The application of the support vector machine to the classification

A classification technique, known as Support Vector Machine (SVM) is applied to tobacco data from the SYFT technologies Ltd. The SVM is used to classify illegal from others. Decision tree is performed prior to SVM and these two classification methods are compared by misclassification rate for the accuracy of classification performance

Plan national VIH/SIDA/IST 2010-2014 et dépistage généralisé du VIH par le médecin généraliste (quelles perspectives en Picardie?)

Le Plan National VIH/SIDA/IST 2010-2014 présente de nouvelles stratégies de dépistage dans la population générale, et a pour principal acteur le médecin généraliste. Nous avons voulu évaluer les perspectives d application de ce plan par les médecins généralistes de Picardie. Un questionnaire a été envoyé à un échantillon de 600 médecins représentatifs des médecins généralistes de Picardie. Sur un total de 168 réponses exploitables, 59,9 % des médecins interrogés ne connaissaient pas le Plan National VIH/SIDA/IST 2010-2014. 82,3 % des médecins acceptaient un changement de leurs pratiques actuelles vers une proposition de dépistage du VIH plus fréquente (59,7 %) voire systématique (22,6 %). Les 29 médecins qui refusaient de modifier leurs pratiques de dépistage ne voyaient pas l intérêt d une telle campagne et pensaient que la proposition pouvait être mal perçue par le patient. 44,2 % des médecins ne pensaient pas trouver d obstacle à cette proposition de dépistage systématique. Les autres pensaient avoir des difficultés avec l introduction du sujet du dépistage dans une consultation (44,9 %) et avec les consultations à plusieurs (27,9 %). Les médecins généralistes étaient divisés sur l introduction des TROD au cabinet de médecine générale et 44,6 % des médecins pensaient que leur utilisation faciliterait la proposition de dépistage du VIH. Les médecins généralistes de Picardie semblent d accord pour effectuer le dépistage systématique du VIH dans le cadre du Plan National VIH/SIDA/IST 2010-2014, mais le manque d information à leur intention depuis le début de la campagne apparait comme un obstacle important à l application de ce plan.The HIV/AIDS/STI National Plan 2010-2014 sets out new strategies for screening the general population, with the key role being played by general practitioners. We wanted to assess the prospects for this plan being implemented by general practitioners in Picardy. A questionnaire was sent to a representative sample of 600 general practitioners in Picardy. Out of a total of 168 usable responses, 59.9% of those questioned were not aware of the HIV/AIDS/STI National Plan 2010-2014. 82.3% of doctors were prepared to change their current practices in order to offer more frequent (59.7%) or even systematic (22.6%) HIV screening. The 29 doctors who refused to alter their screening practices could not see the benefit of such a campaign and felt that the offer of screening might be wrongly perceived by patients. 44.2% of doctors could not see any obstacles to offering this systematic screening. The rest felt that it could be difficult introducing the subject of screening during a consultation (44.9%) and in those cases where patients are accompanied during consultations (27.9%). General practitioners were divided about the introduction of RDTs in general practice: 44.6% of doctors felt that their use would make it easier to offer HIV screening. General practitioners in Picardy seem to agree with systematic HIV screening under the HIV/AIDS/STI National Plan 2010-2014, but the lack of information provided to them since the start of the campaign seems to be a major obstacle to this plan being implemented.AMIENS-BU Santé (800212102) / SudocSudocFranceF

The Impact of Device Settings, Use Patterns, and Flavorings on Carbonyl Emissions from Electronic Cigarettes

Health impacts of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) vaping are associated with the harmful chemicals emitted from e-cigarettes such as carbonyls. However, the levels of various carbonyl compounds under real-world vaping conditions have been understudied. This study evaluated the levels of carbonyl compounds (e.g., formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, glyoxal, and diacetyl, etc.) under various device settings (i.e., power output), vaping topographies, and e-liquid compositions (i.e., base liquid, flavor types). The results showed that e-vapor carbonyl levels were the highest under higher power outputs. The propylene glycol (PG)-based e-liquids generated higher formaldehyde and acetaldehyde than vegetable glycerin (VG)-based e-liquids. In addition, fruit flavored e-liquids (i.e., strawberry and dragon fruit) generated higher formaldehyde emissions than mint/menthol and creamy/sweet flavored e-liquids. While single-top coils formed 3.5-fold more formaldehyde per puff than conventional cigarette smoking, bottom coils generated 10–10,000 times less formaldehyde per puff. In general, increases in puff volume and longer puff durations generated significantly higher amounts of formaldehyde. While e-cigarettes emitted much lower levels of carbonyl compounds compared to conventional cigarettes, the presence of several toxic carbonyl compounds in e-cigarette vapor may still pose potential health risks for users without smoking history, including youth. Therefore, the public health administrations need to consider the vaping conditions which generated higher carbonyls, such as higher power output with PG e-liquid, when developing e-cigarette product standards

