How Good Are Popular Matchings?

In this paper, we consider the Hospital Residents problem (HR) and the Hospital Residents problem with Lower Quotas (HRLQ). In this model with two sided preferences, stability is a well accepted notion of optimality. However, in the presence of lower quotas, a stable and feasible matching need not exist. For the HRLQ problem, our goal therefore is to output a good feasible matching assuming that a feasible matching exists. Computing matchings with minimum number of blocking pairs (Min-BP) and minimum number of blocking residents (Min-BR) are known to be NP-Complete. The only approximation algorithms for these problems work under severe restrictions on the preference lists. We present an algorithm which circumvents this restriction and computes a popular matching in the HRLQ instance. We show that on data-sets generated using various generators, our algorithm performs very well in terms of blocking pairs and blocking residents. Yokoi [Yokoi, 2017] recently studied envy-free matchings for the HRLQ problem. We propose a simple modification to Yokoi\u27s algorithm to output a maximal envy-free matching. We observe that popular matchings outperform envy-free matchings on several parameters of practical importance, like size, number of blocking pairs, number of blocking residents. In the absence of lower quotas, that is, in the Hospital Residents (HR) problem, stable matchings are guaranteed to exist. Even in this case, we show that popularity is a practical alternative to stability. For instance, on synthetic data-sets generated using a particular model, as well as on real world data-sets, a popular matching is on an average 8-10% larger in size, matches more number of residents to their top-choice, and more residents prefer the popular matching as compared to a stable matching. Our comprehensive study reveals the practical appeal of popular matchings for the HR and HRLQ problems. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on the empirical evaluation of popular matchings in this setting

From proteomics to discovery of first-in-class ST2 inhibitors active in vivo

Soluble cytokine receptors function as decoy receptors to attenuate cytokine-mediated signaling and modulate downstream cellular responses. Dysregulated overproduction of soluble receptors can be pathological, such as soluble ST2 (sST2), a prognostic biomarker in cardiovascular diseases, ulcerative colitis, and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Although intervention using an ST2 antibody improves survival in murine GVHD models, sST2 is a challenging target for drug development because it binds to IL-33 via an extensive interaction interface. Here, we report the discovery of small-molecule ST2 inhibitors through a combination of high-throughput screening and computational analysis. After in vitro and in vivo toxicity assessment, 3 compounds were selected for evaluation in 2 experimental GVHD models. We show that the most effective compound, iST2-1, reduces plasma sST2 levels, alleviates disease symptoms, improves survival, and maintains graft-versus-leukemia activity. Our data suggest that iST2-1 warrants further optimization to develop treatment for inflammatory diseases mediated by sST2

Green snapper Lethrinus nebulosus in captivity with RAS technology

Vizhinjam, Kerala. Broodstock development, volitional spawning and seed production of spangled emperor, Lethrinus nebulosus under captive conditions in Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) was achieved for the first time in Vizhinjam Regional Centre, ICAR-CMFRI and is a global first. This work carried out under the All India Network Project on mariculture, is a breakthrough that can enable larval rearing and hatchery seed production of the green snapper, a prized marine food fish commodity in global markets

National broodbank Of pompano. Serving the marine finfishfarming sector of india

The development and expansion of marine finfish aquaculture in India can lead to enhanced seafood production, both for domestic consumption as well as for export. However, the expansion and commercialisation of this activity is restricted, mainly due to the limited or non-availability of seeds of high-value finfishes. Silver pompano, Indian pompano, cobia, seabass, selected grouper varieties, sea breams and snappers are some of the key species that can be targeted as candidate species for commercial level seed production in the country. The prime requirement to achieve this goal is to ensure year-round commercial level availability of hatcheryproduced seeds of such species, for which, controlled reproductive maturation under bio-secure conditions is essential. Unlike some species of shrimps, it is not easy to source the required brooders directly by wild collection. It is time-consuming to collect pre-adult fishes from the wild and condition them into brooders (broodstock development). Hence, a viable option is to establish a broodstock holding facility (Broodbank) where broodfishes can be developed and maintained under bio-secure conditions. Broodbanks facilitated with recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) can to a large extent, avoid unexpected mortalities of brooders. Induced or volitional breeding techniques can be applied here, and fertilised eggs and newly hatched larvae can be supplied on demand to commercial hatcheries for rearing

Estimation of 24 hours proteinuria comparison of two method

This article does not have an abstract

Significance of protenuria in diabetes

This article does not have an abstract

Mitigating agricultural residue burning: challenges and solutions across land classes in Punjab, India

India faces significant air quality challenges, contributing to local health and global climate concerns. Despite a national ban on agricultural residue burning and various incentive schemes, farmers in northern India continue to face difficulties in curbing open-field burning. Using data from 1021 farming households in rural Punjab in India, we examine the patterns and drivers of the adoption of no-burn agriculture, particularly for farmers who mulch instead of burning crop residue. We find a growing trend in no-burn farming practices among farmers between 2015 and 2017, with the highest adoption rates among large farmers compared to medium and small farmers. Our findings suggest that access to equipment and learning opportunities may increase the likelihood of farmers using straw as mulch instead of burning it. Specifically, social learning appears to increase the likelihood of farmers embracing no-burn practices relative to learning from extension agencies. Furthermore, the form of learning depends on farm size. While large and medium farmers exhibit a variety of learning strategies, small farmers primarily self-learn. These results underscore the importance of a multiprong policy that provides sufficient access to equipment and a combination of learning platforms that enabling farmers from different land classes to adopt no-burn technologies

Spatial fish consumption paradigms across Kerala

The present paper attempts to assess the spatial pattern of fish consumption and its attributes in Kerala. The study was conducted across different district locales in Kerala viz., urban coastal (Trivandrum), rural coastal (Alappuzha), noncoastal urban (Kottayam) and noncoastal rural (Palakkad) districts. A total of 1440 consumption households were covered for the study. The consumer profiles revealed that 57% of respondents were of middle age group (35-55 years) with collegiate education (27%). More than 40% consume fish on a daily basis. The result revealed that the fish consumption increased over the years on account of better fish availability (62%) accessibility (52%) and affordability (48%). The fish accessibility was less than one km as opined by 52% of consumers. The consumption attributes indicated that sardine was the most preferred species of fish followed by mackerel and anchovies. The constraints in fish consumption as perceived by the consumers induced that from lack of fresh fish, to high price, wide fluctuations in price, irregular supply and lack of hygiene in purchase sources were limiting factors in augmenting fish consumption. Different statistical and econometric tools such as conjoint analysis, preference assessment index and discriminant analysis have been deployed for analyzing the data