The effects of rumination and depressive symptoms on the prediction of negative attributional style among college students

Research on cognitive vulnerability to depression has identified negative cognitive style and rumination as distinct risk factors for depression but how rumination would influence negative cognitive style remains unclear. The present study investigated the relationship between rumination and negative attributional style and specifically tested the potential moderating effect of depressive symptoms and processing mode during rumination on activating negative attributional style. After completing the baseline measures of depressive symptoms, dysphoric affect, and negative attributional style, participants were randomly assigned to three experimental conditions: analytical self-focus, experiential self-focus, and distraction, in which the degree of self-focus and mode of processing were manipulated. A second set of mood and cognitive measures was administered afterwards. Results showed that a stronger positive relationship between negative attributional style and level of depressive symptoms was found in the analytical self-focus condition, relative to the experiential and distraction conditions. This finding suggested that processing mode in rumination interacted with depressive symptoms to predict negative attributional style. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 01 Dec 201

Clustering uncertain data using voronoi diagrams and R-tree index

We study the problem of clustering uncertain objects whose locations are described by probability density functions (pdfs). We show that the UK-means algorithm, which generalizes the k-means algorithm to handle uncertain objects, is very inefficient. The inefficiency comes from the fact that UK-means computes expected distances (EDs) between objects and cluster representatives. For arbitrary pdfs, expected distances are computed by numerical integrations, which are costly operations. We propose pruning techniques that are based on Voronoi diagrams to reduce the number of expected distance calculations. These techniques are analytically proven to be more effective than the basic bounding-box-based technique previously known in the literature. We then introduce an R-tree index to organize the uncertain objects so as to reduce pruning overheads. We conduct experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of our novel techniques. We show that our techniques are additive and, when used in combination, significantly outperform previously known methods. © 2006 IEEE.published_or_final_versio

Lagrangian evolution of DMS during the Southern Ocean gas exchange experiment: The effects of vertical mixing and biological community shift

Concentrations of dimethylsulfide (DMS) and its precursor dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) are highly variable in time and space. What is driving the variability in DMS(P), and can those variability be explained by physical processes and changes in the biological community? During the Southern Ocean Gas Exchange Experiment (SO GasEx) in the austral fall of 2008, two 3He/SF6 labeled patches were created in the surface water. SF6 and DMS were surveyed continuously in a Lagrangian framework, while direct measurements of air-sea exchange further constrained the gas budgets. Turbulent diffusivity at the base of the mixed layer was estimated from SF6 profiles and used to calculate the vertical fluxes of DMS and nutrients. Increasing mixed layer nutrient concentrations due to mixing were associated with a shift in the phytoplankton community structure, which in turned likely affected the sulfur dynamics on timescales of days. DMS concentration as well as air-sea DMS flux appeared to be decoupled from the DMSP concentration, possibly due to grazing and bacterial DMS production. Contrary to expectations, in an environment with high winds and modest productivity, physical processes (air-sea exchange, photochemistry, vertical mixing) only accounted for a small fraction of DMS loss from the surface water. Among the DMS sinks, inferred biological consumption most likely dominated during SO GasEx

Construction of online catalog topologies using decision trees

Organization of a Web site is important to help users get the most out of the site. A good Web site should help visitors find the information they want easily. Visitors typically find information by searching for selected terms of interest or by following links from one Web page to another. The first approach is more useful if the visitor knows exactly what he is seeking, while the second approach is useful when the visitor has less of a preconceived notion about what he wants. The organization of a Web site is especially important in the latter case. Traditionally, Web site organization is done by hand. In this paper, we introduce the problem of automatic Web site construction and propose a solution for solving a major step of the problem based on decision tree algorithms. The solution is found to be useful in automatic construction of product catalogs.published_or_final_versio

Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing Validates the Use of Diagnostic Biopsies as a Suitable Alternative to Resection Material for Mutation Screening in Colorectal Cancer

Background: Mutation testing in the context of neoadjuvant therapy must be performed on biopsy samples. Given the issue of tumour heterogeneity, this raises the question of whether the biopsies are representative of the whole tumour. Here we have compared the mutation profiles of colorectal biopsies with their matched resection specimens. Methods: We performed next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis on 25 paired formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded colorectal cancer biopsy and primary resection samples. DNA was extracted and analysed using the TruSight tumour kit, allowing the interrogation of 26 cancer driver genes. Samples were run on an Illumina MiSeq. Mutations were validated using quick-multiplex-consensus (QMC)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in conjunction with high resolution melting (HRM). The paired biopsy and resection tumour samples were assessed for presence or absence of mutations, mutant allele frequency ratios, and allelic imbalance status. Results: A total of 81 mutations were detected, in ten of the 26 genes in the TruSight kit. Two of the 25 paired cases were wild-type across all genes. The mutational profiles, allelic imbalance status, and mutant allele frequency ratios of the paired biopsy and resection samples were highly concordant (88.75–98.85%), with all but three (3.7%) of the mutations identified in the resection specimens also being present in the biopsy specimens. All 81 mutations were confirmed by QMC-PCR and HRM analysis, although four low-level mutations required a co-amplification at lower denaturation temperature (COLD)-PCR protocol to enrich for the mutant alleles. Conclusions: Diagnostic biopsies are adequate and reliable materials for molecular testing by NGS. The use of biopsies for molecular screening will enhance targeted neoadjuvant therapy

