Hyperbolic dimension of Julia sets of meromorphic maps with logarithmic tracts

We prove that for meromorphic maps with logarithmic tracts (e.g. entire or meromorphic maps with a finite number of poles from class $\mathcal B$), the Julia set contains a compact invariant hyperbolic Cantor set of Hausdorff dimension greater than 1. Hence, the hyperbolic dimension of the Julia set is greater than 1.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur

A randomized trial of a lab-embedded discourse intervention to improve research ethics.

We report a randomized trial of a research ethics training intervention designed to enhance ethics communication in university science and engineering laboratories, focusing specifically on authorship and data management. The intervention is a project-based research ethics curriculum that was designed to enhance the ability of science and engineering research laboratory members to engage in reason giving and interpersonal communication necessary for ethical practice. The randomized trial was fielded in active faculty-led laboratories at two US research-intensive institutions. Here, we show that laboratory members perceived improvements in the quality of discourse on research ethics within their laboratories and enhanced awareness of the relevance and reasons for that discourse for their work as measured by a survey administered over 4 mo after the intervention. This training represents a paradigm shift compared with more typical module-based or classroom ethics instruction that is divorced from the everyday workflow and practices within laboratories and is designed to cultivate a campus culture of ethical science and engineering research in the very work settings where laboratory members interact

Who in the world is trying to change their personality traits? : volitional personality change among college students in 56 countries

Recent research conducted largely in the US suggests that most people would like to change one or more of their personality traits. Yet almost no research has investigated the degree to which and in what ways volitional personality change (VPC), or individuals’ active efforts towards personality change, might be common around the world. Through a custom-built website, 13,278 college student participants from 56 countries using 42 different languages reported whether they were currently trying to change their personality and, if so, what they were trying to change. Around the world, 60.40% of participants reported that they are currently trying to change their personalities, with the highest percentage in Thailand (81.91%) and the lowest in Kenya (21.41%). Among those who provide open-ended responses to the aspect of personality they are trying to change, the most common goals were to increase emotional stability (29.73%), conscientiousness (19.71%), extraversion (15.94%), and agreeableness (13.53%). In line with previous research, students who are trying to change any personality trait tend to have relatively low levels of emotional stability and happiness. Moreover, those with relatively low levels of socially desirable traits reported attempting to increase what they lacked. These principal findings were generalizable around the world

Quantitative trait loci and genes associated with salmonid alphavirus load in Atlantic salmon:implications for pancreas disease resistance and tolerance

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Decision making around living and deceased donor kidney transplantation: a qualitative study exploring the importance of expected relationship changes

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Non-Intrusive Appliance Load Monitoring using Genetic Algorithms

Smart Meters provide detailed energy consumption data and rich contextual information which can be utilized to assist energy providers and consumers in understanding and managing energy use. Here, we present a novel approach using genetic algorithms to infer appliance level data from aggregate load curves without a-priori information. We introduce a theoretical framework to encode load data in a chromosomal representation, to reconstruct individual appliance loads and propose several fitness functions for the evaluation. Our results, using artificial and real world data, confirm the practical relevance and feasibility of our approach

BRAF mutation is not predictive of long-term outcome in papillary thyroid carcinoma

The BRAF mutation occurs commonly in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Previous investigations of its utility to predict recurrence-free survival (RFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) have reported conflicting results and its role remains unclear. The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the incidence of the BRAF mutation and analyze its relationship to clinicopathologic risk factors and long-term outcomes in the largest, single-institution American cohort to date. BRAF mutational status was determined in 508 PTC patients using RFLP analysis. The relationships between BRAF mutation status, patient and tumor characteristics, RFS, and DSS were analyzed. The BRAF mutation was present in 67% of patients. On multivariate analysis, presence of the mutation predicted only for capsular invasion (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1–2.6), cervical lymph node involvement (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1–2.7), and classic papillary histology (HR, 1.8; 95% CI 1.1–2.9). There was no significant relationship between the BRAF mutation and RFS or DSS, an observation that was consistent across univariate, multivariate, and Kaplan–Meier analyses. This is the most extensive study to date in the United States to demonstrate that BRAF mutation is of no predictive value for recurrence or survival in PTC. We found correlations of BRAF status and several clinicopathologic characteristics of high-risk disease, but limited evidence that the mutation correlates with more extensive or aggressive disease. This analysis suggests that BRAF is minimally prognostic in PTC. However, prevalence of the BRAF mutation is 70% in the general population, providing the opportunity for targeted therapy

