Sampling bias in systems with structural heterogeneity and limited internal diffusion

Complex systems research is becomingly increasingly data-driven, particularly in the social and biological domains. Many of the systems from which sample data are collected feature structural heterogeneity at the mesoscopic scale (i.e. communities) and limited inter-community diffusion. Here we show that the interplay between these two features can yield a significant bias in the global characteristics inferred from the data. We present a general framework to quantify this bias, and derive an explicit corrective factor for a wide class of systems. Applying our analysis to a recent high-profile survey of conflict mortality in Iraq suggests a significant overestimate of deaths

Nuevo grillo (Orthoptera, Gryllidae) para Castilla-La Mancha y la península Ibérica

We report Tartarogryllus tartarus (Saussure, 1874), a species with disjunct distribution in the Mediterranean-Turanean area, for the first time in the Iberian Peninsula. We summarize morphological charateristics for the species identification adding some new relevant traits to distinguish it from Acheta domesticus and Eumodicogryllus bordigalensis, particularly the interior tympanic opening that is shaped like a narrow slot whereas it is almost rounded in Acheta and Eumodicogryllus. We have found the species in cereal crops and vegetation around hiper-saline lagoons of arid lands (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain). Adult emergence occurs in May with maximum sexual activity at the end of this month and in June. We suspect that this species may be more widely distributed in other regions of the Iberian Peninsula with appropriate habitat.Encontramos por primera vez en la península Ibérica Tartarogryllus tartarus (Saussure, 1874), especie de distribución disjunta en el área Turano-Mediterránea. Resumimos los distintos caracteres morfológicos utilizados para identificar esta especie y añadimos algunos nuevos para distinguirla de especies similares como Acheta domesticus y Eumodicogryllus bordigalensis. Destacamos la apertura timpánica interior en forma de ranura estrecha y poco perceptible en esta especie mientras que es redondeada en Acheta y en Eumodicogryllus. Habita cultivos de cereal y vegetación en zonas áridas alrededor de lagunas hipersalinas (Castilla-La Mancha, España). Los adultos emergen a partir de mediados de mayo con máxima actividad reproductiva a finales de este mes y en junio. Sugerimos que la especie puede tener una distribución más amplia en la península Ibérica en aquellas regiones que presentan el hábitat adecuado

Size-Controlled Water-Soluble Ag Nanoparticles

Ag nanoparticles of two different sizes (1 and 4 nm) were prepared within an apoferritin cavity by using an Ag+-loaded apoferritin as a nanoconfined environment for their construction. The initial amount of Ag' ions injected in the apoferritin cavity dictates the size of the final Ag particles. The protein shell prevents bulk aggregation of the metal particles, which renders them water soluble and extremely stable

Composite SUVR: a new method for boosting Alzheimer's disease monitoring and diagnostic performance, applied to tau PET

Background: Abnormal brain tau protein accumulation is strongly linked to multiple neurodegenerative disorders. Currently, brain tau pathology is quantified in vivo using tau PET by calculating the Standardized Uptake Value Ratio (SUVR) of target and reference regions of interest (ROIs). Recent work (Schwarz et al., 2021) in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) explored various target and reference ROIs to report performance of SUVR as a biomarker for diagnosis, disease monitoring, and clinical trial efficacy/eligibility (sample size estimate, SSE). Here we introduce a new method and biomarker: Composite SUVR (CUVR). / Methods: We analyzed longitudinal SUV data from ADNI in the available 103 participants having three or more tau PET scans ([18F]AV-1451): 58 cognitively normal (CN); 21 mild cognitive impairment; 24 probable AD. In the spirit of SUVR and statistical ROIs (Chen, et al., NeuroImage 2010), we calculate CUVR as the SUV ratio of two composite regions. Our novel method is that the composite regions are determined by a genetic algorithm that searches the possible 3^96 combinations of regions from FreeSurfer’s default atlas. We compare performance of SUVR with CUVR. Performance metrics follow Schwarz et al.: a linear mixed-effects model quantifies longitudinal group separation by tau accumulation rate (t statistic between fixed effects for CN and AD) and longitudinal precision (model residuals’ standard deviation). CUVR and SUVR values were log-transformed before model fitting. We calculated SSE for a hypothetical clinical trial designed for 80% power to reduce tau PET accumulation by 20% (vs. placebo) in non-CN individuals. / Results: Our method identified a CUVR biomarker involving 60 regions. Figure-1 shows the vast performance improvement of CUVR versus the best-performing SUVR (inferior-temporal target; eroded subcortical white matter reference). Group separation improved by 2.9x (t = 9.57 vs 3.32); longitudinal precision by 6.5x (residual std = 0.331% vs 2.14%); and CUVR required a smaller sample size by 3.9x (83 vs 318). / Conclusions: Our simple data-driven approach discovered a new tau PET biomarker called CUVR. Experimental results show state-of-the-art longitudinal group separation, longitudinal precision, and clinical trial enrichment. The remarkable performance improvements provide compelling evidence for using CUVR for both eligibility and efficacy in Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials, particularly of anti-tau therapies

Experiments on a videotape atom chip: fragmentation and transport studies

This paper reports on experiments with ultra-cold rubidium atoms confined in microscopic magnetic traps created using a piece of periodically-magnetized videotape mounted on an atom chip. The roughness of the confining potential is studied with atomic clouds at temperatures of a few microKelvin and at distances between 30 and 80 microns from the videotape-chip surface. The inhomogeneities in the magnetic field created by the magnetized videotape close to the central region of the chip are characterized in this way. In addition, we demonstrate a novel transport mechanism whereby we convey cold atoms confined in arrays of videotape magnetic micro-traps over distances as large as ~ 1 cm parallel to the chip surface. This conveying mechanism enables us to survey the surface of the chip and observe potential-roughness effects across different regions.Comment: 29 pages, 22 figures

FPGA-Based Urinalysis Using Principal Component Analysis

Urinalysis is considered to be a common test performed in laboratory in order to diagnose Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). It undergoes three stages, which include macroscopic, dipstick, and microscopic analysis. This paper describes a way of performing urinalysis for UTI detection using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) implemented using a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). Input to the system is from five ion-selective sensors that measure five different components specifically sodium, nitrite, nitrate, potassium, and pH level of a urine sample. Tests show that the system obtained an accuracy of 94.13% for standard urinalysis showing the accuracy of sensors and measurements used. To be able to detect the presence of UTI in urines, an outlier detection method Principal Component Analysis (PCA), was used. PCA is a tool used in reducing multidimensional data to lesser dimensions while keeping all the information. An accuracy of 83.33% in detecting UTI infection was achieved. The accuracy of FPGA implementation of PCA was compared with MATLAB calculation results and an accuracy of 99.917% was achieved

Data on the main working conditions with influence on the development of hearing loss amongst the occupational population in Spain

Obtaining reliable and objective data on certain working conditions is necessary to analyse the causes and variables that can influence the development of hearing loss amongst the working population. Objective occupational data have been collected from a heterogeneous sample of 1418 workers in Spain, see “How activity type, time on the job and noise level on the job affect the hearing of the working population. Using Bayesian networks to predict the development of hipoacusia” (Barrero et al., 2018) [1]. Among the main factors analysed are the noise levels to which these workers are exposed, measured at their respective workstations, and the assessment of their hearing status, evaluated by audiometric medical tests. These factors provide information to predict the development of hypoacusia