas, gallbladder, aorta, and inferior vena cava) from 134 CT data from 86 patients obtained under six imaging conditions at two hospitals. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed prediction-based priors and the applicability to various imaging conditions without the need for supervised intensity information. Average Dice coefficients for the liver, spleen, and kidneys were more than 92%, and were around 73% and 67% for the pancreas and gallbladder, respectively. Copyright © 2015

Effects of amines, monensin and nigericin on the renin release from isolated superfused rat glomeruli

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skøtt, O

1987-01-01

transiently. Alkalinization of the cell interior was achieved with weak permeable bases and ionophores. At low concentrations (5 mM NH4Cl; 0.2 mM chloroquine) the weak bases caused a delayed inhibition of the RR, while at higher concentrations (15 and 30 mM NH4Cl; 10 mM methylamine) the inhibitory effect...... was overlaid with a transient stimulation. 1.5 mM NH4Cl and 10 and 20 microM chloroquine had no effect. Addition of 10 microM of the Na-H ionophore monensin also caused a transient stimulation followed by a progressive inhibition. 0.1 microM monensin had no effect. The above procedures cause increases in both...

Ventilation onset prior to umbilical cord clamping (physiological-based cord clamping improves systemic and cerebral oxygenation in preterm lambs.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graeme R Polglase

Full Text Available As measurement of arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2 is common in the delivery room, target SpO2 ranges allow clinicians to titrate oxygen therapy for preterm infants in order to achieve saturation levels similar to those seen in normal term infants in the first minutes of life. However, the influence of the onset of ventilation and the timing of cord clamping on systemic and cerebral oxygenation is not known.We investigated whether the initiation of ventilation, prior to, or after umbilical cord clamping, altered systemic and cerebral oxygenation in preterm lambs.Systemic and cerebral blood-flows, pressures and peripheral SpO2 and regional cerebral tissue oxygenation (SctO2 were measured continuously in apnoeic preterm lambs (126±1 day gestation. Positive pressure ventilation was initiated either 1 prior to umbilical cord clamping, or 2 after umbilical cord clamping. Lambs were monitored intensively prior to intervention, and for 10 minutes following umbilical cord clamping.Clamping the umbilical cord prior to ventilation resulted in a rapid decrease in SpO2 and SctO2, and an increase in arterial pressure, cerebral blood flow and cerebral oxygen extraction. Ventilation restored oxygenation and haemodynamics by 5-6 minutes. No such disturbances in peripheral or cerebral oxygenation and haemodynamics were observed when ventilation was initiated prior to cord clamping.The establishment of ventilation prior to umbilical cord clamping facilitated a smooth transition to systemic and cerebral oxygenation following birth. SpO2 nomograms may need to be re-evaluated to reflect physiological management of preterm infants in the delivery room.

Cortical plasticity as a mechanism for storing Bayesian priors in sensory perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Köver, Hania; Bao, Shaowen

2010-05-05

Human perception of ambiguous sensory signals is biased by prior experiences. It is not known how such prior information is encoded, retrieved and combined with sensory information by neurons. Previous authors have suggested dynamic encoding mechanisms for prior information, whereby top-down modulation of firing patterns on a trial-by-trial basis creates short-term representations of priors. Although such a mechanism may well account for perceptual bias arising in the short-term, it does not account for the often irreversible and robust changes in perception that result from long-term, developmental experience. Based on the finding that more frequently experienced stimuli gain greater representations in sensory cortices during development, we reasoned that prior information could be stored in the size of cortical sensory representations. For the case of auditory perception, we use a computational model to show that prior information about sound frequency distributions may be stored in the size of primary auditory cortex frequency representations, read-out by elevated baseline activity in all neurons and combined with sensory-evoked activity to generate a perception that conforms to Bayesian integration theory. Our results suggest an alternative neural mechanism for experience-induced long-term perceptual bias in the context of auditory perception. They make the testable prediction that the extent of such perceptual prior bias is modulated by both the degree of cortical reorganization and the magnitude of spontaneous activity in primary auditory cortex. Given that cortical over-representation of frequently experienced stimuli, as well as perceptual bias towards such stimuli is a common phenomenon across sensory modalities, our model may generalize to sensory perception, rather than being specific to auditory perception.

Clinical utility of carotid duplex ultrasound prior to cardiac surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Judith C; Kabbani, Loay S; Peterson, Edward L; Masabni, Khalil; Morgan, Jeffrey A; Brooks, Sara; Wertella, Kathleen P; Paone, Gaetano

2016-03-01

Clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of carotid duplex examination prior to cardiac surgery have been questioned by the multidisciplinary committee creating the 2012 Appropriate Use Criteria for Peripheral Vascular Laboratory Testing. We report the clinical outcomes and postoperative neurologic symptoms in patients who underwent carotid duplex ultrasound prior to open heart surgery at a tertiary institution. Using the combined databases from our clinical vascular laboratory and the Society of Thoracic Surgery, a retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent carotid duplex ultrasound within 13 months prior to open heart surgery from March 2005 to March 2013 was performed. The outcomes between those who underwent carotid duplex scanning (group A) and those who did not (group B) were compared. Among 3233 patients in the cohort who underwent cardiac surgery, 515 (15.9%) patients underwent a carotid duplex ultrasound preoperatively, and 2718 patients did not (84.1%). Among the patients who underwent carotid screening vs no screening, there was no statistically significant difference in the risk factors of cerebrovascular disease (10.9% vs 12.7%; P = .26), prior stroke (8.2% vs 7.2%; P = .41), and prior transient ischemic attack (2.9% vs 3.3%; P = .24). For those undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 306 (17.8%) of 1723 patients underwent preoperative carotid duplex ultrasound. Among patients who had carotid screening prior to CABG, the incidence of carotid disease was low: 249 (81.4%) had minimal or mild stenosis (duplex scanning and those who did not. Primary outcomes of patients who underwent open heart surgery also showed no difference in the perioperative mortality (5.1% vs 6.9%; P = .14) and stroke (2.6% vs 2.4%; P = .85) between patients undergoing preoperative duplex scanning and those who did not. Operative intervention of severe carotid stenosis prior to isolated CABG occurred in 2 of the 17 patients (11.8%) identified who

Impact of insurance carrier, prior authorization, and socioeconomic status on appropriate use of SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging in private community-based office practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Doukky, Rami; Hayes, Kathleen; Frogge, Nathan; Nazir, Noreen T; Collado, Fareed M; Williams, Kim A

2015-05-01

The impact of health insurance carrier and socioeconomic status (SES) on the adherence to appropriate use criteria (AUC) for radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is unknown. Health insurance carrier's prior authorization and patient's SES impact adherence to AUC for MPI in a fee-for-service setting. We conducted a prospective cohort study of 1511 consecutive patients who underwent outpatient MPI in a multi-site, office-based, fee-for-service setting. The patients were stratified according to the 2009 AUC into appropriate/uncertain appropriateness and inappropriate use groups. Insurance status was categorized as Medicare (does not require prior authorization) vs commercial (requires prior authorization). Socioeconomic status was determined by the median household income in the ZIP code of residence. The proportion of patients with Medicare was 33% vs 67% with commercial insurance. The rate of inappropriate use was higher among patients with commercial insurance vs Medicare (55% vs 24%; P impact AUC determination (odds ratio: 1.06, 95% confidence interval: 0.62-1.82, P = 0.82). The mean annual household income in the residential areas of patients with inappropriate use as compared to those with appropriate/uncertain use was $72 000 ± 21 000 vs $68 000 ± 20 000, respectively (P impact AUC determination, SES (top vs bottom quartile income area) was not independently predictive of inappropriate MPI use (odds ratio: 0.9, 95% confidence interval: 0.53-1.52, P = 0.69). Insurance carriers prior authorization and SES do not seem to play a significant role in determining physicians adherence to AUC for MPI. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Habermasian Analysis of a Process of Recognition of Prior Learning for Health Care Assistants

Science.gov (United States)

Sandberg, Fredrik

2012-01-01

This article discusses a process of recognition of prior learning for accreditation of prior experiential learning to qualify for course credits used in an adult in-service education program for health care assistants at the upper-secondary level in Sweden. The data are based on interviews and observations drawn from a field study, and Habermas's…

Conditional maximum-entropy method for selecting prior distributions in Bayesian statistics

Science.gov (United States)

Abe, Sumiyoshi

2014-11-01

The conditional maximum-entropy method (abbreviated here as C-MaxEnt) is formulated for selecting prior probability distributions in Bayesian statistics for parameter estimation. This method is inspired by a statistical-mechanical approach to systems governed by dynamics with largely separated time scales and is based on three key concepts: conjugate pairs of variables, dimensionless integration measures with coarse-graining factors and partial maximization of the joint entropy. The method enables one to calculate a prior purely from a likelihood in a simple way. It is shown, in particular, how it not only yields Jeffreys's rules but also reveals new structures hidden behind them.

Receiver Operating Characteristic Analysis for Classification Based on Various Prior Probabilities of Groups with an Application to Breath Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Cimermanová, K.

2009-01-01

In this paper we illustrate the influence of prior probabilities of diseases on diagnostic reasoning. For various prior probabilities of classified groups characterized by volatile organic compounds of breath profile, smokers and non-smokers, we constructed the ROC curve and the Youden index with related asymptotic pointwise confidence intervals.

a New Approach for Progressive Dense Reconstruction from Consecutive Images Based on Prior Low-Density 3d Point Clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Lari, Z.; El-Sheimy, N.

2017-09-01

In recent years, the increasing incidence of climate-related disasters has tremendously affected our environment. In order to effectively manage and reduce dramatic impacts of such events, the development of timely disaster management plans is essential. Since these disasters are spatial phenomena, timely provision of geospatial information is crucial for effective development of response and management plans. Due to inaccessibility of the affected areas and limited budget of first-responders, timely acquisition of the required geospatial data for these applications is usually possible only using low-cost imaging and georefencing sensors mounted on unmanned platforms. Despite rapid collection of the required data using these systems, available processing techniques are not yet capable of delivering geospatial information to responders and decision makers in a timely manner. To address this issue, this paper introduces a new technique for dense 3D reconstruction of the affected scenes which can deliver and improve the needed geospatial information incrementally. This approach is implemented based on prior 3D knowledge of the scene and employs computationally-efficient 2D triangulation, feature descriptor, feature matching and point verification techniques to optimize and speed up 3D dense scene reconstruction procedure. To verify the feasibility and computational efficiency of the proposed approach, an experiment using a set of consecutive images collected onboard a UAV platform and prior low-density airborne laser scanning over the same area is conducted and step by step results are provided. A comparative analysis of the proposed approach and an available image-based dense reconstruction technique is also conducted to prove the computational efficiency and competency of this technique for delivering geospatial information with pre-specified accuracy.

Study on the effect of prior fatigue and creep-fatigue damage on the fatigue and creep characteristics of 316 FR stainless steel. 2nd report. The effect of prior creep-fatigue damage on the creep and fatigue characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamauchi, Masafumi; Chuman, Yasuharu; Otani, Tomomi; Takahashi, Yukio

2001-01-01

The effect of prior creep-fatigue damage on the creep and the fatigue characteristics was studied to investigate the creep-fatigue life evaluation procedure of 316FR stainless steel. Creep and fatigue tests were conducted at 550degC by using the specimen exposed to prior creep-fatigue cycles at the same temperature and interrupted at 1/4 Nf, 1/2 Nf and 3/4 Nf cycle. The creep and fatigue strength of the pre-damaged material showed monotonic reduction with the prior creep-fatigue damage compared with the virgin material. The creep ductility also showed monotonic reduction with the prior creep-fatigue damage. These results were evaluated by the stress-based Time Fraction Rule and the strain-based Ductility Exhaustion Method. The result showed that the application of the Ductility Exhaustion Method to the creep-fatigue damage evaluation is more promising than the Time Fraction Rule. (author)

Parameter estimation of multivariate multiple regression model using bayesian with non-informative Jeffreys’ prior distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Saputro, D. R. S.; Amalia, F.; Widyaningsih, P.; Affan, R. C.

2018-05-01

Bayesian method is a method that can be used to estimate the parameters of multivariate multiple regression model. Bayesian method has two distributions, there are prior and posterior distributions. Posterior distribution is influenced by the selection of prior distribution. Jeffreys’ prior distribution is a kind of Non-informative prior distribution. This prior is used when the information about parameter not available. Non-informative Jeffreys’ prior distribution is combined with the sample information resulting the posterior distribution. Posterior distribution is used to estimate the parameter. The purposes of this research is to estimate the parameters of multivariate regression model using Bayesian method with Non-informative Jeffreys’ prior distribution. Based on the results and discussion, parameter estimation of β and Σ which were obtained from expected value of random variable of marginal posterior distribution function. The marginal posterior distributions for β and Σ are multivariate normal and inverse Wishart. However, in calculation of the expected value involving integral of a function which difficult to determine the value. Therefore, approach is needed by generating of random samples according to the posterior distribution characteristics of each parameter using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) Gibbs sampling algorithm.

Offending prior to first psychiatric contact

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stevens, H; Agerbo, E; Dean, K

2012-01-01

There is a well-established association between psychotic disorders and subsequent offending but the extent to which those who develop psychosis might have a prior history of offending is less clear. Little is known about whether the association between illness and offending exists in non-psychot......-psychotic disorders. The aim of this study was to determine whether the association between mental disorder and offending is present prior to illness onset in psychotic and non-psychotic disorders.......There is a well-established association between psychotic disorders and subsequent offending but the extent to which those who develop psychosis might have a prior history of offending is less clear. Little is known about whether the association between illness and offending exists in non...

Generating prior probabilities for classifiers of brain tumours using belief networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arvanitis Theodoros N

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Numerous methods for classifying brain tumours based on magnetic resonance spectra and imaging have been presented in the last 15 years. Generally, these methods use supervised machine learning to develop a classifier from a database of cases for which the diagnosis is already known. However, little has been published on developing classifiers based on mixed modalities, e.g. combining imaging information with spectroscopy. In this work a method of generating probabilities of tumour class from anatomical location is presented. Methods The method of "belief networks" is introduced as a means of generating probabilities that a tumour is any given type. The belief networks are constructed using a database of paediatric tumour cases consisting of data collected over five decades; the problems associated with using this data are discussed. To verify the usefulness of the networks, an application of the method is presented in which prior probabilities were generated and combined with a classification of tumours based solely on MRS data. Results Belief networks were constructed from a database of over 1300 cases. These can be used to generate a probability that a tumour is any given type. Networks are presented for astrocytoma grades I and II, astrocytoma grades III and IV, ependymoma, pineoblastoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumour (PNET, germinoma, medulloblastoma, craniopharyngioma and a group representing rare tumours, "other". Using the network to generate prior probabilities for classification improves the accuracy when compared with generating prior probabilities based on class prevalence. Conclusion Bayesian belief networks are a simple way of using discrete clinical information to generate probabilities usable in classification. The belief network method can be robust to incomplete datasets. Inclusion of a priori knowledge is an effective way of improving classification of brain tumours by non-invasive methods.

Disrupted topological organization of brain structural network associated with prior overt hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhotic patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Hua-Jun [Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Department of Radiology, Fuzhou (China); The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Department of Radiology, Nanjing (China); Shi, Hai-Bin [The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Department of Radiology, Nanjing (China); Jiang, Long-Feng [The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanjing (China); Li, Lan [Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Department of Radiology, Fuzhou (China); Chen, Rong [University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States); Beijing Institute of Technology, Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, Beijing (China)

2018-01-15

To investigate structural brain connectome alterations in cirrhotic patients with prior overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE). Seventeen cirrhotic patients with prior OHE (prior-OHE), 18 cirrhotic patients without prior OHE (non-prior-OHE) and 18 healthy controls (HC) underwent diffusion tensor imaging. Neurocognitive functioning was assessed with Psychometric Hepatic Encephalopathy Score (PHES). Using a probabilistic fibre tracking approach, we depicted the whole-brain structural network as a connectivity matrix of 90 regions (derived from the Automated Anatomic Labeling atlas). Graph theory-based analyses were performed to analyse topological properties of the brain network. The analysis of variance showed significant group effects on several topological properties, including network strength, global efficiency and local efficiency. A progressive decrease trend for these metrics was found from non-prior-OHE to prior-OHE, compared with HC. Among the three groups, the regions with altered nodal efficiency were mainly distributed in the frontal and occipital cortices, paralimbic system and subcortical regions. The topological metrics, such as network strength and global efficiency, were correlated with PHES among cirrhotic patients. The cirrhotic patients developed structural brain connectome alterations; this is aggravated by prior OHE episode. Disrupted topological organization of the brain structural network may account for cognitive impairments related to prior OHE. (orig.)

Disrupted topological organization of brain structural network associated with prior overt hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhotic patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Hua-Jun; Shi, Hai-Bin; Jiang, Long-Feng; Li, Lan; Chen, Rong

2018-01-01

To investigate structural brain connectome alterations in cirrhotic patients with prior overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE). Seventeen cirrhotic patients with prior OHE (prior-OHE), 18 cirrhotic patients without prior OHE (non-prior-OHE) and 18 healthy controls (HC) underwent diffusion tensor imaging. Neurocognitive functioning was assessed with Psychometric Hepatic Encephalopathy Score (PHES). Using a probabilistic fibre tracking approach, we depicted the whole-brain structural network as a connectivity matrix of 90 regions (derived from the Automated Anatomic Labeling atlas). Graph theory-based analyses were performed to analyse topological properties of the brain network. The analysis of variance showed significant group effects on several topological properties, including network strength, global efficiency and local efficiency. A progressive decrease trend for these metrics was found from non-prior-OHE to prior-OHE, compared with HC. Among the three groups, the regions with altered nodal efficiency were mainly distributed in the frontal and occipital cortices, paralimbic system and subcortical regions. The topological metrics, such as network strength and global efficiency, were correlated with PHES among cirrhotic patients. The cirrhotic patients developed structural brain connectome alterations; this is aggravated by prior OHE episode. Disrupted topological organization of the brain structural network may account for cognitive impairments related to prior OHE. (orig.)

The Effect of Prior Knowledge on Price Acceptability and the Type of Information Examined.

OpenAIRE

Rao, Akshay R; Sieben, Wanda A

1992-01-01

This article assesses whether differences in prior knowledge result in differences in (1) price acceptability and (2) the extent to which different types of information are examined. Using a personal computer-based methodology, subjects who varied in their prior product knowledge provided price responses, and the time they spent examining various kinds of information was measured. Acceptable price-range and points (price limits) were found to be lowest for low-knowledge subjects. Further, the...

Prior Knowledge Assessment Guide

Science.gov (United States)

2014-12-01

assessment in a reasonable amount of time. Hands-on assessments can be extremely diverse in makeup and administration depending on the subject matter...DEVELOPING AND USING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE ASSESSMENTS TO TAILOR TRAINING D-3 ___ Brush and scrub ___ Orchards ___ Rice

PRIFIRA: General regularization using prior-conditioning for fast radio interferometric imaging†

Science.gov (United States)

Naghibzadeh, Shahrzad; van der Veen, Alle-Jan

2018-06-01

Image formation in radio astronomy is a large-scale inverse problem that is inherently ill-posed. We present a general algorithmic framework based on a Bayesian-inspired regularized maximum likelihood formulation of the radio astronomical imaging problem with a focus on diffuse emission recovery from limited noisy correlation data. The algorithm is dubbed PRIor-conditioned Fast Iterative Radio Astronomy (PRIFIRA) and is based on a direct embodiment of the regularization operator into the system by right preconditioning. The resulting system is then solved using an iterative method based on projections onto Krylov subspaces. We motivate the use of a beamformed image (which includes the classical "dirty image") as an efficient prior-conditioner. Iterative reweighting schemes generalize the algorithmic framework and can account for different regularization operators that encourage sparsity of the solution. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated based on simulated one- and two-dimensional array arrangements as well as actual data from the core stations of the Low Frequency Array radio telescope antenna configuration, and compared to state-of-the-art imaging techniques. We show the generality of the proposed method in terms of regularization schemes while maintaining a competitive reconstruction quality with the current reconstruction techniques. Furthermore, we show that exploiting Krylov subspace methods together with the proper noise-based stopping criteria results in a great improvement in imaging efficiency.

Fractional Gaussian noise: Prior specification and model comparison

KAUST Repository

Sørbye, Sigrunn Holbek

2017-07-07

Fractional Gaussian noise (fGn) is a stationary stochastic process used to model antipersistent or persistent dependency structures in observed time series. Properties of the autocovariance function of fGn are characterised by the Hurst exponent (H), which, in Bayesian contexts, typically has been assigned a uniform prior on the unit interval. This paper argues why a uniform prior is unreasonable and introduces the use of a penalised complexity (PC) prior for H. The PC prior is computed to penalise divergence from the special case of white noise and is invariant to reparameterisations. An immediate advantage is that the exact same prior can be used for the autocorrelation coefficient ϕ(symbol) of a first-order autoregressive process AR(1), as this model also reflects a flexible version of white noise. Within the general setting of latent Gaussian models, this allows us to compare an fGn model component with AR(1) using Bayes factors, avoiding the confounding effects of prior choices for the two hyperparameters H and ϕ(symbol). Among others, this is useful in climate regression models where inference for underlying linear or smooth trends depends heavily on the assumed noise model.

Fractional Gaussian noise: Prior specification and model comparison

KAUST Repository

Sø rbye, Sigrunn Holbek; Rue, Haavard

2017-01-01

Fractional Gaussian noise (fGn) is a stationary stochastic process used to model antipersistent or persistent dependency structures in observed time series. Properties of the autocovariance function of fGn are characterised by the Hurst exponent (H), which, in Bayesian contexts, typically has been assigned a uniform prior on the unit interval. This paper argues why a uniform prior is unreasonable and introduces the use of a penalised complexity (PC) prior for H. The PC prior is computed to penalise divergence from the special case of white noise and is invariant to reparameterisations. An immediate advantage is that the exact same prior can be used for the autocorrelation coefficient ϕ(symbol) of a first-order autoregressive process AR(1), as this model also reflects a flexible version of white noise. Within the general setting of latent Gaussian models, this allows us to compare an fGn model component with AR(1) using Bayes factors, avoiding the confounding effects of prior choices for the two hyperparameters H and ϕ(symbol). Among others, this is useful in climate regression models where inference for underlying linear or smooth trends depends heavily on the assumed noise model.

A Single Image Dehazing Method Using Average Saturation Prior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenfei Gu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Outdoor images captured in bad weather are prone to yield poor visibility, which is a fatal problem for most computer vision applications. The majority of existing dehazing methods rely on an atmospheric scattering model and therefore share a common limitation; that is, the model is only valid when the atmosphere is homogeneous. In this paper, we propose an improved atmospheric scattering model to overcome this inherent limitation. By adopting the proposed model, a corresponding dehazing method is also presented. In this method, we first create a haze density distribution map of a hazy image, which enables us to segment the hazy image into scenes according to the haze density similarity. Then, in order to improve the atmospheric light estimation accuracy, we define an effective weight assignment function to locate a candidate scene based on the scene segmentation results and therefore avoid most potential errors. Next, we propose a simple but powerful prior named the average saturation prior (ASP, which is a statistic of extensive high-definition outdoor images. Using this prior combined with the improved atmospheric scattering model, we can directly estimate the scene atmospheric scattering coefficient and restore the scene albedo. The experimental results verify that our model is physically valid, and the proposed method outperforms several state-of-the-art single image dehazing methods in terms of both robustness and effectiveness.

Bayesian inference from count data using discrete uniform priors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Federico Comoglio

Full Text Available We consider a set of sample counts obtained by sampling arbitrary fractions of a finite volume containing an homogeneously dispersed population of identical objects. We report a Bayesian derivation of the posterior probability distribution of the population size using a binomial likelihood and non-conjugate, discrete uniform priors under sampling with or without replacement. Our derivation yields a computationally feasible formula that can prove useful in a variety of statistical problems involving absolute quantification under uncertainty. We implemented our algorithm in the R package dupiR and compared it with a previously proposed Bayesian method based on a Gamma prior. As a showcase, we demonstrate that our inference framework can be used to estimate bacterial survival curves from measurements characterized by extremely low or zero counts and rather high sampling fractions. All in all, we provide a versatile, general purpose algorithm to infer population sizes from count data, which can find application in a broad spectrum of biological and physical problems.

Learning priors for Bayesian computations in the nervous system.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Max Berniker

Full Text Available Our nervous system continuously combines new information from our senses with information it has acquired throughout life. Numerous studies have found that human subjects manage this by integrating their observations with their previous experience (priors in a way that is close to the statistical optimum. However, little is known about the way the nervous system acquires or learns priors. Here we present results from experiments where the underlying distribution of target locations in an estimation task was switched, manipulating the prior subjects should use. Our experimental design allowed us to measure a subject's evolving prior while they learned. We confirm that through extensive practice subjects learn the correct prior for the task. We found that subjects can rapidly learn the mean of a new prior while the variance is learned more slowly and with a variable learning rate. In addition, we found that a Bayesian inference model could predict the time course of the observed learning while offering an intuitive explanation for the findings. The evidence suggests the nervous system continuously updates its priors to enable efficient behavior.

Valid MR imaging predictors of prior knee arthroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Discepola, Federico; Le, Huy B.Q.; Park, John S.; Clopton, Paul; Knoll, Andrew N.; Austin, Matthew J.; Resnick, Donald L.

2012-01-01

To determine whether fibrosis of the medial patellar reticulum (MPR), lateral patellar reticulum (LPR), deep medial aspect of Hoffa's fat pad (MDH), or deep lateral aspect of Hoffa's fat pad (LDH) is a valid predictor of prior knee arthroscopy. Institutional review board approval and waiver of informed consent were obtained for this HIPPA-compliant study. Initially, fibrosis of the MPR, LPR, MDH, or LDH in MR imaging studies of 50 patients with prior knee arthroscopy and 100 patients without was recorded. Subsequently, two additional radiologists, blinded to clinical data, retrospectively and independently recorded the presence of fibrosis of the MPR in 50 patients with prior knee arthroscopy and 50 without. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy for detecting the presence of fibrosis in the MPR were calculated. κ statistics were used to analyze inter-observer agreement. Fibrosis of each of the regions examined during the first portion of the study showed a significant association with prior knee arthroscopy (p < 0.005 for each). A patient with fibrosis of the MPR, LDH, or LPR was 45.5, 9, or 3.7 times more likely, respectively, to have had a prior knee arthroscopy. Logistic regression analysis indicated that fibrosis of the MPR supplanted the diagnostic utility of identifying fibrosis of the LPR, LDH, or MDH, or combinations of these (p ≥ 0.09 for all combinations). In the second portion of the study, fibrosis of the MPR demonstrated a mean sensitivity of 82%, specificity of 72%, PPV of 75%, NPV of 81%, and accuracy of 77% for predicting prior knee arthroscopy. Analysis of MR images can be used to determine if a patient has had prior knee arthroscopy by identifying fibrosis of the MPR, LPR, MDH, or LDH. Fibrosis of the MPR was the strongest predictor of prior knee arthroscopy. (orig.)

