Posterior Inference in Bayesian Quantile Regression with Asymmetric Laplace Likelihood

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135059/1/insr12114.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135059/2/insr12114_am.pd

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Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134939/1/insr12181.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134939/2/insr12181_am.pd

Clustering Algorithm Based on Sparse Feature Vector without Specifying Parameter

Parameter setting is an essential factor affecting algorithm performance in data mining techniques. CABOSFV is an efficient clustering algorithm which can cluster binary data with sparse features, but it is challenging to specify the threshold parameter. To solve the difficulty of parameter decision, a clustering algorithm based on sparse feature vector without specifying parameter (CASP) is proposed in this paper. The calculation method of an upper limit of threshold is firstly defined to determine the range of threshold. Furthermore, we use the sparseness index to sort the data and conduct the clustering process based on the adjusted sparse feature vector after data sorting. An interval search strategy is adopted to find a suitable threshold within the defined threshold range, and the clustering result with the selected suitable parameter is the outcome. Experiments on 7 UCI datasets demonstrate that the clustering results of the CASP algorithm are superior to other baselines in terms of both effectiveness and efficiency. CASP not only simplifies the parameter decision process, but also obtains desirable clustering results quickly and stably, which shows the practicability of the algorithm

Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Protect Neural Progenitor Cells against Oxidative Injury

The omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), derived mainly from fish oil, play important roles in brain development and neuroplasticity. Here, we reported that application of ω-3 PUFAs significantly protected mouse neural progenitor cells (NPCs) against H2O2-induced oxidative injury. We also isolated NPCs from transgenic mice expressing the Caenorhabditis elegans fat-1 gene. The fat-1 gene, which is absent in mammals, can add a double bond into an unsaturated fatty acid hydrocarbon chain and convert ω-6 to ω-3 fatty acids. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining showed that a marked decrease in apoptotic cells was found in fat-1 NPCs after oxidative injury with H2O2 as compared with wild-type NPCs. Quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis demonstrated a much higher expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a master transcriptional factor for antioxidant genes, in fat-1 NPCs. The results of the study provide evidence that ω-3 PUFAs resist oxidative injury to NPCs