Lecture notes on stochastic control, part I

Stochastic control of diffusion processes, optimal linear filtering and prediction, and optimization of control for Markov chain

Loss of strumpellin in the melanocytic lineage impairs the WASH Complex but does not affect coat colour

The five-subunit WASH complex generates actin networks that participate in endocytic trafficking, migration and invasion in various cell types. Loss of one of the two subunits WASH or strumpellin in mice is lethal, but little is known about their role in mammals in vivo. We explored the role of strumpellin, which has previously been linked to hereditary spastic paraplegia, in the mouse melanocytic lineage. Strumpellin knockout in melanocytes revealed abnormal endocytic vesicle morphology but no impairment of migration in vitro or in vivo and no change in coat colour. Unexpectedly, WASH and filamentous actin could still localize to vesicles in the absence of strumpellin, although the shape and size of vesicles was altered. Blue native PAGE revealed the presence of two distinct WASH complexes, even in strumpellin knockout cells, revealing that the WASH complex can assemble and localize to endocytic compartments in cells in the absence of strumpellin

The effect of grapevine leafroll plus yellow speckle disease on annual growth, yield and quality of grapes from Cabernet Franc under two pruning systems

The effects of two combinations of grapevine leafroll plus yellow speckle disease in two high-yielding Sultana selections (H4 and H5) on the performance of Cabernet Franc under two pruning methods were determined over 6 years. When averaged over the 6 years, H5 and H4 reduced the weight of annual growth by 21%and15 %, decreased the yield of fresh fruit by 9 % and 6 %, and depressed the sugar concentration of juice by 0.6 and 0.3 °Brix respectively. The titratable acidity and the pH of juice were slightly affected in some years. The number of inflorescences and mean berry weight were not affected by either virus source. When compared with spur pruning and averaged over the 4 years, cane-pruned vines produced less annual growth (21 % ), progressively less fresh fruit (16 % ), and had lighter berries (9 % ), but effects on the numbers of inflorescences and sugar content were inconsistent between years; the acidity and pH of juice were not affected. Canepruned vines had obviously inferior and more variable fruit-set. However, no visible differences in fruit-set due to the virus sources within each pruning method were detected.There was evidence of a low incidence of natural spread of yellow speckle, but not of leafroll.Holzproduktion sowie Traubenertrag und -qualität von Cabernet Franc bei kombinierter Einwirkung von Leafroll und Yellow speckle disease in Verbindung mit zwei verschiedenen AnschnittsystemenZwei Kombinationen von Leafroll mit Yellow speckle disease wurden von den beiden ertragsstarken Sultana-Klonen H4 und H5 auf die Sorte Cabernet Franc, die auf Zapfen und auf Bogreben angeschnitten war, übertragen. Der Einfluß der Infektion auf die Leistungsfähigkeit dieser Sorte wurde über einen Zeitraum von 6 Jahren verfolgt. Im Durchschnitt der 6 Jahre war nach der Krankheitsübertragung von den Infektionsquellen H5 und H4 das Gewicht des jährlich produzierten Holzes um 21 bzw. 15 %, der Traubenertrag (Frischgewicht} um 9 bzw. 6 % und die Mostzuckerkonzentration um 0,6 bzw. 0,3 ° Bri.« verringert. In einigen Jahren waren auch die titrierbare Säure und das pH des Mostes leicht verändert. Die Anzahl der Infloreszenzen und das mittlere Beerengewicht wurden durch keine der beiden Viruskombinationen beeinflußt.Im Vergleich zu den auf Zapfen geschnittenen Reben zeigte Cabernet Franc bei Bogrebenschnitt im Mittel von 4 Jahren einen verringerten jährlichen Holzzuwachs (21 %), stetig abnehmenden Traubenertrag (16 %, bezogen auf Frischgewicht} und leichtere Beeren (9 %); die Anzahl der Infloreszenzen und der Zuckergehalt wurden durch den Anschnitt von Jahr zu Jahr uneinheitlich beeinflußt; ein Einfluß auf Säure und pH des Mostes lag nicht vor. Auf Bogen geschnittene Reben hatten einen deutlich erniedrigten und stärker schwankenden Beerenansatz. Innerhalb eines Schnittsystems wirkten sich die unterschiedlichen Virusherkünfte jedoch nicht merklich auf den Beerenansatz aus.Es wurde eine langsame natürliche Ausbreitung von Yellow speckle, aber nicht von Leafroll nachgewiesen

Surface Normal Deconvolution: Photometric Stereo for Optically Thick Translucent Objects

Computer Vision – ECCV 2014 13th European Conference, Zurich, Switzerland, September 6-12, 2014,This paper presents a photometric stereo method that works for optically thick translucent objects exhibiting subsurface scattering. Our method is built upon the previous studies showing that subsurface scattering is approximated as convolution with a blurring kernel. We extend this observation and show that the original surface normal convolved with the scattering kernel corresponds to the blurred surface normal that can be obtained by a conventional photometric stereo technique. Based on this observation, we cast the photometric stereo problem for optically thick translucent objects as a deconvolution problem, and develop a method to recover accurate surface normals. Experimental results of both synthetic and real-world scenes show the effectiveness of the proposed method

