Applying Machine Learning Methods to Suggest Network Involvement and Functionality of Genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Elucidating genetic networks provides the foundation for the development of new treatments or cures for diseased pathways, and determining novel gene functionality is critical for bringing a better understanding on how an organism functions as a whole. In this dissertation, I developed a methodology that correctly locates genes that may be involved in genetic networks with a given gene based on its location over 50% of the time or based on its description over 43% of the time. I also developed a methodology that makes it easier to predict how a gene product behaves in a cellular context by suggesting the correct Gene Ontology term over 80% of the time. The designed software provides researchers with a way to focus their search for coregulated genes which will lead to better microarray chip design and limits the list of possible functions of a gene product. This ultimately saves the researcher time and money

Classifying genes to the correct Gene Ontology Slim term in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using neighbouring genes with classification learning

Article discussing research on classifying genes to the correct gene ontology slim term in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using neighbouring genes with classification learning

Magnetic model for A2CuP2O7 (A = Na, Li) revisited: 1D versus 2D behavior

We report magnetization measurements, full-potential band structure calculations, and microscopic modeling for the spin-1/2 Heisenberg magnets A2CuP2O7 (A = Na, Li). Based on a quantitative evaluation of the leading exchange integrals and the subsequent quantum Monte-Carlo simulations, we propose a quasi-one-dimensional magnetic model for both compounds, in contrast to earlier studies that conjectured on the two-dimensional scenario. The one-dimensional nature of A2CuP2O7 is unambiguously verified by magnetization isotherms measured in fields up to 50 T. The saturation fields of about 40 T for both Li and Na compounds are in excellent agreement with the intrachain exchange J1 ~ 27 K extracted from the magnetic susceptibility data. The proposed magnetic structure entails spin chains with the dominating antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbor interaction J1 and two inequivalent, nonfrustrated antiferromagnetic interchain couplings of about 0.01*J1 each. A possible long-range magnetic ordering is discussed in comparison with the available experimental information.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables: published versio

o 029the impact of combining selective internal radiation therapy sirt with sorafenib on overall survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma the soramic trial palliative cohort

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The value of sorafenib trough levels in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma - a substudy of the SORAMIC trial.

Background: Sorafenib for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is dose adjusted by toxicity. Preliminary studies have suggested an association between plasma concentrations of sorafenib and its main metabolite (M2) and clinical outcomes. This study aimed to validate these findings and establish target values for sorafenib trough concentrations.Methods: Patients with advanced HCC were prospectively recruited within a multicenter phase II study (SORAMIC). Patients with blood samples available at trough level were included for this pharmacokinetic (PK) substudy. Trough plasma concentrations of sorafenib and its main metabolite (M2) were associated with sorafenib-related toxicity and overall survival (OS).Results: Seventy-four patients were included with a median OS of 19.7 months (95% CI 16.1-23.3). Patients received sorafenib for a median of 51 weeks (IQR 27-62) and blood samples were drawn after a median of 25 weeks (IQR 10-42). Patients had a median trough concentration of 3217 ng/ml (IQR 2166-4526) and 360 ng/ml (IQR 190-593) with coefficients of variation of 65% and 146% for sorafenib and M2, respectively. Patients who experienced severe sorafenib-related toxicity received a lower average daily dose (551 vs 730 mg/day, p = .003), but showed no significant differences in sorafenib (3298 vs 2915 ng/ml, p = .442) or M2 trough levels (428 vs 283 ng/ml, p = .159). Trough levels of sorafenib or M2 showed no significant association with OS.Conclusions: In patients with advanced HCC treated with sorafenib, the administered dose, trough levels of sorafenib or M2, and clinical outcomes were poorly correlated. Toxicity-adjusted dosing remains the standard for sorafenib treatment

Can Machine Intelligence be Measured in the Same Way as Human intelligence?