Valid MR imaging predictors of prior knee arthroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Discepola, Federico; Le, Huy B.Q. [McGill University Health Center, Jewsih General Hospital, Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Montreal, Quebec (Canada); Park, John S. [Annapolis Radiology Associates, Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Annapolis, MD (United States); Clopton, Paul; Knoll, Andrew N.; Austin, Matthew J.; Resnick, Donald L. [University of California San Diego (UCSD), Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology, San Diego, CA (United States)

2012-01-15

To determine whether fibrosis of the medial patellar reticulum (MPR), lateral patellar reticulum (LPR), deep medial aspect of Hoffa's fat pad (MDH), or deep lateral aspect of Hoffa's fat pad (LDH) is a valid predictor of prior knee arthroscopy. Institutional review board approval and waiver of informed consent were obtained for this HIPPA-compliant study. Initially, fibrosis of the MPR, LPR, MDH, or LDH in MR imaging studies of 50 patients with prior knee arthroscopy and 100 patients without was recorded. Subsequently, two additional radiologists, blinded to clinical data, retrospectively and independently recorded the presence of fibrosis of the MPR in 50 patients with prior knee arthroscopy and 50 without. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy for detecting the presence of fibrosis in the MPR were calculated. {kappa} statistics were used to analyze inter-observer agreement. Fibrosis of each of the regions examined during the first portion of the study showed a significant association with prior knee arthroscopy (p < 0.005 for each). A patient with fibrosis of the MPR, LDH, or LPR was 45.5, 9, or 3.7 times more likely, respectively, to have had a prior knee arthroscopy. Logistic regression analysis indicated that fibrosis of the MPR supplanted the diagnostic utility of identifying fibrosis of the LPR, LDH, or MDH, or combinations of these (p {>=} 0.09 for all combinations). In the second portion of the study, fibrosis of the MPR demonstrated a mean sensitivity of 82%, specificity of 72%, PPV of 75%, NPV of 81%, and accuracy of 77% for predicting prior knee arthroscopy. Analysis of MR images can be used to determine if a patient has had prior knee arthroscopy by identifying fibrosis of the MPR, LPR, MDH, or LDH. Fibrosis of the MPR was the strongest predictor of prior knee arthroscopy. (orig.)

Potentiometric measurement of polymer-membrane electrodes based on lanthanum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saefurohman, Asep, E-mail: saefurohman.asep78@Gmail.com; Buchari,, E-mail: saefurohman.asep78@Gmail.com; Noviandri, Indra, E-mail: saefurohman.asep78@Gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Bandung Institute of Technology (Indonesia); Syoni [Department of Metallurgy Engineering, Bandung Institute of Technology (Indonesia)

2014-03-24

Quantitative analysis of rare earth elements which are considered as the standard method that has a high accuracy, and detection limits achieved by the order of ppm is inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICPAES). But these tools are expensive and valuable analysis of the high cost of implementation. In this study be made and characterized selective electrode for the determination of rare earth ions is potentiometric. Membrane manufacturing techniques studied is based on immersion (liquid impregnated membrane) in PTFE 0.5 pore size. As ionophores to be used tri butyl phosphate (TBP) and bis(2-etylhexyl) hydrogen phosphate. There is no report previously that TBP used as ionophore in polymeric membrane based lanthanum. Some parameters that affect the performance of membrane electrode such as membrane composition, membrane thickness, and types of membrane materials studied in this research. Manufacturing of Ion Selective Electrodes (ISE) Lanthanum (La) by means of impregnation La membrane in TBP in kerosene solution has been done and showed performance for ISE-La. FTIR spectrum results for PTFE 0.5 pore size which impregnated in TBP and PTFE blank showed difference of spectra in the top 1257 cm{sup −1}, 1031 cm{sup −1} and 794.7 cm{sup −1} for P=O stretching and stretching POC from group −OP =O. The result showed shift wave number for P =O stretching of the cluster (−OP=O) in PTFE-TBP mixture that is at the peak of 1230 cm{sup −1} indicated that no interaction bond between hydroxyl group of molecules with molecular clusters fosforil of TBP or R{sub 3}P = O. The membrane had stable responses in pH range between 1 and 9. Good responses were obtained using 10{sup −3} M La(III) internal solution, which produced relatively high potential. ISE-La showed relatively good performances. The electrode had a response time of 29±4.5 second and could be use for 50 days. The linear range was between 10{sup −5} and 10{sup −1} M.

A canonical correlation analysis-based dynamic bayesian network prior to infer gene regulatory networks from multiple types of biological data.

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Baur, Brittany; Bozdag, Serdar

2015-04-01

One of the challenging and important computational problems in systems biology is to infer gene regulatory networks (GRNs) of biological systems. Several methods that exploit gene expression data have been developed to tackle this problem. In this study, we propose the use of copy number and DNA methylation data to infer GRNs. We developed an algorithm that scores regulatory interactions between genes based on canonical correlation analysis. In this algorithm, copy number or DNA methylation variables are treated as potential regulator variables, and expression variables are treated as potential target variables. We first validated that the canonical correlation analysis method is able to infer true interactions in high accuracy. We showed that the use of DNA methylation or copy number datasets leads to improved inference over steady-state expression. Our results also showed that epigenetic and structural information could be used to infer directionality of regulatory interactions. Additional improvements in GRN inference can be gleaned from incorporating the result in an informative prior in a dynamic Bayesian algorithm. This is the first study that incorporates copy number and DNA methylation into an informative prior in dynamic Bayesian framework. By closely examining top-scoring interactions with different sources of epigenetic or structural information, we also identified potential novel regulatory interactions.

A Bayesian approach to PET reconstruction using image-modeling Gibbs priors: Implementation and comparison

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, M.T.; Herman, G.T.; Levitan, E.

1996-01-01

We demonstrate that (i) classical methods of image reconstruction from projections can be improved upon by considering the output of such a method as a distorted version of the original image and applying a Bayesian approach to estimate from it the original image (based on a model of distortion and on a Gibbs distribution as the prior) and (ii) by selecting an open-quotes image-modelingclose quotes prior distribution (i.e., one which is such that it is likely that a random sample from it shares important characteristics of the images of the application area) one can improve over another Gibbs prior formulated using only pairwise interactions. We illustrate our approach using simulated Positron Emission Tomography (PET) data from realistic brain phantoms. Since algorithm performance ultimately depends on the diagnostic task being performed. we examine a number of different medically relevant figures of merit to give a fair comparison. Based on a training-and-testing evaluation strategy, we demonstrate that statistically significant improvements can be obtained using the proposed approach

Oxidative metabolism of monensin in rat liver microsomes and interactions with tiamulin and other chemotherapeutic agents: evidence for the involvement of cytochrome P-450 3A subfamily.

Science.gov (United States)

Nebbia, C; Ceppa, L; Dacasto, M; Carletti, M; Nachtmann, C

1999-09-01

Monensin (MON) is an ionophore antibiotic widely used in veterinary practice as a coccidiostatic or a growth promoter. The aims of this study were to characterize the P-450 isoenzyme(s) involved in the biotransformation of the ionophore and to investigate how this process may be affected by tiamulin and other chemotherapeutic agents known to produce toxic interactions with MON when administered concurrently in vivo. In liver microsomes from untreated rats (UT) or from rats pretreated, respectively, with ethanol (ETOH), beta-naphthoflavone (betaNAF), phenobarbital (PB), pregnenolone 16alpha-carbonitrile (PCN), or dexamethasone (DEX), the rate of MON O-demethylation was the following: DEX > PCN > PB > UT = ETOH > betaNAF; similar results were obtained by measuring total MON metabolism. In addition, the extent of triacetyloleandomycin-mediated P-450 complexes was greatly reduced by the prior addition of 100 microM MON. In DEX-treated microsomes, MON O-demethylation was found to fit monophasic Michaelis-Menten kinetics (K(M) = 67.6 +/- 0.01 microM; V(max) = 4.75 +/- 0.76 nmol/min/mg protein). Tiamulin markedly inhibited this activity in an apparent competitive manner, with a calculated K(i) (Dixon plot) of 8.2 microM and an IC(50) of about 25 microM. At the latter concentration, only ketoconazole or metyrapone, which can bind P-450 3A, inhibited MON O-demethylase to a greater extent than tiamulin, whereas alpha-naphthoflavone, chloramphenicol, or sulphametasine was less effective. These results suggest that P-450 3A plays an important role in the oxidative metabolism of MON and that compounds capable of binding or inhibiting this isoenzyme could be expected to give rise to toxic interactions with the ionophore.

Effects of an Ionophore Coccidiostat (Monensin or Salinomycin, Sodium or Potassium Bicarbonate, or Both, and Bacitracin Methylene Disalicylate in Broiler Chicken Diets

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Hooge DM

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Peterson x Arbor Acres chicks were grown on used litter to 45 or 46 days of age in three pen trials. Coccidial inoculations were given by water at 14 days of age. Sodium bicarbonate (SBC; 0.20% or potassium bicarbonate (PBC; 0.14% was added to broiler chicken diets containing monensin (MON; 110 mg/kg or salinomycin (SAL; 66 mg/kg in Experiment 1. In Experiment 2, using SAL (55 mg/kg, three dietary bicarbonate treatments (SBC, 0.20%; PBC, 0.20%; or SBC + PBC 0.10% each were tested with or without BMD R (55 mg/kg. Diets differing in SAL, BMD R, and SBC levels were evaluated in Experiment 3. Beneficial interaction was found between ionophores and bicarbonates for mortality (lower when SBC or PBC and MON in Experiment 1. For main effects, in Experiment 1 PBC with MON or SAL improved body weight, feed conversion ratio and mortality. SAL improved weight, feed conversion ratio and mortality compared to MON. In Experiment 2, PBC with SAL improved weight, coccidial lesion score, feed conversion ratio and mortality across two levels of BMD R. The PBC and SBC were equally effective in Experiment 1, but PBC was about 0 to 40% as effective as SBC, depending on parameter in Experiment 2. Half levels of SBC plus PBC generally gave intermediate results between control and SBC. SBC with MON or SAL lowered mortalities, coccidial lesion scores, and feed conversion ratios (Experiments 1 and 2, and increased body weight (Experiment 2. In Experiment 3, BMD R in all feeds improved body weight and feed conversion versus in starter feed only, and SBC with SAL and BMD R improved all performance parameters.

Electrochemical evidences and consequences of significant differences in ions diffusion rate in polyacrylate-based ion-selective membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Woźnica, Emilia; Mieczkowski, Józef; Michalska, Agata

2011-11-21

The origin and effect of surface accumulation of primary ions within the ion-selective poly(n-butyl acrylate)-based membrane, obtained by thermal polymerization, is discussed. Using a new method, based on the relation between the shape of a potentiometric plot and preconditioning time, the diffusion of copper ions in the membrane was found to be slow (the diffusion coefficient estimated to be close to 10(-11) cm(2) s(-1)), especially when compared to ion-exchanger counter ions--sodium cations diffusion (a diffusion coefficient above 10(-9) cm(2) s(-1)). The higher mobility of sodium ions than those of the copper-ionophore complex results in exposed ion-exchanger role leading to undesirably exposed sensitivity to sodium or potassium ions.

Calibrated birth-death phylogenetic time-tree priors for bayesian inference.

Science.gov (United States)

Heled, Joseph; Drummond, Alexei J

2015-05-01

Here we introduce a general class of multiple calibration birth-death tree priors for use in Bayesian phylogenetic inference. All tree priors in this class separate ancestral node heights into a set of "calibrated nodes" and "uncalibrated nodes" such that the marginal distribution of the calibrated nodes is user-specified whereas the density ratio of the birth-death prior is retained for trees with equal values for the calibrated nodes. We describe two formulations, one in which the calibration information informs the prior on ranked tree topologies, through the (conditional) prior, and the other which factorizes the prior on divergence times and ranked topologies, thus allowing uniform, or any arbitrary prior distribution on ranked topologies. Although the first of these formulations has some attractive properties, the algorithm we present for computing its prior density is computationally intensive. However, the second formulation is always faster and computationally efficient for up to six calibrations. We demonstrate the utility of the new class of multiple-calibration tree priors using both small simulations and a real-world analysis and compare the results to existing schemes. The two new calibrated tree priors described in this article offer greater flexibility and control of prior specification in calibrated time-tree inference and divergence time dating, and will remove the need for indirect approaches to the assessment of the combined effect of calibration densities and tree priors in Bayesian phylogenetic inference. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Society of Systematic Biologists.

Impact of formulary restriction with prior authorization by an antimicrobial stewardship program.

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Erica E; Stevenson, Kurt B; West, Jessica E; Bauer, Karri A; Goff, Debra A

2013-02-15

In an era of increasing antimicrobial resistance and few antimicrobials in the developmental pipeline, many institutions have developed antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) to help implement evidence-based (EB) strategies for ensuring appropriate utilization of these agents. EB strategies for accomplishing this include formulary restriction with prior authorization. Potential limitations to this particular strategy include delays in therapy, prescriber pushback, and unintended increases in use of un-restricted antimicrobials; however, our ASP found that implementing prior authorization for select antimicrobials along with making a significant effort to educate clinicians on criteria for use ensured more appropriate prescribing of these agents, hopefully helping to preserve their utility for years to come.

Effects of prior surface damage on high-temperature oxidation of Fe-, Ni-, and Co-based alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blau, Peter Julian [ORNL; Lowe, Tracie M [ORNL; Pint, Bruce A [ORNL

2009-01-01

Multi-component metallic alloys have been developed to withstand high-temperature service in corrosive environments. Some of these applications, like exhaust valve seats in internal combustion engines, must also resist sliding, impact, and abrasion. The conjoint effects of temperature, oxidation, and mechanical contact can result in accelerated wear and the formation of complex surface layers whose properties differ from those of the base metal and the oxide scale that forms in the absence of mechanical contact. The authors have investigated the effects of prior surface damage, produced by scratch tests, on the localized reformation of oxide layers. Three high-performance commercial alloys, based on iron, nickel, and cobalt, were used as model materials. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to determine their static oxidation rates at elevated temperature (850o C). A micro-abrasion, ball-cratering technique was used to measure oxide layer thickness and to compare it with TGA results. By using taper-sectioning techniques and energy-dispersive elemental mapping, a comparison was made between oxide compositions grown on non-damaged surfaces and oxides that formed on grooves produced by a diamond stylus. Microindentation and scratch hardness data revealed the effects of high temperature exposure on both the substrate hardness and the nature of oxide scale disruption. There were significant differences in elemental distribution between statically-formed oxides and those that formed on scratched regions

Inflammation-based prognostic score, prior to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, predicts postoperative outcome in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Takashi; Teruya, Masanori; Kishiki, Tomokazu; Endo, Daisuke; Takenaka, Yoshiharu; Tanaka, Hozumi; Miki, Kenji; Kobayashi, Kaoru; Morita, Koji

2008-11-01

Recent studies have revealed that Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), an inflammation-based prognostic score, is associated with poor outcome in a variety of tumors. However, few studies have investigated whether GPS measured prior to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) is useful for postoperative prognosis of patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). GPS was calculated on the basis of admission data as follows: patients with both an elevated C-reactive protein (>10 mg/L) and hypoalbuminaemia (L) were allocated a GPS score of 2. Patients in whom only 1 of these biochemical abnormalities was present were allocated a GPS score of 1, and patients with a normal C-reactive protein and albumin were allocated a score of 0. All patients underwent radical en-bloc resection 3-4 weeks after nCRT. A total of 48 patients with clinical TNM stage II/III were enrolled. Univariate analyses revealed that there were significant differences in cancer-specific survival in relation to grade of response to nCRT (P = .004), lymph node status (P = .0065), lymphatic invasion (P = .0002), venous invasion (P = .0001), pathological TNM classification (P = .015), and GPS (P GPS classification showed a close relationship with lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, and number of lymph node (P = .0292, .0473, and .0485, respectively). GPS was found to be the only independent predictor of cancer-specific survival (odds ratio, 0.17; 95% confidence interval, 0.06-0.52; P = .0019). GPS, measured prior to nCRT, is an independent novel predictor of postoperative outcome in patients with advanced ESCC.

Elapsed decision time affects the weighting of prior probability in a perceptual decision task

Science.gov (United States)

Hanks, Timothy D.; Mazurek, Mark E.; Kiani, Roozbeh; Hopp, Elizabeth; Shadlen, Michael N.

2012-01-01

Decisions are often based on a combination of new evidence with prior knowledge of the probable best choice. Optimal combination requires knowledge about the reliability of evidence, but in many realistic situations, this is unknown. Here we propose and test a novel theory: the brain exploits elapsed time during decision formation to combine sensory evidence with prior probability. Elapsed time is useful because (i) decisions that linger tend to arise from less reliable evidence, and (ii) the expected accuracy at a given decision time depends on the reliability of the evidence gathered up to that point. These regularities allow the brain to combine prior information with sensory evidence by weighting the latter in accordance with reliability. To test this theory, we manipulated the prior probability of the rewarded choice while subjects performed a reaction-time discrimination of motion direction using a range of stimulus reliabilities that varied from trial to trial. The theory explains the effect of prior probability on choice and reaction time over a wide range of stimulus strengths. We found that prior probability was incorporated into the decision process as a dynamic bias signal that increases as a function of decision time. This bias signal depends on the speed-accuracy setting of human subjects, and it is reflected in the firing rates of neurons in the lateral intraparietal cortex (LIP) of rhesus monkeys performing this task. PMID:21525274

Pinhole single-photon emission tomography reconstruction based on median root prior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sohlberg, Antti; Kuikka, Jyrki T.; Ruotsalainen, Ulla

2003-01-01

The maximum likelihood expectation maximisation (ML-EM) algorithm can be used to reduce reconstruction artefacts produced by filtered backprojection (FBP) methods in pinhole single-photon emission tomography (SPET). However, ML-EM suffers from noise propagation along iterations, which leads to quantitatively unpleasant reconstruction results. To avoid this increase in noise, the median root prior (MRP) algorithm for pinhole SPET was implemented. Projection data of a line source and Picker's thyroid phantom were collected using a single-head gamma camera with a pinhole collimator. MRP was added to existing pinhole ML-EM reconstruction algorithm and the phantom studies were reconstructed using MRP, ML-EM and FBP for comparison. Coefficients of variation, contrasts and full-widths at half-maximum were calculated and showed a clear reduction in noise without significant loss of resolution or decrease in contrast when MRP was applied. MRP also produced visually pleasing images even with high iteration numbers, free of the checkerboard-type noise patterns which are typical of ML-EM images. (orig.)

The effect of prior healthcare employment on the wages of registered nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Byung-Kwang; Kim, Minchul; Lin, Tzu-Chun; Sasaki, Tomoko; Ward, Debbie; Spetz, Joanne

2016-08-19

The proportion of registered nurses (RNs) with employment in health-related positions before their initial RN education has increased in the past two decades. Previous research found that prior health-related employment is positively associated with RN workforce supply, potentially due to the wage differences based on different career paths. This study's objective is to test the hypotheses that prior health-related employment is associated with differences in starting wages and with different rates of wage growth for experience as an RN. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using the 2008 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN) linked with county-level variables from the Area Health Resource File. We estimated a Heckman model where the second-stage equation's outcome variable was the logarithm of the RN hourly wage, accounting for the self-selection of working or not working as an RN (i.e., the first-stage equation's outcome variable). Key covariates included interaction terms between years of experience, experience squared, and six categories of prior health-related employment (manager, LPN/LVN, allied health, nursing aide, clerk, and all other healthcare positions). Additional covariates included demographics, weekly working hours, marital status, highest nursing degree, and county-level variables (e.g., unemployment rate). We estimated the marginal effect of experience on wage for each type of prior health-related employment, conducting separate analyses for RNs whose initial education was a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) (unweighted N = 10,345/weighted N = 945,429), RNs whose initial education was an Associate degree (unweighted N = 13,791/weighted N = 1,296,809), and total population combining the former groups (unweighted N = 24,136/weighted N = 2,242,238). Prior health-related employment was associated with higher wages, with the strongest wage differences among BSN-educated RNs. Among BSN-educated RNs, previous

Improving Open Access through Prior Learning Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Shuangxu; Kawachi, Paul

2013-01-01

This paper explores and presents new data on how to improve open access in distance education through using prior learning assessments. Broadly there are three types of prior learning assessment (PLAR): Type-1 for prospective students to be allowed to register for a course; Type-2 for current students to avoid duplicating work-load to gain…

Concentration of organic compounds in natural waters with solid-phase dispersion based on advesicle modified silica prior to liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Parisis, Nikolaos A; Giokas, Dimosthenis L; Vlessidis, Athanasios G; Evmiridis, Nicholaos P

2005-12-02

The ability of vesicle-coated silica to aid the extraction of organic compounds from water prior to liquid chromatographic analysis is presented for the first time. The method is based on the formation of silica supported cationic multi-lamellar vesicles of gemini surfactants inherently ensuring the presence of hydrophilic and hydrophobic sites for the partitioning of analytes bearing different properties. Method development is illustrated by studying the adsolubilization of UV absorbing chemicals from swimming pool water. Due to the requirement for external energy input (intense shearing) a method based on solid-phase dispersion (SPD) was applied producing better results than off-line solid-phase extraction (SPE). Meticulous investigation of the experimental parameters was conducted in order to elucidate the mechanisms behind the proposed extraction pattern. Analyte recoveries were quantitative under the optimum experimental conditions offering recoveries higher than 96% with RSD values below 5%.

Training shortest-path tractography: Automatic learning of spatial priors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kasenburg, Niklas; Liptrot, Matthew George; Reislev, Nina Linde

2016-01-01

Tractography is the standard tool for automatic delineation of white matter tracts from diffusion weighted images. However, the output of tractography often requires post-processing to remove false positives and ensure a robust delineation of the studied tract, and this demands expert prior...... knowledge. Here we demonstrate how such prior knowledge, or indeed any prior spatial information, can be automatically incorporated into a shortest-path tractography approach to produce more robust results. We describe how such a prior can be automatically generated (learned) from a population, and we...

Effects of Prior Experience on Shelter-Seeking Behavior of Juvenile American Lobsters.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayer, Skylar R; Bianchi, Katherine M; Atema, Jelle; Jacobs, Molly W

2017-04-01

Shelter-seeking behaviors are vital for survival for a range of juvenile benthic organisms. These behaviors may be innate or they may be affected by prior experience. After hatching, American lobsters Homarus americanus likely first come into contact with shelter during the late postlarval (decapodid) stage, known as stage IV. After the subsequent molt to the first juvenile stage (stage V), they are entirely benthic and are thought to be highly cryptic. We hypothesized that postlarval (stage IV) experience with shelter would carry over into the first juvenile stage (stage V) and reduce the time needed for juveniles to locate and enter shelters (sheltering). We found some evidence of a carryover effect, but not the one we predicted: stage V juveniles with postlarval shelter experience took significantly longer to initiate sheltering. We also hypothesized that stage V juveniles would demonstrate learning by relocating shelters more quickly with immediate prior experience. Our findings were mixed. In a maze, juveniles with immediate prior experience were faster to regain visual contact with shelter, suggesting that they had learned the location of the shelter. In contrast, there was no significant effect of immediate prior experience on time to initiate sheltering in an open arena, or in the maze after juveniles had regained visual contact. We conclude that very young (stage V) juvenile lobsters modify their shelter-seeking behavior based on prior experiences across several timescales. Ecologically relevant variation in habitat exposure among postlarval and early juvenile lobsters may influence successful recruitment in this culturally and commercially important fishery species.

Use on non-conjugate prior distributions in compound failure models. Final technical report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shultis, J.K.; Johnson, D.E.; Milliken, G.A.; Eckhoff, N.D.

1981-12-01

Several theoretical and computational techniques are presented for compound failure models in which the failure rate or failure probability for a class of components is considered to be a random variable. Both the failure-on-demand and failure-rate situation are considered. Ten different prior families are presented for describing the variation or uncertainty of the failure parameter. Methods considered for estimating values for the prior parameters from a given set of failure data are (1) matching data moments to those of the prior distribution, (2) matching data moments to those of the compound marginal distribution, and (3) the marginal maximum likelihood method. Numerical methods for computing the parameter estimators for all ten prior families are presented, as well as methods for obtaining estimates of the variances and covariance of the parameter estimators, it is shown that various confidence, probability, and tolerance intervals can be evaluated. Finally, to test the resulting failure models against the given failure data, generalized chi-squage and Kolmogorov-Smirnov goodness-of-fit tests are proposed together with a test to eliminate outliers from the failure data. Computer codes based on the results presented here have been prepared and are presented in a companion report

Extraction of microseismic waveforms characteristics prior to rock burst using Hilbert-Huang transform

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xuelong; Li, Zhonghui; Wang, Enyuan; Feng, Junjun; Chen, Liang; Li, Nan; Kong, Xiangguo

2016-09-01

This study provides a new research idea concerning rock burst prediction. The characteristics of microseismic (MS) waveforms prior to and during the rock burst were studied through the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT). In order to demonstrate the advantage of the MS features extraction based on HHT, the conventional analysis method (Fourier transform) was also used to make a comparison. The results show that HHT is simple and reliable, and could extract in-depth information about the characteristics of MS waveforms. About 10 days prior to the rock burst, the main frequency of MS waveforms transforms from the high-frequency to low-frequency. What's more, the waveforms energy also presents accumulation characteristic. Based on our study results, it can be concluded that the MS signals analysis through HHT could provide valuable information about the coal or rock deformation and fracture.

A scale-free structure prior for graphical models with applications in functional genomics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Sheridan

Full Text Available The problem of reconstructing large-scale, gene regulatory networks from gene expression data has garnered considerable attention in bioinformatics over the past decade with the graphical modeling paradigm having emerged as a popular framework for inference. Analysis in a full Bayesian setting is contingent upon the assignment of a so-called structure prior-a probability distribution on networks, encoding a priori biological knowledge either in the form of supplemental data or high-level topological features. A key topological consideration is that a wide range of cellular networks are approximately scale-free, meaning that the fraction, , of nodes in a network with degree is roughly described by a power-law with exponent between and . The standard practice, however, is to utilize a random structure prior, which favors networks with binomially distributed degree distributions. In this paper, we introduce a scale-free structure prior for graphical models based on the formula for the probability of a network under a simple scale-free network model. Unlike the random structure prior, its scale-free counterpart requires a node labeling as a parameter. In order to use this prior for large-scale network inference, we design a novel Metropolis-Hastings sampler for graphical models that includes a node labeling as a state space variable. In a simulation study, we demonstrate that the scale-free structure prior outperforms the random structure prior at recovering scale-free networks while at the same time retains the ability to recover random networks. We then estimate a gene association network from gene expression data taken from a breast cancer tumor study, showing that scale-free structure prior recovers hubs, including the previously unknown hub SLC39A6, which is a zinc transporter that has been implicated with the spread of breast cancer to the lymph nodes. Our analysis of the breast cancer expression data underscores the value of the scale

Have Chinese firms learned from their prior technology in-licensing? An analysis based on patent citations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li-Ying, Jason; Wang, Yuandi; Salomo, Søren

2013-01-01

With the rapid rise of Chinese economy, now ranking as the second largest economy in the world in 2010, many Chinese firms have started taking technological lead in the global market. Nevertheless, whether Chinese firms have learned from their prior inlicensing technologies and accumulated...

