Loss of protein kinase calpha expression may enhance the tumorigenic potential of Gli1 in basal cell carcinoma

Gli1 has now been implicated in switching between motility and static cell replication. Part of a series of papers, this study tracted PKCalpha expression in relation to Gli1 in various static and motile cell areas of the hair sheath and BCC

Downscaling and improving the wind forecasts from NWP for wind energy applications using support vector regression

acceptedVersio

Power production forecast for distributed wind energy systems using support vector regression

Due to the inherent intermittency in wind power production, reliable short-term wind power production forecasting has become essential for the efficient grid and market integration of wind energy. The current wind power production forecasting schemes are predominantly developed for wind farms. With the rapid growth in the microgrid sector and the increasing number of wind turbines integrated with these local grids, power production forecasting schemes are becoming essential for distributed wind energy systems as well. This paper proposes a power production forecasting scheme developed explicitly for distributed wind energy projects. The proposed system integrates two submodels based on support vector regression: one for downscaling the wind speed predictions to the hub coordinates of the turbine and the other for predicting the site-specific performance of the turbine under this wind condition. The forecasting horizons considered are the hour ahead (t + 1) and the day ahead (t + 36), which align with the Nord pool's energy market requirements. For the day-ahead scheme, a multistep recursive approach is adopted. The accuracy and adaptability of the proposed forecasting scheme are demonstrated in the case of a distributed wind turbine.publishedVersio

Energy Distribution in disordered elastic Networks

Disordered networks are found in many natural and artificial materials, from gels or cytoskeletal structures to metallic foams or bones. Here, the energy distribution in this type of networks is modeled, taking into account the orientation of the struts. A correlation between the orientation and the energy per unit volume is found and described as a function of the connectivity in the network and the relative bending stiffness of the struts. If one or both parameters have relatively large values, the struts aligned in the loading direction present the highest values of energy. On the contrary, if these have relatively small values, the highest values of energy can be reached in the struts oriented transversally. This result allows explaining in a simple way remodeling processes in biological materials, for example, the remodeling of trabecular bone and the reorganization in the cytoskeleton. Additionally, the correlation between the orientation, the affinity, and the bending-stretching ratio in the network is discussed

Toxic effects of estradiol E2 on development in the European tree frog (Hyla arborea)

Estrogenic hormones are a major environmental threat to aquatic wildlife. Here we report chronic toxic effects of exposure to the naturally excreted estrogen, 17β-estradiol (E2), on the larval and subadult development of the European tree frog (Hyla arborea), by an experimental setting and long-term monitoring. In addition to the documented impact on sexual development and mating behavior, the general toxicity of human-released estrogens may contribute to global amphibian declines

The International Population Data Linkage Network – Banff and Beyond

We write to you, here in the pages of the International Journal of Population Data Science, for the second time in our capacity of co-directors of the International Population Data Linkage Network (IPDLN – www.ipdln.org). Time has certainly passed quickly since our first communication, where we introduced ourselves, and discussed planned initiatives for our tenure as leads of the IPDLN. Our network’s scientific community is steadily growing and thriving in an era of heightened interest around all things ‘data’. Indeed, there is great enthusiasm for all initiatives that explore ways of harnessing information systems and multisource data to enhance collective knowledge of health matters so that better decisions can be made by governments, system planners, providers, and patients. Never before have such initiatives attracted more attention. It is in this context of heightened interest and relevance around IPDLN and its science that we prepare to convene in Banff, Alberta, Canada for the 5th biennial IPDLN Conference – September 11-14. The conference, to be held at the inspiring Banff Centre (www.banffcentre.ca), is almost sold out, with only limited space remaining for late registrants. A tremendous program has been created through the oversight of Scientific Program co-chairs, Drs. Astrid Guttman and Hude Quan. A compelling roster of plenary lectures from Drs. Diane Watson, Jennifer Walker, and Osmar Zaïane is eagerly anticipated, as are topical panel discussions, an entertaining Science Slam session, and a terrific social program. These sessions will be surrounded by rich scientific oral and poster presentations arising from the more than 450 scientific abstracts submitted for review. We are so pleased to see this vibrant scientific engagement from the IPDLN membership and students, and look forward to hosting all delegates in Banff. The Banff conference will also be the venue at which we announce the new Directorship of the IPDLN for the next two years (2019 and 2020). As co-directors, we engaged with a number of individuals and organizations with interest in leading the IPDLN. In the end, two compelling Directorship applications were submitted – one a joint bid from Australia’s Population Health Research Network and the South Australia Northern Territory DataLink, and the other from the US-based Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy. IPDLN members submitted votes on these strong leadership bids through an online voting process, and while the excellence and appeal of both bids was apparent in strong voter support for both, a winning bid has been confirmed, and it will (as mentioned) be announced at the upcoming September conference. As we look forward to the Banff meeting with great anticipation, we are compelled to acknowledge the growing IPDLN legacy created by past directors. We are particularly indebted to our immediate predecessor, Dr. David Ford, and his team at Swansea University. Their work in hosting the 2016 IPDLN conference has been an inspiration to us in the planning of this year’s conference, and their crucial and foundational work in creating an IT platform for the IPDLN website, the membership database, and the new International Journal for Population Data Science has brought the IPDLN to a new level of organizational sophistication. Over the last 18 months, our co-directorship teams from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Ontario and the O’Brien Institute for Public Health at the University of Calgary have built on the foundation established by prior directors to update/enhance the IPDLN website and membership database. The IPDLN has more members than ever before representing a greater number of countries, and we have a more formalized governance structure with the creation of an Executive Committee that will include immediate past-Directors in order to better ensure continuity. A new Executive Committee will be elected by the IPDLN membership following the Banff conference. The waiting is almost over and IPDLN 2018 is upon us! Our scientific domain has never had the prominence or level of anticipation that we currently see. And the IPDLN has grown in its size, vibrancy and scientific scope. The opportunities for us are boundless, and the timing of our upcoming conference could not be better. We are honoured, with our respective organizations, to have had this opportunity to serve as co-directors over the past two years, and look forward to seeing many of you very soon. For those of you who are unable to travel to Canada’s Rocky Mountains this year, we look forward to connecting with you at a later time in the IPDLN’s continuing upward journey

proBed: extension of the BED format for mapping peptides identified by mass spectrometry to a genome

The Human Proteome Organisation (HUPO) Proteomics Standards Initiative (PSI) defines community standards for data representation in proteomics to facilitate data comparison, exchange and verification. The Proteomics Informatics Working Group is developing standards for describing the results of identification and quantification processes for proteins, peptides, small molecules and protein modifications from mass spectrometry. This document defines a tab delimited text file format to report “proteogenomics” results i.e. the identification and mapping of peptide/protein sequences back against a genome, to assist in annotation efforts

Effect of alcohol consumption on biological markers associated with risk of coronary heart disease: systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies

Objective To systematically review interventional studies of the effects of alcohol consumption on 21 biological markers associated with risk of coronary heart disease in adults without known cardiovascular disease

Association of alcohol consumption with selected cardiovascular disease outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of studies assessing the effect of alcohol consumption on multiple cardiovascular outcomes