Implications of historic development and economic performance of molluscan fisheries in China 1950-2017

1667-1679This is the first attempt that discusses molluscan fisheries of China in terms of economic perspective. The originality of this research stems into the analysis of a long series of data, 1950-2017, 68 years covering pre and post-reform era, starting from the time when China had limited infrastructure to becoming world’s largest producer of aquatic products. Since its liberation, the Chinese economy has gone through various disruptions and transformations, which include famine, Cultural Revolution and accession to world trade organization during the late 1950s, the late 1960s and in 2011 correspondingly. Coupled with various macroeconomic perturbations, Chinese fisheries sector has also gone through various transformations of its own such as the shift from inshore to offshore fishing with the passage of time. Consequently, molluscan fisheries sector has experienced remarkable changes. Molluscan fisheries landings have considerably increased from 1950 (90500 t) to 2017 (1797475 t). However, the decline in the capture production has been observed after 2000 due to overexploitation. Trade (export + import) of molluscs (volume + value) is on the move since 1984 as a result of market liberalization and development policies. The tendency for molluscs consumption is also increasing with the passage of time

A Survey of Machine Learning Approaches Applied to Gene Expression Analysis for Cancer Prediction

Machine learning approaches are powerful techniques commonly employed for developing cancer prediction models using associated gene expression and mutation data. Our survey provides a comprehensive review of recent cancer studies that have employed gene expression data from several cancer types (breast, lung, kidney, ovarian, liver, central nervous system and gallbladder) for survival prediction,tumor identification and stratification. We also provide an overview of biomarker studies that are associated with these cancer types. The survey captures multiple aspects of machine learning associated cancer studies,including cancer classification, cancer prediction, identification of biomarker genes, microarray, and RNA-Seq data.We discuss the technical issues with current cancer prediction models and the corresponding measurement tools for determining the activity levels of gene expression between cancerous tissues and noncancerous tissues. Additionally, we investigate how identifying putative biomarker gene expression patterns can aid in predicting future risk of cancer and inform the provision of personalized treatment

Fasting increases susceptibility to acute myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury through a sirtuin-3 mediated increase in fatty acid oxidation.

Fasting increases susceptibility to acute myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) but the mechanisms are unknown. Here, we investigate the role of the mitochondrial NAD+-dependent deacetylase, Sirtuin-3 (SIRT3), which has been shown to influence fatty acid oxidation and cardiac outcomes, as a potential mediator of this effect. Fasting was shown to shift metabolism from glucose towards fatty acid oxidation. This change in metabolic fuel substrate utilisation increased myocardial infarct size in wild-type (WT), but not SIRT3 heterozygous knock-out (KO) mice. Further analysis revealed SIRT3 KO mice were better adapted to starvation through an improved cardiac efficiency, thus protecting them from acute myocardial IRI. Mitochondria from SIRT3 KO mice were hyperacetylated compared to WT mice which may regulate key metabolic processes controlling glucose and fatty acid utilisation in the heart. Fasting and the associated metabolic switch to fatty acid respiration worsens outcomes in WT hearts, whilst hearts from SIRT3 KO mice are better adapted to oxidising fatty acids, thereby protecting them from acute myocardial IRI

Modeling and Analysis of Effective Ways for Improving the Reliability of Second-hand Products Sold with Warranty

Often, customers are uncertain about the performance and durability of the used/second-hand products. The warranties play an important role in reassuring the buyer. Offering the warranty implies that the dealer incurs additional costs to service any claims made by the customers. Reducing warranty costs is an issue of great interest to dealers. One way of improving the reliability and reducing the warranty servicing cost for second-hand items is through actions such as overhaul and upgrade which are carried out by the dealer or a third party. Improving actions allow the dealer to offer better warranty terms and to sell the item at a higher price. This paper deals with two effective approaches (virtual age approach and screening test approach) to decide on the reliability improvement strategies for second-hand products sold under various warranty policies (failure-free, rebate warranty, and a combination of free replacement and lump sum). A numerical example illustrates that from a dealer’s point of view, it is beneficial to carry out an improvement action only if the reduction in the warranty servicing cost is greater than the extra cost incurred due to this improvement action

How social shopping retains customers? Capturing the essence of website quality and relationship quality

Social shopping as a result of the advancement of social media applications is increasing considerably in e-commerce. As a consequence of the multi-faceted phenomenon of social shopping, website managers encounter a lot of challenges in providing their quality website experience to satisfy their customers’ needs and in developing relationships among participants, and community. In short, providing excellent quality website experience is crucial to support online customers. Therefore, it is necessary to offer further theoretical conceptualizations as well as detailed empirical evidence for such phenomena in which social shopping are supported and enabled. Thus, this paper attempts to investigate the factors affecting purchase intention of social shopping including two constructs: website quality (i.e., system, information, and service quality) and relationship quality (i.e., satisfaction, commitment, and trust). Additionally we aim to identify the mediating roles of commitment and trust. The empirical results show that the perceived system and service quality are important antecedents of customer satisfaction, but not for the effect of perceived information quality on customer satisfaction. Furthermore, it shows that customer satisfaction significantly influences commitment, trust, and purchase intention, and trust in turn significantly affect commitment. Our empirical results confirm that commitment and trust partially mediate the relationship between satisfaction and purchase intention in social shopping context

Mining biological information from 3D short time-series gene expression data: the OPTricluster algorithm

