4,416 research outputs found
In All Likelihood, Deep Belief Is Not Enough
Statistical models of natural stimuli provide an important tool for
researchers in the fields of machine learning and computational neuroscience. A
canonical way to quantitatively assess and compare the performance of
statistical models is given by the likelihood. One class of statistical models
which has recently gained increasing popularity and has been applied to a
variety of complex data are deep belief networks. Analyses of these models,
however, have been typically limited to qualitative analyses based on samples
due to the computationally intractable nature of the model likelihood.
Motivated by these circumstances, the present article provides a consistent
estimator for the likelihood that is both computationally tractable and simple
to apply in practice. Using this estimator, a deep belief network which has
been suggested for the modeling of natural image patches is quantitatively
investigated and compared to other models of natural image patches. Contrary to
earlier claims based on qualitative results, the results presented in this
article provide evidence that the model under investigation is not a
particularly good model for natural image
Simulating Organogenesis in COMSOL: Comparison Of Methods For Simulating Branching Morphogenesis
During organogenesis tissue grows and deforms. The growth processes are
controlled by diffusible proteins, so-called morphogens. Many different
patterning mechanisms have been proposed. The stereotypic branching program
during lung development can be recapitulated by a receptor-ligand based Turing
model. Our group has previously used the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE)
framework for solving the receptor-ligand Turing model on growing lung domains.
However, complex mesh deformations which occur during lung growth severely
limit the number of branch generations that can be simulated. A new Phase-Field
implementation avoids mesh deformations by considering the surface of the
modelling domains as interfaces between phases, and by coupling the
reaction-diffusion framework to these surfaces. In this paper, we present a
rigorous comparison between the Phase-Field approach and the ALE-based
simulation
The Impact of Dynamics in Protein Assembly
Predicting the assembly of multiple proteins into specific complexes is critical to understanding their biological function in an organism, and thus the design of drugs to address their malfunction. Consequently, a significant body of research and development focuses on methods for elucidating protein quaternary structure. In silico techniques are used to propose models that decode experimental data, and independently as a structure prediction tool. These computational methods often consider proteins as rigid structures, yet proteins are inherently flexible molecules, with both local side-chain motion and larger conformational dynamics governing their behaviour. This treatment is particularly problematic for any protein docking engine, where even a simple rearrangement of the side-chain and backbone atoms at the interface of binding partners complicates the successful determination of the correct docked pose. Herein, we present a means of representing protein surface, electrostatics and local dynamics within a single volumetric descriptor, before applying it to a series of physical and biophysical problems to validate it as representative of a protein. We leverage this representation in a protein-protein docking context and demonstrate that its application bypasses the need to compensate for, and predict, specific side-chain packing at the interface of binding partners for both water-soluble and lipid-soluble protein complexes. We find little detriment in the quality of returned predictions with increased flexibility, placing our protein docking approach as highly competitive versus comparative methods. We then explore the role of larger, conformational dynamics in protein quaternary structure prediction, by exploiting large-scale Molecular Dynamics simulations of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein to elucidate possible high-order spike-ACE2 oligomeric states. Our results indicate a possible novel path to therapeutics following the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, we find that the structure of a protein alone is inadequate in understanding its function through its possible binding modes. Therefore, we must also consider the impact of dynamics in protein assembly
Maternal Death, Autopsy Studies, and Lessons from Pathology
The author discusses the implications of a new autopsy study of maternal deaths in Mozambique
Sharing the fiscal burden of the crisis - A Pandemic Solidarity Instrument for the EU
EU member states must share the burden of the fiscal costs of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pandemic Solidarity Instrument delivers such burden sharing: The EU would borrow 440 billion euros in the market and would give it as grants to member states for specific spending in areas such as health care, short-time works schemes or stimulus packages; it would also give guarantees to the European Investment Bank to provide liquidity to European companies
Sharing the fiscal burden of the crisis: A Pandemic Solidarity Instrument for the EU. Bertelsmann Stiftung Policy Paper April 2020.
The debate over how Europe should cope with the fiscal costs of the COVID-19 pan- demic is in full swing. Adversaries and opponents of âCoronabondsâ seem suddenly back in the trenches of the euro crisis. Our proposal attempts to build a bridge bet- ween the two camps: We do not propose a full-on Eurobond or any mutualisation of existing debt, as this is not how we should overcome the unique challenges of this crisis. Instead, we propose a Pandemic Solidarity Instrument that is tailored speci- fically to this crisis. The EU does not need another layer of market-access insurance, as the European Central Bank and the European Stability Mechanism are already in place for this. What it needs is an instrument to share the costs of the crisis.
The main problem the EU faces now is that some member states have entered this crisis in a much weaker economic position and with higher debt levels than others. At the same time, all countries have a vital interest in all other countries being able to spend as much as necessary to fight the economic fallout of the pandemic. To ensure that this happens, we need a burden sharing of the fiscal costs of this crisis.
The Pandemic Solidarity Instrument delivers this burden sharing. It should be set up as an EU instrument: The EU would borrow 440 billion euros in the market, ba- cked by the EU budget and by guarantees of the member states. As this would be EU debt, it would not count as debt of individual member states. The bonds issued by the EU would have long maturities and could be refinanced in the market at the end of their terms; otherwise, they would be repaid once they come due according to the future state of economic strength of member states.
The funds would be used for four purposes:
⢠Grants to member states to partially cover health-related costs;
⢠Guarantees to the European Investment Bank to provide liquidity to European
companies;
⢠Subsidies to member states so that they can fund short-time work schemes and
short-term unemployment benefits;
⢠Co-financing of national stimulus packages once confinement measures have
been lifted.
The Instrument would be based on Article 122 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. This article gives the EU wide discretion to act in emergency situations. In our legal analysis, we show how this article allows the EU to bor- row in this specific context and why our proposal does not conflict with the EUâs no-bailout clause
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