In recent years the number of research projects on computer programs solving human intelligence problems in artificial intelligence (AI), artificial general intelligence, as well as in Cognitive Modelling, has significantly grown. One reason could be the interest of such problems as benchmarks for AI algorithms. Another, more fundamental, motivation behind this area of research might be the (implicit) assumption that a computer program that successfully can solve human intelligence problems has human-level intelligence and vice versa. This paper analyses this assumption

Status and New Data of the Geochemical Determination of the pp-Neutrino Flux by LOREX

LOREX LORandite EXperiment addresses the determination of the solar pp neutrino flux during the last four million years by exploiting the reaction 205 Tl ν e → 205 Pb e − with an incomparably low-energy threshold of 50 keV for the capture of solar neutrinos. The ratio of 205 Pb/ 205 Tl atoms in the Tl-bearing mineral lorandite provides, if corrected for the cosmic-ray induced background, the product of the flux of solar neutrinos and their capture probability by 205 Tl, averaged over the age of lorandite. To get the mean solar neutrino flux itself, four problems have to be addressed: 1 the geological age of lorandite, 2 the amount of background cosmicray-induced 205 Pb atoms which strongly depends on the erosion rate of the lorandite-bearing rocks, 3 the capture probability of solar neutrinos by 205 Tl and 4 the extraction of lorandite and the appropriate technique to "count" the small number of 205 Pb atoms in relation to the number of 205 Tl atoms. This paper summarizes the status of items 1 age and 3 neutrino capture probability and presents in detail the progress achieved most recently concerning the items 2 background/erosion and 4 "counting" of 205 Pb atoms in lorandite

Crop rotations with and without legumes: a review

Leguminosen sind im ökologischen Landbau aufgrund ihrer Fähigkeit zur Luftstickstofffixierung unverzichtbar für die Stickstoffversorgung der Ackerkulturen und die Proteinversorgung der Nutztiere. Im konventionellen Anbau bieten Leguminosen die Möglichkeit, die häufig getreideintensiven Fruchtfolgen aufzulockern. Eine der wichtigsten Wirkungen dieses Break-crop-Effekts ist das Durchbrechen des Lebenszyklus von fruchtartenspezifischen Pathogenen und der damit verbundenen Einsparung von Pflanzenschutzmitteln. Die vorliegende Übersichtsarbeit stellt den derzeitigen Stand des Wissens zu Fruchtfolgen mit und ohne Leguminosen zusammen. Dabei werden ackerbauliche, ökologische und ökonomische Wirkungen des Anbaus groß- und kleinkörnig Leguminosenarten als Haupt- oder Zwischenfrüchte bzw. Unter­saaten oder als Komponenten in Gemengen dar­gestellt und bewertet. Der Schwerpunkt liegt dabei auf relevanten Publikationen in wissenschaftlichen Journalen sowie Praxis- und Forschungsberichten der Jahre 2010 – 2020 die in Deutschland oder vergleichbaren klimatischen Bedingungen durchgeführt wurden. Abschließend wird daraus der notwendige Forschungsbedarf für die Themenbereiche Pflanzenbau (konventionell und ökologisch), Pflanzenschutz, Ökonomie, Ökologie und Klimaschutz abgeleitet.In organic farming, legumes are indispensable for the nitro­gen supply of arable crops and the protein supply of livestock due to their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. In conventional farming, legumes offer the potential to break the often cereal-intensive crop rotations. One of the most important consequences of the break-crop effect is the interruption of the life cycle of crop-specific pathogens and the associated savings of pesticides. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on crop rotations with and without legumes. It presents and evaluates the agronomic, ecological and economic effects of the cultivation of large- and small-seeded legume species as main or catch crops, when undersown in other crops, or used as components in mixtures. The focus is on relevant publications in scientific journals as well as practice and research reports published between 2010 and 2020 which were carried out in Germany or under comparable climatic conditions. Finally, essential research needs in the areas of crop production (conventional and organic), crop protection, economics, ecology, and climate protection are identified