Prediction and Generation of Binary Markov Processes: Can a Finite-State Fox Catch a Markov Mouse?

Understanding the generative mechanism of a natural system is a vital component of the scientific method. Here, we investigate one of the fundamental steps toward this goal by presenting the minimal generator of an arbitrary binary Markov process. This is a class of processes whose predictive model is well known. Surprisingly, the generative model requires three distinct topologies for different regions of parameter space. We show that a previously proposed generator for a particular set of binary Markov processes is, in fact, not minimal. Our results shed the first quantitative light on the relative (minimal) costs of prediction and generation. We find, for instance, that the difference between prediction and generation is maximized when the process is approximately independently, identically distributed.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures; http://csc.ucdavis.edu/~cmg/compmech/pubs/gmc.ht

Process Dimension of Classical and Non-Commutative Processes

We treat observable operator models (OOM) and their non-commutative generalisation, which we call NC-OOMs. A natural characteristic of a stochastic process in the context of classical OOM theory is the process dimension. We investigate its properties within the more general formulation, which allows to consider process dimension as a measure of complexity of non-commutative processes: We prove lower semi-continuity, and derive an ergodic decomposition formula. Further, we obtain results on the close relationship between the canonical OOM and the concept of causal states which underlies the definition of statistical complexity. In particular, the topological statistical complexity, i.e. the logarithm of the number of causal states, turns out to be an upper bound to the logarithm of process dimension.Comment: 8 page

Large-Scale CO Maps of the Lupus Molecular Cloud Complex

Fully sampled degree-scale maps of the 13CO 2-1 and CO 4-3 transitions toward three members of the Lupus Molecular Cloud Complex - Lupus I, III, and IV - trace the column density and temperature of the molecular gas. Comparison with IR extinction maps from the c2d project requires most of the gas to have a temperature of 8-10 K. Estimates of the cloud mass from 13CO emission are roughly consistent with most previous estimates, while the line widths are higher, around 2 km/s. CO 4-3 emission is found throughout Lupus I, indicating widespread dense gas, and toward Lupus III and IV. Enhanced line widths at the NW end and along the edge of the B228 ridge in Lupus I, and a coherent velocity gradient across the ridge, are consistent with interaction between the molecular cloud and an expanding HI shell from the Upper-Scorpius subgroup of the Sco-Cen OB Association. Lupus III is dominated by the effects of two HAe/Be stars, and shows no sign of external influence. Slightly warmer gas around the core of Lupus IV and a low line width suggest heating by the Upper-Centaurus-Lupus subgroup of Sco-Cen, without the effects of an HI shell.Comment: 54 pages, 27 figures, 5 tables. To appear in ApJS. Preprint also available (with full-size figures) from http://www.astro.ex.ac.uk/people/nfht/publications.html Datacubes available from http://www.astro.ex.ac.uk/people/nfht/resources.htm

Promotion of social skills promotion in preschool children

Social skills promotion in the child's relationships, in a preventive level, provides the development of and improvement in social competence, resulting in greater adaptability to the social environment. This research aimed to verify the effectiveness of a preventive program of social skills development in children between 4 and 6 years old and their parents. The results reflect the performance of 9 children of both sexes, with age between 5 and 6 years. CBCL (Achenbach, 1991) was used as the analysis instrument, answered by parents about the children's behaviors, before and after the participation in the program. Based on this analysis, it was possible to observe that there is a statistical difference between CBCL results before and after intervention, indicating changes in parents' perception about their children's behaviors and the probable increase in behaviors that facilitate social interaction.A promoção de habilidades sociais nas relações da criança, a um nível preventivo, proporciona o desenvolvimento e melhoria da competência social, resultando em maior adaptabilidade ao meio social. Esta pesquisa teve por objetivo verificar a eficácia de um programa preventivo de desenvolvimento de habilidades sociais em crianças de 4 a 6 anos e seus pais. Os resultados refletem o desempenho de 9 crianças, de ambos os sexos, com idade entre 5 e 6 anos. Como instrumento de análise utilizou-se o Child Behavior Check-List (CBCL), respondido pelos pais em relação aos comportamentos dos filhos, antes e após a participação do programa. A partir desta análise, foi possível observar que existe uma diferença estatística entre os resultados do CBCL pré e pós-intervenção, indicando mudanças na percepção dos comportamentos das crianças pelos pais e provável aumento dos comportamentos facilitadores de interação social

The ZEUS Forward Plug Calorimeter with Lead-Scintillator Plates and WLS Fiber Readout

A Forward Plug Calorimeter (FPC) for the ZEUS detector at HERA has been built as a shashlik lead-scintillator calorimeter with wave length shifter fiber readout. Before installation it was tested and calibrated using the X5 test beam facility of the SPS accelerator at CERN. Electron, muon and pion beams in the momentum range of 10 to 100 GeV/c were used. Results of these measurements are presented as well as a calibration monitoring system based on a $^{60}$Co source.Comment: 38 pages (Latex); 26 figures (ps

