6,258 research outputs found

    The State of the Art in Deep Learning Applications, Challenges, and Future Prospects::A Comprehensive Review of Flood Forecasting and Management

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    Floods are a devastating natural calamity that may seriously harm both infrastructure and people. Accurate flood forecasts and control are essential to lessen these effects and safeguard populations. By utilizing its capacity to handle massive amounts of data and provide accurate forecasts, deep learning has emerged as a potent tool for improving flood prediction and control. The current state of deep learning applications in flood forecasting and management is thoroughly reviewed in this work. The review discusses a variety of subjects, such as the data sources utilized, the deep learning models used, and the assessment measures adopted to judge their efficacy. It assesses current approaches critically and points out their advantages and disadvantages. The article also examines challenges with data accessibility, the interpretability of deep learning models, and ethical considerations in flood prediction. The report also describes potential directions for deep-learning research to enhance flood predictions and control. Incorporating uncertainty estimates into forecasts, integrating many data sources, developing hybrid models that mix deep learning with other methodologies, and enhancing the interpretability of deep learning models are a few of these. These research goals can help deep learning models become more precise and effective, which will result in better flood control plans and forecasts. Overall, this review is a useful resource for academics and professionals working on the topic of flood forecasting and management. By reviewing the current state of the art, emphasizing difficulties, and outlining potential areas for future study, it lays a solid basis. Communities may better prepare for and lessen the destructive effects of floods by implementing cutting-edge deep learning algorithms, thereby protecting people and infrastructure

    Machine Learning Approaches for the Prioritisation of Cardiovascular Disease Genes Following Genome- wide Association Study

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    Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed thousands of genetic loci, establishing itself as a valuable method for unravelling the complex biology of many diseases. As GWAS has grown in size and improved in study design to detect effects, identifying real causal signals, disentangling from other highly correlated markers associated by linkage disequilibrium (LD) remains challenging. This has severely limited GWAS findings and brought the method’s value into question. Although thousands of disease susceptibility loci have been reported, causal variants and genes at these loci remain elusive. Post-GWAS analysis aims to dissect the heterogeneity of variant and gene signals. In recent years, machine learning (ML) models have been developed for post-GWAS prioritisation. ML models have ranged from using logistic regression to more complex ensemble models such as random forests and gradient boosting, as well as deep learning models (i.e., neural networks). When combined with functional validation, these methods have shown important translational insights, providing a strong evidence-based approach to direct post-GWAS research. However, ML approaches are in their infancy across biological applications, and as they continue to evolve an evaluation of their robustness for GWAS prioritisation is needed. Here, I investigate the landscape of ML across: selected models, input features, bias risk, and output model performance, with a focus on building a prioritisation framework that is applied to blood pressure GWAS results and tested on re-application to blood lipid traits

    Dissecting the mechanisms of transport of herpes simplex virus between Langerhans Cells & dendritic cells in epidermis and dermis following infection of human genital mucosa and skin

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    Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has deemed a priority for a vaccine. CD8 and CD4T cells are important in the control and clearance of HSV, however no known vaccine has been able to stimulate CD8T cells. The dermal dendritic cells (dDCs) are suspected to play a role. Previously the host lab has shown in human tissue that HSV-1 infection of Langerhans cells (LCs) caused apoptosis and migration of LCs to the dermis, where they were phagocytosed by dDCs (termed HSV viral relay). Very little is known about the mechanisms of this relay. The host lab has also identified a second resident epidermal immune cell, Epi-cDC2s, which are infectable by HSV. This thesis aims to unravel the mechanisms involved in the relay. RNA-seq and cell surface phenotyping on human dDCs subsets showed that was differential chemokine receptor expression. Bead-based immunoassays were used to determine the chemokines produced by HSV-1 infected LCs and Epi-cDC2s,and showed HSV infected LCs produced increased CXCR3 ligands, while HSV infected Epi-cDC2s produced increased CCR5 ligands. The importance of these chemokine axes was investigated using chemotaxis assays. An cyclic immunofluorescent microscopy panel was then developed to investigate whether this migration could be seen in situ in HSV infected foreskin explants. Underneath epidermal foci of infection, there was migration of both cDC1s and cDC2s towards the basement membrane. Under foci of infection there was a greater proportion of cDC2s clustering with LCs. The uptake of HSV infected epidermal cells by the dDC subsets was examined using imaging cytometry. Preliminary results suggest that there were no significant differences between the ability of dDCs to phagocytose HSV infected epidermal cells. Understanding the mechanisms and the role of each dDC subset in the HSV viral relay will determine which dDC subsets are crucial for CD8 and CD4 T cell stimulation