Cytoplasmic free Ca2+ is essential for multiple steps in malaria parasite egress from infected erythrocytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glushakova Svetlana

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Egress of Plasmodium falciparum, from erythrocytes at the end of its asexual cycle and subsequent parasite invasion into new host cells, is responsible for parasite dissemination in the human body. The egress pathway is emerging as a coordinated multistep programme that extends in time for tens of minutes, ending with rapid parasite extrusion from erythrocytes. While the Ca2+ regulation of the invasion of P. falciparum in erythrocytes is well established, the role of Ca2+ in parasite egress is poorly understood. This study analysed the involvement of cytoplasmic free Ca2+ in infected erythrocytes during the multistep egress programme of malaria parasites. Methods Live-cell fluorescence microscopy was used to image parasite egress from infected erythrocytes, assessing the effect of drugs modulating Ca2+ homeostasis on the egress programme. Results A steady increase in cytoplasmic free Ca2+ is found to precede parasite egress. This increase is independent of extracellular Ca2+ for at least the last two hours of the cycle, but is dependent upon Ca2+ release from internal stores. Intracellular BAPTA chelation of Ca2+ within the last 45 minutes of the cycle inhibits egress prior to parasitophorous vacuole swelling and erythrocyte membrane poration, two characteristic morphological transformations preceding parasite egress. Inhibitors of the parasite endoplasmic reticulum (ER Ca2+-ATPase accelerate parasite egress, indicating that Ca2+ stores within the ER are sufficient in supporting egress. Markedly accelerated egress of apparently viable parasites was achieved in mature schizonts using Ca2+ ionophore A23187. Ionophore treatment overcomes the BAPTA-induced block of parasite egress, confirming that free Ca2+ is essential in egress initiation. Ionophore treatment of immature schizonts had an adverse effect inducing parasitophorous vacuole swelling and killing the parasites within the host cell. Conclusions The parasite egress

Estimating Functions with Prior Knowledge, (EFPK) for diffusions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nolsøe, Kim; Kessler, Mathieu; Madsen, Henrik

2003-01-01

In this paper a method is formulated in an estimating function setting for parameter estimation, which allows the use of prior information. The main idea is to use prior knowledge of the parameters, either specified as moments restrictions or as a distribution, and use it in the construction of a...... of an estimating function. It may be useful when the full Bayesian analysis is difficult to carry out for computational reasons. This is almost always the case for diffusions, which is the focus of this paper, though the method applies in other settings.......In this paper a method is formulated in an estimating function setting for parameter estimation, which allows the use of prior information. The main idea is to use prior knowledge of the parameters, either specified as moments restrictions or as a distribution, and use it in the construction...

Parental Involvement and Adolescents' Educational Success: The Roles of Prior Achievement and Socioeconomic Status.

Science.gov (United States)

Benner, Aprile D; Boyle, Alaina E; Sadler, Sydney

2016-06-01

Parental educational involvement in primary and secondary school is strongly linked to students' academic success; however; less is known about the long-term effects of parental involvement. In this study, we investigated the associations between four aspects of parents' educational involvement (i.e., home- and school-based involvement, educational expectations, academic advice) and young people's proximal (i.e., grades) and distal academic outcomes (i.e., educational attainment). Attention was also placed on whether these relations varied as a function of family socioeconomic status or adolescents' prior achievement. The data were drawn from 15,240 10th grade students (50 % females; 57 % White, 13 % African American, 15 % Latino, 9 % Asian American, and 6 % other race/ethnicity) participating in the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002. We observed significant links between both school-based involvement and parental educational expectations and adolescents' cumulative high school grades and educational attainment. Moderation analyses revealed that school-based involvement seemed to be particularly beneficial for more disadvantaged youth (i.e., those from low-SES families, those with poorer prior achievement), whereas parents' academic socialization seemed to better promote the academic success of more advantaged youth (i.e., those from high-SES families, those with higher prior achievement). These findings suggest that academic interventions and supports could be carefully targeted to better support the educational success of all young people.

Optical acetylcholine sensor based on free base porphyrin as a chromoionophore.

Science.gov (United States)

Mroczkiewicz, Monika; Pietrzak, Mariusz; Górski, Łukasz; Malinowska, Elżbieta

2011-09-21

In this work, the possibility of application of free base porphyrin as a lipophilic pH chromoionophore for the preparation of optical cation-selective sensors was investigated. The properties of polymeric membranes, containing porphyrins of different structures, namely tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) and octaethylporphyrin (OEP), were compared. Changes in equilibrium between protonated and deprotonated form of porphyrin, resulting from variations in ACh concentration, were evaluated. The influence of various factors (kind and quantity of anionic additive and porphyrin in the membrane phase, pH of sample solution) on initial equilibrium was studied. The best membrane composition was chosen as: TPP 3 wt.%, KTFPB 175 mol.% relative to ionophore, PVC:o-NPOE (1 : 4) and measuring buffer solution: 0.05 M MES, pH 4.5. Selectivity, response stability, reversibility and repeatability tests were carried out for chosen sensor. Developed sensor allowed for the determination of a model analyte, acetylcholine, at the concentration range of 10(-5) to 10(-2) M, both in stationary and flow-injection system. Sensor response was reversible and repeatable in the mentioned concentration range.

Arthur Prior and 'Now'

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blackburn, Patrick Rowan; Jørgensen, Klaus Frovin

2016-01-01

’s search led him through the work of Castañeda, and back to his own work on hybrid logic: the first made temporal reference philosophically respectable, the second made it technically feasible in a modal framework. With the aid of hybrid logic, Prior built a bridge from a two-dimensional UT calculus...

Pyrrolidine constrained bipyridyl-dansyl click fluoroionophore as selective Al(3+)sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Maity, Debabrata; Govindaraju, T

2010-07-07

A pyrrolidine constrained bipyridyl-dansyl (ionophore-fluorophore) conjugate with triazole linker was synthesised through click chemistry. The fluoroionophore serves as a selective ratiometric and colorimetric chemosensor for Al(3+) based on internal charge transfer (ICT).

Heuristics as Bayesian inference under extreme priors.

Science.gov (United States)

Parpart, Paula; Jones, Matt; Love, Bradley C

2018-05-01

Simple heuristics are often regarded as tractable decision strategies because they ignore a great deal of information in the input data. One puzzle is why heuristics can outperform full-information models, such as linear regression, which make full use of the available information. These "less-is-more" effects, in which a relatively simpler model outperforms a more complex model, are prevalent throughout cognitive science, and are frequently argued to demonstrate an inherent advantage of simplifying computation or ignoring information. In contrast, we show at the computational level (where algorithmic restrictions are set aside) that it is never optimal to discard information. Through a formal Bayesian analysis, we prove that popular heuristics, such as tallying and take-the-best, are formally equivalent to Bayesian inference under the limit of infinitely strong priors. Varying the strength of the prior yields a continuum of Bayesian models with the heuristics at one end and ordinary regression at the other. Critically, intermediate models perform better across all our simulations, suggesting that down-weighting information with the appropriate prior is preferable to entirely ignoring it. Rather than because of their simplicity, our analyses suggest heuristics perform well because they implement strong priors that approximate the actual structure of the environment. We end by considering how new heuristics could be derived by infinitely strengthening the priors of other Bayesian models. These formal results have implications for work in psychology, machine learning and economics. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluating a Collaborative Approach to Improve Prior Authorization Efficiency in the Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Emily E; Vranek, Kathryn; Hynicka, Lauren M; Gripshover, Janet; Potosky, Darryn; Mattingly, T Joseph

A team-based approach to obtaining prior authorization approval was implemented utilizing a specialty pharmacy, a clinic-based pharmacy technician specialist, and a registered nurse to work with providers to obtain approval for medications for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The objective of this study was to evaluate the time to approval for prescribed treatment of HCV infection. A retrospective observational study was conducted including patients treated for HCV infection by clinic providers who received at least 1 oral direct-acting antiviral HCV medication. Patients were divided into 2 groups, based on whether they were treated before or after the implementation of the team-based approach. Student t tests were used to compare average wait times before and after the intervention. The sample included 180 patients, 68 treated before the intervention and 112 patients who initiated therapy after. All patients sampled required prior authorization approval by a third-party payer to begin therapy. There was a statistically significant reduction (P = .02) in average wait time in the postintervention group (15.6 ± 12.1 days) once adjusted using dates of approval. Pharmacy collaboration may provide increases in efficiency in provider prior authorization practices and reduced wait time for patients to begin treatment.

Knowledge-based approach for functional MRI analysis by SOM neural network using prior labels from Talairach stereotaxic space

Science.gov (United States)

Erberich, Stephan G.; Willmes, Klaus; Thron, Armin; Oberschelp, Walter; Huang, H. K.

2002-04-01

Among the methods proposed for the analysis of functional MR we have previously introduced a model-independent analysis based on the self-organizing map (SOM) neural network technique. The SOM neural network can be trained to identify the temporal patterns in voxel time-series of individual functional MRI (fMRI) experiments. The separated classes consist of activation, deactivation and baseline patterns corresponding to the task-paradigm. While the classification capability of the SOM is not only based on the distinctness of the patterns themselves but also on their frequency of occurrence in the training set, a weighting or selection of voxels of interest should be considered prior to the training of the neural network to improve pattern learning. Weighting of interesting voxels by means of autocorrelation or F-test significance levels has been used successfully, but still a large number of baseline voxels is included in the training. The purpose of this approach is to avoid the inclusion of these voxels by using three different levels of segmentation and mapping from Talairach space: (1) voxel partitions at the lobe level, (2) voxel partitions at the gyrus level and (3) voxel partitions at the cell level (Brodmann areas). The results of the SOM classification based on these mapping levels in comparison to training with all brain voxels are presented in this paper.

Can Intrapartum Cardiotocography Predict Uterine Rupture among Women with Prior Caesarean Delivery?: A Population Based Case-Control Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malene M Andersen

Full Text Available To compare cardiotocographic abnormalities recorded during labour in women with prior caesarean delivery (CD and complete uterine rupture with those recorded in controls with prior CD without uterine rupture.Women with complete uterine rupture during labour between 1997 and 2008 were identified in the Danish Medical Birth Registry (n = 181. Cases were validated by review of medical records and 53 cases with prior CD, trial of labour, available cardiotocogram (CTG and complete uterine rupture were included and compared with 43 controls with prior CD, trial of labour and available CTG. The CTG tracings were assessed by 19 independent experts divided into groups of three different experts for each tracing. The assessors were blinded to group, outcome and clinical data. They analyzed occurrence of defined abnormalities and classified the traces as normal, suspicious, pathological or pre-terminal according to international guidelines (FIGO.A pathological CTG during the first stage of labour was present in 77% of cases and in 53% of the controls (OR 2.58 [CI: 0.96-6.94] P = 0.066. Fetal tachycardia was more frequent in cases with uterine rupture (OR 2.50 [CI: 1.0-6.26] P = 0.053. Significantly more cases showed more than 10 severe variable decelerations compared with controls (OR 22 [CI: 1.54-314.2] P = 0.022. Uterine tachysystole was not correlated with the presence of uterine rupture.A pathological cardiotocogram should lead to particular attention on threatening uterine rupture but cannot be considered a strong predictor as it is common in all women with trial of labour after caesarean delivery.

Imaging performance of a hybrid x-ray computed tomography-fluorescence molecular tomography system using priors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ale, Angelique; Schulz, Ralf B; Sarantopoulos, Athanasios; Ntziachristos, Vasilis

2010-05-01

The performance is studied of two newly introduced and previously suggested methods that incorporate priors into inversion schemes associated with data from a recently developed hybrid x-ray computed tomography and fluorescence molecular tomography system, the latter based on CCD camera photon detection. The unique data set studied attains accurately registered data of high spatially sampled photon fields propagating through tissue along 360 degrees projections. Approaches that incorporate structural prior information were included in the inverse problem by adding a penalty term to the minimization function utilized for image reconstructions. Results were compared as to their performance with simulated and experimental data from a lung inflammation animal model and against the inversions achieved when not using priors. The importance of using priors over stand-alone inversions is also showcased with high spatial sampling simulated and experimental data. The approach of optimal performance in resolving fluorescent biodistribution in small animals is also discussed. Inclusion of prior information from x-ray CT data in the reconstruction of the fluorescence biodistribution leads to improved agreement between the reconstruction and validation images for both simulated and experimental data.

GENERAL ASPECTS REGARDING THE PRIOR DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

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ANDRA PURAN (DASCĂLU

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Disciplinary research is the first phase of the disciplinary action. According to art. 251 paragraph 1 of the Labour Code no disciplinary sanction may be ordered before performing the prior disciplinary research.These regulations provide an exception: the sanction of written warning. The current regulations in question, kept from the old regulation, provides a protection for employees against abuses made by employers, since sanctions are affecting the salary or the position held, or even the development of individual employment contract. Thus, prior research of the fact that is a misconduct, before a disciplinary sanction is applied, is an essential condition for the validity of the measure ordered. Through this study we try to highlight some general issues concerning the characteristics, processes and effects of prior disciplinary research.

Bayesian Prior Probability Distributions for Internal Dosimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, G.; Inkret, W.C.; Little, T.T.; Martz, H.F.; Schillaci, M.E

2001-07-01

The problem of choosing a prior distribution for the Bayesian interpretation of measurements (specifically internal dosimetry measurements) is considered using a theoretical analysis and by examining historical tritium and plutonium urine bioassay data from Los Alamos. Two models for the prior probability distribution are proposed: (1) the log-normal distribution, when there is some additional information to determine the scale of the true result, and (2) the 'alpha' distribution (a simplified variant of the gamma distribution) when there is not. These models have been incorporated into version 3 of the Bayesian internal dosimetric code in use at Los Alamos (downloadable from our web site). Plutonium internal dosimetry at Los Alamos is now being done using prior probability distribution parameters determined self-consistently from population averages of Los Alamos data. (author)

Novel bayes factors that capture expert uncertainty in prior density specification in genetic association studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, Amy V; Cox, Angela; Lin, Wei-Yu; Easton, Douglas F; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Walters, Kevin

2015-05-01

Bayes factors (BFs) are becoming increasingly important tools in genetic association studies, partly because they provide a natural framework for including prior information. The Wakefield BF (WBF) approximation is easy to calculate and assumes a normal prior on the log odds ratio (logOR) with a mean of zero. However, the prior variance (W) must be specified. Because of the potentially high sensitivity of the WBF to the choice of W, we propose several new BF approximations with logOR ∼N(0,W), but allow W to take a probability distribution rather than a fixed value. We provide several prior distributions for W which lead to BFs that can be calculated easily in freely available software packages. These priors allow a wide range of densities for W and provide considerable flexibility. We examine some properties of the priors and BFs and show how to determine the most appropriate prior based on elicited quantiles of the prior odds ratio (OR). We show by simulation that our novel BFs have superior true-positive rates at low false-positive rates compared to those from both P-value and WBF analyses across a range of sample sizes and ORs. We give an example of utilizing our BFs to fine-map the CASP8 region using genotype data on approximately 46,000 breast cancer case and 43,000 healthy control samples from the Collaborative Oncological Gene-environment Study (COGS) Consortium, and compare the single-nucleotide polymorphism ranks to those obtained using WBFs and P-values from univariate logistic regression. © 2015 The Authors. *Genetic Epidemiology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Fission-Product Separation Based on Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids. Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussey, Charles L.

2008-01-01

During previous DOE sponsored research (DE-FG07-01ER63286), a process was developed for removing Cs+ and Sr2+ from simulated aqueous tank waste by extraction of these ions into a hydrophobic room-temperature ionic liquid solvent, tri-n-butylmethylammonium bis((trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl)imide, containing the ionophores, calix(4)arene-bis(tert-octylbenzo-crown-6) and dicyclohexano-18-crown-6. The coordinated Cs+ and Sr2+ could be removed from the ionic liquid extraction solvent by an electrochemical reduction process carried out at mercury electrodes. In this follow-up project, the effects of residual moisture and oxygen on this processing scheme were assessed. It was determined that the electrochemical reduction of ionophore-bound Cs+ at Hg electrodes is surprisingly tolerant of small amounts of water, but greatly affected by oxygen. However, sparging of the ionic liquid with dry N2 lowers the residual water and oxygen content of the extraction solvent to the level where the reduction of Cs+ at Hg is possible. Thus, the entire treatment cycle for the removal of Cs+ from tank waste using this approach can be carried out in an open cell, provided that the cell is continuously sparged with dry N2. (Due to a reduction in the funds designated for the project, it was not possible to investigate the effects of moisture and oxygen on the Sr2+ removal process.) Additional research carried out under this project led to the discovery and characterization of a new low-melting urea-based melt that can be used as an electrochemical solvent. This melt is less expensive to prepare than most of the well-know room-temperature ionic liquid solvents, has a better electrochemical window than existing urea-based melts, and has potential applications for the processing of nuclear waste. This melt is made by combining urea with the N,N-dialkylimidazolium salt, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride.

Socializing processes in relation to the recognition of unskilled adults’ prior learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aarkrog, Vibe

for the workplace-based training. However the study can contribute to the discussion of the value of practical experiences: are practical experiences creditable in educational programs? The study shows that the recognition and assessment of prior learning requires that the students can verbalize and preferably also......The ordinary Danish VET programs are organized as dual programs in which the students alternate between school-based education and training and workplace-based training. The adult students in the course “From unskilled worker to skilled worker in record time” are automatically credited...

Bayesian Inference for Structured Spike and Slab Priors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Michael Riis; Winther, Ole; Hansen, Lars Kai

2014-01-01

Sparse signal recovery addresses the problem of solving underdetermined linear inverse problems subject to a sparsity constraint. We propose a novel prior formulation, the structured spike and slab prior, which allows to incorporate a priori knowledge of the sparsity pattern by imposing a spatial...

PET reconstruction via nonlocal means induced prior.

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Qingfeng; Huang, Jing; Bian, Zhaoying; Chen, Wufan; Ma, Jianhua

2015-01-01

The traditional Bayesian priors for maximum a posteriori (MAP) reconstruction methods usually incorporate local neighborhood interactions that penalize large deviations in parameter estimates for adjacent pixels; therefore, only local pixel differences are utilized. This limits their abilities of penalizing the image roughness. To achieve high-quality PET image reconstruction, this study investigates a MAP reconstruction strategy by incorporating a nonlocal means induced (NLMi) prior (NLMi-MAP) which enables utilizing global similarity information of image. The present NLMi prior approximates the derivative of Gibbs energy function by an NLM filtering process. Specially, the NLMi prior is obtained by subtracting the current image estimation from its NLM filtered version and feeding the residual error back to the reconstruction filter to yield the new image estimation. We tested the present NLMi-MAP method with simulated and real PET datasets. Comparison studies with conventional filtered backprojection (FBP) and a few iterative reconstruction methods clearly demonstrate that the present NLMi-MAP method performs better in lowering noise, preserving image edge and in higher signal to noise ratio (SNR). Extensive experimental results show that the NLMi-MAP method outperforms the existing methods in terms of cross profile, noise reduction, SNR, root mean square error (RMSE) and correlation coefficient (CORR).

Bayesian Image Restoration Using a Large-Scale Total Patch Variation Prior

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Yang Chen

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Edge-preserving Bayesian restorations using nonquadratic priors are often inefficient in restoring continuous variations and tend to produce block artifacts around edges in ill-posed inverse image restorations. To overcome this, we have proposed a spatial adaptive (SA prior with improved performance. However, this SA prior restoration suffers from high computational cost and the unguaranteed convergence problem. Concerning these issues, this paper proposes a Large-scale Total Patch Variation (LS-TPV Prior model for Bayesian image restoration. In this model, the prior for each pixel is defined as a singleton conditional probability, which is in a mixture prior form of one patch similarity prior and one weight entropy prior. A joint MAP estimation is thus built to ensure the iteration monotonicity. The intensive calculation of patch distances is greatly alleviated by the parallelization of Compute Unified Device Architecture(CUDA. Experiments with both simulated and real data validate the good performance of the proposed restoration.

The influence of prior reputation and reciprocity on dynamic trust-building in adults with and without autism spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Maurer, Cornelius; Chambon, Valerian; Bourgeois-Gironde, Sacha; Leboyer, Marion; Zalla, Tiziana

2018-03-01

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of reputational priors and direct reciprocity on the dynamics of trust building in adults with (N = 17) and without (N = 25) autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using a multi-round Trust Game (MTG). On each round, participants, who played as investors, were required to maximize their benefits by updating their prior expectations (the partner's positive or negative reputation), based on the partner's directed reciprocity, and adjusting their own investment decisions accordingly. Results showed that reputational priors strongly oriented the initial decision to trust, operationalized as the amount of investment the investor shares with the counterpart. However, while typically developed participants were mainly affected by the direct reciprocity, and rapidly adopted the optimal Tit-for-Tat strategy, participants with ASD continued to rely on reputational priors throughout the game, even when experience of the counterpart's actual behavior contradicted their prior-based expectations. In participants with ASD, the effect of the reputational prior never disappeared, and affected judgments of trustworthiness and reciprocity of the partner even after completion of the game. Moreover, the weight of prior reputation positively correlated with the severity of the ASD participant's social impairments while the reciprocity score negatively correlated with the severity of repetitive and stereotyped behaviors, as measured by the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). In line with Bayesian theoretical accounts, the present findings indicate that individuals with ASD have difficulties encoding incoming social information and using it to revise and flexibly update prior social expectations, and that this deficit might severely hinder social learning and everyday life interactions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neutrino mass priors for cosmology from random matrices

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Andrew J.; Raveri, Marco; Hu, Wayne; Dodelson, Scott

2018-02-01

Cosmological measurements of structure are placing increasingly strong constraints on the sum of the neutrino masses, Σ mν, through Bayesian inference. Because these constraints depend on the choice for the prior probability π (Σ mν), we argue that this prior should be motivated by fundamental physical principles rather than the ad hoc choices that are common in the literature. The first step in this direction is to specify the prior directly at the level of the neutrino mass matrix Mν, since this is the parameter appearing in the Lagrangian of the particle physics theory. Thus by specifying a probability distribution over Mν, and by including the known squared mass splittings, we predict a theoretical probability distribution over Σ mν that we interpret as a Bayesian prior probability π (Σ mν). Assuming a basis-invariant probability distribution on Mν, also known as the anarchy hypothesis, we find that π (Σ mν) peaks close to the smallest Σ mν allowed by the measured mass splittings, roughly 0.06 eV (0.1 eV) for normal (inverted) ordering, due to the phenomenon of eigenvalue repulsion in random matrices. We consider three models for neutrino mass generation: Dirac, Majorana, and Majorana via the seesaw mechanism; differences in the predicted priors π (Σ mν) allow for the possibility of having indications about the physical origin of neutrino masses once sufficient experimental sensitivity is achieved. We present fitting functions for π (Σ mν), which provide a simple means for applying these priors to cosmological constraints on the neutrino masses or marginalizing over their impact on other cosmological parameters.

Influence of prior information on pain involves biased perceptual decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiech, Katja; Vandekerckhove, Joachim; Zaman, Jonas; Tuerlinckx, Francis; Vlaeyen, Johan W S; Tracey, Irene

2014-08-04

Prior information about features of a stimulus is a strong modulator of perception. For instance, the prospect of more intense pain leads to an increased perception of pain, whereas the expectation of analgesia reduces pain, as shown in placebo analgesia and expectancy modulations during drug administration. This influence is commonly assumed to be rooted in altered sensory processing and expectancy-related modulations in the spinal cord, are often taken as evidence for this notion. Contemporary models of perception, however, suggest that prior information can also modulate perception by biasing perceptual decision-making - the inferential process underlying perception in which prior information is used to interpret sensory information. In this type of bias, the information is already present in the system before the stimulus is observed. Computational models can distinguish between changes in sensory processing and altered decision-making as they result in different response times for incorrect choices in a perceptual decision-making task (Figure S1A,B). Using a drift-diffusion model, we investigated the influence of both processes in two independent experiments. The results of both experiments strongly suggest that these changes in pain perception are predominantly based on altered perceptual decision-making. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lanthanide recognition: A Ho3+ potentiometric membrane sensor as a probe for determination of terazosin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganjali, Mohammad Reza; Shams, Haniyeh; Faridbod, Farnoush; Hajiaghababaei, Leila; Norouzi, Parviz

2009-01-01

In this study, complexation of N'-(1-pyridin-2-ylmethylene)-2-furohydrazide (NFH) with some metal ions was investigated by conductometry and spectroscopy. Then, a Ho 3+ potentiometric membrane sensor was prepared based on the highly selective complexation between this ionophore and Ho 3+ . These new ionophores are more selective than the previously reported ones. In this work, for the first time, the proposed sensor was applied in indirect determination of the terazocine in its pharmaceutical formulation. The interest in constructing lanthanide sensors arises because they have similar ionic radii to calcium, but a higher charge density, which allows them to be used as probes to find the interactions between Ca 2+ and biologically important molecules.

Feedback Both Helps and Hinders Learning: The Causal Role of Prior Knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Fyfe, Emily R.; Rittle-Johnson, Bethany

2016-01-01

Feedback can be a powerful learning tool, but its effects vary widely. Research has suggested that learners' prior knowledge may moderate the effects of feedback; however, no causal link has been established. In Experiment 1, we randomly assigned elementary school children (N = 108) to a condition based on a crossing of 2 factors: induced strategy…

Altered sensitivity of system A amino acid transport to ouabain in normal and transformed C3H-10T1/2 cells during the cell cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leister, K.J.; Schenerman, M.A.; Racker, E.

1989-01-01

Quiescent C3H-10T1/2 mouse fibroblasts that have not undergone any type of stress have a relatively low rate of 2-aminoisobutyrate (Aib) uptake by means of system A, which is primarily energized by the transmembrane Na + chemical gradient potential. System A activity in these cells is not sensitive to ouabain or proton ionophores. In contrast, methylcholanthrene-transformed and cofluent C3H-10T1/2 cells treated with ouabain utilize the membrane potential generated by the Na + , K + -ATPase pump to drive Aib transport by means of system A as shown by the sensitivity of transport activity to ouabain and proton ionophores. Since glucose is present during the assay, the proton ionophores do not affect the availability of ATP, as indicated by the undiminished uptake of 86 Rb + by the Na + , K + -ATPase pump. As cells progress through the G 1 phase of the cell cycle, they show an increased system A activity prior to entry into the S phase, which is also dependent on the electrogenicity of the Na + , K + -ATPase pump. There appears to be in all these cases a qualitative shift in the bioenergetic mechanism for the uptake of Aib as well as a marked quantitative increase in Aib uptake. The high activity after ouabain treatment was sustained in the transformed cells after removal of the ouabain, whereas in the confluent 10T1/2 cells the rate of uptake decayed rapidly, suggesting a difference in the mode of regulation. The authors conclude that transformed cells and normal cells in late G 1 or under stress make use of the membrane potential generated by the Na + , K + -ATPase pump to drive amino acid uptake by means of system A

34 CFR 303.403 - Prior notice; native language.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Prior notice; native language. 303.403 Section 303.403... TODDLERS WITH DISABILITIES Procedural Safeguards General § 303.403 Prior notice; native language. (a... file a complaint and the timelines under those procedures. (c) Native language. (1) The notice must be...

The Effect of an EDTA-based Chelation Regimen on Patients with Diabetes and Prior Myocardial Infarction in TACT

Science.gov (United States)

Escolar, Esteban; Lamas, Gervasio A.; Mark, Daniel B.; Boineau, Robin; Goertz, Christine; Rosenberg, Yves; Nahin, Richard L.; Ouyang, Pamela; Rozema, Theodore; Magaziner, Allan; Nahas, Richard; Lewis, Eldrin F.; Lindblad, Lauren; Lee, Kerry L.

