On the Usability of Probably Approximately Correct Implication Bases

We revisit the notion of probably approximately correct implication bases from the literature and present a first formulation in the language of formal concept analysis, with the goal to investigate whether such bases represent a suitable substitute for exact implication bases in practical use-cases. To this end, we quantitatively examine the behavior of probably approximately correct implication bases on artificial and real-world data sets and compare their precision and recall with respect to their corresponding exact implication bases. Using a small example, we also provide qualitative insight that implications from probably approximately correct bases can still represent meaningful knowledge from a given data set.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures; typos added, corrected x-label on graph

Effects of bovine colostrum on performance, survival, and immunoglobulin status of suckling piglets during the first days of life

Supplementation of bovine colostrum (BC) has shown to improve growth performance, intestinal development, and immune response in early-weaned pigs. Little is known about whether BC may have similar effects in neonatal piglets. In the present study, the effect of BC supplementation on mortality, growth performance, and blood parameters (plasma proteins and white blood count) of suckling piglets in the first 10 days of life was investigated under practical conditions with special emphasis on low birth weight piglets. In total, 258 newborn piglets from 30 multiparous sows in a commercial breeding unit were randomly assigned to two different treatment groups. Piglets received either 1 ml of BC orally on days 1-3 of life (group BC, n = 128) or 1 ml of saline (0.9%) (control (CON) group; n = 130). Body weight was measured on days 1, 4, and 10 of life. Blood was collected on days 1 and 4 from 60 piglets per group. No differences in mortality, body weight, and average daily weight gain were observed between treatment groups in days 1-10. However, compared to CON, particularly in low birth weight piglets the administration of BC supported (P < 0.01) their survival. Group BC exhibited lower plasma total protein (P = 0.03) and beta-globulin (P = 0.02) concentrations compared to group CON. In conclusion, BC improved low and normal birth weight piglets' survival during their first 10 days of life. Further research is needed to clarify whether the survival rate is related to earlier gut closure indicated by lower plasma protein levels, which might be beneficial due to a lower uptake of potential antigenic substances

Effects of bovine colostrum on performance, survival, and immunoglobulin status of suckling piglets during the first days of life

Supplementation of bovine colostrum (BC) has shown to improve growth performance, intestinal development, and immune response in early-weaned pigs. Little is known about whether BC may have similar effects in neonatal piglets. In the present study, the effect of BC supplementation on mortality, growth performance, and blood parameters (plasma proteins and white blood count) of suckling piglets in the first 10 days of life was investigated under practical conditions with special emphasis on low birth weight piglets. In total, 258 newborn piglets from 30 multiparous sows in a commercial breeding unit were randomly assigned to two different treatment groups. Piglets received either 1 ml of BC orally on days 1-3 of life (group BC, n = 128) or 1 ml of saline (0.9%) (control (CON) group; n = 130). Body weight was measured on days 1, 4, and 10 of life. Blood was collected on days 1 and 4 from 60 piglets per group. No differences in mortality, body weight, and average daily weight gain were observed between treatment groups in days 1-10. However, compared to CON, particularly in low birth weight piglets the administration of BC supported (P < 0.01) their survival. Group BC exhibited lower plasma total protein (P = 0.03) and beta-globulin (P = 0.02) concentrations compared to group CON. In conclusion, BC improved low and normal birth weight piglets' survival during their first 10 days of life. Further research is needed to clarify whether the survival rate is related to earlier gut closure indicated by lower plasma protein levels, which might be beneficial due to a lower uptake of potential antigenic substances

A large geometric distortion in the first photointermediate of rhodopsin, determined by double-quantum solid-state NMR

Double-quantum magic-angle-spinning NMR experiments were performed on 11,12-C-13(2)-retinylidene-rhodopsin under illumination at low temperature, in order to characterize torsional angle changes at the C11-C12 photoisomerization site. The sample was illuminated in the NMR rotor at low temperature (similar to 120 K) in order to trap the primary photointermediate, bathorhodopsin. The NMR data are consistent with a strong torsional twist of the HCCH moiety at the isomerization site. Although the HCCH torsional twist was determined to be at least 40A degrees, it was not possible to quantify it more closely. The presence of a strong twist is in agreement with previous Raman observations. The energetic implications of this geometric distortion are discussed

