Shakedown for slab track substructures with stiffness variation

In this paper, shakedown analyses are carried out to predict the long-term response of slab track substructures under repeated moving train loads. The train loads are converted into a distributed moving load on the substructure surface by using a simplified track analysis. Based on Melan’s static shakedown theorem, a well-established shakedown analysis method is extended to determine shakedown limits of the slab track substructures. The influence of a linearly increasing stiffness modulus on the shakedown limits is considered by conducting finite- element analysis with a user-defined material. It is found that a rise in stiffness modulus or stiffness variation ratio can either increase or decrease the shakedown limit, depending on the competitive effects of the two mechanisms. Furthermore, the subgrade thickness determines the dominant mechanism

External auditory canal atresia: Surgical correction compared with bone anchored hearing device

AbstractObjectivesThe study evaluates the hearing result, complication rate and parental satisfaction following two different approaches in the management of external auditory canal atresia.MethodsA retrospective chart review of 30 patients with external auditory canal atresia was conducted. Twenty of them underwent external canal atresia surgery and 10 had Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA). Hearing results, pre- and post-intervention, complications, parental satisfaction rate and speech improvement were measured.ResultsClosure of the air-bone gap (ABG) to 30 dB was seen in less than 50% in the surgery group. The BAHA group had closure of the ABG to less than 15 dB. Parental satisfaction was higher in BAHA group. The most common complications in the surgical and BAHA groups were group was soft tissue stenosis and adverse skin reactions for the BAHA group.ConclusionIn the treatment of auditory canal atresia, BAHA provides superior hearing results, greater parental satisfaction and fewer complications as compared to surgery

Arabidopsis CPR5 Independently Regulates Seed Germination and Postgermination Arrest of Development through LOX Pathway and ABA Signaling

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) and the lipoxygenases (LOXs) pathway play important roles in seed germination and seedling growth and development. Here, we reported on the functional characterization of Arabidopsis CPR5 in the ABA signaling and LOX pathways. The cpr5 mutant was hypersensitive to ABA in the seed germination, cotyledon greening and root growth, whereas transgenic plants overexpressing CPR5 were insensitive. Genetic analysis demonstrated that CPR5 gene may be located downstream of the ABI1 in the ABA signaling pathway. However, the cpr5 mutant showed an ABA independent drought-resistant phenotype. It was also found that the cpr5 mutant was hypersensitive to NDGA and NDGA treatment aggravated the ABA-induced delay in the seed germination and cotyledon greening. Taken together, these results suggest that the CPR5 plays a regulatory role in the regulation of seed germination and early seedling growth through ABA and LOX pathways independently

Revealing the impact of lifestyle stressors on the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes with multitask machine learning

Psychosocial and stress-related factors (PSFs), defined as internal or external stimuli that induce biological changes, are potentially modifiable factors and accessible targets for interventions that are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). Although individual APOs have been shown to be connected to PSFs, they are biologically interconnected, relatively infrequent, and therefore challenging to model. In this context, multi-task machine learning (MML) is an ideal tool for exploring the interconnectedness of APOs on the one hand and building on joint combinatorial outcomes to increase predictive power on the other hand. Additionally, by integrating single cell immunological profiling of underlying biological processes, the effects of stress-based therapeutics may be measurable, facilitating the development of precision medicine approaches.ObjectivesThe primary objectives were to jointly model multiple APOs and their connection to stress early in pregnancy, and to explore the underlying biology to guide development of accessible and measurable interventions.Materials and MethodsIn a prospective cohort study, PSFs were assessed during the first trimester with an extensive self-filled questionnaire for 200 women. We used MML to simultaneously model, and predict APOs (severe preeclampsia, superimposed preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and early gestational age) as well as several risk factors (BMI, diabetes, hypertension) for these patients based on PSFs. Strongly interrelated stressors were categorized to identify potential therapeutic targets. Furthermore, for a subset of 14 women, we modeled the connection of PSFs to the maternal immune system to APOs by building corresponding ML models based on an extensive single cell immune dataset generated by mass cytometry time of flight (CyTOF).ResultsJointly modeling APOs in a MML setting significantly increased modeling capabilities and yielded a highly predictive integrated model of APOs underscoring their interconnectedness. Most APOs were associated with mental health, life stress, and perceived health risks. Biologically, stressors were associated with specific immune characteristics revolving around CD4/CD8 T cells. Immune characteristics predicted based on stress were in turn found to be associated with APOs.ConclusionsElucidating connections among stress, multiple APOs simultaneously, and immune characteristics has the potential to facilitate the implementation of ML-based, individualized, integrative models of pregnancy in clinical decision making. The modifiable nature of stressors may enable the development of accessible interventions, with success tracked through immune characteristics

Prediksi Pengangkatan Karyawan Kontrak Menjadi Karyawan Tetap Menggunakan Decision Tree pada PT. Baskara Cipta Pratama

– Dalam meningkatkan mutu SDM yang berkualitas harus ditunjang dari sisi SDM itu sendiri, keputusan pengangkatan yang bisa dilakukan pada Perusahaan ditentukan dari segi absensi dan kedisiplinan yang baik. Penentuan karyawan kontrak untuk menjadi karyawan tetap di PT. Baskara Cipta Pratama, masih terlihat kurang tepat dan membutuhkan waktu, karena penilaian dan perhitungan hasil penentuan karyawan kontrak menjadi karyawan tetap dilakukan secara bertahap seperti penyeleksian berkas, tes lisan atau tes tertulis, wawancara dan lain sebagainya, sehingga kemungkinan kesalahan dalam hasil akhir dari penentuan karyawan kontrak menjadi karyawan tetap sering tidak memenuhi kriteria yang di butuhkan Perusahaan dan menghambat kinerja Perusahaan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memprediksi karyawan kontrak menjadi karyawan tetap yang dapat membantu Perusahaan dalam memilih karyawan yang tepat. Hasil dari penelitian ini membangun sebuah sistem pendukung keputusan menggunakan metode algoritma C.45 guna meningkatkan akurasi dalam penentuan karyawan kontrak menjadi karyawan tetap, Hasil dari pengklasifikasiannya divalidasi dengan k-fold cross validation dengan tingkat akurasi 90.83 %, presisi 91.18% dan recall 62,50 %

Pinguicula elongata of Colombia

Volume: 38Start Page: 83End Page: 8