Skeleton coupling: a novel interlayer mapping of community evolution in temporal networks

Dynamic community detection (DCD) in temporal networks is a complicated task that involves the selection of an algorithm and its associated parameters. How to choose the most appropriate algorithm generally depends on the type of network being analyzed and the specific properties of the data that define the network. In functional temporal networks derived from neuronal spike train data, communities are expected to be transient, and it is common for the network to contain multiple singleton communities. Here, we compare the performance of different DCD algorithms on functional temporal networks built from synthetic neuronal time series data with known community structure. We find that, for these networks, DCD algorithms that utilize interlayer links to perform community carryover between layers outperform other methods. However, we also observe that algorithm performance is highly dependent on the topology of interlayer links, especially in the presence of singleton and transient communities. We therefore define a novel method for defining interlayer links in temporal networks called skeleton coupling that is specifically designed to enhance the linkage of communities in the network throughout time based on the topological properties of the community history. We show that integrating skeleton coupling with current DCD methods improves algorithm performance in synthetic data with planted singleton and transient communities. The use of skeleton coupling to perform DCD will therefore allow for more accurate and interpretable results of community evolution in real-world neuronal data or in other systems with transient structure and singleton communities.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figure

Chaotic nature of sepsis and multiple organ failure cannot be explained by linear statistical methods

PubMe

In Vitro Assay and Characterization of the Farnesylation-Dependent Prelamin a Endoprotease

The 72-kDa nuclear lamina protein lamin A is synthesized as a 74-kDa farnesylated precursor. Conversion of this precursor to mature lamin A appears to be mediated by a specific endoprotease. Prior studies of overexpressed wild-type and mutant lamin A proteins in cultured cells have indicated that the precursor possesses the typical carboxyl-terminal S- farnesylated, cysteine methyl ester and that farnesylation is required for endoproteolysis to occur. In this report, we describe the synthesis of an S- farnesyl, cysteinyl methyl ester peptide corresponding to the carboxyl- terminal 18 amino acid residues of human prelamin A. This peptide acts as a substrate for the prelamin A endoprotease in vitro, with cleavage of the synthetic peptide at the expected site between Tyr657 and Leu658. Endoproteolytic cleavage requires the S-prenylated cysteine methyl ester and, in agreement with transfection studies, is more active with the farnesylated than geranylgeranylated cysteinyl substrate. N-Acetyl farnesyl methyl cysteine is shown to be a noncompetitive inhibitor of the enzyme. Taken together, these observations suggest that there is a specific farnesyl binding site on the enzyme which is not at the active site

The Dystonia Coalition: A multicenter network for clinical and translational studies

Dystonia is a movement disorder characterized by sustained or intermittent muscle contractions causing abnormal postures, repetitive movements, or both. Research in dystonia has been challenged by several factors. First, dystonia is uncommon. Dystonia is not a single disorder but a family of heterogenous disorders with varied clinical manifestations and different causes. The different subtypes may be seen by providers in different clinical specialties including neurology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, and others. These issues have made it difficult for any single center to recruit large numbers of subjects with specific types of dystonia for research studies in a timely manner. The Dystonia Coalition is a consortium of investigators that was established to address these challenges. Since 2009, the Dystonia Coalition has encouraged collaboration by engaging 56 sites across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Its emphasis on collaboration has facilitated establishment of international consensus for the definition and classification of all dystonias, diagnostic criteria for specific subtypes of dystonia, standardized evaluation strategies, development of clinimetrically sound measurement tools, and large multicenter studies that document the phenotypic heterogeneity and evolution of specific types of dystonia

Pedestrian Crowd Management Experiments: A Data Guidance Paper

Understanding pedestrian dynamics and the interaction of pedestrians with their environment is crucial to the safe and comfortable design of pedestrian facilities. Experiments offer the opportunity to explore the influence of individual factors. In the context of the project CroMa (Crowd Management in transport infrastructures), experiments were conducted with about 1000 participants to test various physical and social psychological hypotheses focusing on people's behaviour at railway stations and crowd management measures. The following experiments were performed: i) Train Platform Experiment, ii) Crowd Management Experiment, iii) Single-File Experiment, iv) Personal Space Experiment, v) Boarding and Alighting Experiment, vi) Bottleneck Experiment and vii) Tiny Box Experiment. This paper describes the basic planning and implementation steps, outlines all experiments with parameters, geometries, applied sensor technologies and pre- and post-processing steps. All data can be found in the pedestrian dynamics data archive.Comment: 58 pages, 19 figures, under review Collective Dynamic

The feasibility of canine rabies elimination in Africa: dispelling doubts with data

<p><b>Background:</b> Canine rabies causes many thousands of human deaths every year in Africa, and continues to increase throughout much of the continent.</p> <p><b>Methodology/Principal Findings:</b> This paper identifies four common reasons given for the lack of effective canine rabies control in Africa: (a) a low priority given for disease control as a result of lack of awareness of the rabies burden; (b) epidemiological constraints such as uncertainties about the required levels of vaccination coverage and the possibility of sustained cycles of infection in wildlife; (c) operational constraints including accessibility of dogs for vaccination and insufficient knowledge of dog population sizes for planning of vaccination campaigns; and (d) limited resources for implementation of rabies surveillance and control. We address each of these issues in turn, presenting data from field studies and modelling approaches used in Tanzania, including burden of disease evaluations, detailed epidemiological studies, operational data from vaccination campaigns in different demographic and ecological settings, and economic analyses of the cost-effectiveness of dog vaccination for human rabies prevention.</p> <p><b>Conclusions/Significance:</b> We conclude that there are no insurmountable problems to canine rabies control in most of Africa; that elimination of canine rabies is epidemiologically and practically feasible through mass vaccination of domestic dogs; and that domestic dog vaccination provides a cost-effective approach to the prevention and elimination of human rabies deaths.</p&gt

Out-of-pocket health care expenditure in Turkey: Analysis of the 2003-2008 Household Budget Surveys

This paper analyses the prevalence of ‘catastrophic’ out-of-pocket health expenditure in Turkey and identifies the factors which are associated with its risk using the Turkish Household Budget Surveys from 2003 to 2008. A sample selection approach based on Sartori (2003) is adopted to allow for the potential selection problem which may arise if poor households choose not to seek health care due to concerns regarding its affordability. The results suggest that poor households are less likely to seek health care as compared to non-poor households and that a negative relationship between poverty and experiencing catastrophic health expenditure remains even after allowing for such selection bias. Our findings, which may assist policy-makers concerned with health care system reforms, also highlight factors such as insurance coverage, which may protect households from the risk of incurring catastrophic health expenditure

Kindlin-3–mediated signaling from multiple integrin classes is required for osteoclast-mediated bone resorption

Loss of kindlin-3 impairs activation of β1, β2, and β3 integrin classes, resulting in osteopetrotic defects in osteoclast adhesion and spreading