2014-01-01

Background The Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) showed clinical benefit of an ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA-based) infusion regimen in patients 50 years or older with prior myocardial infarction (MI). Diabetes prior to enrollment was a pre-specified subgroup. Methods and Results Patients received 40 infusions of EDTA chelation or placebo. 633 (37%) had diabetes (322 EDTA, 311 placebo). EDTA reduced the primary endpoint (death, reinfarction, stroke, coronary revascularization, or hospitalization for angina) [25% vs 38%, hazard ratio (HR) 0.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.44, 0.79), p<0.001] over 5 years. The result remained significant after Bonferroni adjustment for multiple subgroups (99.4% CI (0.39, 0.88), adjusted p=0.002). All-cause mortality was reduced by EDTA chelation [10% vs 16%, HR 0.57, 95% CI (0.36, 0.88) p=0.011], as was the secondary endpoint (cardiovascular death, reinfarction, or stroke) [11% vs 17% HR 0.60, 95% CI (0.39, 0.91), p=0.017]. After adjusting for multiple subgroups, however, those results were no longer significant. The number needed to treat to reduce one primary endpoint was 6.5 over 5 years (95% CI (4.4, 12.7). There was no reduction in events in non-diabetics (n=1075, p=0.877), resulting in a treatment by diabetes interaction (p=0.004). Conclusions Post-MI diabetic patients age 50 or older demonstrated a marked reduction in cardiovascular events with EDTA chelation. These findings support efforts to replicate these findings and define the mechanisms of benefit. They do not, however, constitute sufficient evidence to indicate the routine use of chelation therapy for all post-MI diabetic patients. PMID:24254885

Quantitative utilization of prior biological knowledge in the Bayesian network modeling of gene expression data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gao Shouguo

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Bayesian Network (BN is a powerful approach to reconstructing genetic regulatory networks from gene expression data. However, expression data by itself suffers from high noise and lack of power. Incorporating prior biological knowledge can improve the performance. As each type of prior knowledge on its own may be incomplete or limited by quality issues, integrating multiple sources of prior knowledge to utilize their consensus is desirable. Results We introduce a new method to incorporate the quantitative information from multiple sources of prior knowledge. It first uses the Naïve Bayesian classifier to assess the likelihood of functional linkage between gene pairs based on prior knowledge. In this study we included cocitation in PubMed and schematic similarity in Gene Ontology annotation. A candidate network edge reservoir is then created in which the copy number of each edge is proportional to the estimated likelihood of linkage between the two corresponding genes. In network simulation the Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling algorithm is adopted, and samples from this reservoir at each iteration to generate new candidate networks. We evaluated the new algorithm using both simulated and real gene expression data including that from a yeast cell cycle and a mouse pancreas development/growth study. Incorporating prior knowledge led to a ~2 fold increase in the number of known transcription regulations recovered, without significant change in false positive rate. In contrast, without the prior knowledge BN modeling is not always better than a random selection, demonstrating the necessity in network modeling to supplement the gene expression data with additional information. Conclusion our new development provides a statistical means to utilize the quantitative information in prior biological knowledge in the BN modeling of gene expression data, which significantly improves the performance.

Retinoids: literature review and suggested algorithm for use prior to facial resurfacing procedures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrick J Buchanan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Vitamin A-containing products have been used topically since the early 1940s to treat various skin conditions. To date, there are four generations of retinoids, a family of Vitamin A-containing compounds. Tretinoin, all-trans-retinoic acid, is a first-generation, naturally occurring, retinoid. It is available, commercially, as a gel or cream. The authors conducted a complete review of all studies, clinical- and basic science-based studies, within the literature involving tretinoin treatment recommendations for impending facial procedures. The literature currently lacks definitive recommendations for the use of tretinoin-containing products prior to undergoing facial procedures. Tretinoin pretreatment regimens vary greatly in terms of the strength of retinoid used, the length of the pre-procedure treatment, and the ideal time to stop treatment before the procedure. Based on the current literature and personal experience, the authors set forth a set of guidelines for the use of tretinoin prior to various facial procedures.

The Effectiveness of Worked Examples Associated with Presentation Format and Prior Knowledge: A Web-Based Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Hsiao, E-Ling

2010-01-01

The aim of this study is to explore whether presentation format and prior knowledge affect the effectiveness of worked examples. The experiment was conducted through a specially designed online instrument. A 2X2X3 factorial before-and-after design was conducted. Three-way ANOVA was employed for data analysis. The result showed first, that prior…

Application of pyridine-2-carbaldehyde-2-(4-methyl-1,3-benzo thiazol-2-yl)hydrazone as a neutral ionophore in the construction of a novel Er(III) sensor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ganjali, Mohammad Reza; Norouzi, Parviz [University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Center of Excellence in Electrochemistry; Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center; E-mail: ganjali@khayam.ut.ac.ir; Rezapour, Morteza; Rasoolipour, Solmaz [University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Center of Excellence in Electrochemistry; Adib, Mehdi [University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of). University College of Science. Faculty of Chemistry

2007-03-15

We found that pyridine-2-carbaldehyde-2-(4-methyl-1,3-benzothiazol-2-yl) hydrazone (PCMHT) can be used as a suitable neutral ionophore for preparing an Er(III) membrane sensor with high selectivity. The optimum composition was found to be PCMHT-PVC-KTpClPB-BA with the ratios of 6.0:30.0:5.0:59.0, respectively. The Nernstian response was of 21.8 {+-} 0.5 mV decade{sup -1} of Er(III) activity, the linear range of the sensor was found to be relatively wide (from 1.0X10{sup -5} to 1.0 X10{sup -2} mol L{sup -1}). Its applicability pH range of 2.5-12.0 seems to make it suitable for analytical applications. The lower detection limit (LDL) of the sensor was 5.0 X10{sup -6} mol L{sup -1}. The excellent Er(III)-selectivity of the proposed sensor with regard to most common metal ions, and especially, lanthanide ions is another advantage. It was successfully used as an indicator electrode for titration of 25 mL of a 1.0 X 10{sup -4} mol L{sup -1} Er(III) ions with a 1.0 X 10{sup -}2 mol L{sup -1} EDTA. The proposed sensor was used for direct monitoring of Er(III) in binary mixtures and indirect determination of fluoride ions in two mouth wash preparations. (author)

30 CFR 872.29 - What are prior balance replacement funds?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What are prior balance replacement funds? 872... § 872.29 What are prior balance replacement funds? “Prior balance replacement funds” are moneys we must... general funds of the United States Treasury that are otherwise unappropriated. Under section 411(h)(1) of...

Selective electrochemical sensor for copper (II) ion based on chelating ionophores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Ashok Kumar; Mehtab, Sameena; Jain, Ajay Kumar

2006-01-01

Plasticized membranes using 3-(2-pyridinyl)-2H-pyrido[1,2,-a]-1,3,5-triazine-2,4(3H)-dithione (L 1 ) and acetoacetanilide (L 2 ) have been prepared and explored as Cu 2+ -selective sensors. Effect of various plasticizers, viz. chloronaphthalene (China), benzyl acetate (BA), o-nitrophenyloctyl ether (o-NPOE), and anion excluders, sodium tetraphenylborate (NaTPB) and oleic acid (OA) was studied in detail and improved performance was observed at several instances. Optimum performance was observed with dithione derivative (L 1 ) having a membrane composition of L 1 (5):PVC (120):o-NPOE (240):OA (10). The sensor works satisfactorily in the concentration range 5.0 x 10 -8 to 1.0 x 10 -2 M (detection limit 4.0 x 10 -8 M) with a Nernstian slope of 29.5 mV decade -1 of activity. Wide pH range (3.0-9.5), fast response time (12 s), non-aqueous tolerance (up to 20%) and adequate shelf life (4 months) indicate the vital utility of the proposed sensor. The potentiometric selectivity coefficient values as determined by match potential method (MPM) indicate good response for Cu 2+ in presence of interfering ions. The proposed electrode comparatively shows good selectivity with respect to alkali, alkaline earth, transition and some rare earth metals ions. The electrode was used for the determination of copper in different milk powder, water samples and as indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of copper ion with EDTA

A NOVEL TECHNIQUE TO IMPROVE PHOTOMETRY IN CONFUSED IMAGES USING GRAPHS AND BAYESIAN PRIORS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Safarzadeh, Mohammadtaher; Ferguson, Henry C.; Lu, Yu; Inami, Hanae; Somerville, Rachel S.

2015-01-01

We present a new technique for overcoming confusion noise in deep far-infrared Herschel space telescope images making use of prior information from shorter λ < 2 μm wavelengths. For the deepest images obtained by Herschel, the flux limit due to source confusion is about a factor of three brighter than the flux limit due to instrumental noise and (smooth) sky background. We have investigated the possibility of de-confusing simulated Herschel PACS 160 μm images by using strong Bayesian priors on the positions and weak priors on the flux of sources. We find the blended sources and group them together and simultaneously fit their fluxes. We derive the posterior probability distribution function of fluxes subject to these priors through Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) sampling by fitting the image. Assuming we can predict the FIR flux of sources based on the ultraviolet-optical part of their SEDs to within an order of magnitude, the simulations show that we can obtain reliable fluxes and uncertainties at least a factor of three fainter than the confusion noise limit of 3σ c = 2.7 mJy in our simulated PACS-160 image. This technique could in principle be used to mitigate the effects of source confusion in any situation where one has prior information of positions and plausible fluxes of blended sources. For Herschel, application of this technique will improve our ability to constrain the dust content in normal galaxies at high redshift

Prior and present evidence: how prior experience interacts with present information in a perceptual decision making task.

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Muhsin Karim

Full Text Available Vibrotactile discrimination tasks have been used to examine decision making processes in the presence of perceptual uncertainty, induced by barely discernible frequency differences between paired stimuli or by the presence of embedded noise. One lesser known property of such tasks is that decisions made on a single trial may be biased by information from prior trials. An example is the time-order effect whereby the presentation order of paired stimuli may introduce differences in accuracy. Subjects perform better when the first stimulus lies between the second stimulus and the global mean of all stimuli on the judged dimension ("preferred" time-orders compared to the alternative presentation order ("nonpreferred" time-orders. This has been conceptualised as a "drift" of the first stimulus representation towards the global mean of the stimulus-set (an internal standard. We describe the influence of prior information in relation to the more traditionally studied factors of interest in a classic discrimination task.Sixty subjects performed a vibrotactile discrimination task with different levels of uncertainty parametrically induced by increasing task difficulty, aperiodic stimulus noise, and changing the task instructions whilst maintaining identical stimulus properties (the "context".The time-order effect had a greater influence on task performance than two of the explicit factors-task difficulty and noise-but not context. The influence of prior information increased with the distance of the first stimulus from the global mean, suggesting that the "drift" velocity of the first stimulus towards the global mean representation was greater for these trials.Awareness of the time-order effect and prior information in general is essential when studying perceptual decision making tasks. Implicit mechanisms may have a greater influence than the explicit factors under study. It also affords valuable insights into basic mechanisms of information

Cumulative exposure to prior collective trauma and acute stress responses to the Boston marathon bombings.

Science.gov (United States)

Garfin, Dana Rose; Holman, E Alison; Silver, Roxane Cohen

2015-06-01

The role of repeated exposure to collective trauma in explaining response to subsequent community-wide trauma is poorly understood. We examined the relationship between acute stress response to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings and prior direct and indirect media-based exposure to three collective traumatic events: the September 11, 2001 (9/11) terrorist attacks, Superstorm Sandy, and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Representative samples of residents of metropolitan Boston (n = 846) and New York City (n = 941) completed Internet-based surveys shortly after the Boston Marathon bombings. Cumulative direct exposure and indirect exposure to prior community trauma and acute stress symptoms were assessed. Acute stress levels did not differ between Boston and New York metropolitan residents. Cumulative direct and indirect, live-media-based exposure to 9/11, Superstorm Sandy, and the Sandy Hook shooting were positively associated with acute stress responses in the covariate-adjusted model. People who experience multiple community-based traumas may be sensitized to the negative impact of subsequent events, especially in communities previously exposed to similar disasters. © The Author(s) 2015.

The Prior Can Often Only Be Understood in the Context of the Likelihood

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Andrew Gelman

2017-10-01

Full Text Available A key sticking point of Bayesian analysis is the choice of prior distribution, and there is a vast literature on potential defaults including uniform priors, Jeffreys’ priors, reference priors, maximum entropy priors, and weakly informative priors. These methods, however, often manifest a key conceptual tension in prior modeling: a model encoding true prior information should be chosen without reference to the model of the measurement process, but almost all common prior modeling techniques are implicitly motivated by a reference likelihood. In this paper we resolve this apparent paradox by placing the choice of prior into the context of the entire Bayesian analysis, from inference to prediction to model evaluation.

Crowdsourcing prior information to improve study design and data analysis.

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Jeffrey S Chrabaszcz

Full Text Available Though Bayesian methods are being used more frequently, many still struggle with the best method for setting priors with novel measures or task environments. We propose a method for setting priors by eliciting continuous probability distributions from naive participants. This allows us to include any relevant information participants have for a given effect. Even when prior means are near-zero, this method provides a principle way to estimate dispersion and produce shrinkage, reducing the occurrence of overestimated effect sizes. We demonstrate this method with a number of published studies and compare the effect of different prior estimation and aggregation methods.

A systematic investigation into b values prior to coming large earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Nanjo, K.; Yoshida, A.

2017-12-01

The Gutenberg-Richter law for frequency-magnitude distribution of earthquakes is now well established in seismology. The b value, the slope of the distribution, is supposed to reflect heterogeneity of seismogenic region (e.g. Mogi 1962) and development of interplate coupling in subduction zone (e.g. Nanjo et al., 2012; Tormann et al. 2015). In the laboratory as well as in the Earth's crust, the b value is known to be inversely dependent on differential stresses (Scholz 1968, 2015). In this context, the b value could serve as a stress meter to help locate asperities, the highly-stressed patches, in fault planes where large rupture energy is released (e.g. Schorlemmer & Wiemer 2005). However, it still remains uncertain whether the b values of events prior to coming large earthquakes are always low significantly. To clarify this issue, we conducted a systematic investigation into b values prior to large earthquakes in the Japanese Mainland. Since no physical definition of mainshock, foreshock, and aftershock is known, we simply investigated b values of the events with magnitudes larger than the lower-cutoff magnitude, Mc, prior to earthquakes equal to or larger than a threshold magnitude, Mth, where Mth>Mc. Schorlemmer et al. (2005) showed that the b value for different fault types differs significantly, which is supposed to reflect the feature that the fracture stress depends on fault types. Therefore, we classified fault motions into normal, strike-slip, and thrust types based on the mechanism solution of earthquakes, and computed b values of events associated with each fault motion separately. We found that the target events (M≥Mth) and the events that occurred prior to the target events both show a common systematic change in b: normal faulting events have the highest b values, thrust events the lowest and strike-slip events intermediate values. Moreover, we found that the b values for the prior events (M≥Mc) are significantly lower than the b values for the

Brain Tumor Segmentation Using a Generative Model with an RBM Prior on Tumor Shape

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agn, Mikael; Puonti, Oula; Rosenschöld, Per Munck af

2016-01-01

In this paper, we present a fully automated generative method for brain tumor segmentation in multi-modal magnetic resonance images. The method is based on the type of generative model often used for segmenting healthy brain tissues, where tissues are modeled by Gaussian mixture models combined...... the use of the intensity information in the training images. Experiments on public benchmark data of patients suffering from low- and high-grade gliomas show that the method performs well compared to current state-of-the-art methods, while not being tied to any specific imaging protocol....... with a spatial atlas-based tissue prior. We extend this basic model with a tumor prior, which uses convolutional restricted Boltzmann machines (cRBMs) to model the shape of both tumor core and complete tumor, which includes edema and core. The cRBMs are trained on expert segmentations of training images, without...

Is pre-operative imaging essential prior to ureteric stone surgery?

Science.gov (United States)

Youssef, F R; Wilkinson, B A; Hastie, K J; Hall, J

2012-09-01

The aim of this study was to identify patients not requiring ureteric stone surgery based on pre-operative imaging (within 24 hours) prior to embarking on semirigid ureteroscopy (R-URS) for urolithiasis. The imaging of all consecutive patients on whom R-URS for urolithiasis was performed over a 12-month period was reviewed. All patients had undergone a plain x-ray of the kidney, ureters and bladder (KUB), abdominal non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT-KUB) or both on the day of surgery. A total of 96 patients were identified for the study. Stone sizes ranged from 3 mm to 20 mm. Thirteen patients (14%) were cancelled as no stone(s) were identified on pre-operative imaging. Of the patients cancelled, 8 (62%) required NCCT-KUB to confirm spontaneous stone passage. One in seven patients were stone free on the day of surgery. This negates the need for unnecessary anaesthetic and instrumentation of the urinary tract, with the associated morbidity. Up-to-date imaging prior to embarking on elective ureteric stone surgery is highly recommended.

Adaptive local thresholding for robust nucleus segmentation utilizing shape priors

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiuzhong; Srinivas, Chukka

2016-03-01

This paper describes a novel local thresholding method for foreground detection. First, a Canny edge detection method is used for initial edge detection. Then, tensor voting is applied on the initial edge pixels, using a nonsymmetric tensor field tailored to encode prior information about nucleus size, shape, and intensity spatial distribution. Tensor analysis is then performed to generate the saliency image and, based on that, the refined edge. Next, the image domain is divided into blocks. In each block, at least one foreground and one background pixel are sampled for each refined edge pixel. The saliency weighted foreground histogram and background histogram are then created. These two histograms are used to calculate a threshold by minimizing the background and foreground pixel classification error. The block-wise thresholds are then used to generate the threshold for each pixel via interpolation. Finally, the foreground is obtained by comparing the original image with the threshold image. The effective use of prior information, combined with robust techniques, results in far more reliable foreground detection, which leads to robust nucleus segmentation.

A Noninformative Prior on a Space of Distribution Functions

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Alexander Terenin

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In a given problem, the Bayesian statistical paradigm requires the specification of a prior distribution that quantifies relevant information about the unknowns of main interest external to the data. In cases where little such information is available, the problem under study may possess an invariance under a transformation group that encodes a lack of information, leading to a unique prior—this idea was explored at length by E.T. Jaynes. Previous successful examples have included location-scale invariance under linear transformation, multiplicative invariance of the rate at which events in a counting process are observed, and the derivation of the Haldane prior for a Bernoulli success probability. In this paper we show that this method can be extended, by generalizing Jaynes, in two ways: (1 to yield families of approximately invariant priors; and (2 to the infinite-dimensional setting, yielding families of priors on spaces of distribution functions. Our results can be used to describe conditions under which a particular Dirichlet Process posterior arises from an optimal Bayesian analysis, in the sense that invariances in the prior and likelihood lead to one and only one posterior distribution.

Superposing pure quantum states with partial prior information

Science.gov (United States)

Dogra, Shruti; Thomas, George; Ghosh, Sibasish; Suter, Dieter

2018-05-01

The principle of superposition is an intriguing feature of quantum mechanics, which is regularly exploited in many different circumstances. A recent work [M. Oszmaniec et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 110403 (2016), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.110403] shows that the fundamentals of quantum mechanics restrict the process of superimposing two unknown pure states, even though it is possible to superimpose two quantum states with partial prior knowledge. The prior knowledge imposes geometrical constraints on the choice of input states. We discuss an experimentally feasible protocol to superimpose multiple pure states of a d -dimensional quantum system and carry out an explicit experimental realization for two single-qubit pure states with partial prior information on a two-qubit NMR quantum information processor.

Form of prior for constrained thermodynamic processes with uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Aneja, Preety; Johal, Ramandeep S.

2015-05-01

We consider the quasi-static thermodynamic processes with constraints, but with additional uncertainty about the control parameters. Motivated by inductive reasoning, we assign prior distribution that provides a rational guess about likely values of the uncertain parameters. The priors are derived explicitly for both the entropy-conserving and the energy-conserving processes. The proposed form is useful when the constraint equation cannot be treated analytically. The inference is performed using spin-1/2 systems as models for heat reservoirs. Analytical results are derived in the high-temperatures limit. An agreement beyond linear response is found between the estimates of thermal quantities and their optimal values obtained from extremum principles. We also seek an intuitive interpretation for the prior and the estimated value of temperature obtained therefrom. We find that the prior over temperature becomes uniform over the quantity kept conserved in the process.

Development of an autonomous treatment planning strategy for radiation therapy with effective use of population-based prior data.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Huan; Dong, Peng; Liu, Hongcheng; Xing, Lei

2017-02-01

Current treatment planning remains a costly and labor intensive procedure and requires multiple trial-and-error adjustments of system parameters such as the weighting factors and prescriptions. The purpose of this work is to develop an autonomous treatment planning strategy with effective use of prior knowledge and in a clinically realistic treatment planning platform to facilitate radiation therapy workflow. Our technique consists of three major components: (i) a clinical treatment planning system (TPS); (ii) a formulation of decision-function constructed using an assemble of prior treatment plans; (iii) a plan evaluator or decision-function and an outer-loop optimization independent of the clinical TPS to assess the TPS-generated plan and to drive the search toward a solution optimizing the decision-function. Microsoft (MS) Visual Studio Coded UI is applied to record some common planner-TPS interactions as subroutines for querying and interacting with the TPS. These subroutines are called back in the outer-loop optimization program to navigate the plan selection process through the solution space iteratively. The utility of the approach is demonstrated by using clinical prostate and head-and-neck cases. An autonomous treatment planning technique with effective use of an assemble of prior treatment plans is developed to automatically maneuver the clinical treatment planning process in the platform of a commercial TPS. The process mimics the decision-making process of a human planner and provides a clinically sensible treatment plan automatically, thus reducing/eliminating the tedious manual trial-and-errors of treatment planning. It is found that the prostate and head-and-neck treatment plans generated using the approach compare favorably with that used for the patients' actual treatments. Clinical inverse treatment planning process can be automated effectively with the guidance of an assemble of prior treatment plans. The approach has the potential to

Inverse problems with non-trivial priors: efficient solution through sequential Gibbs sampling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Thomas Mejer; Cordua, Knud Skou; Mosegaard, Klaus

2012-01-01

Markov chain Monte Carlo methods such as the Gibbs sampler and the Metropolis algorithm can be used to sample solutions to non-linear inverse problems. In principle, these methods allow incorporation of prior information of arbitrary complexity. If an analytical closed form description of the prior...... is available, which is the case when the prior can be described by a multidimensional Gaussian distribution, such prior information can easily be considered. In reality, prior information is often more complex than can be described by the Gaussian model, and no closed form expression of the prior can be given....... We propose an algorithm, called sequential Gibbs sampling, allowing the Metropolis algorithm to efficiently incorporate complex priors into the solution of an inverse problem, also for the case where no closed form description of the prior exists. First, we lay out the theoretical background...

SUSPENSION OF THE PRIOR DISCIPLINARY INVESTIGATION ACCORDING TO LABOR LAW

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Nicolae, GRADINARU

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In order to conduct the prior disciplinary investigation, the employee shall be convoked in writing by the person authorized by the employer to carry out the research, specifying the subject, date, time and place of the meeting. For this purpose the employer shall appoint a committee charged with conducting the prior disciplinary investigation. Prior disciplinary research cannot be done without the possibility of the accused person to defend himself. It would be an abuse of the employer to violate these provisions. Since the employee is entitled to formulate and sustain defence in proving innocence or lesser degree of guilt than imputed, it needs between the moment were disclosed to the employee and the one of performing the prior disciplinary investigation to be a reasonable term for the employee to be able to prepare a defence in this regard. The employee's failure to present at the convocation, without an objective reason entitles the employer to dispose the sanctioning without making the prior disciplinary investigation. The objective reason which makes the employee, that is subject to prior disciplinary investigation, unable to present to the preliminary disciplinary investigation, should be at the time of the investigation in question.

Maximum entropy reconstruction of spin densities involving non uniform prior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schweizer, J.; Ressouche, E.; Papoular, R.J.; Zheludev, A.I.

1997-01-01

Diffraction experiments give microscopic information on structures in crystals. A method which uses the concept of maximum of entropy (MaxEnt), appears to be a formidable improvement in the treatment of diffraction data. This method is based on a bayesian approach: among all the maps compatible with the experimental data, it selects that one which has the highest prior (intrinsic) probability. Considering that all the points of the map are equally probable, this probability (flat prior) is expressed via the Boltzman entropy of the distribution. This method has been used for the reconstruction of charge densities from X-ray data, for maps of nuclear densities from unpolarized neutron data as well as for distributions of spin density. The density maps obtained by this method, as compared to those resulting from the usual inverse Fourier transformation, are tremendously improved. In particular, any substantial deviation from the background is really contained in the data, as it costs entropy compared to a map that would ignore such features. However, in most of the cases, before the measurements are performed, some knowledge exists about the distribution which is investigated. It can range from the simple information of the type of scattering electrons to an elaborate theoretical model. In these cases, the uniform prior which considers all the different pixels as equally likely, is too weak a requirement and has to be replaced. In a rigorous bayesian analysis, Skilling has shown that prior knowledge can be encoded into the Maximum Entropy formalism through a model m(rvec r), via a new definition for the entropy given in this paper. In the absence of any data, the maximum of the entropy functional is reached for ρ(rvec r) = m(rvec r). Any substantial departure from the model, observed in the final map, is really contained in the data as, with the new definition, it costs entropy. This paper presents illustrations of model testing

Effect of Prior Deformation on Welding Microstructure of Steel 304L

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

WU Luo-fei

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This subject was raised by an automotive company.Based on the welding design on the curved surface,the effect of prior deformation on the weld structure was studied.Metal active-gas welding was used on the T-joint and pre-deformed plates of austenitic stainless steel 304L to find the proper welding parameters and observe the effect of prior deformation on the microstructure.The proper parameters acquired are:the speed of the torch is 4mm/s,the speed of delivery of welding wire is 2.5m/min and the voltage is 17V.In the T-joint and pre-deformed joint,the weld toes are in the zone with strain of 0% and 30%.In the pre-deformed welding specimen,it was observed that the fusion zone and partially melted zone are narrowed,carbide precipitation and ferrites are found less.In all,the microstructure in the pre-deformed weld joints on 304L is more uniform.

Integration of prior knowledge into dense image matching for video surveillance

Science.gov (United States)

Menze, M.; Heipke, C.

2014-08-01

Three-dimensional information from dense image matching is a valuable input for a broad range of vision applications. While reliable approaches exist for dedicated stereo setups they do not easily generalize to more challenging camera configurations. In the context of video surveillance the typically large spatial extent of the region of interest and repetitive structures in the scene render the application of dense image matching a challenging task. In this paper we present an approach that derives strong prior knowledge from a planar approximation of the scene. This information is integrated into a graph-cut based image matching framework that treats the assignment of optimal disparity values as a labelling task. Introducing the planar prior heavily reduces ambiguities together with the search space and increases computational efficiency. The results provide a proof of concept of the proposed approach. It allows the reconstruction of dense point clouds in more general surveillance camera setups with wider stereo baselines.

Adaptive estimation of multivariate functions using conditionally Gaussian tensor-product spline priors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jonge, de R.; Zanten, van J.H.

2012-01-01

We investigate posterior contraction rates for priors on multivariate functions that are constructed using tensor-product B-spline expansions. We prove that using a hierarchical prior with an appropriate prior distribution on the partition size and Gaussian prior weights on the B-spline

Adaptive nonparametric Bayesian inference using location-scale mixture priors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jonge, de R.; Zanten, van J.H.