Iron Status and Analysis of Efficacy and Safety of Ferric Carboxymaltose Treatment in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background and Aims:We analyzed iron deficiency and the therapeutic response following intravenous ferric carboxymaltose in a large single-center inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) cohort. Methods: 250 IBD patients were retrospectively analyzed for iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia. A subgroup was analyzed regarding efficacy and side effects of iron supplementation with ferric carboxymaltose. Results: In the cohort (n = 250), 54.4% of the patients had serum iron levels 60 mu g/dl, 61.6% had ferritin >100 ng/ml, and 90.7% reached Hb >12/13 g/dl at follow-up (p < 0.0001 for all parameters vs. pretreatment values). The most frequent adverse event was a transient increase of liver enzymes with male gender as risk factor (p = 0.008, OR 8.62, 95% CI 1.74-41.66). Conclusions: Iron deficiency and anemia are frequent in IBD patients. Treatment with ferric carboxymaltose is efficious, safe and well tolerated in iron-deficient IBD patients. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base

Structural and Functional analysis of the GABARAP interaction motif (GIM)

© 2017 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license. Through the canonical LC3 interaction motif (LIR), [W/F/Y]-X 1 -X 2 -[I/L/V], protein complexes are recruited to autophagosomes to perform their functions as either autophagy adaptors or receptors. How these adaptors/receptors selectively interact with either LC3 or GABARAP families remains unclear. Herein, we determine the range of selectivity of 30 known core LIR motifs towards individual LC3s and GABARAPs. From these, we define a GABARAP Interaction Motif (GIM) sequence ([W/F] -[V/I]-X 2 -V) that the adaptor protein PLEKHM1 tightly conforms to. Using biophysical and structural approaches, we show that the PLEKHM1-LIR is indeed 11-fold more specific for GABARAP than LC3B. Selective mutation of the X 1 and X 2 positions either completely abolished the interaction with all LC3 and GABARAPs or increased PLEKHM1-GIM selectivity 20-fold towards LC3B. Finally, we show that conversion of p62/SQSTM1, FUNDC1 and FIP200 LIRs into our newly defined GIM, by introducing two valine residues, enhances their interaction with endogenous GABARAP over LC3B. The identification of a GABARAP-specific interaction motif will aid the identification and characterization of the expanding array of autophagy receptor and adaptor proteins and their in vivo functions

The Role of Regulated mRNA Stability in Establishing Bicoid Morphogen Gradient in Drosophila Embryonic Development

The Bicoid morphogen is amongst the earliest triggers of differential spatial pattern of gene expression and subsequent cell fate determination in the embryonic development of Drosophila. This maternally deposited morphogen is thought to diffuse in the embryo, establishing a concentration gradient which is sensed by downstream genes. In most model based analyses of this process, the translation of the bicoid mRNA is thought to take place at a fixed rate from the anterior pole of the embryo and a supply of the resulting protein at a constant rate is assumed. Is this process of morphogen generation a passive one as assumed in the modelling literature so far, or would available data support an alternate hypothesis that the stability of the mRNA is regulated by active processes? We introduce a model in which the stability of the maternal mRNA is regulated by being held constant for a length of time, followed by rapid degradation. With this more realistic model of the source, we have analysed three computational models of spatial morphogen propagation along the anterior-posterior axis: (a) passive diffusion modelled as a deterministic differential equation, (b) diffusion enhanced by a cytoplasmic flow term; and (c) diffusion modelled by stochastic simulation of the corresponding chemical reactions. Parameter estimation on these models by matching to publicly available data on spatio-temporal Bicoid profiles suggests strong support for regulated stability over either a constant supply rate or one where the maternal mRNA is permitted to degrade in a passive manner

Detection of the 205 um [NII] Line from the Carina Nebula

We report the first detection of the 205 um 3P1 - 3P0 [NII] line from a ground-based observatory using a direct detection spectrometer. The line was detected from the Carina star formation region using the South Pole Imaging Fabry-Perot Interferometer (SPIFI) on the Antarctic Submillimeter Telescope and Remote Observatory (AST/RO) at South Pole. The [NII] 205 um line strength indicates a low-density (n ~ 32 cm^-3 ionized medium, similar to the low-density ionized halo reported previously in its [OIII] 52 and 88 um line emission. When compared with the ISO [CII] observations of this region, we find that ~27% of the [CII] line emission arises from this low-density ionized gas, but the large majority ~ 73% of the observed [CII] line emission arises from the neutral interstellar medium. This result supports and underpins prior conclusions that most of the observed [CII] 158 um line emission from Galactic and extragalactic sources arises from the warm, dense photodissociated surfaces of molecular clouds. The detection of the [NII] line demonstrates the utility of Antarctic sites for THz spectroscopy.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures. To appear in the Astrophysical Journal Letter