3,079 research outputs found
Multi-view Regularized Gaussian Processes
Gaussian processes (GPs) have been proven to be powerful tools in various
areas of machine learning. However, there are very few applications of GPs in
the scenario of multi-view learning. In this paper, we present a new GP model
for multi-view learning. Unlike existing methods, it combines multiple views by
regularizing marginal likelihood with the consistency among the posterior
distributions of latent functions from different views. Moreover, we give a
general point selection scheme for multi-view learning and improve the proposed
model by this criterion. Experimental results on multiple real world data sets
have verified the effectiveness of the proposed model and witnessed the
performance improvement through employing this novel point selection scheme
Evaluation of the first automated thyroglobulin assay
The aim of this study was to investigate technical and analytical performance of the first automated thyroglobulin (Tg) assay (DPC-Immulite(R); Diagnostic Products Corporation, Los Angeles, USA). In imprecision studies using several human serum pools ranging from 21 to 58 replicates, a coefficient of variation of 9.0 % was obtained at a mean Tg concentration of 0.84 ng/ml and of 6.1 % at a Tg concentration of 62.1 ng/ml. In a method comparison with a non-automated assay (BRAHMS LUMItest Tg(R), BRAHMS, Berlin, Germany) using 383 sera of 303 patients with thyroid carcinoma, regression analysis according to Passing and Bablock yielded in the following equation: Immulite Tg=1.6 x BRAHMS Tg - 0.1 ng/ml (Pearson's r=0.979). Sera obtained from 59 patients with thyroid carcinoma enabled comparative follow-up studies; in all cases qualitative agreement was found with regard to increase or decrease of serum Tg; in eight cases, however, Tg was detected with the Immulite assay but not with the BRAHMS assay. Further follow-up proved the presence of thyroid tissue in these patients. From these and further methodological data (dilution linearity, interference studies, carry-over study, high-dose hook properties, and short report time) it is concluded that the DPC-Immulite Tg assay meets the requirements of routine diagnostic use
Kerr-CFT From Black-Hole Thermodynamics
We analyze the near-horizon limit of a general black hole with two commuting
killing vector fields in the limit of zero temperature. We use black hole
thermodynamics methods to relate asymptotic charges of the complete spacetime
to those obtained in the near-horizon limit. We then show that some
diffeomorphisms do alter asymptotic charges of the full spacetime, even though
they are defined in the near horizon limit and, therefore, count black hole
states. We show that these conditions are essentially the same as considered in
the Kerr/CFT corresponcence. From the algebra constructed from these
diffeomorphisms, one can extract its central charge and then obtain the black
hole entropy by use of Cardy's formula.Comment: 19 pages, JHEP3, no figures. V2: References added, small typos fixe
Conformal weights in the Kerr/CFT correspondence
It has been conjectured that a near-extreme Kerr black hole is described by a
2d CFT. Previous work has shown that CFT operators dual to axisymmetric
gravitational perturbations have integer conformal weights. In this paper, we
study the analogous problem in 5d. We consider the most general near-extreme
vacuum black hole with two rotational symmetries. This includes Myers-Perry
black holes, black rings and Kaluza-Klein black holes. We find that operators
dual to gravitational (or electromagnetic or massless scalar field)
perturbations preserving both rotational symmetries have integer conformal
weights, the same for all black holes considered.Comment: 19 page
On Holographic description of the Kerr-Newman-AdS-dS black holes
In this paper, we study the holographic description of the generic
four-dimensional non-extremal Kerr-Newman-AdS-dS black holes. We find that if
focusing on the near-horizon region, for the massless scalar scattering in the
low-frequency limit, there exists hidden conformal symmetry on the solution
space. Similar to the Kerr case, this suggests that the Kerr-Newman-AdS-dS
black hole is dual to a two-dimensional CFT with central charges
and temperatures
. The macroscopic Bekenstein-Hawking
entropy could be recovered from the microscopic counting in dual CFT via the
Cardy formula. Using the Minkowski prescription, we compute the real-time
correlators of the scalar, photon and graviton in near horizon geometry of near
extremal Kerr-AdS-dS black hole. In all these cases, the retarded Green's
function and the corresponding absorption cross section are in perfect match
with CFT prediction. We further discuss the low-frequency scattering of a
charged scalar by a Kerr-Newman-AdS-dS black hole and find the dual CFT
description.Comment: 22 pages; minor corrections, conlusion unchanged, references
added;published versio
The association between human endogenous retroviruses and multiple sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Background:
The interaction between genetic and environmental factors is crucial to multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis. Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs) are endogenous viral elements of the human genome whose expression is associated with MS.
Objective:
To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis and to assess qualitative and quantitative evidence on the expression of HERV families in MS patients.
