Frequentistic approximations to Bayesian prevision of exchangeable random elements

Given a sequence \xi_1, \xi_2,... of X-valued, exchangeable random elements, let q(\xi^(n)) and p_m(\xi^(n)) stand for posterior and predictive distribution, respectively, given \xi^(n) = (\xi_1,..., \xi_n). We provide an upper bound for limsup b_n d_[[X]](q(\xi^(n)), \delta_\empiricn) and limsup b_n d_[X^m](p_m(\xi^(n)), \empiricn^m), where \empiricn is the empirical measure, b_n is a suitable sequence of positive numbers increasing to +\infty, d_[[X]] and d_[X^m] denote distinguished weak probability distances on [[X]] and [X^m], respectively, with the proviso that [S] denotes the space of all probability measures on S. A characteristic feature of our work is that the aforesaid bounds are established under the law of the \xi_n's, unlike the more common literature on Bayesian consistency, where they are studied with respect to product measures (p_0)^\infty, as p_0 varies among the admissible determinations of a random probability measure

Plsi: A Computational Software Pipeline For Pathway Level Disease Subtype Identification

It is accepted that many complex diseases, like cancer, consist in collections of distinct genetic diseases. Clinical advances in treatments are attributed to molecular treatments aimed at specific genes resulting in greater ecacy and fewer debilitating side effects. This proves that it is important to identify and appropriately treat each individual disease subtype. Our current understanding of subtypes is limited: despite targeted treatment advances, targeted therapies often fail for some patients. The main limitation of current methods for subtype identification is that they focus on gene expression, and they are subject to its intrinsic noise. Signaling pathways describe biological processes that are carried out by networks of genes interacting with each other. We developed PLSI, a software that allows to identify the specific pathways impacted in individual patients, subgroups of patients, or a given subtype of disease. The expected impact includes a better understanding of disease and resistance to treatment

Systems Biology Approaches For The Analysis Of High-Throughput Biological Data

The identification of biological processes involved with a certain phenotype, such as a disease or drug treatment, is the goal of the majority of life sciences experiments. Pathway analysis methods are used to interpret high-throughput biological data to identify such processes by incorporating information on biological systems to translate data into biological knowledge. Although widely used, current methods share a number of limitations. First, they do not take into account the individual contribution of each gene to the phenotype in analysis. Second, most of the methods include parameters of difficult interpretation, often arbitrarily set. Third, the results of all methods are affected by the fact that pathways are not independent entities, but communicate with each other by a phenomenon referred to as crosstalk. Crosstalk effects heavily influence the results of pathway analysis methods, adding a number of false positives and false negatives, making them difficult to interpret. We developed methods that address these limitations by i) allowing for the incorporation of individual gene contributions, ii) developing objective methods for the estimation of parameters of pathway analysis methods, and iii) developing an approach able to detect, quantify, and correct for crosstalk effects. We show on a number of real and simulated data that our approaches increase specificity and sensitivity of pathway analysis, allowing for a more effective identification of the processes and mechanisms underlying biological phenomena

The rise of Matteo Renzi and Italy’s international role

What solutions should be used to tackle climate change? Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker writes that it is time to consider a market-based approach which makes polluting energy more expensive and encourages the creation of green jobs. He suggests that countries which are ready to engage in such policies should press ahead now, without international agreement, and that other countries will get on board afterwards

HyperJournal HowTo (versione italiana). HyperJournal 0.4 : guida per principianti

Hyperjournal user guide. Italian translation - by Michele Barbera and Francesca Di Donato - of the original "HyperJournal Howto : A beginner's guide to HyperJournal 0.4" revision 1.1. Translation version: 1.0

Parametrical analysis of the railways dynamic response at high speed moving loads

The paper introduces some findings about a sensitivity analysis conducted on every geometrical and mechanical parameters which characterize the use of a railway superstructure at the high velocity. This analysis was carried out by implementing a forecast model that is derived from the simplified Gazetas and Dobry one. This model turns out to be particularly appropriate in the explication of problems connected to high velocity, since it evaluates both inertial and viscous effects activated by the moving load speed. The model implementation requires the transfer function determination that represents the action occurred by the bed surfaces on the railway and it therefore contains information concerning the geometrical and the mechanical characteristics of the embankment, of the ballast and of the sub-ballast. The transfer function H has been evaluated with the finite elements method and particularly, by resorting the ANSYS® code with a harmonic structural analysis in the frequencies field. The authors, from the critic examination of the system's dynamics response in its entirety, glean a series of observations both of a general and a specific character, finally attaining a propose of a design modification of the standard railway superstructure at the high velocity of train operation adopted today especially in Italy

Supporting Remote Maintenance in Industry 4.0 through Augmented Reality

Abstract Due to the Industry 4.0 initiative, Augmented Reality (AR) has started to be considered one of the most interesting technologies companies should invest in, especially to improve their maintenance services. Several technological limitations have prevented AR to become an effective industrial tool in the past. Now some of them have been overcome, some others not yet by off-the-shelf technologies. In this paper, we present a solution for remote maintenance based on off-the-shelf mobile and AR technologies. The architecture of the application allows us to remotely connect a skilled operator in a control room with an unskilled one located where the maintenance task has to be performed. This application, which has been initially described in a previous work, has been improved on the basis of feedback received by industrial partners. We describe the important features we have added and the rationale behind them to make the remote communication more effective

Designing Controversies and their Publics

Controversy mapping is a teaching and research method derived from the Science and Technology Studies and meant to explore and represent modern sociotechnical issues. Striving to make the intricacy of scientific debate readable for a larger public, controversy mapping is trapped in a classic simplicity/complexity trade-?‐off: how to respect the richness of controversies without designing maps too complicated to be useful? Having worked on the question for almost two years in a project bringing together social scientists and designers (emapsproject.com1), we can now propose a way out of this contradiction and suggest three ways of moving through the simplicity/complexity continuum. The first movement -?‐by multiplying the number of maps and by taking into account users before the beginning and after the end of the design process-?‐ allows to bypass the simplicity/complexity trade-?‐off. The second movement bind together narration and exploration and allows the publics to venture in the maze of controversies unraveling the story that will guide them out. The third movement allows to involve the publics through all the phases of a cartographic campaign and to engage it again and again

A Biotechnological T-Shirt Monitors the Patient's Heart during Hemodialysis

Uremic patients are characterized by a "pro-arrhythmic substrate." Arrhythmia appearance during hemodialysis (HD) is an unexpected event with a high incidence of mortality and morbidity and difficult to record in patients repeatedly checked using electrocardiogram (ECG). Furthermore the carrying out of this important examination by classical devices during HD is uncomfortable and sometimes stressful for the patient. It may be very useful to monitor the patient's cardiac activity during the whole HD session. We tried to overcome these difficulties using Whealthy(®) (Wearable Health Care System), a wearable system in a T-shirt composed of conductors and piezoresistive materials, integrated to form fibers and threads connected to tissular sensors, electrodes, and connectors. ECG and pneumographic impedance signals are acquired by the electrodes in the tissue, and the data are registered by a small computer and transmitted via GPRS or Bluetooth