A spectrum of physics-informed Gaussian processes for regression in engineering

Despite the growing availability of sensing and data in general, we remain unable to fully characterise many in-service engineering systems and structures from a purely data-driven approach. The vast data and resources available to capture human activity are unmatched in our engineered world, and, even in cases where data could be referred to as ``big,'' they will rarely hold information across operational windows or life spans. This paper pursues the combination of machine learning technology and physics-based reasoning to enhance our ability to make predictive models with limited data. By explicitly linking the physics-based view of stochastic processes with a data-based regression approach, a spectrum of possible Gaussian process models are introduced that enable the incorporation of different levels of expert knowledge of a system. Examples illustrate how these approaches can significantly reduce reliance on data collection whilst also increasing the interpretability of the model, another important consideration in this context

Asterixis.

Adams and Foley described asterixis in the 1940s in patients with hepatic encephalopathy, but it has since been associated with a wide range of potential causes, both in neurology and general medicine. Here, we review the history, characteristics and clinical significance of this important clinical sign

Across-ecoregion analysis suggests a hierarchy of ecological filters that regulate recruitment of a globally invasive fish

Aim -- Even successful invaders are abundant only in a fraction of locales they inhabit. One of the main challenges in invasion ecology is explaining processes that drive these patterns. We investigated recruitment of a globally invasive fish, common carp (Cyprinus carpio), across three ecoregions to determine the role of environmental characteristics, predatory communities and propagule pressure on the invasion process at coarse and fine spatial scales. Location -- Lakes across Northern Forest, Temperate Forest and Great Plains ecoregions of North America. Methods -- We used data from 567 lakes to model presence or absence of carp recruitment using environmental conditions (lake clarity, area, maximum depth), native predatory fishes (micropredators, mesopredators, large predators) and propagule pressure (abundance of adult carp). We formed a set of alternative models and evaluated their support using an information theoretic approach. Once most supported models were identified, we used classification tree to determine how variables included in these models interacted to affect carp recruitment. Finally, we conducted a field experiment to test the predictions of the classification tree analysis. Results -- Carp recruitment was strongly regulated by processes associated with water clarity, which appeared to function as a broad-scale ecological filter. Carp were unlikely to recruit in clear, oligotrophic lakes (Secchi depth \u3e 2 m) despite the presence of adults in many such systems. Recruitment was more likely to occur in regions with turbid lakes, but abundant micropredators could inhibit it there. Main conclusions -- Carp recruitment and invasions across large geographic areas are attributable to a two-layer ecological filter with lake clarity/productivity acting as a coarse-scale filter and micropredators acting as a fine-scale filter. This two-layer filter might explain the complex patterns of carp invasions among and within different ecoregions. Ecological filters may also explain the success of other aquatic invaders that show similarly patchy spatial distribution patterns

Recommendations for treatment strategies in people with epilepsy during times of shortage of antiseizure medications

In times of severe antiseizure medication (ASM) shortage due to emergency situations (e.g., disasters, conflicts, sudden disruption to international supply chains), management of people with epilepsy with available ASMs can be difficult. A group of experts was brought together by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) to formulate recommendations for such circumstances. Every effort was made to base these recommendations on direct published literature or extrapolations from basic information available about ASMs. Actual published literature in this area is, however, limited, and at times, assumptions were made by the experts to generate these recommendations. During times of shortage of ASMs, switching between different ASMs (e.g., oxcarbazepine and carbamazepine) can occasionally be considered as a mitigation procedure. However, for many ASMs, the option of an overnight switch to another drug does not exist. Switching from brand to generic or between generic products has often been shown to be safe, if required. Finally, when supplies of benzodiazepines or equipment to administer medications intravenously are not available, rectal administration of some ASMs may be an emergency alternative route for treating serial seizures and status epilepticus. Decision-making with regard to treatment and possible options should be driven by what is best for the patient

Fixed-bearing Medial Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty Restores Neither the Medial Pivoting Behavior Nor the Ligament Forces of the Intact Knee in Passive Flexion

Medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is an accepted treatment for isolated medial osteoarthritis. However, using an improper thickness for the tibial component may contribute to early failure of the prosthesis or disease progression in the unreplaced lateral compartment. Little is known of the effect of insert thickness on both knee kinematics and ligament forces. Therefore, a computational model of the tibiofemoral joint was used to determine how non-conforming, fixed bearing medial UKA affects tibiofemoral kinematics and tension in the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during passive knee flexion. Fixed bearing medial UKA could not maintain the medial pivoting that occurred in the intact knee from 0° to 30° of passive flexion. Abnormal anterior-posterior (AP) translations of the femoral condyles relative to the tibia delayed coupled internal tibial rotation, which occurred in the intact knee from 0° to 30° flexion, but occurred from 30° to 90° flexion following UKA. Increasing or decreasing tibial insert thickness following medial UKA also failed to restore the medial pivoting behavior of the intact knee despite modulating MCL and ACL forces. Reduced AP constraint in non-conforming medial UKA relative to the intact knee leads to abnormal condylar translations regardless of insert thickness even with intact cruciate and collateral ligaments. This finding suggests that the conformity of the medial compartment as driven by the medial meniscus and articular morphology plays an important role in controlling AP condylar translations in the intact tibiofemoral joint during passive flexion

Enterprise cost study for marion blackberries : establishment years, every year production, and alternate year production in the Mid-Willamette Valley

Published February 1987. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

Ultrasonography in surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

International guidelines recommend six monthly ultrasounds as the primary surveillance tool for patients at risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The dominant driver of liver disease in HCC surveillance populations is shifting, particularly in Europe and the United States, from chronic viral hepatitis (B or C), towards non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Today, the population requiring HCC surveillance is also characterised by a high prevalence of overweight/obesity. These patient characteristics significantly impair ultrasound quality which can impede the detection of early HCC lesions. This diagnostic limitation has significant implications considering that eligibility for curative treatment depends upon the stage at which the cancer is detected. In this narrative review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the published evidence and national/international guidelines regarding ultrasound surveillance for HCC in people with NAFLD. We examine ultrasound sensitivity in this cohort for the detection of all stage and early HCC, the impact of steatosis and abdominal obesity on ultrasound performance, evidence for the addition of serum alpha-fetoprotein measurement, optimal timing of surveillance, emerging modalities for risk stratification and screening, and outline the challenges of case finding and surveillance eligibility criteria in this patient cohort. Finally, amalgamating all available evidence, we propose a pragmatic surveillance pathway for patients with NAFLD.</jats:p

Dynamic DNA methylation across diverse human cell lines and tissues

As studies of DNA methylation increase in scope, it has become evident that methylation has a complex relationship with gene expression, plays an important role in defining cell types, and is disrupted in many diseases. We describe large-scale single-base resolution DNA methylation profiling on a diverse collection of 82 human cell lines and tissues using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS). Analysis integrating RNA-seq and ChIP-seq data illuminates the functional role of this dynamic mark. Loci that are hypermethylated across cancer types are enriched for sites bound by NANOG in embryonic stem cells, which supports and expands the model of a stem/progenitor cell signature in cancer. CpGs that are hypomethylated across cancer types are concentrated in megabase-scale domains that occur near the telomeres and centromeres of chromosomes, are depleted of genes, and are enriched for cancer-specific EZH2 binding and H3K27me3 (repressive chromatin). In noncancer samples, there are cell-type specific methylation signatures preserved in primary cell lines and tissues as well as methylation differences induced by cell culture. The relationship between methylation and expression is context-dependent, and we find that CpG-rich enhancers bound by EP300 in the bodies of expressed genes are unmethylated despite the dense gene-body methylation surrounding them. Non-CpG cytosine methylation occurs in human somatic tissue, is particularly prevalent in brain tissue, and is reproducible across many individuals. This study provides an atlas of DNA methylation across diverse and well-characterized samples and enables new discoveries about DNA methylation and its role in gene regulation and disease