Phase hépatique du paludisme : voies d’entrée des sporozoïtes de Plasmodium

Les sporozoïtes de Plasmodium sont transmis par des moustiques du genre Anopheles, migrent jusqu’au foie et infectent les hépatocytes de l’hôte, où les parasites se multiplient et se différencient avant d’infecter les globules rouges : il s’agit de la phase pré-érythrocytaire de l’infection, asymptomatique et obligatoire. L’invasion des hépatocytes constitue une cible idéale pour des approches anti-paludiques prophylactiques, mais les mécanismes impliqués dans cette étape restent mal connus. Les parasites du phylum Apicomplexa infectent leurs cellules cibles à travers une structure spécifique, appelée jonction, pour former une vacuole parasitophore, essentielle au développement du parasite. La tétraspanine CD81, l’un des récepteurs du virus de l’hépatite C, joue un rôle crucial lors de l’infection du foie par les sporozoïtes de Plasmodium. CD81 intervient à la phase précoce de l’infection, probablement au niveau de l’entrée du sporozoïte. Le rôle précis de CD81 au cours de l’infection reste à définir, mais l’hypothèse actuelle est que CD81 intervient indirectement, en régulant l’activité d’un ou plusieurs autres facteurs essentiels, d’origine hépatocytaire ou parasitaire, au sein de microdomaines membranaires enrichis en tétraspanines

Phase hépatique du paludisme : voies d’entrée des sporozoïtes de Plasmodium

Les sporozoïtes de Plasmodium sont transmis par des moustiques du genre Anopheles, migrent jusqu’au foie et infectent les hépatocytes de l’hôte, où les parasites se multiplient et se différencient avant d’infecter les globules rouges : il s’agit de la phase pré-érythrocytaire de l’infection, asymptomatique et obligatoire. L’invasion des hépatocytes constitue une cible idéale pour des approches anti-paludiques prophylactiques, mais les mécanismes impliqués dans cette étape restent mal connus. Les parasites du phylum Apicomplexa infectent leurs cellules cibles à travers une structure spécifique, appelée jonction, pour former une vacuole parasitophore, essentielle au développement du parasite. La tétraspanine CD81, l’un des récepteurs du virus de l’hépatite C, joue un rôle crucial lors de l’infection du foie par les sporozoïtes de Plasmodium. CD81 intervient à la phase précoce de l’infection, probablement au niveau de l’entrée du sporozoïte. Le rôle précis de CD81 au cours de l’infection reste à définir, mais l’hypothèse actuelle est que CD81 intervient indirectement, en régulant l’activité d’un ou plusieurs autres facteurs essentiels, d’origine hépatocytaire ou parasitaire, au sein de microdomaines membranaires enrichis en tétraspanines

Blocking and its Response to Climate Change

Purpose of Review Atmospheric blocking events represent some of the most high-impact weather patterns in the mid-latitudes, yet they have often been a cause for concern in future climate projections. There has been low confidence in predicted future changes in blocking, despite relatively good agreement between climate models on a decline in blocking. This is due to the lack of a comprehensive theory of blocking and a pervasive underestimation of blocking occurrence bymodels. This paper reviews the state of knowledge regarding blocking under climate change, with the aim of providing an overview for those working in related fields. Recent Findings Several avenues have been identified by which blocking can be improved in numerical models, though a fully reliable simulation remains elusive (at least, beyond a few days lead time). Models are therefore starting to provide some useful information on how blocking and its impacts may change in the future, although deeper understanding of the processes at play will be needed to increase confidence in model projections. There are still major uncertainties regarding the processes most important to the onset, maintenance and decay of blocking and advances in our understanding of atmospheric dynamics, for example in the role of diabatic processes, continue to inform the modelling and prediction efforts. Summary The term ‘blocking’ covers a diverse array of synoptic patterns, and hence a bewildering range of indices has been developed to identify events. Results are hence not considered fully trustworthy until they have been found using several different methods. Examples of such robust results are the underestimation of blocking by models, and an overall decline in future occurrence, albeit with a complex regional and seasonal variation. In contrast, hemispheric trends in blocking over the recent historical period are not supported by different methods, and natural variability will likely dominate regional variations over the next few decades

Thrive Magazine, Semester One

Thrive Magazine aims to amplify student voices at Bryant University through student written pieces, interviews, and photographs. Thrive Magazine was created under the guidance of editor in chief, Joey Leszczynski, and first published in January 2021. Thrive Magazine plans to publish a physical and digital copy twice a semester

Role of Dorsal Striatum Histone Deacetylase 5 in Incubation of Methamphetamine Craving

BACKGROUND: Methamphetamine (meth) seeking progressively increases after withdrawal (incubation of meth craving). We previously demonstrated an association between histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5) gene expression in the rat dorsal striatum and incubation of meth craving. Here we used viral constructs to study the causal role of dorsal striatum HDAC5 in this incubation. METHODS: In experiment 1 (overexpression), we injected an adeno-associated virus bilaterally into dorsal striatum to express either green fluorescent protein (control) or a mutant form of HDAC5, which strongly localized to the nucleus. After training rats to self-administer meth (10 days, 9 hours/day), we tested the rats for relapse to meth seeking on withdrawal days 2 and 30. In experiment 2 (knockdown), we injected an adeno-associated virus bilaterally into the dorsal striatum to express a short hairpin RNA either against luciferase (control) or against HDAC5. After training rats to self-administer meth, we tested the rats for relapse on withdrawal days 2 and 30. We also measured gene expression of other HDACs and potential HDAC5 downstream targets. RESULTS: We found that HDAC5 overexpression in dorsal striatum increased meth seeking on withdrawal day 30 but not day 2. In contrast, HDAC5 knockdown in the dorsal striatum decreased meth seeking on withdrawal day 30 but not on day 2; this manipulation also altered other HDACs (Hdac1 and Hdac4) and potential HDAC5 targets (Gnb4 and Suv39h1). CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrate a novel role of dorsal striatum HDAC5 in incubation of meth craving. These findings also set up future work to identify HDAC5 targets that mediate this incubation