2010-01-01

We study location-scale mixture priors for nonparametric statistical problems, including multivariate regression, density estimation and classification. We show that a rate-adaptive procedure can be obtained if the prior is properly constructed. In particular, we show that adaptation is achieved if

Use of prior mammograms in the classification of benign and malignant masses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varela, Celia; Karssemeijer, Nico; Hendriks, Jan H.C.L.; Holland, Roland

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of using prior mammograms for classification of benign and malignant masses. Five radiologists and one resident classified mass lesions in 198 mammograms obtained from a population-based screening program. Cases were interpreted twice, once without and once with comparison of previous mammograms, in a sequential reading order using soft copy image display. The radiologists' performances in classifying benign and malignant masses without and with previous mammograms were evaluated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The statistical significance of the difference in performances was calculated using analysis of variance. The use of prior mammograms improved the classification performance of all participants in the study. The mean area under the ROC curve of the readers increased from 0.763 to 0.796. This difference in performance was statistically significant (P = 0.008)

Metal Artifact Reduction in X-ray Computed Tomography Using Computer-Aided Design Data of Implants as Prior Information.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruth, Veikko; Kolditz, Daniel; Steiding, Christian; Kalender, Willi A

2017-06-01

The performance of metal artifact reduction (MAR) methods in x-ray computed tomography (CT) suffers from incorrect identification of metallic implants in the artifact-affected volumetric images. The aim of this study was to investigate potential improvements of state-of-the-art MAR methods by using prior information on geometry and material of the implant. The influence of a novel prior knowledge-based segmentation (PS) compared with threshold-based segmentation (TS) on 2 MAR methods (linear interpolation [LI] and normalized-MAR [NORMAR]) was investigated. The segmentation is the initial step of both MAR methods. Prior knowledge-based segmentation uses 3-dimensional registered computer-aided design (CAD) data as prior knowledge to estimate the correct position and orientation of the metallic objects. Threshold-based segmentation uses an adaptive threshold to identify metal. Subsequently, for LI and NORMAR, the selected voxels are projected into the raw data domain to mark metal areas. Attenuation values in these areas are replaced by different interpolation schemes followed by a second reconstruction. Finally, the previously selected metal voxels are replaced by the metal voxels determined by PS or TS in the initial reconstruction. First, we investigated in an elaborate phantom study if the knowledge of the exact implant shape extracted from the CAD data provided by the manufacturer of the implant can improve the MAR result. Second, the leg of a human cadaver was scanned using a clinical CT system before and after the implantation of an artificial knee joint. The results were compared regarding segmentation accuracy, CT number accuracy, and the restoration of distorted structures. The use of PS improved the efficacy of LI and NORMAR compared with TS. Artifacts caused by insufficient segmentation were reduced, and additional information was made available within the projection data. The estimation of the implant shape was more exact and not dependent on a threshold

Random template placement and prior information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roever, Christian

2010-01-01

In signal detection problems, one is usually faced with the task of searching a parameter space for peaks in the likelihood function which indicate the presence of a signal. Random searches have proven to be very efficient as well as easy to implement, compared e.g. to searches along regular grids in parameter space. Knowledge of the parameterised shape of the signal searched for adds structure to the parameter space, i.e., there are usually regions requiring to be densely searched while in other regions a coarser search is sufficient. On the other hand, prior information identifies the regions in which a search will actually be promising or may likely be in vain. Defining specific figures of merit allows one to combine both template metric and prior distribution and devise optimal sampling schemes over the parameter space. We show an example related to the gravitational wave signal from a binary inspiral event. Here the template metric and prior information are particularly contradictory, since signals from low-mass systems tolerate the least mismatch in parameter space while high-mass systems are far more likely, as they imply a greater signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and hence are detectable to greater distances. The derived sampling strategy is implemented in a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm where it improves convergence.

Personality, depressive symptoms and prior trauma exposure of new ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background. Police officers are predisposed to trauma exposure. The development of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be influenced by personality style, prior exposure to traumatic events and prior depression. Objectives. To describe the personality profiles of new Metropolitan Police Service ...

Neodymium(III PVC Membrane Electrodchemical Sensor Based on N-benzoylethylidene-2-aminobenzylamine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hassan Ali Zamani

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The N-benzoylethylidene-2-aminobenzylamine (BEA was used as a suitable ionophore in construction of neodymium ion selective electrode. The electrode with composition of 30% PVC, 58% solvent mediator (NB, 2% ionophore (BEA and 10% anionic additive (OA shows the best potentiometric response characteristics. The Nd3+ sensor exhibits a Nernstian slope of 21.2 ± 0.2 mV decade-1 over the concentration range of 1.0 × 10-6 to 1.0 × 10-2 mol L-1, and a detection limit of 6.3 × 10-7 mol L-1 of Nd3+ ions. The potentiometric response of the sensor is independent of the solution pH in the range of 2.4–8.5. It has a very short response time, in the whole concentration range (~7 s, and can be used for at least eight weeks. The proposed sensor revealed high selectivity with respect to all common alkali, alkaline earth, transition and heavy metal ions, including members of the lanthanide family other than Nd3+. The Nd3+ sensor was successfully applied as an indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration of Nd3+ ions with EDTA. The electrode was also employed for the determination of the fluoride ion in two mouth wash preparations.

The Role of Prior Knowledge in International Franchise Partner Recruitment

OpenAIRE

Wang, Catherine; Altinay, Levent

2006-01-01

Purpose To investigate the role of prior knowledge in the international franchise partner recruitment process and to evaluate how cultural distance influences the role of prior knowledge in this process. Design/Methodology/Approach A single embedded case study of an international hotel firm was the focus of the enquiry. Interviews, observations and document analysis were used as the data collection techniques. Findings Findings reveal that prior knowledge of the franchisor enab...

PVC-membrane potentiometric sensors based on a recently synthesized Schiff base for Fe(III ion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Yousef Ebrahimipur

2012-12-01

Full Text Available A potentiometric iron sensor based on the use 3-(2-diethylamino-ethylimino-1,3-dihydro-indol-2-one (DEDIO as an ionophore in poly(vinyl chloride (PVC matrix, is reported. The plasticized membrane sensor exhibits a Nernstian response for Fe(III ions over a wide concentration range (2.0 × 10-6 - 5.0 × 10-2 M with a super Nernstian slope of 26(plus or minus 1 mV per decade. It has a fast response time of less than 12 s and can be used for ten weeks without any considerable divergences in its potentials the electrode can be used in the pH range 4.5-8.0. The proposed sensor shows fairly good discriminating ability towards Fe(III ion in comparison with a large number of alkali, alkaline earth, transition and heavy metal ions. The sensor was used as indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of Fe(III ions vs. EDTA.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v26i1.7

Comparative studies of praseodymium(III) selective sensors based on newly synthesized Schiff's bases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, Vinod K.; Goyal, Rajendra N.; Pal, Manoj K.; Sharma, Ram A.

2009-01-01

Praseodymium ion selective polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane sensors, based on two new Schiff's bases 1,3-diphenylpropane-1,3-diylidenebis(azan-1-ylidene)diphenol (M 1 ) and N,N'-bis(pyridoxylideneiminato) ethylene (M 2 ) have been developed and studied. The sensor having membrane composition of PVC: o-NPOE: ionophore (M 1 ): NaTPB (w/w; mg) of 150: 300: 8: 5 showed best performances in comparison to M 2 based membranes. The sensor based on (M 1 ) exhibits the working concentration range 1.0 x 10 -8 to 1.0 x 10 -2 M with a detection limit of 5.0 x 10 -9 M and a Nernstian slope 20.0 ± 0.3 mV decade -1 of activity. It exhibited a quick response time as <8 s and its potential responses were pH independent across the range of 3.5-8.5.The influence of the membrane composition and possible interfering ions have also been investigated on the response properties of the electrode. The sensor has been found to work satisfactorily in partially non-aqueous media up to 15% (v/v) content of methanol, ethanol or acetonitrile and could be used for a period of 3 months. The selectivity coefficients determined by using fixed interference method (FIM) indicate high selectivity for praseodymium(III) ions over wide variety of other cations. To asses its analytical applicability the prepared sensor was successfully applied for determination of praseodymium(III) in spiked water samples.

Extraction of phthalate esters from water and beverages using a graphene-based magnetic nanocomposite prior to their determination by HPLC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Q.; Liu, M.; Ma, X.; Wang, W.; Wang, C.; Zang, X.; Wang, Z.

2012-01-01

We have developed a highly sensitive microextraction method for the preconcentration of some phthalate esters such as diethyl phthalate, di-n-propylphthalate, di-n-butyl-phthalate, dicyclohexyl-phthalate, and diethyl-hexyl phthalate prior to their determination by HPLC. It is based on a magnetic graphene nanocomposite as an effective adsorbent. The effects of the amount of the extractant composite employed, extraction time, pH values, salt concentration and desorption conditions were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the enrichment factors range from 1574 to 2880. Response is linear in the concentration range from 0. 1 to 50 ng mL -1 . The limits of detection (at S/N = 3) were between 0. 01 and 0. 04 ng mL -1 . The method was successfully applied to the determination of five phthalate esters in water and beverage samples. (author)

Understanding sleep disturbance in athletes prior to important competitions.

Science.gov (United States)

Juliff, Laura E; Halson, Shona L; Peiffer, Jeremiah J

2015-01-01

Anecdotally many athletes report worse sleep in the nights prior to important competitions. Despite sleep being acknowledged as an important factor for optimal athletic performance and overall health, little is understood about athlete sleep around competition. The aims of this study were to identify sleep complaints of athletes prior to competitions and determine whether complaints were confined to competition periods. Cross-sectional study. A sample of 283 elite Australian athletes (129 male, 157 female, age 24±5 y) completed two questionnaires; Competitive Sport and Sleep questionnaire and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. 64.0% of athletes indicated worse sleep on at least one occasion in the nights prior to an important competition over the past 12 months. The main sleep problem specified by athletes was problems falling asleep (82.1%) with the main reasons responsible for poor sleep indicated as thoughts about the competition (83.5%) and nervousness (43.8%). Overall 59.1% of team sport athletes reported having no strategy to overcome poor sleep compared with individual athletes (32.7%, p=0.002) who utilised relaxation and reading as strategies. Individual sport athletes had increased likelihood of poor sleep as they aged. The poor sleep reported by athletes prior to competition was situational rather than a global sleep problem. Poor sleep is common prior to major competitions in Australian athletes, yet most athletes are unaware of strategies to overcome the poor sleep experienced. It is essential coaches and scientists monitor and educate both individual and team sport athletes to facilitate sleep prior to important competitions. Copyright © 2014 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nudging toward Inquiry: Awakening and Building upon Prior Knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Fontichiaro, Kristin, Comp.

2010-01-01

"Prior knowledge" (sometimes called schema or background knowledge) is information one already knows that helps him/her make sense of new information. New learning builds on existing prior knowledge. In traditional reporting-style research projects, students bypass this crucial step and plow right into answer-finding. It's no wonder that many…

5 CFR 6201.103 - Prior approval for outside employment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Prior approval for outside employment. 6201.103 Section 6201.103 Administrative Personnel EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES SUPPLEMENTAL STANDARDS OF ETHICAL CONDUCT FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES § 6201.103 Prior...

Does prior domain-specific content knowledge influence students' recall of arguments surrounding interdisciplinary topics?

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Hiemke K; Rothgangel, Martin; Grube, Dietmar

2017-12-01

Awareness of various arguments can help interactants present opinions, stress points, and build counterarguments during discussions. At school, some topics are taught in a way that students learn to accumulate knowledge and gather arguments, and later employ them during debates. Prior knowledge may facilitate recalling information on well structured, fact-based topics, but does it facilitate recalling arguments during discussions on complex, interdisciplinary topics? We assessed the prior knowledge in domains related to a bioethical topic of 277 students from Germany (approximately 15 years old), their interest in the topic, and their general knowledge. The students read a text with arguments for and against prenatal diagnostics and tried to recall the arguments one week later and again six weeks later. Prior knowledge in various domains related to the topic individually and separately helped students recall the arguments. These relationships were independent of students' interest in the topic and their general knowledge. Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In-hospital management and outcomes of acute coronary syndromes in relation to prior history of heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hanfei; Goodman, Shaun G; Yan, Raymond T; Steg, Ph Gabriel; Kornder, Jan M; Gyenes, Gabor T; Grondin, Francois R; Brieger, David; DeYoung, J Paul; Gallo, Richard; Yan, Andrew T

2016-06-01

The prognostic significance of prior heart failure in acute coronary syndromes has not been well studied. Accordingly, we evaluated the baseline characteristics, management patterns and clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndromes who had prior heart failure. The study population consisted of acute coronary syndrome patients in the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events, expanded Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events and Canadian Registry of Acute Coronary Events between 1999 and 2008. Of the 13,937 eligible patients (mean age 66±13 years, 33% female and 28.3% with ST-elevation myocardial infarction), 1498 (10.7%) patients had a history of heart failure. Those with prior heart failure tended to be older, female and had lower systolic blood pressure, higher Killip class and creatinine on presentation. Prior heart failure was also associated with significantly worse left ventricular systolic function and lower rates of cardiac catheterization and coronary revascularization. The group with previous heart failure had significantly higher rates of acute decompensated heart failure, cardiogenic shock, myocardial (re)infarction and mortality in hospital. In multivariable analysis, prior heart failure remained an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 1.48, 95% confidence interval 1.08-2.03, p=0.015). Prior heart failure was associated with high risk features on presentation and adverse outcomes including higher adjusted in-hospital mortality in acute coronary syndrome patients. However, acute coronary syndrome patients with prior heart failure were less likely to receive evidence-based therapies, suggesting potential opportunities to target more intensive treatment to improve their outcome. © The European Society of Cardiology 2015.

Pollen-Based Inverse Modelling versus Data Assimilation, two Different Ways to Consider Priors in Paleoclimate Reconstruction: Application to the Mediterranean Holocene

Science.gov (United States)

Guiot, J.

2017-12-01

In the last decades, climate reconstruction has much evolved. A important step has been passed with inverse modelling approach proposed by Guiot et al (2000). It is based on appropriate algorithms in the frame of the Bayesian statistical theory to estimate the inputs of a vegetation model when the outputs are known. The inputs are the climate variables that we want to reconstruct and the outputs are vegetation characteristics, which can be compared to pollen data. The Bayesian framework consists in defining prior distribution of the wanted climate variables and in using data and a model to estimate posterior probability distribution. The main interest of the method is the possibility to set different values of exogenous variables as the atmospheric CO2 concentration. The fact that the CO2 concentration has an influence on the photosynthesis and that its level is different between the calibration period (the 20th century) and the past, there is an important risk of biases on the reconstructions. After that initial paper, numerous papers have been published showing the interested of the method. In that approach, the prior distribution is fixed by educated guess of by using complementary information on the expected climate (other proxies or other records). In the data assimilation approach, the prior distribution is provided by a climate model. The use of a vegetation model together with proxy data, enable to calculate posterior distributions. Data assimilation consists in constraining climate model to reproduce estimates relatively close to the data, taking into account the respective errors of the data and of the climate model (Dubinkina et al, 2011). We compare both approaches using pollen data for the Holocene from the Mediterranean. Pollen data have been extracted from the European Pollen Database. The earth system model, LOVECLIM, is run to simulate Holocene climate with appropriate boundary conditions and realistic forcing. Simulated climate variables

Analysis of Driver Evasive Maneuvering Prior to Intersection Crashes Using Event Data Recorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Scanlon, John M; Kusano, Kristofer D; Gabler, Hampton C

2015-01-01

Intersection crashes account for over 4,500 fatalities in the United States each year. Intersection Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (I-ADAS) are emerging vehicle-based active safety systems that have the potential to help drivers safely navigate across intersections and prevent intersection crashes and injuries. The performance of an I-ADAS is expected to be highly dependent upon driver evasive maneuvering prior to an intersection crash. Little has been published, however, on the detailed evasive kinematics followed by drivers prior to real-world intersection crashes. The objective of this study was to characterize the frequency, timing, and kinematics of driver evasive maneuvers prior to intersection crashes. Event data recorders (EDRs) downloaded from vehicles involved in intersection crashes were investigated as part of NASS-CDS years 2001 to 2013. A total of 135 EDRs with precrash vehicle speed and braking application were downloaded to investigate evasive braking. A smaller subset of 59 EDRs that collected vehicle yaw rate was additionally analyzed to investigate evasive steering. Each vehicle was assigned to one of 3 precrash movement classifiers (traveling through the intersection, completely stopped, or rolling stop) based on the vehicle's calculated acceleration and observed velocity profile. To ensure that any significant steering input observed was an attempted evasive maneuver, the analysis excluded vehicles at intersections that were turning, driving on a curved road, or performing a lane change. Braking application at the last EDR-recorded time point was assumed to indicate evasive braking. A vehicle yaw rate greater than 4° per second was assumed to indicate an evasive steering maneuver. Drivers executed crash avoidance maneuvers in four-fifths of intersection crashes. A more detailed analysis of evasive braking frequency by precrash maneuver revealed that drivers performing complete or rolling stops (61.3%) braked less often than drivers

Incorporating priors for EEG source imaging and connectivity analysis

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Xu eLei

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Electroencephalography source imaging (ESI is a useful technique to localize the generators from a given scalp electric measurement and to investigate the temporal dynamics of the large-scale neural circuits. By introducing reasonable priors from other modalities, ESI reveals the most probable sources and communication structures at every moment in time. Here, we review the available priors from such techniques as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, functional MRI (fMRI, and positron emission tomography (PET. The modality's specific contribution is analyzed from the perspective of source reconstruction. For spatial priors, such as EEG-correlated fMRI, temporally coherent networks and resting-state fMRI are systematically introduced in the ESI. Moreover, the fiber tracking (diffusion tensor imaging, DTI and neuro-stimulation techniques (transcranial magnetic stimulation, TMS are also introduced as the potential priors, which can help to draw inferences about the neuroelectric connectivity in the source space. We conclude that combining EEG source imaging with other complementary modalities is a promising approach towards the study of brain networks in cognitive and clinical neurosciences.

Can Prior Knowledge Hurt Text Comprehension? An Answer Borrowed from Plato, Aristotle, and Descartes.

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, Lawrence B.

Taking a philosophical approach based on what Plato, Aristotle, and Descartes said about knowledge, this paper addresses some of the murkiness in the conceptual space surrounding the issue of whether prior knowledge does or does not facilitate text comprehension. Specifically, the paper first develops a non-exhaustive typology of cases in which…

Does prior coronary artery bypass surgery alter the gender gap in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome? A 20-year retrospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Aqeedi, Rafid Fayadh; Al Suwaidi, Jassim; Singh, Rajvir; Al Binali, Hajar A

2012-01-01

Previous studies demonstrated women presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have poor outcomes when compared with men 'the gender gap phenomenon'. The impact of prior coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) on women presenting with ACS is unknown. We hypothesised that the gender gap is altered in ACS patients with prior CABG. The aim of this study was to evaluate patients presenting with ACS according to their gender and history of prior CABG. Retrospective, observational (cohort) study. Data were collected from hospital-based registry of patients hospitalised with ACS in Doha, Qatar, from 1991 through 2010. The data were analysed according to their gender and history of prior CABG. A total of 16 750 consecutive patients with ACS were studied. In total, 693 (4.3%) patients had prior CABG; among them 125 (18%) patients were women. Comparisons of clinical characteristics, inhospital treatment, and outcomes, including inhospital mortality and stroke were made. Women with or without prior CABG were older, less likely to be smokers, but more likely to have diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension and renal impairment than men (p=0.001). Women were less likely to receive reperfusion and early invasive therapies. When compared with men, women without prior CABG carried higher inhospital mortality (11% vs 4.9%; p=0.001) and stroke rates (0.9% vs 0.3%; p=0.001). Female gender was independent predictor of poor outcome. Among prior CABG patients, despite the fact that women had worse baseline characteristics and were less likely to receive evidence-based therapy, there were no significant differences in mortality or stroke rates between the two groups. Consistent with the world literature, women presenting with ACS and without prior CABG had higher death rates compared with men. Patients with prior CABG had comparable death rates regardless of the gender status.

Action priors for learning domain invariances

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Rosman, Benjamin S

2015-04-01

Full Text Available behavioural invariances in the domain, by identifying actions to be prioritised in local contexts, invariant to task details. This information has the effect of greatly increasing the speed of solving new problems. We formalise this notion as action priors...

Bayesian road safety analysis: incorporation of past evidence and effect of hyper-prior choice.

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda-Moreno, Luis F; Heydari, Shahram; Lord, Dominique; Fu, Liping

2013-09-01

This paper aims to address two related issues when applying hierarchical Bayesian models for road safety analysis, namely: (a) how to incorporate available information from previous studies or past experiences in the (hyper) prior distributions for model parameters and (b) what are the potential benefits of incorporating past evidence on the results of a road safety analysis when working with scarce accident data (i.e., when calibrating models with crash datasets characterized by a very low average number of accidents and a small number of sites). A simulation framework was developed to evaluate the performance of alternative hyper-priors including informative and non-informative Gamma, Pareto, as well as Uniform distributions. Based on this simulation framework, different data scenarios (i.e., number of observations and years of data) were defined and tested using crash data collected at 3-legged rural intersections in California and crash data collected for rural 4-lane highway segments in Texas. This study shows how the accuracy of model parameter estimates (inverse dispersion parameter) is considerably improved when incorporating past evidence, in particular when working with the small number of observations and crash data with low mean. The results also illustrates that when the sample size (more than 100 sites) and the number of years of crash data is relatively large, neither the incorporation of past experience nor the choice of the hyper-prior distribution may affect the final results of a traffic safety analysis. As a potential solution to the problem of low sample mean and small sample size, this paper suggests some practical guidance on how to incorporate past evidence into informative hyper-priors. By combining evidence from past studies and data available, the model parameter estimates can significantly be improved. The effect of prior choice seems to be less important on the hotspot identification. The results show the benefits of incorporating prior

Active Prior Tactile Knowledge Transfer for Learning Tactual Properties of New Objects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Di Feng

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Reusing the tactile knowledge of some previously-explored objects (prior objects helps us to easily recognize the tactual properties of new objects. In this paper, we enable a robotic arm equipped with multi-modal artificial skin, like humans, to actively transfer the prior tactile exploratory action experiences when it learns the detailed physical properties of new objects. These experiences, or prior tactile knowledge, are built by the feature observations that the robot perceives from multiple sensory modalities, when it applies the pressing, sliding, and static contact movements on objects with different action parameters. We call our method Active Prior Tactile Knowledge Transfer (APTKT, and systematically evaluated its performance by several experiments. Results show that the robot improved the discrimination accuracy by around 10 % when it used only one training sample with the feature observations of prior objects. By further incorporating the predictions from the observation models of prior objects as auxiliary features, our method improved the discrimination accuracy by over 20 % . The results also show that the proposed method is robust against transferring irrelevant prior tactile knowledge (negative knowledge transfer.

Mature women and the New Zealand qualifications framework. realising the potential of recognising prior learning

OpenAIRE

Kamp, Annelies

2003-01-01

Against a backtground of 'second-wave' lifelong learning in Aotearoa New Zealand a new framework for post-compulsory national qualfications was introduced. The restulting competency-based system was argued to present a number of benefits for mature women including flexibility in curriculum and delivery and portability across educational sectors. Competency-based education was to include provision for recognition of prior skills and knowledge gained in formal learning environments and the work...

Creating illusions of knowledge: learning errors that contradict prior knowledge.

Science.gov (United States)

Fazio, Lisa K; Barber, Sarah J; Rajaram, Suparna; Ornstein, Peter A; Marsh, Elizabeth J

2013-02-01

Most people know that the Pacific is the largest ocean on Earth and that Edison invented the light bulb. Our question is whether this knowledge is stable, or if people will incorporate errors into their knowledge bases, even if they have the correct knowledge stored in memory. To test this, we asked participants general-knowledge questions 2 weeks before they read stories that contained errors (e.g., "Franklin invented the light bulb"). On a later general-knowledge test, participants reproduced story errors despite previously answering the questions correctly. This misinformation effect was found even for questions that were answered correctly on the initial test with the highest level of confidence. Furthermore, prior knowledge offered no protection against errors entering the knowledge base; the misinformation effect was equivalent for previously known and unknown facts. Errors can enter the knowledge base even when learners have the knowledge necessary to catch the errors. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Andrographolide suppresses thymic stromal lymphopoietin in phorbol myristate acetate/calcium ionophore A23187-activated mast cells and 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis-like mice model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li CX

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Chun-xiao Li,* Hua-guo Li,* Hui Zhang,* Ru-hong Cheng, Ming Li, Jian-ying Liang, Yan Gu, Bo Ling, Zhi-rong Yao, Hong Yu Department of Dermatology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD is one of the most common inflammatory cutaneous diseases. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP has been demonstrated to be an important immunologic factor in the pathogenesis of AD. The production of TSLP can be induced by a high level of intracellular calcium concentration and activation of the receptor-interacting protein 2/caspase-1/NF-κB pathway. Andrographolide (ANDRO, a natural bicyclic diterpenoid lactone, has been found to exert anti-inflammatory effects in gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders through suppressing the NF-κB pathway. Objective: To explore the effect of ANDRO on the production of TSLP in human mast cells and AD mice model. Methods: We utilized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis, Western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence staining assay to investigate the effects of ANDRO on AD. Results: ANDRO ameliorated the increase in the intracellular calcium, protein, and messenger RNA levels of TSLP induced by phorbol myristate acetate/calcium ionophore A23187, through the blocking of the receptor-interacting protein 2/caspase-1/NF-κB pathway in human mast cell line 1 cells. ANDRO, via oral or local administration, also attenuated clinical symptoms in 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene-induced AD mice model and suppressed the levels of TSLP in lesional skin. Conclusion: Taken together, ANDRO may be a potential therapeutic agent for AD through suppressing the expression of TSLP. Keywords: atopic dermatitis, thymic stromal lymphopoietin, andrographolide, human mast cell

Incorporating prior information into differential network analysis using non-paranormal graphical models.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiao-Fei; Ou-Yang, Le; Yan, Hong

2017-08-15

Understanding how gene regulatory networks change under different cellular states is important for revealing insights into network dynamics. Gaussian graphical models, which assume that the data follow a joint normal distribution, have been used recently to infer differential networks. However, the distributions of the omics data are non-normal in general. Furthermore, although much biological knowledge (or prior information) has been accumulated, most existing methods ignore the valuable prior information. Therefore, new statistical methods are needed to relax the normality assumption and make full use of prior information. We propose a new differential network analysis method to address the above challenges. Instead of using Gaussian graphical models, we employ a non-paranormal graphical model that can relax the normality assumption. We develop a principled model to take into account the following prior information: (i) a differential edge less likely exists between two genes that do not participate together in the same pathway; (ii) changes in the networks are driven by certain regulator genes that are perturbed across different cellular states and (iii) the differential networks estimated from multi-view gene expression data likely share common structures. Simulation studies demonstrate that our method outperforms other graphical model-based algorithms. We apply our method to identify the differential networks between platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant ovarian tumors, and the differential networks between the proneural and mesenchymal subtypes of glioblastoma. Hub nodes in the estimated differential networks rediscover known cancer-related regulator genes and contain interesting predictions. The source code is at https://github.com/Zhangxf-ccnu/pDNA. szuouyl@gmail.com. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Incremental Theory of Intelligence Moderated the Relationship between Prior Achievement and School Engagement in Chinese High School Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ping; Zhou, Nan; Zhang, Yuchi; Xiong, Qing; Nie, Ruihong; Fang, Xiaoyi

2017-01-01

School engagement plays a prominent role in promoting academic accomplishments. In contrast to the relative wealth of research that examined the impact of students' school engagement on their academic achievement, considerably less research has investigated the effect of high school students' prior achievement on their school engagement. The present study examined the relationship between prior achievement and school engagement among Chinese high school students. Based on the Dweck's social-cognitive theory of motivation, we further examined the moderating effect of students' theories of intelligence (TOIs) on this relationship. A total of 4036 (2066 girls) students from five public high school enrolled in grades 10 reported their high school entrance exam achievement in Chinese, Math and English, school engagement, and TOIs. Results showed that (a) students' prior achievement predicted their behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement, respectively, and (b) the association between prior achievement and behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement is strong for students with an incremental theory but not for those with an entity theory in the emotional and cognitive engagement. These findings suggest that prior achievement and incremental theory were implicated in relation to adolescents' school engagement. Implications and future research directions were discussed.