Methods:
Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Library were searched for published studies on the association of HERVs and MS. Meta-analysis was performed on the HERV-W family. Odds Ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for association.
Results:
43 reports were extracted (25 related to HERV-W, 13 to HERV-H, 9 to HERV-K, 5 to HRES-1 and 1 to HER-15 family). The analysis showed an association between expression of all HERV families and MS. For HERV-W, adequate data was available for meta-analysis. Results from meta-analyses of HERV-W were OR = 22.66 (95%CI 6.32 to 81.20) from 4 studies investigating MSRV/HERV-W(MS-associated retrovirus) envelope mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, OR = 44.11 (95%CI 12.95 to 150.30) from 6 studies of MSRV/ HERV-W polymerase mRNA in serum/plasma and OR = 6.00 (95%CI 3.35 to 10.74) from 4 studies of MSRV/HERV-W polymerase mRNA in CSF
New Near Horizon Limit in Kerr/CFT
The extremal Kerr black hole with the angular momentum J is conjectured to be
dual to CFT with central charges c_L=c_R=12J. However, the central charge in
the right sector remains to be explicitly derived so far. In order to
investigate this issue, we introduce new near horizon limits of (near) extremal
Kerr and five-dimensional Myers-Perry black holes. We obtain Virasoro algebras
as asymptotic symmetries and calculate the central charges associated with
them. One of them is equivalent to that of the previous studies, and the other
is non-zero, but still the order of near extremal parameter. Redefining the
algebras to take the standard form, we obtain a finite value as expected by the
Kerr/CFT correspondence.Comment: 25 pages, minor changes, references adde
Short-cut to new anomalies in gravity duals to logarithmic conformal field theories
Various massive gravity theories in three dimensions are conjecturally dual
to logarithmic conformal field theories (LCFTs). We summarise the status of
these conjectures. LCFTs are characterised by the values of the central charges
and the so-called "new anomalies". We employ a short-cut to calculate these new
anomalies in generalised massive gravity and in the recently proposed
higher-derivative gravity theories with holographic c-theorem. Both cases
permit LCFTs exhibiting intriguing features, like rank three Jordan cells or
non-zero central charges. Finally, as an example we discuss in some detail the
partially massless version of new massive gravity, a theory with several
special properties that we call "partially massless gravity".Comment: 34 pages, 2 figures; v2: added references; v3: Several rewordings in
the introduction and section 2, added references. Matches published versio
Insightful Problem Solving in an Asian Elephant
The “aha” moment or the sudden arrival of the solution to a problem is a common human experience. Spontaneous problem solving without evident trial and error behavior in humans and other animals has been referred to as insight. Surprisingly, elephants, thought to be highly intelligent, have failed to exhibit insightful problem solving in previous cognitive studies. We tested whether three Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) would use sticks or other objects to obtain food items placed out-of-reach and overhead. Without prior trial and error behavior, a 7-year-old male Asian elephant showed spontaneous problem solving by moving a large plastic cube, on which he then stood, to acquire the food. In further testing he showed behavioral flexibility, using this technique to reach other items and retrieving the cube from various locations to use as a tool to acquire food. In the cube's absence, he generalized this tool utilization technique to other objects and, when given smaller objects, stacked them in an attempt to reach the food. The elephant's overall behavior was consistent with the definition of insightful problem solving. Previous failures to demonstrate this ability in elephants may have resulted not from a lack of cognitive ability but from the presentation of tasks requiring trunk-held sticks as potential tools, thereby interfering with the trunk's use as a sensory organ to locate the targeted food
Feasibility of identifying families for genetic studies of birth defects using the National Health Interview Survey
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the National Health Interview Survey is a useful source to identify informative families for genetic studies of birth defects. METHODS: The 1994/1995 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) was used to identify households where individuals with two or more birth defects reside. Four groups of households were identified: 1) single non-familial (one individual with one birth defect); 2) single familial (more than one individual with one birth defect); 3) multiple non-familial (one individual with more than one birth defect), and 4) multiple familial (more than one individual with more than one birth defect). The March 2000 U.S. Census on households was used to estimate the total number of households in which there are individuals with birth defects. RESULTS: Of a total of 28,094 households and surveyed about birth defects and impairments, 1,083 single non-familial, 55 multiple non-familial, 54 single familial, and 8 multiple familial households were identified. Based on the 2000 U.S. census, it is estimated that there are 4,472,385 households where at least one person has one birth defect in the United States and in 234,846 of them there are at least two affected individuals. Western states had the highest prevalence rates. CONCLUSIONS: Population-based methods, such as the NHIS, are modestly useful to identify the number and the regions where candidate families for genetic studies of birth defects reside. Clinic based studies and birth defects surveillance systems that collect family history offer better probability of ascertainment
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