Home-based transcranial direct current stimulation in bipolar depression: an open-label treatment study of clinical outcomes, acceptability and adverse events

Current treatments for bipolar depression have limited effectiveness, tolerability and acceptability. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a novel non-invasive brain stimulation method that has demonstrated treatment efficacy for major depressive episodes. tDCS is portable, safe, and individuals like having sessions at home. We developed a home-based protocol with real-time remote supervision. In the present study, we have examined the clinical outcomes, acceptability and feasibility of home-based tDCS treatment in bipolar depression

Associations of intention to undertake physical activity among community dwelling British South Asian adults aged 60 and over: a cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: High prevalence of sedentary behaviour is seen in most immigrant groups in Western countries, particularly in those from the Indian subcontinent. The primary objective of this study was to determine the socio-cognitive associations with intention to undertake physical activity (PA) among separate groups of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi older adults aged ≥60 in the North West of England, UK. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional survey, informed by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), 138/964 South Asian (SA) older adults completed a mailed questionnaire that assessed self-reported PA and TPB variables. RESULTS: Associations were seen in beliefs about PA and the amount of PA undertaken (rho=0.18, p=0.04). Attitude was correlated with intention (rho = 0.29, p = 0.01) and amount of PA undertaken (rho=0.21, p=0.02). Subjective norm was correlated with intention to undertake PA (rho=0.21, p=0.02). Between-group differences were seen between: (1) Indian and Pakistani group’s in subjective norm (2) all ethnicities in intention to undertake PA and (3) in the amount and attitude to undertaking PA between men and women. Co-morbidity was associated with beliefs about PA uptake. CONCLUSIONS: Subgroup differences between Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi older adults in subjective norm and intention to undertaking PA highlight the importance of tailoring interventions to accommodate for subgroup differences when developing culturally appropriate PA interventions aimed at increasing uptake and adherence

Statistical analysis of orientation, shape, and size of solar wind switchbacks

One of the main discoveries from the first two orbits of Parker Solar Probe (PSP) was the presence of magnetic switchbacks, whose deflections dominated the magnetic field measurements. Determining their shape and size could provide evidence of their origin, which is still unclear. Previous work with a single solar wind stream has indicated that these are long, thin structures although the direction of their major axis could not be determined. We investigate if this long, thin nature extends to other solar wind streams, while determining the direction along which the switchbacks within a stream were aligned. We try to understand how the size and orientation of the switchbacks, along with the flow velocity and spacecraft trajectory, combine to produce the observed structure durations for past and future orbits. We searched for the alignment direction that produced a combination of a spacecraft cutting direction and switchback duration that was most consistent with long, thin structures. The expected form of a long, thin structure was fitted to the results of the best alignment direction, which determined the width and aspect ratio of the switchbacks for that stream. The switchbacks had a mean width of $50,000 \, \rm{km}$, with an aspect ratio of the order of $10$. We find that switchbacks are not aligned along the background flow direction, but instead aligned along the local Parker spiral, perhaps suggesting that they propagate along the magnetic field. Since the observed switchback duration depends on how the spacecraft cuts through the structure, the duration alone cannot be used to determine the size or influence of an individual event. For future PSP orbits, a larger spacecraft transverse component combined with more radially aligned switchbacks will lead to long duration switchbacks becoming less common

Group therapy for adolescents with repeated self harm: randomised controlled trial with economic evaluation

Objective To examine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of group therapy for self harm in young people

The Near-Sun Streamer Belt Solar Wind: Turbulence and Solar Wind Acceleration

The fourth orbit of Parker Solar Probe (PSP) reached heliocentric distances down to 27.9 Rs, allowing solar wind turbulence and acceleration mechanisms to be studied in situ closer to the Sun than previously possible. The turbulence properties were found to be significantly different in the inbound and outbound portions of PSP's fourth solar encounter, likely due to the proximity to the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) in the outbound period. Near the HCS, in the streamer belt wind, the turbulence was found to have lower amplitudes, higher magnetic compressibility, a steeper magnetic field spectrum (with spectral index close to -5/3 rather than -3/2), a lower Alfv\'enicity, and a "1/f" break at much lower frequencies. These are also features of slow wind at 1 au, suggesting the near-Sun streamer belt wind to be the prototypical slow solar wind. The transition in properties occurs at a predicted angular distance of ~4{\deg} from the HCS, suggesting ~8{\deg} as the full-width of the streamer belt wind at these distances. While the majority of the Alfv\'enic turbulence energy fluxes measured by PSP are consistent with those required for reflection-driven turbulence models of solar wind acceleration, the fluxes in the streamer belt are significantly lower than the model predictions, suggesting that additional mechanisms are necessary to explain the acceleration of the streamer belt solar wind