Intention to leave, depersonalisation and job satisfaction in physicians and nurses: a cross-sectional study in Europe

The European healthcare sector faces a significant shortage of healthcare workers. Assessing the prevalence of this issue and understanding its direct and indirect determinants are essential for formulating effective recruitment programs and enhancing job retention strategies for physicians and nurses. A multicentric cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 381 physicians and 1351 nurses recruited from eight European hospitals in Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and Poland. The study focused on assessing turnover intentions among healthcare workers based on the Job Demands-Resources model, using an online questionnaire. Structural equation models were employed to test the data collection questionnaires' construct validity and internal consistency. The turnover intention was assessed by agreement with the intention to leave either the hospital or the profession. Among physicians, 17% expressed an intention to leave the hospital, while 9% intended to leave the profession. For nurses, the figures were 8.9% and 13.6%, respectively. The internal consistency of the questionnaires exceeded 0.90 for both categories of health workers. Depersonalization and job dissatisfaction were identified as direct determinants of turnover intention, with work engagement being particularly relevant for nurses. We found a higher intention to leave the hospital among physicians, while nurses were more prone to leave their profession. To mitigate turnover intentions, it is recommended to focus on improving job satisfaction, work engagement and fostering a positive working climate, thereby addressing depersonalisation and promoting job retention

Electrochemistry at nanoscale electrodes : individual single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and SWNT-templated metal nanowires

Individual nanowires (NWs) and native single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) can be readily used as well-defined nanoscale electrodes (NSEs) for voltammetric analysis. Here, the simple photolithography-free fabrication of submillimeter long Au, Pt, and Pd NWs, with sub-100 nm heights, by templated electrodeposition onto ultralong flow-aligned SWNTs is demonstrated. Both individual Au NWs and SWNTs are employed as NSEs for electron-transfer (ET) kinetic quantification, using cyclic voltammetry (CV), in conjunction with a microcapillary-based electrochemical method. A small capillary with internal diameter in the range 30–70 μm, filled with solution containing a redox-active mediator (FcTMA+ ((trimethylammonium)methylferrocene), Fe(CN)64–, or hydrazine) is positioned above the NSE, so that the solution meniscus completes an electrochemical cell. A 3D finite-element model, faithfully reproducing the experimental geometry, is used to both analyze the experimental CVs and derive the rate of heterogeneous ET, using Butler–Volmer kinetics. For a 70 nm height Au NW, intrinsic rate constants, k0, up to ca. 1 cm s–1 can be resolved. Using the same experimental configuration the electrochemistry of individual SWNTs can also be accessed. For FcTMA+/2+ electrolysis the simulated ET kinetic parameters yield very fast ET kinetics (k0 > 2 ± 1 cm s–1). Some deviation between the experimental voltammetry and the idealized model is noted, suggesting that double-layer effects may influence ET at the nanoscale

The use of communal rearing of families and DNA pooling in aquaculture genomic selection schemes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Traditional family-based aquaculture breeding programs, in which families are kept separately until individual tagging and most traits are measured on the sibs of the candidates, are costly and require a high level of reproductive control. The most widely used alternative is a selection scheme, where families are reared communally and the candidates are selected based on their own individual measurements of the traits under selection. However, in the latter selection schemes, inclusion of new traits depends on the availability of non-invasive techniques to measure the traits on selection candidates. This is a severe limitation of these schemes, especially for disease resistance and fillet quality traits.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Here, we present a new selection scheme, which was validated using computer simulations comprising 100 families, among which 1, 10 or 100 were reared communally in groups. Pooling of the DNA from 2000, 20000 or 50000 test individuals with the highest and lowest phenotypes was used to estimate 500, 5000 or 10000 marker effects. One thousand or 2000 out of 20000 candidates were preselected for a growth-like trait. These pre-selected candidates were genotyped, and they were selected on their genome-wide breeding values for a trait that could not be measured on the candidates.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A high accuracy of selection, i.e. 0.60-0.88 was obtained with 20000-50000 test individuals but it was reduced when only 2000 test individuals were used. This shows the importance of having large numbers of phenotypic records to accurately estimate marker effects. The accuracy of selection decreased with increasing numbers of families per group.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This new selection scheme combines communal rearing of families, pre-selection of candidates, DNA pooling and genomic selection and makes multi-trait selection possible in aquaculture selection schemes without keeping families separately until individual tagging is possible. The new scheme can also be used for other farmed species, for which the cost of genotyping test individuals may be high, e.g. if trait heritability is low.</p