Harmonic Vibrational Excitations in Disordered Solids and the "Boson Peak"

We consider a system of coupled classical harmonic oscillators with spatially fluctuating nearest-neighbor force constants on a simple cubic lattice. The model is solved both by numerically diagonalizing the Hamiltonian and by applying the single-bond coherent potential approximation. The results for the density of states $g(\omega)$ are in excellent agreement with each other. As the degree of disorder is increased the system becomes unstable due to the presence of negative force constants. If the system is near the borderline of stability a low-frequency peak appears in the reduced density of states $g(\omega)/\omega^2$ as a precursor of the instability. We argue that this peak is the analogon of the "boson peak", observed in structural glasses. By means of the level distance statistics we show that the peak is not associated with localized states

Infrared spectroscopy of phytochrome and model pigments

Fourier-transform infrared difference spectra between the red-absorbing and far-red-absorbing forms of oat phytochrome have been measured in H2O and 2H2O. The difference spectra are compared with infrared spectra of model compounds, i.e. the (5Z,10Z,15Z)- and (5Z,10Z,15E)-isomers of 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethyl-bilindion (Et8-bilindion), 2,3-dihydro-2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethyl-bilindion (H2Et8-bilindion), and protonated H2Et8-bilindion in various solvents. The spectra of the model compounds show that only for the protonated forms can clear differences between the two isomers be detected. Since considerable differences are present between the spectra of Et8-bilindion and H2Et8-bilindion, it is concluded that only the latter compound can serve as a model system of phytochrome. The 2H2O effect on the difference spectrum of phytochrome supports the view that the chromophore in red-absorbing phytochrome is protonated and suggests, in addition, that it is also protonated in far-red-absorbing phytochrome. The spectra show that protonated carboxyl groups are influenced. The small amplitudes in the difference spectra exclude major changes of protein secondary structure

Interpretation, Evaluation and the Semantic Gap ... What if we Were on a Side-Track?

International audienceA significant amount of research in Document Image Analysis, and Machine Perception in general, relies on the extraction and analysis of signal cues with the goal of interpreting them into higher level information. This paper gives an overview on how this interpretation process is usually considered, and how the research communities proceed in evaluating existing approaches and methods developed for realizing these processes. Evaluation being an essential part to measuring the quality of research and assessing the progress of the state-of-the art, our work aims at showing that classical evaluation methods are not necessarily well suited for interpretation problems, or, at least, that they introduce a strong bias, not necessarily visible at first sight, and that new ways of comparing methods and measuring performance are necessary. It also shows that the infamous {\em Semantic Gap} seems to be an inherent and unavoidable part of the general interpretation process, especially when considered within the framework of traditional evaluation. The use of Formal Concept Analysis is put forward to leverage these limitations into a new tool to the analysis and comparison of interpretation contexts

Does gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) influence the development of chronic inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Recent studies have demonstrated a role for spinal p38 MAP kinase (MAPK) in the development of chronic inflammation and peripheral arthritis and a role for GABA in the inhibition of p38 MAPK mediated effects. Integrating these data suggests that GABA may play a role in downregulating mechanisms that lead to the production of proinflammatory agents such as interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and matrix metalloproteinase 3 – agents implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Genetic studies have also associated RA with members of the p38 MAPK pathway.</p> <p>Hypothesis</p> <p>We propose a hypothesis for an inefficient GABA signaling system that results in unchecked proinflammatory cytokine production via the p38 MAPK pathway. This model also supports the need for increasing research in the integration of immunology and neuroscience.</p

Using Formal Concept Analysis and Information Flow for Modelling and Sharing Common Semantics: Lessons Learnt and Emergent Issues

We have been witnessing an explosion of user involvement in knowledge creation, publication and access both from within and between organisations. This is partly due to the widespread adoption of Web technology. But, it also introduces new challenges for knowledge engineers, who have to find suitable ways for sharing and integrating all this knowledge in meaningful chunks. In this paper we are exposing our experiences in using two technologies for capturing, representing and modelling semantic integration that are relatively unknown to the integration practitioners: Information Flow and Formal Concept Analysis