Big Automotive Data Preprocessing: A Three Stages Approach

The automotive industry generates large datasets of various formats, uncertainties and frequencies. To exploit Automotive Big Data, the data needs to be connected, fused and preprocessed to quality datasets before being used for production and business processes. Data preprocessing tasks are typically expensive, tightly coupled with their intended AI algorithms and are done manually by domain experts. Hence there is a need to automate data preprocessing to seamlessly generate cleaner data. We intend to introduce a generic data preprocessing framework that handles vehicle-to-everything (V2X) data streams and dynamic updates. We intend to decentralize and automate data preprocessing by leveraging edge computing with the objective of progressively improving the quality of the dataflow within edge components (vehicles) and onto the cloud

Risk-averse optimal control of random elliptic VIs

We consider a risk-averse optimal control problem governed by an elliptic variational inequality (VI) subject to random inputs. By deriving KKT-type optimality conditions for a penalised and smoothed problem and studying convergence of the stationary points with respect to the penalisation parameter, we obtain two forms of stationarity conditions. The lack of regularity with respect to the uncertain parameters and complexities induced by the presence of the risk measure give rise to new challenges unique to the stochastic setting. We also propose a path-following stochastic approximation algorithm using variance reduction techniques and demonstrate the algorithm on a modified benchmark problem

Risk-averse optimal control of random elliptic variational inequalities

We consider a risk-averse optimal control problem governed by an elliptic variational inequality (VI) subject to random inputs. By deriving KKT-type optimality conditions for a penalised and smoothed problem and studying convergence of the stationary points with respect to the penalisation parameter, we obtain two forms of stationarity conditions. The lack of regularity with respect to the uncertain parameters and complexities induced by the presence of the risk measure give rise to new challenges unique to the stochastic setting. We also propose a path-following stochastic approximation algorithm using variance reduction techniques and demonstrate the algorithm on a modified benchmark problem.Comment: 31 page

Transesophageal echocardiogram: Accurate enough to make definitive clinical decisions related to endocarditis

A critical appraisal and clinical application of: Daniel WG, Mugge A, Martin RP, et al. Improvement in the diagnosis of abscesses associated with endocarditis by transesophageal echocardiography. N Engl J Med. 1991 Mar 21;324(12):795-800. doi: 10.1056/NEJM19910321324120

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING INSTALLMENTS ON DEBIT ACCOUNTS

Methods and systems for processing debit installments are disclosed. The system includes receiving an authorization request and instalment plan for processing an instalment transaction associated with a debit account. The request may be received from a payment network managed by VISA or other entities. The system validates credit limits associated with the debit account for approving the authorization request. The system approves the authorization request based on the validation of credit limits and analyzes the instalment plan on approval of authorization request. The system further generates loan ledgers, repayment schedules and recovery transactions based on the analysis of instalment plan

Use of Technologies to Improve the Liposuction Outcome Including Skin Texture and Form

Liposuction as the word suggests involves sucking out fat from the subcutaneous layers. In many parts of the world it is used interchangeably with weight loss and non-surgical fat reduction procedures. The gold standard for liposuction for many decades has been the “Suction assisted Liposuction’ also called SAL. Newer technologies have been introduced with varied claims about skin retraction, painless and complete evacuation of fat as well as a faster recovery. This chapter elaborates the personal experience of the Authors with regards to the discussed newer technologies bringing into perspective their indications, mechanism of action as well as clinical outcomes. At the outset the Authors would like to state emphatically that technologies are as good as the surgeon holding them and that somewhat same result can be achieved through a traditional liposuction in most of the cases. A surgeon looking to incorporate these technologies in practice should first achieve a mastery of traditional SAL for the best outcomes

Metabolic and immunological responses of Drosophila melanogaster to dietary restriction and bacterial infection differ substantially between genotypes in a population

To respond to changing environmental conditions, a population may either shift toward better-adapted genotypes or adapt on an individual level. The present work aimed to quantify the relevance of these two processes by comparing the responses of defined Drosophila melanogaster populations to different stressors. To do this, we infected two homogeneous populations (isofemale lines), which differ significantly in fitness, and a synthetic heterogeneous population with a specific pathogen and/or exposed them to food restriction. Pectobacterium carotovorum was used to infect Drosophila larvae either fed standard or protein-restricted diet. In particular, the two homogeneous groups, which diverged in their fitness, showed considerable differences in all parameters assessed (survivorship, protein and lipid contents, phenol-oxidase (PO) activity, and antibacterial rate). Under fully nutritious conditions, larvae of the homogeneous population with low fitness exhibited lower survivorship and protein levels, as well as higher PO activity and antibacterial rate compared with the fitter population. A protein-restricted diet and bacterial infection provoked a decrease in survivorship, and antibacterial rate in most populations. Bacterial infection elicited an opposite response in protein and lipid content in both isofemale lines tested. Interestingly, the heterogeneous population showed a complex response pattern. The response of the heterogeneous population followed the fit genotype in terms of survival and antibacterial activity but followed the unfit genotype in terms of PO activity. In conclusion, our results show that defined genotypes exhibit highly divergent responses to varying stressors that are difficult to predict. Furthermore, the responses of heterogeneous populations do not follow a fixed pattern showing a very high degree of plasticity and differences between different genotypes

Increased expression of the interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK)-1 is associated with adipose tissue inflammatory state in obesity

Figure S2. Comparison of IRAK-1 gene and protein expression in the adipose tissue. The gene and protein expression of IRAK-1 in non-diabetic obese, overweight, and lean adipose tissue samples, 5 each, were determined by using real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively, as described in Patients and Methods. The relative mRNA expression was measured as fold expression over average of control gene expression taken as 1. The protein expression was measured as intensity which was calculated by using Aperio positive pixel count algorithm software (version 9)

Real-Time PCR Detection and Phylogenetic Relationships of \u3ci\u3eNeorickettsia\u3c/i\u3e In Digeneans From Egypt, Phillipines, Thailand, Vietnam and the United States

Neorickettsia (Rickettsiales, Anaplasmataceae) is a genus of obligate intracellular bacterial endosymbionts of digeneans (Platyhelminthes, Digenea). Some Neorickettsia are able to invade cells of the digenean\u27s vertebrate host and are known to cause diseases of domestic animals, wildlife, and humans. In this study we report the results of screening digenean samples for Neorickettsia collected from bats in Egypt and Mindoro Island, Philippines, snails and fishes from Thailand, and fishes from Vietnam and the USA. Neorickettsia were detected using a real-time PCR protocol targeting a 152bp fragment of the heat shock protein coding gene, GroEL, and verified with nested PCR and sequencing of a 1853bp long region of the GroESL operon and a 1371bp long region of 16S rRNA. Eight unique genotypes of Neorickettsia were obtained from digenean samples. Neorickettsia sp. 8 obtained from Lecithodendrium sp. from Egypt; Neorickettsia sp. 9 and 10 obtained from two species of Paralecithodendrium from Mindoro, Philippines; Neorickettsia sp. 11 from Lecithodendrium sp. and Neorickettsia sp. 4 (previously identified from Saccocoelioides lizae, from China) from Thailand; Neorickettsia sp. 12 from Dicrogaster sp. Florida, USA; Neorickettsia sp. 13 and SF agent from Vietnam. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the forms, provisionally named Neorickettsia sp. 8-13, represent new genotypes. We have for the first time detected Neorickettsia in a digenean from Egypt (and the African continent as a whole), the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam based on PCR and sequencing evidence. Our findings suggest that further surveys from the African continent, SE Asia, and island countries are likely to reveal new Neorickettsia lineages as well as new digenean host associations