    Dialogue without barriers. A comprehensive approach to dealing with stuttering

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    Novel approaches for the control of fungal pathogens

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    Fungal pathogens are a continual threat with potential impacts on human health, agriculture, food and goods security. Despite this, currently used treatments are limited to a handful of drug or fungicide classes. The limited availability of treatment options is further challenged by growing fungal resistance, tightening legislation over drug/fungicide use and evolving public opinion. In this thesis, certain novel approaches were explored for their potential in the control of fungal pathogens of humans or crops. One approach utilised the concept of combinatorial treatments, applied specifically to synergistic interactions among natural product (NP) compounds. NPs have been questioned for their translational applications due to promiscuous activity; this study proposed the potential of synergy for potentiating antifungal activity and improving target specificity. In a high-throughput screening approach, selected NPs were screened pairwise against a wider NP chemical library. Screening of 800 NP combinations revealed 34 pairs that were potentially synergistic in their inhibitory effects on yeast growth. Moreover, scaled-up validation tests for three combinations of particular interest showed that synergy was present against several important pathogens. One synergistic combination was explored mechanistically and found to promote synergistic mitochondrial membrane depolarization and ROS formation. This work indicated the potential for synergistic NP combinations in fungal pathogen control. An additional study focussed on relationships between NP interactions and their underlying mechanisms of synergy, focusing on a particular triangle of NP interactions (involving two synergies but also no interaction). Results indicated that the NP sclareol, found to synergise with a number of other NPs, could also induce synergy between the previously non-synergistic pair of compounds. Results supported that this action of sclareol involved uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation, which may be an activity that enables synergies against fungal pathogens more widely. An additional approach explored the potential of collateral sensitivity (CS) as a potential drug-repurposing strategy against azole-resistant Candida albicans. CS is where resistance to one drug is linked to sensitivity to another, so offering means to target drug resistant strains. Two azole-resistant clinical isolates of C. albicans showed hypersensitivity to several non-antifungal drugs, particularly aminoglycosides. The mutants were slow growers, but slow growth was not sufficient to explain the hypersensitivity, neither were the isolates’ alleles of erg11, the gene encoding the lanosterol demethylase targeted by azoles. Moreover, the hypersensitivity was not reproduced in other azole-resistant isolates. Mechanistic studies pointed to a possible role for cell wall glycosylation or integrity defects in the original two isolates. Further work expanded the search for CS compounds against azole-resistant C. albicans through a screen of a 1,280-compound library. The results did not identify any hit compounds, but reproducibility and dosage concerns meant that hit compounds could have been missed. A final approach set out to assess mechanistic bases for reported fungal anti-attachment properties of certain polymer materials. One strategy was an accelerated evolution experiment, designed to select C. albicans variants hyper-attaching to polymer. However, attachment propensity did not change, indicating resilience of the anti-attachment material properties. Another strategy examined cell wall properties that may affect anti-attachment, in C. albicans and the plant pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici. Results with selective fluorescent probes highlighted certain cell wall components that were enriched in polymer-attaching or glass-attaching cells. This offers a path for understanding cell properties important for (anti-) attachment to the polymer materials, valuable for informing design of improved polymers. Taken together the three approaches explored in this thesis offer exciting potential for bolstering efforts to control fungal pathogens, providing bases for further mechanistic and possible translational developmen

    Advances in Binders for Construction Materials

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    The global binder production for construction materials is approximately 7.5 billion tons per year, contributing ~6% to the global anthropogenic atmospheric CO2 emissions. Reducing this carbon footprint is a key aim of the construction industry, and current research focuses on developing new innovative ways to attain more sustainable binders and concrete/mortars as a real alternative to the current global demand for Portland cement.With this aim, several potential alternative binders are currently being investigated by scientists worldwide, based on calcium aluminate cement, calcium sulfoaluminate cement, alkali-activated binders, calcined clay limestone cements, nanomaterials, or supersulfated cements. This Special Issue presents contributions that address research and practical advances in i) alternative binder manufacturing processes; ii) chemical, microstructural, and structural characterization of unhydrated binders and of hydrated systems; iii) the properties and modelling of concrete and mortars; iv) applications and durability of concrete and mortars; and v) the conservation and repair of historic concrete/mortar structures using alternative binders.We believe this Special Issue will be of high interest in the binder industry and construction community, based upon the novelty and quality of the results and the real potential application of the findings to the practice and industry