Incremental Theory of Intelligence Moderated the Relationship between Prior Achievement and School Engagement in Chinese High School Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ping Li

2017-09-01

Full Text Available School engagement plays a prominent role in promoting academic accomplishments. In contrast to the relative wealth of research that examined the impact of students’ school engagement on their academic achievement, considerably less research has investigated the effect of high school students’ prior achievement on their school engagement. The present study examined the relationship between prior achievement and school engagement among Chinese high school students. Based on the Dweck’s social-cognitive theory of motivation, we further examined the moderating effect of students’ theories of intelligence (TOIs on this relationship. A total of 4036 (2066 girls students from five public high school enrolled in grades 10 reported their high school entrance exam achievement in Chinese, Math and English, school engagement, and TOIs. Results showed that (a students’ prior achievement predicted their behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement, respectively, and (b the association between prior achievement and behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement is strong for students with an incremental theory but not for those with an entity theory in the emotional and cognitive engagement. These findings suggest that prior achievement and incremental theory were implicated in relation to adolescents’ school engagement. Implications and future research directions were discussed.

Prior elicitation: Interactive spreadsheet graphics with sliders can be fun, and informative

OpenAIRE

Jones, G; Johnson, WO

2014-01-01

There are several approaches to setting priors in Bayesian data analysis. Some attempt to minimize the impact of the prior on the posterior, allowing the data to "speak for themselves," or to provide Bayesian inferences that have good frequentist properties. In contrast, this note focuses on priors where scientific knowledge is used, possibly partially informative. There are many articles on the use of such subjective information. We focus on using standard software for eliciting priors from ...

Wavelet-based resolution recovery using an anatomical prior provides quantitative recovery for human population phantom PET [11C]raclopride data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shidahara, M; Tamura, H; Tsoumpas, C; McGinnity, C J; Hammers, A; Turkheimer, F E; Kato, T; Watabe, H

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate a resolution recovery (RR) method using a variety of simulated human brain [ 11 C]raclopride positron emission tomography (PET) images. Simulated datasets of 15 numerical human phantoms were processed by a wavelet-based RR method using an anatomical prior. The anatomical prior was in the form of a hybrid segmented atlas, which combined an atlas for anatomical labelling and a PET image for functional labelling of each anatomical structure. We applied RR to both 60 min static and dynamic PET images. Recovery was quantified in 84 regions, comparing the typical ‘true’ value for the simulation, as obtained in normal subjects, simulated and RR PET images. The radioactivity concentration in the white matter, striatum and other cortical regions was successfully recovered for the 60 min static image of all 15 human phantoms; the dependence of the solution on accurate anatomical information was demonstrated by the difficulty of the technique to retrieve the subthalamic nuclei due to mismatch between the two atlases used for data simulation and recovery. Structural and functional synergy for resolution recovery (SFS-RR) improved quantification in the caudate and putamen, the main regions of interest, from −30.1% and −26.2% to −17.6% and −15.1%, respectively, for the 60 min static image and from −51.4% and −38.3% to −27.6% and −20.3% for the binding potential (BP ND ) image, respectively. The proposed methodology proved effective in the RR of small structures from brain [ 11 C]raclopride PET images. The improvement is consistent across the anatomical variability of a simulated population as long as accurate anatomical segmentations are provided. (paper)

Physical examination prior to initiating hormonal contraception: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Tepper, Naomi K; Curtis, Kathryn M; Steenland, Maria W; Marchbanks, Polly A

2013-05-01

Provision of contraception is often linked with physical examination, including clinical breast examination (CBE) and pelvic examination. This review was conducted to evaluate the evidence regarding outcomes among women with and without physical examination prior to initiating hormonal contraceptives. The PubMed database was searched from database inception through March 2012 for all peer-reviewed articles in any language concerning CBE and pelvic examination prior to initiating hormonal contraceptives. The quality of each study was assessed using the United States Preventive Services Task Force grading system. The search did not identify any evidence regarding outcomes among women screened versus not screened with CBE prior to initiation of hormonal contraceptives. The search identified two case-control studies of fair quality which compared women who did or did not undergo pelvic examination prior to initiating oral contraceptives (OCs) or depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA). No differences in risk factors for cervical neoplasia, incidence of sexually transmitted infections, incidence of abnormal Pap smears or incidence of abnormal wet mount findings were observed. Although women with breast cancer should not use hormonal contraceptives, there is little utility in screening prior to initiation, due to the low incidence of breast cancer and uncertain value of CBE among women of reproductive age. Two fair quality studies demonstrated no differences between women who did or did not undergo pelvic examination prior to initiating OCs or DMPA with respect to risk factors or clinical outcomes. In addition, pelvic examination is not likely to detect any conditions for which hormonal contraceptives would be unsafe. Published by Elsevier Inc.

46 CFR 221.111 - Status of prior transactions-controlling dates.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Status of prior transactions-controlling dates. 221.111 Section 221.111 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION REGULATIONS AFFECTING... MARITIME INTERESTS Savings Provisions § 221.111 Status of prior transactions—controlling dates. (a) The...

On the use of a pruning prior for neural networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goutte, Cyril

1996-01-01

We address the problem of using a regularization prior that prunes unnecessary weights in a neural network architecture. This prior provides a convenient alternative to traditional weight-decay. Two examples are studied to support this method and illustrate its use. First we use the sunspots...

Prior indigenous technological species

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Jason T.

2018-01-01

One of the primary open questions of astrobiology is whether there is extant or extinct life elsewhere the solar system. Implicit in much of this work is that we are looking for microbial or, at best, unintelligent life, even though technological artefacts might be much easier to find. Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) work on searches for alien artefacts in the solar system typically presumes that such artefacts would be of extrasolar origin, even though life is known to have existed in the solar system, on Earth, for eons. But if a prior technological, perhaps spacefaring, species ever arose in the solar system, it might have produced artefacts or other technosignatures that have survived to present day, meaning solar system artefact SETI provides a potential path to resolving astrobiology's question. Here, I discuss the origins and possible locations for technosignatures of such a prior indigenous technological species, which might have arisen on ancient Earth or another body, such as a pre-greenhouse Venus or a wet Mars. In the case of Venus, the arrival of its global greenhouse and potential resurfacing might have erased all evidence of its existence on the Venusian surface. In the case of Earth, erosion and, ultimately, plate tectonics may have erased most such evidence if the species lived Gyr ago. Remaining indigenous technosignatures might be expected to be extremely old, limiting the places they might still be found to beneath the surfaces of Mars and the Moon, or in the outer solar system.

Prior information in structure estimation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kárný, Miroslav; Nedoma, Petr; Khailova, Natalia; Pavelková, Lenka

2003-01-01

Roč. 150, č. 6 (2003), s. 643-653 ISSN 1350-2379 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IBS1075102; GA AV ČR IBS1075351; GA ČR GA102/03/0049 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1075907 Keywords : prior knowledge * structure estimation * autoregressive models Subject RIV: BC - Control Systems Theory Impact factor: 0.745, year: 2003 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/historie/karny-0411258.pdf

Atezolizumab in Platinum-treated Locally Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma: Outcomes by Prior Number of Regimens.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Gracia, Jose Luis; Loriot, Yohann; Rosenberg, Jonathan E; Powles, Thomas; Necchi, Andrea; Hussain, Syed A; Morales-Barrera, Rafael; Retz, Margitta M; Niegisch, Günter; Durán, Ignacio; Théodore, Christine; Grande, Enrique; Shen, Xiaodong; Wang, Jingjing; Nelson, Betty; Derleth, Christina L; van der Heijden, Michiel S

2017-12-19

Patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) who progress after platinum-based chemotherapy have had few treatment options and uniformly poor outcomes. Atezolizumab (anti-programmed death-ligand 1) was approved in the USA for cisplatin-ineligible and platinum-treated mUC based on IMvigor210, a phase 2, single-arm, two-cohort study. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of atezolizumab by the number of prior lines of systemic therapy in patients with pretreated mUC. IMvigor210 enrolled 315 patients with mUC with progression during or following platinum-based therapy at 70 international sites between May 2014 and November 2014. Key inclusion criteria included age ≥18 yr, creatinine clearance ≥30ml/min, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-1, with no limit on prior lines of treatment. Patients in this cohort received atezolizumab 1200mg intravenously every 3 wk until loss of clinical benefit. Centrally assessed Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors v1.1 objective response rate (ORR), median duration of response, overall survival (OS), and adverse events were evaluated by prior treatment. Potential differences between subgroups were evaluated using log-rank (for OS) and chi-square (for ORR and adverse events frequencies) testing. Three hundred and ten patients were efficacy and safety evaluable (median follow-up, 21 mo). Objective responses and prolonged OS occurred across all prespecified subgroups; median duration of response was not reached in most subgroups. In patients without prior systemic mUC therapy (first-line subgroup), ORR was 25% (95% confidence interval: 14-38), and median OS was 9.6 mo (95% confidence interval: 5.9-15.8). No significant differences in efficacy or toxicity by therapy line were observed. Atezolizumab demonstrated comparable efficacy and safety in previously treated patients with mUC across all lines of therapy evaluated. We investigated effects of previous treatment in patients with metastatic

Persistency of priors-induced bias in decision behavior and the fMRI signal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathleen eHansen

2011-03-01

Full Text Available It is well known that people take advantage of prior knowledge to bias decisions. To investigate this phenomenon behaviorally and in the brain, we acquired fMRI data while human subjects viewed ambiguous abstract shapes and decided whether a shape was of Category A (smoother or B (bumpier. The decision was made in the context of one of two prior knowledge cues, 80/20 and 50/50. The 80/20 cue indicated that upcoming shapes had an 80% probability of being of one category, e.g. B, and a 20% probability of being of the other. The 50/50 cue indicated that upcoming shapes had an equal probability of being of either category. The ideal observer would bias decisions in favor of the indicated alternative at 80/20 and show zero bias at 50/50. We found that subjects did bias their decisions in the predicted direction at 80/20 but did not show zero bias at 50/50. Instead, at 50/50 the subjects retained biases of the same sign as their 80/20 biases, though of diminished magnitude. The signature of a persistent though diminished bias at 50/50 was also evident in fMRI data from frontal and parietal regions previously implicated in decision-making. As a control, we acquired fMRI data from naïve subjects who experienced only the 50/50 stimulus distributions during both the prescan training and the fMRI experiment. The behavioral and fMRI data from the naïve subjects reflected decision biases closer to those of the ideal observer than those of the prior knowledge subjects at 50/50. The results indicate that practice making decisions in the context of non-equal prior probabilities biases decisions made later when prior probabilities are equal. This finding may be related to the anchoring and adjustment strategy described in the psychology, economics and marketing literatures, in which subjects adjust a first approximation response – the anchor – based on additional information, typically applying insufficient adjustment relative to the ideal observer.

Acceleration to failure in geophysical signals prior to laboratory rock failure and volcanic eruptions (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Main, I. G.; Bell, A. F.; Greenhough, J.; Heap, M. J.; Meredith, P. G.

2010-12-01

The nucleation processes that ultimately lead to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, rock bursts in mines, and landslides from cliff slopes are likely to be controlled at some scale by brittle failure of the Earth’s crust. In laboratory brittle deformation experiments geophysical signals commonly exhibit an accelerating trend prior to dynamic failure. Similar signals have been observed prior to volcanic eruptions, including volcano-tectonic earthquake event and moment release rates. Despite a large amount of effort in the search, no such statistically robust systematic trend is found prior to natural earthquakes. Here we describe the results of a suite of laboratory tests on Mount Etna Basalt and other rocks to examine the nature of the non-linear scaling from laboratory to field conditions, notably using laboratory ‘creep’ tests to reduce the boundary strain rate to conditions more similar to those in the field. Seismic event rate, seismic moment release rate and rate of porosity change show a classic ‘bathtub’ graph that can be derived from a simple damage model based on separate transient and accelerating sub-critical crack growth mechanisms, resulting from separate processes of negative and positive feedback in the population dynamics. The signals exhibit clear precursors based on formal statistical model tests using maximum likelihood techniques with Poisson errors. After correcting for the finite loading time of the signal, the results show a transient creep rate that decays as a classic Omori law for earthquake aftershocks, and remarkably with an exponent near unity, as commonly observed for natural earthquake sequences. The accelerating trend follows an inverse power law when fitted in retrospect, i.e. with prior knowledge of the failure time. In contrast the strain measured on the sample boundary shows a less obvious but still accelerating signal that is often absent altogether in natural strain data prior to volcanic eruptions. To test the

Validity in assessment of prior learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wahlgren, Bjarne; Aarkrog, Vibe

2015-01-01

, the article discusses the need for specific criteria for assessment. The reliability and validity of the assessment procedures depend on whether the competences are well-defined, and whether the teachers are adequately trained for the assessment procedures. Keywords: assessment, prior learning, adult...... education, vocational training, lifelong learning, validity...

A Frequency Matching Method: Solving Inverse Problems by Use of Geologically Realistic Prior Information

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lange, Katrine; Frydendall, Jan; Cordua, Knud Skou

2012-01-01

The frequency matching method defines a closed form expression for a complex prior that quantifies the higher order statistics of a proposed solution model to an inverse problem. While existing solution methods to inverse problems are capable of sampling the solution space while taking into account...... arbitrarily complex a priori information defined by sample algorithms, it is not possible to directly compute the maximum a posteriori model, as the prior probability of a solution model cannot be expressed. We demonstrate how the frequency matching method enables us to compute the maximum a posteriori...... solution model to an inverse problem by using a priori information based on multiple point statistics learned from training images. We demonstrate the applicability of the suggested method on a synthetic tomographic crosshole inverse problem....

Prior authorisation schemes: trade barriers in need of scientific justification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meulen, van der B.M.J.

2010-01-01

Case C-333/08 Commission v. French Republic ‘processing aids’ [2010] ECR-0000 French prior authorisation scheme for processing aids in food production infringes upon Article 34 TFEU** 1. A prior authorisation scheme not complying with the principle of proportionality, infringes upon Article 34 TFEU.

Control of poultry coccidiosis: changing trends.

Science.gov (United States)

Tewari, A K; Maharana, B R

2011-06-01

Coccidiosis is the most important protozoan disease affecting the poultry industry worldwide. Control of poultry coccidiosis is presently based on managerial skills and the use of prophylactic coccidiostatic drugs. With the emergence of drug resistant Eimeria strains, emphasis has been laid on development and use of safer vaccines; some of them have been commercialized successfully. The present review deals with the various factors responsible for the development of clinical coccidiosis in poultry as well as an overview of the currently available inducers and boosters of immunity against coccidiosis. There are three groups of vaccines currently available against coccidiosis which can be distinguished on the basis of characteristics of the Eimeria species included in the respective products, viz. vaccines based on live virulent strains, vaccines based on live attenuated strains, and vaccines based on live strains that are relatively tolerant to the ionophore compounds. The latter vaccine combines the early chemotherapeutic effect of ionophores with the late prophylactic effect of vaccination. Although in the near future more varieties of oocyst based live vaccines are expected, identification of selective coccidian-specific immunoprotective molecules is likely to get more attention to facilitate the sustainable control of poultry coccidiosis.

Stochastic formulation of patient positioning using linac-mounted cone beam imaging with prior knowledge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoegele, W.; Loeschel, R.; Dobler, B.; Hesser, J.; Koelbl, O.; Zygmanski, P.

2011-01-01

Purpose: In this work, a novel stochastic framework for patient positioning based on linac-mounted CB projections is introduced. Based on this formulation, the most probable shifts and rotations of the patient are estimated, incorporating interfractional deformations of patient anatomy and other uncertainties associated with patient setup. Methods: The target position is assumed to be defined by and is stochastically determined from positions of various features such as anatomical landmarks or markers in CB projections, i.e., radiographs acquired with a CB-CT system. The patient positioning problem of finding the target location from CB projections is posed as an inverse problem with prior knowledge and is solved using a Bayesian maximum a posteriori (MAP) approach. The prior knowledge is three-fold and includes the accuracy of an initial patient setup (such as in-room laser and skin marks), the plasticity of the body (relative shifts between target and features), and the feature detection error in CB projections (which may vary depending on specific detection algorithm and feature type). For this purpose, MAP estimators are derived and a procedure of using them in clinical practice is outlined. Furthermore, a rule of thumb is theoretically derived, relating basic parameters of the prior knowledge (initial setup accuracy, plasticity of the body, and number of features) and the parameters of CB data acquisition (number of projections and accuracy of feature detection) to the expected estimation accuracy. Results: MAP estimation can be applied to arbitrary features and detection algorithms. However, to experimentally demonstrate its applicability and to perform the validation of the algorithm, a water-equivalent, deformable phantom with features represented by six 1 mm chrome balls were utilized. These features were detected in the cone beam projections (XVI, Elekta Synergy) by a local threshold method for demonstration purposes only. The accuracy of estimation

Optimized UAV Communication Protocol Based on Prior Locations

OpenAIRE

Sboui, Lokman; Rabah, Abdullatif

2015-01-01

In this paper, we adopt a new communication protocol between the UAV and fixed on-ground nodes. This protocol tends to reduce communication power consumption by stopping communication if the channel is not good to communicate (i.e. far nodes, obstacles, etc.) The communication is performed using the XBee 868M standard and Libelium wapsmotes. Our designed protocol is based on a new communication model that we propose in this paper. The protocole decides wether to communicate or not after compu...

Generalized species sampling priors with latent Beta reinforcements

Science.gov (United States)

Airoldi, Edoardo M.; Costa, Thiago; Bassetti, Federico; Leisen, Fabrizio; Guindani, Michele

2014-01-01

Many popular Bayesian nonparametric priors can be characterized in terms of exchangeable species sampling sequences. However, in some applications, exchangeability may not be appropriate. We introduce a novel and probabilistically coherent family of non-exchangeable species sampling sequences characterized by a tractable predictive probability function with weights driven by a sequence of independent Beta random variables. We compare their theoretical clustering properties with those of the Dirichlet Process and the two parameters Poisson-Dirichlet process. The proposed construction provides a complete characterization of the joint process, differently from existing work. We then propose the use of such process as prior distribution in a hierarchical Bayes modeling framework, and we describe a Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampler for posterior inference. We evaluate the performance of the prior and the robustness of the resulting inference in a simulation study, providing a comparison with popular Dirichlet Processes mixtures and Hidden Markov Models. Finally, we develop an application to the detection of chromosomal aberrations in breast cancer by leveraging array CGH data. PMID:25870462

WE-G-BRD-06: Volumetric Cine MRI (VC-MRI) Estimated Based On Prior Knowledge for On-Board Target Localization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, W; Yin, F; Cai, J; Zhang, Y; Ren, L

2015-01-01

Purpose: To develop a technique to generate on-board VC-MRI using patient prior 4D-MRI, motion modeling and on-board 2D-cine MRI for real-time 3D target verification of liver and lung radiotherapy. Methods: The end-expiration phase images of a 4D-MRI acquired during patient simulation are used as patient prior images. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to extract 3 major respiratory deformation patterns from the Deformation Field Maps (DFMs) generated between end-expiration phase and all other phases. On-board 2D-cine MRI images are acquired in the axial view. The on-board VC-MRI at any instant is considered as a deformation of the prior MRI at the end-expiration phase. The DFM is represented as a linear combination of the 3 major deformation patterns. The coefficients of the deformation patterns are solved by matching the corresponding 2D slice of the estimated VC-MRI with the acquired single 2D-cine MRI. The method was evaluated using both XCAT (a computerized patient model) simulation of lung cancer patients and MRI data from a real liver cancer patient. The 3D-MRI at every phase except end-expiration phase was used to simulate the ground-truth on-board VC-MRI at different instances, and the center-tumor slice was selected to simulate the on-board 2D-cine images. Results: Image subtraction of ground truth with estimated on-board VC-MRI shows fewer differences than image subtraction of ground truth with prior image. Excellent agreement between profiles was achieved. The normalized cross correlation coefficients between the estimated and ground-truth in the axial, coronal and sagittal views for each time step were >= 0.982, 0.905, 0.961 for XCAT data and >= 0.998, 0.911, 0.9541 for patient data. For XCAT data, the maximum-Volume-Percent-Difference between ground-truth and estimated tumor volumes was 1.6% and the maximum-Center-of-Mass-Shift was 0.9 mm. Conclusion: Preliminary studies demonstrated the feasibility to estimate real-time VC-MRI for on

WE-G-BRD-06: Volumetric Cine MRI (VC-MRI) Estimated Based On Prior Knowledge for On-Board Target Localization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harris, W; Yin, F; Cai, J; Zhang, Y; Ren, L [Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: To develop a technique to generate on-board VC-MRI using patient prior 4D-MRI, motion modeling and on-board 2D-cine MRI for real-time 3D target verification of liver and lung radiotherapy. Methods: The end-expiration phase images of a 4D-MRI acquired during patient simulation are used as patient prior images. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to extract 3 major respiratory deformation patterns from the Deformation Field Maps (DFMs) generated between end-expiration phase and all other phases. On-board 2D-cine MRI images are acquired in the axial view. The on-board VC-MRI at any instant is considered as a deformation of the prior MRI at the end-expiration phase. The DFM is represented as a linear combination of the 3 major deformation patterns. The coefficients of the deformation patterns are solved by matching the corresponding 2D slice of the estimated VC-MRI with the acquired single 2D-cine MRI. The method was evaluated using both XCAT (a computerized patient model) simulation of lung cancer patients and MRI data from a real liver cancer patient. The 3D-MRI at every phase except end-expiration phase was used to simulate the ground-truth on-board VC-MRI at different instances, and the center-tumor slice was selected to simulate the on-board 2D-cine images. Results: Image subtraction of ground truth with estimated on-board VC-MRI shows fewer differences than image subtraction of ground truth with prior image. Excellent agreement between profiles was achieved. The normalized cross correlation coefficients between the estimated and ground-truth in the axial, coronal and sagittal views for each time step were >= 0.982, 0.905, 0.961 for XCAT data and >= 0.998, 0.911, 0.9541 for patient data. For XCAT data, the maximum-Volume-Percent-Difference between ground-truth and estimated tumor volumes was 1.6% and the maximum-Center-of-Mass-Shift was 0.9 mm. Conclusion: Preliminary studies demonstrated the feasibility to estimate real-time VC-MRI for on

Underwater image enhancement based on the dark channel prior and attenuation compensation

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Qingwen; Xue, Lulu; Tang, Ruichun; Guo, Lingrui

2017-10-01

Aimed at the two problems of underwater imaging, fog effect and color cast, an Improved Segmentation Dark Channel Prior (ISDCP) defogging method is proposed to solve the fog effects caused by physical properties of water. Due to mass refraction of light in the process of underwater imaging, fog effects would lead to image blurring. And color cast is closely related to different degree of attenuation while light with different wavelengths is traveling in water. The proposed method here integrates the ISDCP and quantitative histogram stretching techniques into the image enhancement procedure. Firstly, the threshold value is set during the refinement process of the transmission maps to identify the original mismatching, and to conduct the differentiated defogging process further. Secondly, a method of judging the propagating distance of light is adopted to get the attenuation degree of energy during the propagation underwater. Finally, the image histogram is stretched quantitatively in Red-Green-Blue channel respectively according to the degree of attenuation in each color channel. The proposed method ISDCP can reduce the computational complexity and improve the efficiency in terms of defogging effect to meet the real-time requirements. Qualitative and quantitative comparison for several different underwater scenes reveals that the proposed method can significantly improve the visibility compared with previous methods.

A cerium(III) selective polyvinyl chloride membrane sensor based on a Schiff base complex of N,N'-bis[2-(salicylideneamino)ethyl]ethane-1,2-diamine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, Vinod Kumar; Singh, A.K.; Gupta, Barkha

2006-01-01

A polyvinyl chloride (PVC) based membrane sensor for cerium ions was prepared by employing N,N'-bis[2-(salicylideneamino)ethyl]ethane-1,2-diamine as an ionophore, oleic acid (OA) as anion excluder and o-nitrophenyloctyl ether (o-NPOE) as plasticizer. The plasticized membrane sensor exhibits a Nernstian response for Ce(III) ions over a wide concentration range (1.41 x 10 -7 to 1.0 x 10 -2 M) with a limit of detection as low as 8.91 x 10 -8 M. It has a fast response time (<10 s) and can be used for 4 months. The sensor revealed a very good selectivity with respect to common alkali, alkaline earth and heavy metal ions. The response of the proposed sensor is independent of pH between 3.0 and 8.0. It was used as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of fluoride, carbonate and oxalate anions and determination of cerium in simulated mixtures

Prior Authorization of PMDs Demonstration - Status Update

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — CMS implemented a Prior Authorization process for scooters and power wheelchairs for people with Fee-For-Service Medicare who reside in seven states with high...

Short Report Biochemical derangements prior to emergency ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

MMJ VOL 29 (1): March 2017. Biochemical derangements prior to emergency laparotomy at QECH 55. Malawi Medical Journal 29 (1): March 2017 ... Venepuncture was performed preoperatively for urgent cases, defined as those requiring.

Obstacles to prior art searching by the trilateral patent offices: empirical evidence from International Search Reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Wada, Tetsuo

Despite many empirical studies having been carried out on examiner patent citations, few have scrutinized the obstacles to prior art searching when adding patent citations during patent prosecution at patent offices. This analysis takes advantage of the longitudinal gap between an International Search Report (ISR) as required by the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and subsequent national examination procedures. We investigate whether several kinds of distance actually affect the probability that prior art is detected at the time of an ISR; this occurs much earlier than in national phase examinations. Based on triadic PCT applications between 2002 and 2005 for the trilateral patent offices (the European Patent Office, the US Patent and Trademark Office, and the Japan Patent Office) and their family-level citations made by the trilateral offices, we find evidence that geographical distance negatively affects the probability of capture of prior patents in an ISR. In addition, the technological complexity of an application negatively affects the probability of capture, whereas the volume of forward citations of prior art affects it positively. These results demonstrate the presence of obstacles to searching at patent offices, and suggest ways to design work sharing by patent offices, such that the duplication of search costs arises only when patent office search horizons overlap.

29 CFR 553.23 - Agreement or understanding prior to performance of work.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Agreement or understanding prior to performance of work... understanding prior to performance of work. (a) General. (1) As a condition for use of compensatory time in lieu... reached prior to the performance of work. This can be accomplished pursuant to a collective bargaining...

7 CFR 4290.480 - Prior approval of changes to RBIC's business plan.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Prior approval of changes to RBIC's business plan... § 4290.480 Prior approval of changes to RBIC's business plan. Without the Secretary's prior written approval, no change in your business plan, upon which you were selected and licensed as a RBIC, may take...

Drunkorexia: Calorie Restriction Prior to Alcohol Consumption among College Freshman

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, Sloane C.; Cremeens, Jennifer; Vail-Smith, Karen; Woolsey, Conrad

2010-01-01

Using a sample of 692 freshmen at a southeastern university, this study examined caloric restriction among students prior to planned alcohol consumption. Participants were surveyed for self-reported alcohol consumption, binge drinking, and caloric intake habits prior to drinking episodes. Results indicated that 99 of 695 (14%) of first year…

Highly selective single-use fluoride ion optical sensor based on aluminum(III)-salen complex in thin polymeric film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badr, Ibrahim H.A.; Meyerhoff, Mark E.

