A Manifestly Gauge-Invariant Approach to Quantum Theories of Gauge Fields

In gauge theories, physical histories are represented by space-time connections modulo gauge transformations. The space of histories is thus intrinsically non-linear. The standard framework of constructive quantum field theory has to be extended to face these {\it kinematical} non-linearities squarely. We first present a pedagogical account of this problem and then suggest an avenue for its resolution.Comment: 27 pages, CGPG-94/8-2, latex, contribution to the Cambridge meeting proceeding

Prediction of Clinical Scores from Neuroimaging Data with Censored Likelihood Gaussian Processes

In this paper, we explore the use of Censored Likelihoods in Gaussian Process Regression when predicting bounded clinical scores from neuroimaging data. The standard approach, which uses a Gaussian Likelihood, does not respect the fact that the clinical scores are bounded, and so may produce suboptimal models. Conversely, Censored Likelihoods explicitly model the restricted range of such clinical scores and carry this property through inference. We apply both the standard approach and the Censored Likelihood approach to the prediction of the MMSE score from structural MRI. Overall, we find small improvements in mean squared error when using the Censored Likelihood and in addition, the censored models are more favoured from a Bayesian perspective. We also discuss the qualitative nature of the predictions of the two approaches

Syk-dependent Phosphorylation of CLEC-2: A Novel Mechanism of Hem-Immunoreceptor Tyrosine-Based Activation Motif Signaling

The C-type lectin-like receptor CLEC-2 signals via phosphorylation of a single cytoplasmic YXXL sequence known as a hem-immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (hemITAM). In this study, we show that phosphorylation of CLEC-2 by the snake toxin rhodocytin is abolished in the absence of the tyrosine kinase Syk but is not altered in the absence of the major platelet Src family kinases, Fyn, Lyn, and Src, or the tyrosine phosphatase CD148, which regulates the basal activity of Src family kinases. Further, phosphorylation of CLEC-2 by rhodocytin is not altered in the presence of the Src family kinase inhibitor PP2, even though PLCγ2 phosphorylation and platelet activation are abolished. A similar dependence of phosphorylation of CLEC-2 on Syk is also seen in response to stimulation by an IgG mAb to CLEC-2, although interestingly CLEC-2 phosphorylation is also reduced in the absence of Lyn. These results provide the first definitive evidence that Syk mediates phosphorylation of the CLEC-2 hemITAM receptor with Src family kinases playing a critical role further downstream through the regulation of Syk and other effector proteins, providing a new paradigm in signaling by YXXL-containing receptors

Practical considerations in the deployment of ground source heat pumps in older properties - a case study

A ground-sourced heat pump (GSHP) was installed in a former Vicarage in Cambridgeshire, with a mix of solid wall structure built in the late 1800s and cavity wall section built in the 2000s, previously heated by oil. This type of building is usually considered unsuitable for heat pumps, unless substantial insulation work and extensive replacement of radiators are undertaken. Although the building had undergone a degree of retrofit to increase insulation, the GSHP was installed with the existing radiators. A detailed thermal model for the house was built in ESP-r and validated against experimental measurements taken from sensors in every room. The expected heating demands were computed from the model based on weather data and the GSHP system was designed accordingly. A compromise was made between minimizing the size of the heat pump and the achievable energy savings, which could have important implications for the way incentives for low-emissions heating systems are set up. Using the initial SAP assessment would have led to a substantial oversizing of the heat pump. The data collected so far show that an SPF of 2.9 has been achieved whilst maintaining comfortable (18 °C) internal temperatures and emissions of CO2 have been reduced by 70%

Accommodating Maternal Age in CRIB Scale: Quantifying the Effect on the Classification

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves are a well-accepted measure of accuracy of diagnostic tests using in continuous or ordinal markers. Based on the notion of using a threshold to classify subjects as positive (diseased) or negative (no diseased), a ROC curve is a plot of the true positive fraction (TPF) versus the false positive fraction (FPF) for all possible cut points. Thus, it describes the whole range of possible operating characteristic for the test and hence its inherent capacity for distinguish between two status. The clinical severity scale CRIB - Clinical Risk Index for Babies, emerged in 1993 to predict the mortality of newborn at less than 32 weeks of gestation and very low birth weight (< 1500gr) [4]. In previous work of Braga [3] this index was reported as showing a good performance in assessing risk of death for babies with very low birth weight (less than 1500 g weight). However, in some situations, the performance of the diagnostic test, the ROC curve itself and the Area Under the Curve(AUC) can be strongly influenced by the presence of covariates, whether continuous or categorical [5], [32], [33]. The World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health, defined as "late pregnancy" that thus occurs in women over 35 years. In this work, using the conditional ROC curve, we analyze the effect of one covariate, maternal age, on the ROC curve that representing the diagnostic test performance. We chose two age status, less than 35 years old and equal or greater than 35 years old, to verify the effects on the discriminating power of CRIB scale, in the process classification using R and STATA software.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio