Exploratory Analysis of Highly Heterogeneous Document Collections

We present an effective multifaceted system for exploratory analysis of highly heterogeneous document collections. Our system is based on intelligently tagging individual documents in a purely automated fashion and exploiting these tags in a powerful faceted browsing framework. Tagging strategies employed include both unsupervised and supervised approaches based on machine learning and natural language processing. As one of our key tagging strategies, we introduce the KERA algorithm (Keyword Extraction for Reports and Articles). KERA extracts topic-representative terms from individual documents in a purely unsupervised fashion and is revealed to be significantly more effective than state-of-the-art methods. Finally, we evaluate our system in its ability to help users locate documents pertaining to military critical technologies buried deep in a large heterogeneous sea of information.Comment: 9 pages; KDD 2013: 19th ACM SIGKDD Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Minin

Performance Evaluation Of Thermally Activated Glass Fibre Reinforced Gypsum Building Equipped With Desiccant System

According to International Energy Outlook 2017, the energy consumption of the building sector is expected to increase by 32% from 2015 to 2040. This is due to the accelerating demand for mechanical air conditioning system for maintaining the indoor comfort conditions and high embodied energy of the conventional building materials. Many solutions are proposed globally to address these problems. Thermally Activated Building System (TABS) is one such energy efficient alternative to the conventional mechanical air conditioning system for providing the desirable indoor comfort conditions. In TABS, copper pipes are embedded in its building structures namely ceiling, floor and walls. Chilled water circulated in the copper pipes cools the building structures which in turn cool the indoor environment by radiative and convective heat exchange methods. However, the TABS handles only the sensible load. Therefore, a solid desiccant system is used along with TABS for maintaining the desired indoor humidity. Glass Fibre Reinforced Gypsum (GFRG) is used as a building material which is made up of reinforced glass and gypsum. It is used in the present study due to its low embodied energy. The combination of TABS and GFRG building is named as Thermally Activated Glass Fibre Reinforced Gypsum (TAGFRG) building. Ventilation rate of the proposed TAGFRG is maintained according to the standards prescribed by ASHRAE. To appreciate the energy saving potential and feasibility of TAGFRG building, its thermal performance is compared with that of the conventional concrete building. Both TAGFRG and conventional concrete building are constructed with the same dimensions (1m (L) x 1m (B) x 1m (H)) for such comparison. The present study analyses the influence of various operating parameters on the performance of the proposed TAGFRG. The operating parameters considered are cooling water temperature, cooling surfaces and air velocity. The performance parameters used to evaluate the indoor thermal comfort of the proposed TAGFRG are indoor temperature and humidity, Predicted Percentage Dissatisfied (PPD) and Predicted Mean Vote (PMV). The decrease in supply water temperature and increase in radiant surface area, increase the thermal comfort level of the indoor. The results of the present study will be useful for predicting the optimum design of proposed TAGFRG which has the potential to reduce the energy consumption and carbon emission of the building sector

Resistant potato starch supplementation reduces serum histamine levels in healthy adults with links to attenuated intestinal permeability

Histamine from our diet or gut microbes can trigger gastrointestinal disturbances, and resistant potato starch (RPS) has previously been shown to alleviate these symptoms while increasing levels of health-associated bacteria such as Akkermansia through unknown mechanisms. Post hoc exploratory metabolomic analysis of serum amino acid, amine, and carnitine metabolites in participants consuming 3.5 g/day RPS or placebo (n = 48) was performed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to determine whether RPS positively influences histamine metabolism and related parameters. Histamine levels were significantly reduced by RPS treatment, but histamine-degrading enzyme products were unaffected by RPS. RPS also reduced histamine-secreting Haemophilus and Lactobacillus. Further, metabolites associated with intestinal permeability, including 5-hydroxylysine, acetylspermidine, and short- and medium-chain carnitines ratios, were significantly reduced by RPS treatment, suggesting decreased serum histamine might be related to enhanced gut barrier function. These metabolomic findings expand the value of supplementing the diet with RPS