2005-01-01

A highly selective optical sensor for fluoride ion based on the use of an aluminum(III)-salen complex as an ionophore within a thin polymeric film is described. The sensor is prepared by embedding the aluminum(III)-salen ionophore and a suitable lipophilic pH-sensitive indicator (ETH-7075) in a plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) film. Optical response to fluoride occurs due to fluoride extraction into the polymer via formation of a strong complex with the aluminum(III)-salen species. Co-extraction of protons occurs simultaneously, with protonation of the indicator dye yielding the optical response at 529 nm. Films prepared using dioctylsebacate (DOS) are shown to exhibit better response (e.g., linear range, detection limit, and optical signal stability) compared to those prepared using ortho-nitrophenyloctyl ether (o-NPOE). Films formulated with aluminum(III)-salen and ETH-7075 indicator in 2 DOS:1 PVC, exhibit a significantly enhanced selectivity for fluoride over a wide range of lipophilic anions including salicylate, perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate. The optimized films exhibit a sub-micromolar detection limit, using glycine-phosphate buffer, pH 3.00, as the test sample. The response times of the fluoride optical sensing films are in the range of 1-10 min depending on the fluoride ion concentration in the sample. The sensor exhibits very poor reversibility owing to a high co-extraction constant (log K = 8.5 ± 0.4), indicating that it can best be employed as a single-use transduction device. The utility of the aluminum(III)-salen based fluoride sensitive films as single-use sensors is demonstrated by casting polymeric films on the bottom of standard polypropylene microtiter plate wells (96 wells/plate). The modified microtiter plate optode format sensors exhibit response characteristics comparable to the classical optode films cast on quartz slides. The modified microtiter is utilized for the analysis of fluoride in diluted anti-cavity fluoride rinse

Prior knowledge processing for initial state of Kalman filter

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Suzdaleva, Evgenia

2010-01-01

Roč. 24, č. 3 (2010), s. 188-202 ISSN 0890-6327 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GP201/06/P434 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : Kalman filtering * prior knowledge * state-space model * initial state distribution Subject RIV: BC - Control Systems Theory Impact factor: 0.729, year: 2010 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2009/AS/suzdaleva-prior knowledge processing for initial state of kalman filter.pdf

Influence of Prior Knowledge Questions on Pupils’ Performance in Reading Comprehension in Primary Schools in Kaduna, Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanna Onyi Yusuf

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This study was carried out to determine the influence of prior knowledge questions on pupils’ performance in reading comprehension in primary schools in Kaduna, Nigeria. Two schools were used for the study. Ungwar Dosa primary school was used as the experimental school while Ungwar Rimi primary school was used as the control school. Thirty (30 primary five pupils from each of the two schools were used for the study. A total of sixty pupils were used for the study. A pre-test was administered on both groups of pupils before the commencement of teaching. A post-test was administered after six weeks of teaching. Data was analysed using mean, standard deviation and t-test. The findings revealed significant difference in the performance of pupils taught reading comprehension using prior knowledge questions. Based on the findings, teachers are encouraged among others, to use prior knowledge questions to motivate and stimulate pupils to use their relevant background knowledge to interpret and understand new information in their reading comprehension texts. Curriculum planners and textbook writers are encouraged to include prior knowledge questions as part of the activities pupils should be exposed to during reading comprehension lessons.

Headteachers' prior beliefs on child health and their engagement in school based health interventions: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Todd, Charlotte; Christian, Danielle; Davies, Helen; Rance, Jaynie; Stratton, Gareth; Rapport, Frances; Brophy, Sinead

2015-04-18

Schools play an important role in promoting the health of children. However, little consideration is often given to the influence that headteachers' and school staff's prior beliefs have on the implementation of public health interventions. This study examined primary school headteachers' and school health co-ordinators' views regarding child health in order to provide greater insights on the school's perspective for those designing future school-based health interventions. A qualitative study was conducted using 19 semi-structured interviews with headteachers, deputy headteachers and school health co-ordinators in the primary school setting. All transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Whilst many participants in this study believed good health was vital for learning, wide variance was evident regarding the perceived health of school pupils and the magnitude of responsibility schools should take in addressing child health behaviours. Although staff in this study acknowledged the importance of their role, many believed the responsibility placed upon schools for health promotion was becoming too much; suggesting health interventions need to better integrate school, parental and societal components. With mental health highlighted as an increasing priority in many schools, incorporating wellbeing outcomes into future school based health interventions is advocated to ensure a more holistic understanding of child health is gained. Understanding the health beliefs of school staff when designing interventions is crucial as there appears to be a greater likelihood of interventions being successfully adopted if staff perceive a health issue as important among their pupils. An increased dependability on schools for addressing health was expressed by headteachers in this study, highlighting a need for better understanding of parental, child and key stakeholder perspectives on responsibility for child health. Without this understanding, there is potential for certain

Acute coronary syndrome in patients with prior coronary artery bypass surgery: observations from a 20-year registry in a middle-eastern country.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafid Al-Aqeedi

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: Clinical characteristics and trends in the outcome of acute coronary syndrome (ACS in patients with prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG are unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical characteristics, in-hospital treatment, and outcomes in patients presented with ACS with or without a history of prior CABG over 2 decades. METHODS: Data were derived from hospital-based study for collected data from 1991 through 2010 of patients hospitalized with ACS in Doha, Qatar. Data were analyzed according to their history of prior CABG. Baseline clinical characteristics, in-hospital treatment, and outcome were compared. RESULTS: A total 16,750 consecutive patients with ACS were studied, of which 693 (4.1% had prior CABG. Patients with prior CABG were older (mean 60.5±11 vs. 53±12 years; P = 0.001, more likely to be females and have more cardiovascular risk factors than the non-CABG group. Prior CABG patients had larger infarct size, were less likely to receive reperfusion therapy, early invasive therapy and more likely to receive evidence-based therapies when compared to non-CABG patients. In-hospital mortality and stroke rates were comparable between the 2 groups. Over 2 decades, there was reduction in the in-hospital mortality rates and stroke rates in both groups (CABG, death; 13.2% to 4%, stroke; 1.9% to 0.0%, non-CABG, death; 10% to 3.2%, stroke 1.0% to 0.1%; all, p = 0.001. CONCLUSION: Significant reduction in-hospital morbidity and mortality among ACS patients with prior CABG over a 20-year period.

Fabrication of copper-selective PVC membrane electrode based on newly synthesized copper complex of Schiff base as carrier

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Sulekh Chandra

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The newly synthesized copper(II complex of Schiff base p-hydroxyacetophenone semicarbazone was explored as neutral ionophore for the fabrication of poly(vinylchloride (PVC based membrane electrode selective to Cu(II ions. The electrode shows a Nernstian slope of 29.8 ± 0.3 mV/decade with improved linear range of 1.8 × 10−7 to 1.0 × 10−1 M, comparatively lower detection limit 5.7 × 10−8 M between pH range of 2.0–8.0, giving a relatively fast response within 5s and can be used for at least 16 weeks without any divergence in potential. The selectivity coefficient was calculated using the fixed interference method (FIM. The electrode can also be used in partially non-aqueous media having up to 25% (v/v methanol, ethanol or acetone content with no significant change in the value of slope or working concentration range. It was successfully applied for the direct determination of copper content in water and tea samples with satisfactory results. The electrode has been used in the potentiometric titration of Cu2+ with EDTA.

Avoiding the known prior acts exclusion when insuring newly acquired entities.

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Gasior, J P; Passannante, W G

1998-09-01

Adding a new entity to an organization's existing insurance program can be problematic if the existing policy contains a known prior acts exclusion clause. By purportedly excluding claims that a policyholder "could have reasonably foreseen or discovered," the known prior acts exclusion allows the insurer to reject those claims after a lawsuit has been filed policyholders should have known prior acts exclusion clauses removed from their policies or work with their insurers on language that will clarify the policy regarding this exclusion.

Structures and properties of naturally occurring polyether antibiotics.

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Rutkowski, Jacek; Brzezinski, Bogumil

2013-01-01

Polyether ionophores represent a large group of natural, biologically active substances produced by Streptomyces spp. They are lipid soluble and able to transport metal cations across cell membranes. Several of polyether ionophores are widely used as growth promoters in veterinary. Polyether antibiotics show a broad spectrum of bioactivity ranging from antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiviral, and tumour cell cytotoxicity. Recently, it has been shown that some of these compounds are able to selectively kill cancer stem cells and multidrug-resistant cancer cells. Thus, they are recognized as new potential anticancer drugs. The biological activity of polyether ionophores is strictly connected with their molecular structure; therefore, the purpose of this paper is to present an overview of their formula, molecular structure, and properties.

The effect of tartrazine on histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells.

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Safford, R J; Goodwin, B F

1984-01-01

The release of histamine from purified rat peritoneal mast cells induced by specific antigen (egg albumin), compound 48/80 and calcium ionophore A23187 was modified by tartrazine. Histamine release induced by 48/80 and antigen was inhibited by the presence of 10(-5) to 10(-2)M tartrazine. The inhibitory effect on egg albumin induced histamine release was maximal when the tartrazine was added simultaneously with egg albumin, and was reduced by increased preincubation of the cells with tartrazine. Tartrazine had a small inhibitory effect on ionophore induced release at high concentrations, but augmented histamine release at tartrazine concentrations of 10(-3) and 10(-4)M. Augmentation of ionophore induced release was maximal at between 0-5 min preincubation of the cells with tartrazine.

Satellite Infrared Radiation Measurements Prior to the Major Earthquakes

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Ouzounov, Dimitar; Pulintes, S.; Bryant, N.; Taylor, Patrick; Freund, F.

2005-01-01

This work describes our search for a relationship between tectonic stresses and increases in mid-infrared (IR) flux as part of a possible ensemble of electromagnetic (EM) phenomena that may be related to earthquake activity. We present and &scuss observed variations in thermal transients and radiation fields prior to the earthquakes of Jan 22, 2003 Colima (M6.7) Mexico, Sept. 28 .2004 near Parkfield (M6.0) in California and Northern Sumatra (M8.5) Dec. 26,2004. Previous analysis of earthquake events has indicated the presence of an IR anomaly, where temperatures increased or did not return to its usual nighttime value. Our procedures analyze nighttime satellite data that records the general condtion of the ground after sunset. We have found from the MODIS instrument data that five days before the Colima earthquake the IR land surface nighttime temperature rose up to +4 degrees C in a 100 km radius around the epicenter. The IR transient field recorded by MODIS in the vicinity of Parkfield, also with a cloud free environment, was around +1 degree C and is significantly smaller than the IR anomaly around the Colima epicenter. Ground surface temperatures near the Parkfield epicenter four days prior to the earthquake show steady increase. However, on the night preceding the quake, a significant drop in relative humidity was indicated, process similar to those register prior to the Colima event. Recent analyses of continuous ongoing long- wavelength Earth radiation (OLR) indicate significant and anomalous variability prior to some earthquakes. The cause of these anomalies is not well understood but could be the result of a triggering by an interaction between the lithosphere-hydrosphere and atmospheric related to changes in the near surface electrical field and/or gas composition prior to the earthquake. The OLR anomaly usually covers large areas surrounding the main epicenter. We have found strong anomalies signal (two sigma) along the epicentral area signals on Dec 21

Assessment of prior image induced nonlocal means regularization for low-dose CT reconstruction: Change in anatomy.

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Zhang, Hao; Ma, Jianhua; Wang, Jing; Moore, William; Liang, Zhengrong

2017-09-01

Repeated computed tomography (CT) scans are prescribed for some clinical applications such as lung nodule surveillance. Several studies have demonstrated that incorporating a high-quality prior image into the reconstruction of subsequent low-dose CT (LDCT) acquisitions can either improve image quality or reduce data fidelity requirements. Our proposed previous normal-dose image induced nonlocal means (ndiNLM) regularization method for LDCT is an example of such a method. However, one major concern with prior image based methods is that they might produce false information when the prior image and the current LDCT image show different structures (for example, if a lung nodule emerges, grows, shrinks, or disappears over time). This study aims to assess the performance of the ndiNLM regularization method in situations with change in anatomy. We incorporated the ndiNLM regularization into the statistical image reconstruction (SIR) framework for reconstruction of subsequent LDCT images. Because of its patch-based search mechanism, a rough registration between the prior image and the current LDCT image is adequate for the SIR-ndiNLM method. We assessed the performance of the SIR-ndiNLM method in lung nodule surveillance for two different scenarios: (a) the nodule was not found in a baseline exam but appears in a follow-up LDCT scan; (b) the nodule was present in a baseline exam but disappears in a follow-up LDCT scan. We further investigated the effect of nodule size on the performance of the SIR-ndiNLM method. We found that a relatively large search-window (e.g., 33 × 33) should be used for the SIR-ndiNLM method to account for misalignment between the prior image and the current LDCT image, and to ensure that enough similar patches can be found in the prior image. With proper selection of other parameters, experimental results with two patient datasets demonstrated that the SIR-ndiNLM method did not miss true nodules nor introduce false nodules in the lung nodule

Preparing learners with partly incorrect intuitive prior knowledge for learning

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Andrea eOhst

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Learners sometimes have incoherent and fragmented intuitive prior knowledge that is (partly ‘incompatible’ with the to-be-learned contents. Such knowledge in pieces can cause conceptual disorientation and cognitive overload while learning. We hypothesized that a pre-training intervention providing a generalized schema as a structuring framework for such knowledge in pieces would support (reorganizing-processes of prior knowledge and thus reduce unnecessary cognitive load during subsequent learning. Fifty-six student teachers participated in the experiment. A framework group underwent a pre-training intervention providing a generalized, categorical schema for categorizing primary learning strategies and related but different strategies as a cognitive framework for (re-organizing their prior knowledge. Our control group received comparable factual information but no framework. Afterwards, all participants learned about primary learning strategies. The framework group claimed to possess higher levels of interest and self-efficacy, achieved higher learning outcomes, and learned more efficiently. Hence, providing a categorical framework can help overcome the barrier of incorrect prior knowledge in pieces.

Preparing learners with partly incorrect intuitive prior knowledge for learning

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Ohst, Andrea; Fondu, Béatrice M. E.; Glogger, Inga; Nückles, Matthias; Renkl, Alexander

2014-01-01

Learners sometimes have incoherent and fragmented intuitive prior knowledge that is (partly) “incompatible” with the to-be-learned contents. Such knowledge in pieces can cause conceptual disorientation and cognitive overload while learning. We hypothesized that a pre-training intervention providing a generalized schema as a structuring framework for such knowledge in pieces would support (re)organizing-processes of prior knowledge and thus reduce unnecessary cognitive load during subsequent learning. Fifty-six student teachers participated in the experiment. A framework group underwent a pre-training intervention providing a generalized, categorical schema for categorizing primary learning strategies and related but different strategies as a cognitive framework for (re-)organizing their prior knowledge. Our control group received comparable factual information but no framework. Afterwards, all participants learned about primary learning strategies. The framework group claimed to possess higher levels of interest and self-efficacy, achieved higher learning outcomes, and learned more efficiently. Hence, providing a categorical framework can help overcome the barrier of incorrect prior knowledge in pieces. PMID:25071638

Bayesian image reconstruction for emission tomography based on median root prior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alenius, S.

1997-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate a new type of Bayesian one-step late reconstruction method which utilizes a median root prior (MRP). The method favours images which have locally monotonous radioactivity concentrations. The new reconstruction algorithm was applied to ideal simulated data, phantom data and some patient examinations with PET. The same projection data were reconstructed with filtered back-projection (FBP) and maximum likelihood-expectation maximization (ML-EM) methods for comparison. The MRP method provided good-quality images with a similar resolution to the FBP method with a ramp filter, and at the same time the noise properties were as good as with Hann-filtered FBP images. The typical artefacts seen in FBP reconstructed images outside of the object were completely removed, as was the grainy noise inside the object. Quantitativley, the resulting average regional radioactivity concentrations in a large region of interest in images produced by the MRP method corresponded to the FBP and ML-EM results but at the pixel by pixel level the MRP method proved to be the most accurate of the tested methods. In contrast to other iterative reconstruction methods, e.g. ML-EM, the MRP method was not sensitive to the number of iterations nor to the adjustment of reconstruction parameters. Only the Bayesian parameter β had to be set. The proposed MRP method is much more simple to calculate than the methods described previously, both with regard to the parameter settings and in terms of general use. The new MRP reconstruction method was shown to produce high-quality quantitative emission images with only one parameter setting in addition to the number of iterations. (orig.)

29 CFR 452.40 - Prior office holding.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... DISCLOSURE ACT OF 1959 Candidacy for Office; Reasonable Qualifications § 452.40 Prior office holding. A.... 26 26 Wirtz v. Hotel, Motel and Club Employees Union, Local 6, 391 U.S. 492 at 504. The Court stated...

Evaluation of the macula prior to cataract surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

McKeague, Marta; Sharma, Priya; Ho, Allen C

2018-01-01

To describe recent evidence regarding methods of evaluation of retinal structure and function prior to cataract surgery. Studies in patients with cataract but no clinically detectable retinal disease have shown that routine use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) prior to cataract surgery can detect subtle macular disease, which may alter the course of treatment or lead to modification of consent. The routine use of OCT has been especially useful in patients being considered for advanced-technology intraocular lenses (IOLs) as subtle macular disease can be a contraindication to the use of these lenses. The cost-effectiveness of routine use of OCT prior to cataract surgery has not been studied. Other technologies that assess retinal function rather than structure, such as microperimetry and electroretinogram (ERG) need further study to determine whether they can predict retinal potential in cataract patients. There is growing evidence for the importance of more detailed retinal evaluation of cataract patients even with clinically normal exam. OCT has been the most established and studied method for retinal evaluation in cataract patients, but other technologies such as microperimetry and ERG are beginning to be studied.

Effect of Toothpaste Application Prior to Dental Bleaching on Whitening Effectiveness and Enamel Properties.

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Vieira-Junior, W F; Lima, D A N L; Tabchoury, C P M; Ambrosano, G M B; Aguiar, F H B; Lovadino, J R

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects on the enamel properties and effectiveness of bleaching using 35% hydrogen peroxide (HP) when applying toothpastes with different active agents prior to dental bleaching. Seventy enamel blocks (4 × 4 × 2 mm) were submitted to in vitro treatment protocols in a tooth-brushing machine (n=10): with distilled water and exposure to placebo gel (negative control [NC]) or HP bleaching (positive control [PC]); and brushing with differing toothpastes prior to HP bleaching, including potassium nitrate toothpaste (PN) containing NaF, conventional sodium monofluorophosphate toothpaste (FT), arginine-based toothpastes (PA and SAN), or a toothpaste containing bioactive glass (NM). Color changes were determined using the CIE L*a*b* system (ΔE, ΔL, Δa, and Δb), and a roughness (Ra) analysis was performed before and after treatments. Surface microhardness (SMH) and cross-sectional microhardness (CSMH) were analyzed after treatment. Data were analyzed with repeated measures ANOVA for Ra, one-way ANOVA (SMH, ΔE, ΔL, Δa, and Δb), split-plot ANOVA (CSMH), and Tukey post hoc test (α PA = SAN > all other groups) or decreased HP effects (CSMH). Ra increased in all bleached groups, with the exception of NM, which did not differ from the NC. The variation in the color variables (ΔL, Δa, and Δb) explained 21% of the variation in the physical surface variables (Ra and SMH). The application of toothpaste prior to dental bleaching did not interfere with the effectiveness of treatment. The bioactive glass based toothpaste protected the enamel against the deleterious effects of dental bleaching.

Polymeric membrane sensors based on Cd(II) Schiff base complexes for selective iodide determination in environmental and medicinal samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Ashok Kumar; Mehtab, Sameena

2008-01-15

The two cadmium chelates of schiff bases, N,N'-bis(salicylidene)-1,4-diaminobutane, (Cd-S(1)) and N,N'-bis(salicylidene)-3,4-diaminotoluene (Cd-S(2)), have been synthesized and explored as ionophores for preparing PVC-based membrane sensors selective to iodide(I) ion. Potentiometric investigations indicate high affinity of these receptors for iodide ion. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-based membranes of Cd-S(1) and Cd-S(2) using as hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTAB) cation discriminator and o-nitrophenyloctyl ether (o-NPOE), dibutylphthalate (DBP), acetophenone (AP) and tributylphosphate (TBP) as plasticizing solvent mediators were prepared and investigated as iodide-selective sensors. The best performance was shown by the membrane of composition (w/w) of (Cd-S(1)) (7%):PVC (31%):DBP (60%):HTAB (2%). The sensor works well over a wide concentration range 5.3x10(-7) to 1.0x10(-2)M with Nernstian compliance (59.2mVdecade(-1) of activity) within pH range 2.5-9.0 with a response time of 11s and showed good selectivity for iodide ion over a number of anions. The sensor exhibits adequate life (3 months) with good reproducibility (S.D.+/-0.24mV) and could be used successfully for the determination of iodide content in environmental water samples and mouth wash samples.

Modeling and validating Bayesian accrual models on clinical data and simulations using adaptive priors.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yu; Simon, Steve; Mayo, Matthew S; Gajewski, Byron J

2015-02-20

Slow recruitment in clinical trials leads to increased costs and resource utilization, which includes both the clinic staff and patient volunteers. Careful planning and monitoring of the accrual process can prevent the unnecessary loss of these resources. We propose two hierarchical extensions to the existing Bayesian constant accrual model: the accelerated prior and the hedging prior. The new proposed priors are able to adaptively utilize the researcher's previous experience and current accrual data to produce the estimation of trial completion time. The performance of these models, including prediction precision, coverage probability, and correct decision-making ability, is evaluated using actual studies from our cancer center and simulation. The results showed that a constant accrual model with strongly informative priors is very accurate when accrual is on target or slightly off, producing smaller mean squared error, high percentage of coverage, and a high number of correct decisions as to whether or not continue the trial, but it is strongly biased when off target. Flat or weakly informative priors provide protection against an off target prior but are less efficient when the accrual is on target. The accelerated prior performs similar to a strong prior. The hedging prior performs much like the weak priors when the accrual is extremely off target but closer to the strong priors when the accrual is on target or only slightly off target. We suggest improvements in these models and propose new models for future research. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

WE-DE-BRA-01: SCIENCE COUNCIL JUNIOR INVESTIGATOR COMPETITION WINNER: Acceleration of a Limited-Angle Intrafraction Verification (LIVE) System Using Adaptive Prior Knowledge Based Image Estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Y; Yin, F; Ren, L; Zhang, Y

2016-01-01

Purpose: To develop an adaptive prior knowledge based image estimation method to reduce the scan angle needed in the LIVE system to reconstruct 4D-CBCT for intrafraction verification. Methods: The LIVE system has been previously proposed to reconstructs 4D volumetric images on-the-fly during arc treatment for intrafraction target verification and dose calculation. This system uses limited-angle beam’s eye view (BEV) MV cine images acquired from the treatment beam together with the orthogonally acquired limited-angle kV projections to reconstruct 4D-CBCT images for target verification during treatment. In this study, we developed an adaptive constrained free-form deformation reconstruction technique in LIVE to further reduce the scanning angle needed to reconstruct the CBCT images. This technique uses free form deformation with energy minimization to deform prior images to estimate 4D-CBCT based on projections acquired in limited angle (orthogonal 6°) during the treatment. Note that the prior images are adaptively updated using the latest CBCT images reconstructed by LIVE during treatment to utilize the continuity of patient motion.The 4D digital extended-cardiac-torso (XCAT) phantom was used to evaluate the efficacy of this technique with LIVE system. A lung patient was simulated with different scenario, including baseline drifts, amplitude change and phase shift. Limited-angle orthogonal kV and beam’s eye view (BEV) MV projections were generated for each scenario. The CBCT reconstructed by these projections were compared with the ground-truth generated in XCAT.Volume-percentage-difference (VPD) and center-of-mass-shift (COMS) were calculated between the reconstructed and the ground-truth tumors to evaluate the reconstruction accuracy. Results: Using orthogonal-view of 6° kV and BEV- MV projections, the VPD/COMS values were 12.7±4.0%/0.7±0.5 mm, 13.0±5.1%/0.8±0.5 mm, and 11.4±5.4%/0.5±0.3 mm for the three scenarios, respectively. Conclusion: The

WE-DE-BRA-01: SCIENCE COUNCIL JUNIOR INVESTIGATOR COMPETITION WINNER: Acceleration of a Limited-Angle Intrafraction Verification (LIVE) System Using Adaptive Prior Knowledge Based Image Estimation

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Zhang, Y; Yin, F; Ren, L [Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC (United States); Zhang, Y [UT Southwestern Medical Ctr at Dallas, Dallas, TX (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To develop an adaptive prior knowledge based image estimation method to reduce the scan angle needed in the LIVE system to reconstruct 4D-CBCT for intrafraction verification. Methods: The LIVE system has been previously proposed to reconstructs 4D volumetric images on-the-fly during arc treatment for intrafraction target verification and dose calculation. This system uses limited-angle beam’s eye view (BEV) MV cine images acquired from the treatment beam together with the orthogonally acquired limited-angle kV projections to reconstruct 4D-CBCT images for target verification during treatment. In this study, we developed an adaptive constrained free-form deformation reconstruction technique in LIVE to further reduce the scanning angle needed to reconstruct the CBCT images. This technique uses free form deformation with energy minimization to deform prior images to estimate 4D-CBCT based on projections acquired in limited angle (orthogonal 6°) during the treatment. Note that the prior images are adaptively updated using the latest CBCT images reconstructed by LIVE during treatment to utilize the continuity of patient motion.The 4D digital extended-cardiac-torso (XCAT) phantom was used to evaluate the efficacy of this technique with LIVE system. A lung patient was simulated with different scenario, including baseline drifts, amplitude change and phase shift. Limited-angle orthogonal kV and beam’s eye view (BEV) MV projections were generated for each scenario. The CBCT reconstructed by these projections were compared with the ground-truth generated in XCAT.Volume-percentage-difference (VPD) and center-of-mass-shift (COMS) were calculated between the reconstructed and the ground-truth tumors to evaluate the reconstruction accuracy. Results: Using orthogonal-view of 6° kV and BEV- MV projections, the VPD/COMS values were 12.7±4.0%/0.7±0.5 mm, 13.0±5.1%/0.8±0.5 mm, and 11.4±5.4%/0.5±0.3 mm for the three scenarios, respectively. Conclusion: The

Prior entanglement between senders enables perfect quantum network coding with modification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayashi, Masahito

2007-01-01

We find a protocol transmitting two quantum states crossly in the butterfly network only with prior entanglement between two senders. This protocol requires only one qubit transmission or two classical bits (cbits) transmission in each channel in the butterfly network. It is also proved that it is impossible without prior entanglement. More precisely, an upper bound of average fidelity is given in the butterfly network when prior entanglement is not allowed. The presented result concerns only the butterfly network, but our techniques can be applied to a more general graph

Peritoneal fluid modulates the sperm acrosomal exocytosis induced by N-acetylglucosaminyl neoglycoprotein

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E.P. Passos

1999-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of peritoneal fluid (PF on the human sperm acrosome reaction (AR was tested. Sperm was pre-incubated with PF and the AR was induced by calcium ionophore A23187 and a neoglycoprotein bearing N-acetylglycosamine residues (NGP. The AR induced by calcium ionophore was inhibited 40% by PF from controls (PFc and 50% by PF from the endometriosis (PFe group, but not by PF from infertile patients without endometriosis (PFi. No significant differences were found in the spontaneous AR. When the AR was induced by NGP, pre-incubation with PFc reduced (60% the percentage of AR, while PFe and PFi caused no significant differences. The average rates of acrosome reactions obtained in control, NGP- and ionophore-treated sperm showed that NGP-induced exocytosis differed significantly between the PFc (11% and PFe/PFi groups (17%, and the ionophore-induced AR was higher for PFi (33% than PFc/PFe (25%. The incidence of the NGP-induced AR was reduced in the first hour of pre-incubation with PFc and remained nearly constant throughout 4 h of incubation. The present data indicate that PF possesses a protective factor which prevents premature AR.