Decision trees for uncertain data

Traditional decision tree classifiers work with data whose values are known and precise. We extend such classifiers to handle data with uncertain information. Value uncertainty arises in many applications during the data collection process. Example sources of uncertainty include measurement/ quantization errors, data staleness, and multiple repeated measurements. With uncertainty, the value of a data item is often represented not by one single value, but by multiple values forming a probability distribution. Rather than abstracting uncertain data by statistical derivatives (such as mean and median), we discover that the accuracy of a decision tree classifier can be much improved if the "complete information" of a data item (taking into account the probability density function (pdf)) is utilized. We extend classical decision tree building algorithms to handle data tuples with uncertain values. Extensive experiments have been conducted which show that the resulting classifiers are more accurate than those using value averages. Since processing pdfs is computationally more costly than processing single values (e.g., averages), decision tree construction on uncertain data is more CPU demanding than that for certain data. To tackle this problem, we propose a series of pruning techniques that can greatly improve construction efficiency. © 2006 IEEE.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Polyoxometalate Complexes as Precursors to Vanadium-Doped Molybdenum or Tungsten Oxide Thin Films by Means of Aerosol-Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition

Aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition of substituted polyoxometalates H4[PMo11VO40], H7[PMo8V4O40], [nBu4N]4[PVW11O40] and [nBu4N]5[PV2W10O40] resulted in the formation of vanadium-doped metal oxide thin films. Depositions were carried out at 550°C in methanol or acetonitrile for the POMs that contained molybdenum or tungsten, respectively. The as-deposited films were X-ray amorphous and relatively non-adherent. However, on annealing in air at 600°C, decolourised translucent films that were more mechanically robust were obtained. Films deposited from H4[PMo11VO40] and H7[PMo8V4O40] consisted of V-doped MoO3 in the orthorhombic phase and films from [nBu4N]4[PVW11O40] and [nBu4N]5[PV2W10O40] comprised of monoclinic V-doped WO3. All films were fully characterised by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV/Vis spectroscopy

Gene Transfer of Engineered Calmodulin Alleviates Ventricular Arrhythmias in a Calsequestrin-Associated Mouse Model of Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia

BACKGROUND: Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is a familial arrhythmogenic syndrome characterized by sudden death. There are several genetic forms of CPVT associated with mutations in genes encoding the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) and its auxiliary proteins including calsequestrin (CASQ2) and calmodulin (CaM). It has been suggested that impairment of the ability of RyR2 to stay closed (ie, refractory) during diastole may be a common mechanism for these diseases. Here, we explore the possibility of engineering CaM variants that normalize abbreviated RyR2 refractoriness for subsequent viral-mediated delivery to alleviate arrhythmias in non-CaM-related CPVT. METHODS AND RESULTS: To that end, we have designed a CaM protein (GSH-M37Q; dubbed as therapeutic CaM or T-CaM) that exhibited a slowed N-terminal Ca dissociation rate and prolonged RyR2 refractoriness in permeabilized myocytes derived from CPVT mice carrying the CASQ2 mutation R33Q. This T-CaM was introduced to the heart of R33Q mice through recombinant adeno-associated viral vector serotype 9. Eight weeks postinfection, we performed confocal microscopy to assess Ca handling and recorded surface ECGs to assess susceptibility to arrhythmias in vivo. During catecholamine stimulation with isoproterenol, T-CaM reduced isoproterenol-promoted diastolic Ca waves in isolated CPVT cardiomyocytes. Importantly, T-CaM exposure abolished ventricular tachycardia in CPVT mice challenged with catecholamines. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that gene transfer of T-CaM by adeno-associated viral vector serotype 9 improves myocyte Ca handling and alleviates arrhythmias in a calsequestrin-associated CPVT model, thus supporting the potential of a CaM-based antiarrhythmic approach as a therapeutic avenue for genetically distinct forms of CPV

Comets, historical records and vedic literature

A verse in book I of Rigveda mentions a cosmic tree with rope-like aerial roots held up in the sky. Such an imagery might have ensued from the appearance of a comet having `tree stem' like tail, with branched out portions resembling aerial roots. Interestingly enough, a comet referred to as `heavenly tree' was seen in 162 BC, as reported by old Chinese records. Because of weak surface gravity, cometary appendages may possibly assume strange shapes depending on factors like rotation, structure and composition of the comet as well as solar wind pattern. Varahamihira and Ballala Sena listed several comets having strange forms as reported originally by ancient seers such as Parashara, Vriddha Garga, Narada and Garga. Mahabharata speaks of a mortal king Nahusha who ruled the heavens when Indra, king of gods, went into hiding. Nahusha became luminous and egoistic after absorbing radiance from gods and seers. When he kicked Agastya (southern star Canopus), the latter cursed him to become a serpent and fall from the sky. We posit arguments to surmise that this Mahabharata lore is a mythical recounting of a cometary event wherein a comet crossed Ursa Major, moved southwards with an elongated tail in the direction of Canopus and eventually went out of sight. In order to check whether such a conjecture is feasible, a preliminary list of comets (that could have or did come close to Canopus) drawn from various historical records is presented and discussed.Comment: This work was presented in the International Conference on Oriental Astronomy held at IISER, Pune (India) during November, 201