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Nowadays, it is possible to collect expression levels of a set of genes from a set of biological samples during a series of time points. Such data have three dimensions: gene-sample-time (GST). Thus they are called 3D microarray gene expression data. To take advantage of the 3D data collected, and to fully understand the biological knowledge hidden in the GST data, novel subspace clustering algorithms have to be developed to effectively address the biological problem in the corresponding space.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We developed a subspace clustering algorithm called Order Preserving Triclustering (OPTricluster), for 3D short time-series data mining. OPTricluster is able to identify 3D clusters with coherent evolution from a given 3D dataset using a combinatorial approach on the sample dimension, and the order preserving (OP) concept on the time dimension. The fusion of the two methodologies allows one to study similarities and differences between samples in terms of their temporal expression profile. OPTricluster has been successfully applied to four case studies: immune response in mice infected by malaria (<it>Plasmodium chabaudi</it>), systemic acquired resistance in <it>Arabidopsis thaliana</it>, similarities and differences between inner and outer cotyledon in <it>Brassica napus </it>during seed development, and to <it>Brassica napus </it>whole seed development. These studies showed that OPTricluster is robust to noise and is able to detect the similarities and differences between biological samples.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our analysis showed that OPTricluster generally outperforms other well known clustering algorithms such as the TRICLUSTER, gTRICLUSTER and K-means; it is robust to noise and can effectively mine the biological knowledge hidden in the 3D short time-series gene expression data.</p

Family-based factors associated with overweight and obesity among Pakistani primary school children

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Childhood obesity epidemic is now penetrating the developing countries including Pakistan, especially in the affluent urban population. There is no data on association of family-based factors with overweight and obesity among school-aged children in Pakistan. The study aimed to explore the family-based factors associated with overweight and obesity among Pakistani primary school children.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative multistage cluster sample of 1860 children aged five to twelve years in Lahore, Pakistan. Overweight (> +1SD BMI-for-age z-score) and obesity (> +2SD BMI-for-age z-score) were defined using the World Health Organization reference 2007. Chi-square test was used as the test of trend. Linear regression was used to examine the predictive power of independent variables in relation to BMI. Logistic regression was used to quantify the independent predictors of overweight and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained. All regression analyses were controlled for age and gender and statistical significance was considered at P < 0.05.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Significant family-based correlates of overweight and obesity included higher parental education (P < 0.001), both parents working (P = 0.002), fewer siblings (P < 0.001), fewer persons in child's living room (P < 0.001) and residence in high-income neighborhoods (P < 0.001). Smoking in living place was not associated with overweight and obesity. Higher parental education (P < 0.001) and living in high-income neighborhoods (P < 0.001) showed a significant independent positive association with BMI while greater number of siblings (P = 0.001) and persons in child's living room (P = 0.022) showed a significant independent inverse association. College-level or higher parental education as compared to high school-level or lower parental education (aOR 2.54, 95% CI 1.76-3.67), living in high-income neighborhoods as compared to low-income neighborhoods (aOR 2.13, 95% CI 1.31-3.46) and three or less siblings as compared to more than three siblings (aOR 1.75, 95% CI 1.26-2.42) were significant independent predictors of overweight.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Family-based factors were significantly associated with overweight and obesity among school-aged children in Pakistan. Higher parental education, living in high-income neighborhoods and fewer siblings were independent predictors of overweight. These findings support the need to design evidence-based child health policy and implement targeted interventions, considering the impact of family-based factors and involving communities.</p

Análisis sistémico de las externalidades del mercado de bioetanol

Trabajo de investigaciónEn Colombia a partir de la resolución 40108 de 2018, se aumentó el porcentaje de mezcla del combustibles llegando a un 10% (90% combustibles fósiles 10% biocombustibles), actualmente para suplir esta demanda, las productoras de bioetanol requieren emplear al 100% su capacidad instalada, mejorar sus prácticas de cultivo de caña de azúcar y hacer uso de nuevas hectáreas, por tanto, el presente trabajo de grado tiene como objetivo realizar un análisis sistémico de las externalidades del mercado de bioetanol.INTRODUCCIÓN 1. Formulación del trabajo 2. Marco referencial 3. Diagrama propuesto 4. Conclusiones generales BibliografiaPregradoEconomist

From their own perspective - constraints in the Polio Eradication Initiative: perceptions of health workers and managers in a district of Pakistan's Punjab province

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The success of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was remarkable, but four countries - Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nigeria - never interrupted polio transmission. Pakistan reportedly achieved all milestones except interrupting virus transmission. This paper describes the perceptions of health workers and managers regarding constraints in the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) to ultimately provide evidence for designing future interventions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A qualitative cross-sectional study using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews was conducted in the Nankana Sahib District of Pakistan's Punjab province. Study subjects included staff at all levels in the PEI at district headquarters, in all 4 tehsils (sub-districts) and at 20 randomly selected primary health centers. In total, 4 FGD and 7 interview sessions were conducted and individual session summary notes were prepared and later synthesized, consolidated and subjected to conceptual analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The main constraints identified in the study were the poor condition of the cold chain in all aspects, poor skills and a lack of authority in resource allocation and human resource management, limited advocacy and communication resources, a lack of skills and training among staff at all levels in the PEI/EPI in almost all aspects of the program, a deficiency of public health professionals, poor health services structure, administrative issues (including ineffective means of performance evaluation, bureaucratic and political influences, problems in vaccination areas and field programs, no birth records at health facilities, and poor linkage between different preventive programs), unreliable reporting and poor monitoring and supervision systems, limited use of local data for interventions, and unclear roles and responsibilities after decentralization.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The study highlights various shortcomings and bottlenecks in the PEI, and the barriers identified should be considered in prioritizing future strategies.</p