Oxygen-permeable ceramic membranes for gas separation

Mixed-conducting oxides have a wide range of applications, including fuel cells, gas separation systems, sensors, and electrocatalytic equipment. Dense ceramic membranes made of mixed-conducting oxides are particularly attractive for gas separation and methane conversion processes. Membranes made of Sr-Fe-Co oxide, which exhibits high combined electronic and oxygen ionic conductivities, can be used to selectively transport oxygen during the partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas (syngas, i.e., CO + H{sub 2}). The authors have fabricated tubular Sr{sub 2}Fe{sub 2}CoO{sub 6+{delta}} membranes and tested them (some for more than 1,000 h) in a methane conversion reactor that was operating at 850--950 C. An oxygen permeation flux of {approx} 10 scc/cm{sup 2} {center_dot} min was obtained at 900 C in a tubular membrane with a wall thickness of 0.75 mm. Using a gas-tight electrochemical cell, the authors have also measured the steady-state oxygen permeability of flat Sr{sub 2}Fe{sub 2}CoO{sub 6+{delta}} membranes as a function of temperature and oxygen partial pressure(pO{sub 2}). Steady-state oxygen permeability increases with increasing temperature and with the difference in pO{sub 2} on the two sides of the membrane. At 900 C, an oxygen permeability of {approx} 2.5 scc/cm{sup 2} {center_dot} min was obtained in a 2.9-mm-thick membrane. This value agrees with that obtained in methane conversion reactor experiments. Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics determined in the gas-tight cell indicate that bulk effect, rather than surface exchange effect, is the main limiting factor for oxygen permeation of {approx} 1-mm-thick Sr{sub 2}Fe{sub 2}CoO{sub 6+{delta}} membranes at elevated temperatures (> 650 C)

A Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in the RASGRF2 Gene Is Associated with Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis in Men

Background Genetic polymorphisms in the RAS gene family are associated with different diseases, which may include alcohol-related disorders. Previous studies showed an association of the allelic variant rs26907 in RASGRF2 gene with higher alcohol intake. Additionally, the rs61764370 polymorphism in the KRAS gene is located in a binding site for the let-7 micro-RNA family, which is potentially involved in alcohol-induced inflammation. Therefore, this study was designed to explore the association between these two polymorphisms and susceptibility to alcoholism or alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Methods We enrolled 301 male alcoholic patients and 156 healthy male volunteers in this study. Polymorphisms were genotyped by using TaqMan® PCR assays for allelic discrimination. Allelic and genotypic frequencies were compared between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the inheritance model. Results The A allele of the RASGRF2 polymorphism (rs26907) was significantly more prevalent among alcoholic patients with cirrhosis (23.2%) compared to alcoholic patients without ALD (14.2%). This difference remained significant in the group of patients with alcohol dependence (28.8% vs. 14.3%) but not in those with alcohol abuse (15.1% vs. 14.4%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the A allele of this polymorphism (AA or GA genotype) was associated with alcoholic cirrhosis both in the total group of alcoholics (odds ratio [OR]: 2.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.32–4.11; P = 0.002) and in the group of patients with alcohol dependence (OR: 3.1, 95% CI: 1.50–6.20; P = 0.001). Allelic distributions of the KRAS polymorphism (rs61764370) did not differ between the groups. Conclusions To our knowledge, this genetic association study represents the first to show an association of the RASGRF2 G>A (rs26907) polymorphism with ALD in men, particularly in the subgroup of patients with AD. The findings suggest the potential relevance of the RAS gene family in alcoholism and ALD

Oxygen transport by oxygen potential gradient in dense ceramic oxide membranes

Numerous studies have been conducted in recent years on the partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas (syngas: CO + H{sub 2}) with air as the oxidant. In partial oxidation, a mixed-oxide ceramic membrane selectively transports oxygen from the air; this transport is driven by the oxygen potential gradient. Of the several ceramic materials the authors have tested, a mixed oxide based on the Sr-Fe-Co-O system has been found to be very attractive. Extensive oxygen permeability data have been obtained for this material in methane conversion experiments carried out in a reactor. The data have been analyzed by a transport equation based on the phenomenological theory of diffusion under oxygen potential gradients. Thermodynamic calculations were used to estimate the driving force for the transport of oxygen ions. The results show that the transport equation deduced from the literature describes the permeability data reasonably well and can be used to determine the diffusion coefficients and the associated activation energy of oxygen ions in the ceramic membrane material