Forecasting economy with Bayesian autoregressive distributed lag model: choosing optimal prior in economic downturn

OpenAIRE

Bušs, Ginters

2009-01-01

Bayesian inference requires an analyst to set priors. Setting the right prior is crucial for precise forecasts. This paper analyzes how optimal prior changes when an economy is hit by a recession. For this task, an autoregressive distributed lag (ADL) model is chosen. The results show that a sharp economic slowdown changes the optimal prior in two directions. First, it changes the structure of the optimal weight prior, setting smaller weight on the lagged dependent variable compared to varia...

l0 regularization based on a prior image incorporated non-local means for limited-angle X-ray CT reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lingli; Zeng, Li; Guo, Yumeng

2018-03-15

Restricted by the scanning environment in some CT imaging modalities, the acquired projection data are usually incomplete, which may lead to a limited-angle reconstruction problem. Thus, image quality usually suffers from the slope artifacts. The objective of this study is to first investigate the distorted domains of the reconstructed images which encounter the slope artifacts and then present a new iterative reconstruction method to address the limited-angle X-ray CT reconstruction problem. The presented framework of new method exploits the structural similarity between the prior image and the reconstructed image aiming to compensate the distorted edges. Specifically, the new method utilizes l0 regularization and wavelet tight framelets to suppress the slope artifacts and pursue the sparsity. New method includes following 4 steps to (1) address the data fidelity using SART; (2) compensate for the slope artifacts due to the missed projection data using the prior image and modified nonlocal means (PNLM); (3) utilize l0 regularization to suppress the slope artifacts and pursue the sparsity of wavelet coefficients of the transformed image by using iterative hard thresholding (l0W); and (4) apply an inverse wavelet transform to reconstruct image. In summary, this method is referred to as "l0W-PNLM". Numerical implementations showed that the presented l0W-PNLM was superior to suppress the slope artifacts while preserving the edges of some features as compared to the commercial and other popular investigative algorithms. When the image to be reconstructed is inconsistent with the prior image, the new method can avoid or minimize the distorted edges in the reconstructed images. Quantitative assessments also showed that applying the new method obtained the highest image quality comparing to the existing algorithms. This study demonstrated that the presented l0W-PNLM yielded higher image quality due to a number of unique characteristics, which include that (1) it utilizes

Prior exercise and antioxidant supplementation: effect on oxidative stress and muscle injury

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Schilling Brian K

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Both acute bouts of prior exercise (preconditioning and antioxidant nutrients have been used in an attempt to attenuate muscle injury or oxidative stress in response to resistance exercise. However, most studies have focused on untrained participants rather than on athletes. The purpose of this work was to determine the independent and combined effects of antioxidant supplementation (vitamin C + mixed tocopherols/tocotrienols and prior eccentric exercise in attenuating markers of skeletal muscle injury and oxidative stress in resistance trained men. Methods Thirty-six men were randomly assigned to: no prior exercise + placebo; no prior exercise + antioxidant; prior exercise + placebo; prior exercise + antioxidant. Markers of muscle/cell injury (muscle performance, muscle soreness, C-reactive protein, and creatine kinase activity, as well as oxidative stress (blood protein carbonyls and peroxides, were measured before and through 48 hours of exercise recovery. Results No group by time interactions were noted for any variable (P > 0.05. Time main effects were noted for creatine kinase activity, muscle soreness, maximal isometric force and peak velocity (P Conclusion There appears to be no independent or combined effect of a prior bout of eccentric exercise or antioxidant supplementation as used here on markers of muscle injury in resistance trained men. Moreover, eccentric exercise as used in the present study results in minimal blood oxidative stress in resistance trained men. Hence, antioxidant supplementation for the purpose of minimizing blood oxidative stress in relation to eccentric exercise appears unnecessary in this population.

Novel Fission Product Separation Based on Room-Temperature Ionic liquids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussey, Charles L.

2005-01-01

The effective extraction of Cs+ and Sr2+ into a relatively new and heretofore untested hydrophobic ionic liquid, tri-n-butylmethylammonium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide was demonstrated with calix[4]arene-bis(tert-octylbenzo-crown-6) and dicyclohexano-18-crown-6, respectively. The coordinated Cs+ and Sr2+ were subsequently removed from the ionic liquid extraction solvent by an electrochemical reduction process carried out at mercury electrodes. This process is non-destructive, permitting the ionic liquid and ionophores to be recycled. Although the process is based on mercury electrodes, this is a benefit rather than a detriment because the liquid mercury containing the Cs and Sr can be easily transported to another electrochemical cell where the Cs and Sr could be electrochemically recovered from the mercury amalgam and concentrated into a minimum volume of water or some other inexpensive solvent. This should facilitate the development of a suitable waste form for the extracted Cs+ and Sr2+. Thus, the feasibility of the proposed ionic liquid-based extraction cycle for the removal of 137Cs+ and 90Sr2+ from simulated aqueous tank waste was demonstrated

Effect of parathyroid hormone on transport by toad and turtle bladder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabatini, S.; Kurtzman, N.A.

1987-01-01

The authors recently demonstrated that parathyroid hormone (PTH) inhibited both vasopressin- and cyclic AMP-stimulated water transport in the toad bladder. This was associated with an increase in calcium uptake by isolated epithelial cells. They postulated that PTH exerts its action on H 2 O transport by directly stimulating calcium uptake. The current study was designed to compare the effects of PTH and the calcium ionophore, A23187, on H 2 O and Na transport and Hμ secretion in toad and turtle bladders. In toad bladder, PTH and A23187 decreased arginine vasopressin (AVP)-stimulated H 2 O flow and short-circuit current (SCC) after 60 min serosal incubation. In turtle bladder A23187 decreased SCC to 79.3 +/- 3.6% of base line (P + secretion in turtle bladders. Both PTH and A23187 increased 45 Ca uptake in toad bladder epithelial cells; only A23187 increased 45 Ca uptake in the turtle bladder. The different action of PTH in these two membranes, compared with that of the calcium ionophore, illustrates the selectivity of PTH on membrane transport. PTH increases calcium uptake and decreases transport only in a hormone-sensitive epithelium, whereas the ionophore works in virtually all living membranes. The mode of action of these two agents to increase calcium uptake is, therefore likely different

Felonious or violent criminal activity that prohibits gun ownership among prior purchasers of handguns: incidence and risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Mona A; Wintemute, Garen J

2010-10-01

Federal law prohibits firearm possession by felons and certain others. Little is known about criminal activity resulting in new ineligibility to possess firearms among persons who have previously purchased them. Cohort study of handgun purchasers ages 21 to 49 in California in 1991, 2,761 with a non-prohibiting criminal history at the time of purchase and 4,495 with no prior criminal record, followed for up to 5 years. The primary outcome measures were the incidence and relative risk of conviction for a felony or violent misdemeanor resulting in ineligibility to possess firearms under (a) California law or (b) federal law. Secondary measures were the incidence and relative risk of conviction for murder, forcible rape, robbery, or aggravated assault; and of arrest for any crime. A new conviction for a felony or violent misdemeanor leading to ineligibility to possess firearms under federal law was identified for 0.9% of subjects with no prior criminal history and 4.5% of those with 1 or more prior convictions (hazard ratio, 5.1; 95% confidence interval, 3.3-7.7). Risk was related inversely to age and directly to the extent of the prior criminal history; incidence rates varied by a factor of 200 or more among subgroups based on these characteristics. Among legal purchasers of handguns, the incidence of new felonious and violent criminal activity resulting in ineligibility to possess firearms is low for those with no prior criminal history but is substantially higher for those with a prior criminal record and is affected by demographic characteristics.

Statistical Learning Is Not Affected by a Prior Bout of Physical Exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, David J; Arciuli, Joanne; Anderson, David I

2016-05-01

This study examined the effect of a prior bout of exercise on implicit cognition. Specifically, we examined whether a prior bout of moderate intensity exercise affected performance on a statistical learning task in healthy adults. A total of 42 participants were allocated to one of three conditions-a control group, a group that exercised for 15 min prior to the statistical learning task, and a group that exercised for 30 min prior to the statistical learning task. The participants in the exercise groups cycled at 60% of their respective V˙O2 max. Each group demonstrated significant statistical learning, with similar levels of learning among the three groups. Contrary to previous research that has shown that a prior bout of exercise can affect performance on explicit cognitive tasks, the results of the current study suggest that the physiological stress induced by moderate-intensity exercise does not affect implicit cognition as measured by statistical learning. Copyright © 2015 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Alkali metals and group IIA metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fenton, D.E.

1987-01-01

This chapter on the coordination complexes of the alkali metals of group IIA starts with a historical perspective of their chemistry, from simple monodentate ligands, metal-β-diketonates to the macrocyclic polyethers which act as ligands to the alkali and akaline earth metals. Other macrocyclic ligands include quarterenes, calixarenes, porphyrins, phthalocyanines and chlorophylls. A section on the naturally occurring ionophores and carboxylic ionophores is included. (UK)

Incorporating prior knowledge induced from stochastic differential equations in the classification of stochastic observations.

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Zollanvari, Amin; Dougherty, Edward R

2016-12-01

In classification, prior knowledge is incorporated in a Bayesian framework by assuming that the feature-label distribution belongs to an uncertainty class of feature-label distributions governed by a prior distribution. A posterior distribution is then derived from the prior and the sample data. An optimal Bayesian classifier (OBC) minimizes the expected misclassification error relative to the posterior distribution. From an application perspective, prior construction is critical. The prior distribution is formed by mapping a set of mathematical relations among the features and labels, the prior knowledge, into a distribution governing the probability mass across the uncertainty class. In this paper, we consider prior knowledge in the form of stochastic differential equations (SDEs). We consider a vector SDE in integral form involving a drift vector and dispersion matrix. Having constructed the prior, we develop the optimal Bayesian classifier between two models and examine, via synthetic experiments, the effects of uncertainty in the drift vector and dispersion matrix. We apply the theory to a set of SDEs for the purpose of differentiating the evolutionary history between two species.

Prior-knowledge-based feedforward network simulation of true boiling point curve of crude oil.

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Chen, C W; Chen, D Z

2001-11-01

Theoretical results and practical experience indicate that feedforward networks can approximate a wide class of functional relationships very well. This property is exploited in modeling chemical processes. Given finite and noisy training data, it is important to encode the prior knowledge in neural networks to improve the fit precision and the prediction ability of the model. In this paper, as to the three-layer feedforward networks and the monotonic constraint, the unconstrained method, Joerding's penalty function method, the interpolation method, and the constrained optimization method are analyzed first. Then two novel methods, the exponential weight method and the adaptive method, are proposed. These methods are applied in simulating the true boiling point curve of a crude oil with the condition of increasing monotonicity. The simulation experimental results show that the network models trained by the novel methods are good at approximating the actual process. Finally, all these methods are discussed and compared with each other.

30 CFR 77.1712 - Reopening mines; notification; inspection prior to mining.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... to mining. 77.1712 Section 77.1712 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... prior to mining. Prior to reopening any surface coal mine after it has been abandoned or declared... an authorized representative of the Secretary before any mining operations in such mine are...

Prior Visual Experience Modulates Learning of Sound Localization Among Blind Individuals.

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Tao, Qian; Chan, Chetwyn C H; Luo, Yue-Jia; Li, Jian-Jun; Ting, Kin-Hung; Lu, Zhong-Lin; Whitfield-Gabrieli, Susan; Wang, Jun; Lee, Tatia M C

2017-05-01

Cross-modal learning requires the use of information from different sensory modalities. This study investigated how the prior visual experience of late blind individuals could modulate neural processes associated with learning of sound localization. Learning was realized by standardized training on sound localization processing, and experience was investigated by comparing brain activations elicited from a sound localization task in individuals with (late blind, LB) and without (early blind, EB) prior visual experience. After the training, EB showed decreased activation in the precuneus, which was functionally connected to a limbic-multisensory network. In contrast, LB showed the increased activation of the precuneus. A subgroup of LB participants who demonstrated higher visuospatial working memory capabilities (LB-HVM) exhibited an enhanced precuneus-lingual gyrus network. This differential connectivity suggests that visuospatial working memory due to the prior visual experience gained via LB-HVM enhanced learning of sound localization. Active visuospatial navigation processes could have occurred in LB-HVM compared to the retrieval of previously bound information from long-term memory for EB. The precuneus appears to play a crucial role in learning of sound localization, disregarding prior visual experience. Prior visual experience, however, could enhance cross-modal learning by extending binding to the integration of unprocessed information, mediated by the cognitive functions that these experiences develop.

Prior image constrained image reconstruction in emerging computed tomography applications

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Brunner, Stephen T.

Advances have been made in computed tomography (CT), especially in the past five years, by incorporating prior images into the image reconstruction process. In this dissertation, we investigate prior image constrained image reconstruction in three emerging CT applications: dual-energy CT, multi-energy photon-counting CT, and cone-beam CT in image-guided radiation therapy. First, we investigate the application of Prior Image Constrained Compressed Sensing (PICCS) in dual-energy CT, which has been called "one of the hottest research areas in CT." Phantom and animal studies are conducted using a state-of-the-art 64-slice GE Discovery 750 HD CT scanner to investigate the extent to which PICCS can enable radiation dose reduction in material density and virtual monochromatic imaging. Second, we extend the application of PICCS from dual-energy CT to multi-energy photon-counting CT, which has been called "one of the 12 topics in CT to be critical in the next decade." Numerical simulations are conducted to generate multiple energy bin images for a photon-counting CT acquisition and to investigate the extent to which PICCS can enable radiation dose efficiency improvement. Third, we investigate the performance of a newly proposed prior image constrained scatter correction technique to correct scatter-induced shading artifacts in cone-beam CT, which, when used in image-guided radiation therapy procedures, can assist in patient localization, and potentially, dose verification and adaptive radiation therapy. Phantom studies are conducted using a Varian 2100 EX system with an on-board imager to investigate the extent to which the prior image constrained scatter correction technique can mitigate scatter-induced shading artifacts in cone-beam CT. Results show that these prior image constrained image reconstruction techniques can reduce radiation dose in dual-energy CT by 50% in phantom and animal studies in material density and virtual monochromatic imaging, can lead to radiation

Roles of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II in long-term memory formation in crickets.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Makoto Mizunami

Full Text Available Ca(2+/calmodulin (CaM-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII is a key molecule in many systems of learning and memory in vertebrates, but roles of CaMKII in invertebrates have not been characterized in detail. We have suggested that serial activation of NO/cGMP signaling, cyclic nucleotide-gated channel, Ca(2+/CaM and cAMP signaling participates in long-term memory (LTM formation in olfactory conditioning in crickets, and here we show participation of CaMKII in LTM formation and propose its site of action in the biochemical cascades. Crickets subjected to 3-trial conditioning to associate an odor with reward exhibited memory that lasts for a few days, which is characterized as protein synthesis-dependent LTM. In contrast, animals subjected to 1-trial conditioning exhibited memory that lasts for only several hours (mid-term memory, MTM. Injection of a CaMKII inhibitor prior to 3-trial conditioning impaired 1-day memory retention but not 1-hour memory retention, suggesting that CaMKII participates in LTM formation but not in MTM formation. Animals injected with a cGMP analogue, calcium ionophore or cAMP analogue prior to 1-trial conditioning exhibited 1-day retention, and co-injection of a CaMKII inhibitor impaired induction of LTM by the cGMP analogue or that by the calcium ionophore but not that by the cAMP analogue, suggesting that CaMKII is downstream of cGMP production and Ca(2+ influx and upstream of cAMP production in biochemical cascades for LTM formation. Animals injected with an adenylyl cyclase (AC activator prior to 1-trial conditioning exhibited 1-day retention. Interestingly, a CaMKII inhibitor impaired LTM induction by the AC activator, although AC is expected to be a downstream target of CaMKII. The results suggest that CaMKII interacts with AC to facilitate cAMP production for LTM formation. We propose that CaMKII serves as a key molecule for interplay between Ca(2+ signaling and cAMP signaling for LTM formation, a new role of Ca

Prior Knowledge Facilitates Mutual Gaze Convergence and Head Nodding Synchrony in Face-to-face Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Thepsoonthorn, C; Yokozuka, T; Miura, S; Ogawa, K; Miyake, Y

2016-12-02

As prior knowledge is claimed to be an essential key to achieve effective education, we are interested in exploring whether prior knowledge enhances communication effectiveness. To demonstrate the effects of prior knowledge, mutual gaze convergence and head nodding synchrony are observed as indicators of communication effectiveness. We conducted an experiment on lecture task between lecturer and student under 2 conditions: prior knowledge and non-prior knowledge. The students in prior knowledge condition were provided the basic information about the lecture content and were assessed their understanding by the experimenter before starting the lecture while the students in non-prior knowledge had none. The result shows that the interaction in prior knowledge condition establishes significantly higher mutual gaze convergence (t(15.03) = 6.72, p < 0.0001; α = 0.05, n = 20) and head nodding synchrony (t(16.67) = 1.83, p = 0.04; α = 0.05, n = 19) compared to non-prior knowledge condition. This study reveals that prior knowledge facilitates mutual gaze convergence and head nodding synchrony. Furthermore, the interaction with and without prior knowledge can be evaluated by measuring or observing mutual gaze convergence and head nodding synchrony.

Mind wandering during film comprehension: The role of prior knowledge and situational interest.

Science.gov (United States)

Kopp, Kristopher; Mills, Caitlin; D'Mello, Sidney

2016-06-01

This study assessed the occurrence and factors that influence mind wandering (MW) in the domain of film comprehension. The cascading model of inattention assumes that a stronger mental representation (i.e., a situation model) during comprehension results in less MW. Accordingly, a suppression hypothesis suggests that MW would decrease as a function of having the knowledge of the plot of a film prior to viewing, because the prior-knowledge would help to strengthen the situation model during comprehension. Furthermore, an interest-moderation hypothesis would predict that the suppression effect of prior-knowledge would only emerge when there was interest in viewing the film. In the current experiment, 108 participants either read a short story that depicted the plot (i.e., prior-knowledge condition) or read an unrelated story of equal length (control condition) prior to viewing the short film (32.5 minutes) entitled The Red Balloon. Participants self-reported their interest in viewing the film immediately before the film was presented. MW was tracked using a self-report method targeting instances of MW with metacognitive awareness. Participants in the prior-knowledge condition reported less MW compared with the control condition, thereby supporting the suppression hypothesis. MW also decreased over the duration of the film, but only for those with prior-knowledge of the film. Finally, prior-knowledge effects on MW were only observed when interest was average or high, but not when interest was low.

Model-based virtual VSB mask writer verification for efficient mask error checking and optimization prior to MDP

Science.gov (United States)

Pack, Robert C.; Standiford, Keith; Lukanc, Todd; Ning, Guo Xiang; Verma, Piyush; Batarseh, Fadi; Chua, Gek Soon; Fujimura, Akira; Pang, Linyong

2014-10-01

A methodology is described wherein a calibrated model-based `Virtual' Variable Shaped Beam (VSB) mask writer process simulator is used to accurately verify complex Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) and Inverse Lithography Technology (ILT) mask designs prior to Mask Data Preparation (MDP) and mask fabrication. This type of verification addresses physical effects which occur in mask writing that may impact lithographic printing fidelity and variability. The work described here is motivated by requirements for extreme accuracy and control of variations for today's most demanding IC products. These extreme demands necessitate careful and detailed analysis of all potential sources of uncompensated error or variation and extreme control of these at each stage of the integrated OPC/ MDP/ Mask/ silicon lithography flow. The important potential sources of variation we focus on here originate on the basis of VSB mask writer physics and other errors inherent in the mask writing process. The deposited electron beam dose distribution may be examined in a manner similar to optical lithography aerial image analysis and image edge log-slope analysis. This approach enables one to catch, grade, and mitigate problems early and thus reduce the likelihood for costly long-loop iterations between OPC, MDP, and wafer fabrication flows. It moreover describes how to detect regions of a layout or mask where hotspots may occur or where the robustness to intrinsic variations may be improved by modification to the OPC, choice of mask technology, or by judicious design of VSB shots and dose assignment.

3D prostate TRUS segmentation using globally optimized volume-preserving prior.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Wu; Rajchl, Martin; Guo, Fumin; Sun, Yue; Ukwatta, Eranga; Fenster, Aaron; Yuan, Jing

2014-01-01

An efficient and accurate segmentation of 3D transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) images plays an important role in the planning and treatment of the practical 3D TRUS guided prostate biopsy. However, a meaningful segmentation of 3D TRUS images tends to suffer from US speckles, shadowing and missing edges etc, which make it a challenging task to delineate the correct prostate boundaries. In this paper, we propose a novel convex optimization based approach to extracting the prostate surface from the given 3D TRUS image, while preserving a new global volume-size prior. We, especially, study the proposed combinatorial optimization problem by convex relaxation and introduce its dual continuous max-flow formulation with the new bounded flow conservation constraint, which results in an efficient numerical solver implemented on GPUs. Experimental results using 12 patient 3D TRUS images show that the proposed approach while preserving the volume-size prior yielded a mean DSC of 89.5% +/- 2.4%, a MAD of 1.4 +/- 0.6 mm, a MAXD of 5.2 +/- 3.2 mm, and a VD of 7.5% +/- 6.2% in - 1 minute, deomonstrating the advantages of both accuracy and efficiency. In addition, the low standard deviation of the segmentation accuracy shows a good reliability of the proposed approach.

25 CFR 11.303 - Notification of rights prior to custodial interrogation.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Notification of rights prior to custodial interrogation. 11.303 Section 11.303 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAW AND ORDER... to custodial interrogation. Prior to custodial interrogation, the suspect shall be advised of the...

Generalized Selectivity Description for Polymeric Ion-Selective Electrodes Based on the Phase Boundary Potential Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakker, Eric

2010-02-15

A generalized description of the response behavior of potentiometric polymer membrane ion-selective electrodes is presented on the basis of ion-exchange equilibrium considerations at the sample-membrane interface. This paper includes and extends on previously reported theoretical advances in a more compact yet more comprehensive form. Specifically, the phase boundary potential model is used to derive the origin of the Nernstian response behavior in a single expression, which is valid for a membrane containing any charge type and complex stoichiometry of ionophore and ion-exchanger. This forms the basis for a generalized expression of the selectivity coefficient, which may be used for the selectivity optimization of ion-selective membranes containing electrically charged and neutral ionophores of any desired stoichiometry. It is shown to reduce to expressions published previously for specialized cases, and may be effectively applied to problems relevant in modern potentiometry. The treatment is extended to mixed ion solutions, offering a comprehensive yet formally compact derivation of the response behavior of ion-selective electrodes to a mixture of ions of any desired charge. It is compared to predictions by the less accurate Nicolsky-Eisenman equation. The influence of ion fluxes or any form of electrochemical excitation is not considered here, but may be readily incorporated if an ion-exchange equilibrium at the interface may be assumed in these cases.

Impact of Bayesian Priors on the Characterization of Binary Black Hole Coalescences.

Science.gov (United States)

Vitale, Salvatore; Gerosa, Davide; Haster, Carl-Johan; Chatziioannou, Katerina; Zimmerman, Aaron

2017-12-22

In a regime where data are only mildly informative, prior choices can play a significant role in Bayesian statistical inference, potentially affecting the inferred physics. We show this is indeed the case for some of the parameters inferred from current gravitational-wave measurements of binary black hole coalescences. We reanalyze the first detections performed by the twin LIGO interferometers using alternative (and astrophysically motivated) prior assumptions. We find different prior distributions can introduce deviations in the resulting posteriors that impact the physical interpretation of these systems. For instance, (i) limits on the 90% credible interval on the effective black hole spin χ_{eff} are subject to variations of ∼10% if a prior with black hole spins mostly aligned to the binary's angular momentum is considered instead of the standard choice of isotropic spin directions, and (ii) under priors motivated by the initial stellar mass function, we infer tighter constraints on the black hole masses, and in particular, we find no support for any of the inferred masses within the putative mass gap M≲5  M_{⊙}.

The search for Infrared radiation prior to major earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Ouzounov, D.; Taylor, P.; Pulinets, S.

2004-12-01

This work describes our search for a relationship between tectonic stresses and electro-chemical and thermodynamic processes in the Earth and increases in mid-IR flux as part of a possible ensemble of electromagnetic (EM) phenomena that may be related to earthquake activity. Recent analysis of continuous ongoing long- wavelength Earth radiation (OLR) indicates significant and anomalous variability prior to some earthquakes. The cause of these anomalies is not well understood but could be the result of a triggering by an interaction between the lithosphere-hydrosphere and atmospheric related to changes in the near surface electrical field and gas composition prior to the earthquake. The OLR anomaly covers large areas surrounding the main epicenter. We have use the NOAA IR data to differentiate between the global and seasonal variability and these transient local anomalies. Indeed, on the basis of a temporal and spatial distribution analysis, an anomaly pattern is found to occur several days prior some major earthquakes. The significance of these observations was explored using data sets of some recent worldwide events.

Putting Priors in Mixture Density Mercer Kernels

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Ashok N.; Schumann, Johann; Fischer, Bernd

2004-01-01

This paper presents a new methodology for automatic knowledge driven data mining based on the theory of Mercer Kernels, which are highly nonlinear symmetric positive definite mappings from the original image space to a very high, possibly infinite dimensional feature space. We describe a new method called Mixture Density Mercer Kernels to learn kernel function directly from data, rather than using predefined kernels. These data adaptive kernels can en- code prior knowledge in the kernel using a Bayesian formulation, thus allowing for physical information to be encoded in the model. We compare the results with existing algorithms on data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The code for these experiments has been generated with the AUTOBAYES tool, which automatically generates efficient and documented C/C++ code from abstract statistical model specifications. The core of the system is a schema library which contains template for learning and knowledge discovery algorithms like different versions of EM, or numeric optimization methods like conjugate gradient methods. The template instantiation is supported by symbolic- algebraic computations, which allows AUTOBAYES to find closed-form solutions and, where possible, to integrate them into the code. The results show that the Mixture Density Mercer-Kernel described here outperforms tree-based classification in distinguishing high-redshift galaxies from low- redshift galaxies by approximately 16% on test data, bagged trees by approximately 7%, and bagged trees built on a much larger sample of data by approximately 2%.

Effects of prior knowledge on decisions made under perceptual vs. categorical uncertainty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathleen eHansen

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Humans use prior knowledge to bias decisions made under uncertainty. In this fMRI study we predicted that different brain dynamics play a role when prior knowledge is added to decisions made under perceptual vs. categorical uncertainty. Subjects decided whether shapes belonged to Category S – smoother – or Category B – bumpier – under both uncertainty conditions, with or without prior knowledge cues. When present, the prior knowledge cue, 80/20 or 50/50, indicated that 80% and 20% (or 50% and 50% were the chances that responding "S" and "B" (or vice versa would be correct. During perceptual uncertainty, shapes were degraded with noise. During categorical uncertainty, shapes were ambiguous. Adding the 80/20 cue increased activation during perceptual uncertainty in bilateral lateral occipital cortex and left middle frontal gyrus (MidFG, and decreased activity in bilateral lateral occipital cortex during categorical uncertainty. Right MidFG and other frontoparietal regions were active in all conditions. The results demonstrate that left MidFG shows activation changes, suggestive of an influence on visual cortex, that depend on the factor that makes the decisions difficult. When sensory evidence is difficult to perceive, prior knowledge increases visual cortical activity. When the sensory evidence is easy to perceive but difficult to interpret, prior knowledge decreases visual cortical activity.