    Ciguatoxins

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    Ciguatoxins (CTXs), which are responsible for Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP), are liposoluble toxins produced by microalgae of the genera Gambierdiscus and Fukuyoa. This book presents 18 scientific papers that offer new information and scientific evidence on: (i) CTX occurrence in aquatic environments, with an emphasis on edible aquatic organisms; (ii) analysis methods for the determination of CTXs; (iii) advances in research on CTX-producing organisms; (iv) environmental factors involved in the presence of CTXs; and (v) the assessment of public health risks related to the presence of CTXs, as well as risk management and mitigation strategies

    Культура надійності в організації з технічного обслуговування

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    Робота публікується згідно наказу ректора від 27.05.2021 р. №311/од "Про розміщення кваліфікаційних робіт вищої освіти в репозиторії НАУ". Керівник дипломної роботи: доцент кафедри авіоніки, Кожохіна Олена ВолодимирівнаSafety is an issue of great concern and importance to all walks of life. Since man invented the airplane, aviation safety has become an eternal theme of concern in the industry. With the development of internationalization, the attention of society to aviation safety as well as the requirements have increased year by year. After years of continuous efforts by aviation staff, there is a new overall trend in the development of civil aviation safety: the accident rate caused by mechanical reasons is decreasing year by year, but the proportion of accidents caused by human operation is getting higher and higher. Therefore, to improve the safety of the entire civil aviation transport, it is necessary to improve the reliability of human operation, so as to reduce the probability of human error and ultimately achieve the purpose of improving the safety of the entire aviation industry. As an important guarantee for the safe operation and production of civil aviation, civil aviation aircraft maintenance is an important prerequisite for maintaining, restoring and improving the safe operation of aircraft. Therefore, improving the safety level of civil aviation and reducing the rate of aviation accidents has become a focused issue in the field of civil aviation aircraft maintenance. The application of new technologies for aircraft is also constantly being pushed forward. The premise of civil aircraft maintenance is to ensure the airworthiness of the aircraft, which is guided by the early detection and elimination of safety hazards and potentially dangerous factors to achieve the goal of high level of safety and reliability of the aircraft and further ensure aviation safety. With the continuous improvement of modern machinery manufacturing technology, various high and new technologies have been substantially applied to aircraft, and aviation technology has been continuously improved, which has greatly improved the safety and reliability of the aircraft itself. No matter how reliable the aircraft performance is, it still requires planned maintenance and repair in order to maintain aircraft reliability and ensure continuous airworthiness.Безпека є питанням великого занепокоєння та важливості для всіх сфер життя. З тих пір, як людина винайшла літак, авіаційна безпека стала вічною темою для занепокоєння промисловість. З розвитком інтернаціоналізації увага суспільства до безпеки авіації, а також вимоги зростають з кожним роком. Після багатьох років безперервними зусиллями авіаційного персоналу спостерігається нова загальна тенденція розвитку цивіл авіаційна безпека: кількість аварій, викликаних механічними причинами, з року в рік зменшується, але частка нещасних випадків, спричинених діями людини, стає все більшою і більшою. Тому для підвищення безпеки всього транспорту цивільної авіації необхідно підвищити надійність роботи людини, щоб зменшити ймовірність людської помилки і в кінцевому підсумку досягти мети підвищення безпеки всієї авіаційної галузі. Як важлива гарантія безпечної експлуатації та виробництва цивільної авіації, цивільної Технічне обслуговування авіаційної авіації є важливою передумовою обслуговування, відновлення та підвищення безпеки експлуатації повітряних суден. Тому підвищення рівня безпеки цивіл авіації та зниження рівня авіаційних подій стало фокусованим питанням у цій галузі технічного обслуговування повітряних суден цивільної авіації. Застосування нових технологій для літаків є також постійно штовхається вперед. Передумовою технічного обслуговування цивільних повітряних суден є забезпечення льотної придатності повітряного судна, яка керується раннім виявленням і ліквідацією загрози безпеці та потенційно небезпечні фактори для досягнення мети високого рівня безпеки надійність повітряного судна та подальше забезпечення авіаційної безпеки. З безперервним удосконалення сучасної технології виробництва машин, різних високих і нових технології були суттєво застосовані до літаків, а також авіаційна техніка безперервно вдосконалювалися, що значно підвищило безпеку та надійність літака себе. Незалежно від того, наскільки надійними є характеристики літака, вони все одно потребують планування технічного обслуговування та ремонту з метою підтримки надійності літака та забезпечення безперервного льотна придатність

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