Tree Dependent Identically Distributed Learning

We view a dataset of points or samples as having an underlying, yet unspecified, tree structure and exploit this assumption in learning problems. Such a tree structure assumption is equivalent to treating a dataset as being tree dependent identically distributed or tdid and preserves exchange-ability. This extends traditional iid assumptions on data since each datum can be sampled sequentially after being conditioned on a parent. Instead of hypothesizing a single best tree structure, we infer a richer Bayesian posterior distribution over tree structures from a given dataset. We compute this posterior over (directed or undirected) trees via the Laplacian of conditional distributions between pairs of input data points. This posterior distribution is efficiently normalized by the Laplacian's determinant and also facilitates novel maximum likelihood estimators, efficient expectations and other useful inference computations. In a classification setting, tdid assumptions yield a criterion that maximizes the determinant of a matrix of conditional distributions between pairs of input and output points. This leads to a novel classification algorithm we call the Maximum Determinant Machine. Unsupervised and supervised experiments are shown

On the Complexity of k-DQBF

Recently Dependency Quantified Boolean Formula (DQBF) has attracted a lot of attention in the SAT community. Intuitively, a DQBF is a natural extension of quantified boolean formula where for each existential variable, one can specify the set of universal variables it depends on. It has been observed that a DQBF with k existential variables - henceforth denoted by k-DQBF - is essentially a k-CNF formula in succinct representation. However, beside this and the fact that the satisfiability problem is NEXP-complete, not much is known about DQBF. In this paper we take a closer look at k-DQBF and show that a number of well known classical results on k-SAT can indeed be lifted to k-DQBF, which shows a strong resemblance between k-SAT and k-DQBF. More precisely, we show the following. a) The satisfiability problem for 2- and 3-DQBF is PSPACE- and NEXP-complete, respectively. b) There is a parsimonious polynomial time reduction from arbitrary DQBF to 3-DQBF. c) Many polynomial time projections from SAT to languages in NP can be lifted to polynomial time reductions from the satisfiability of DQBF to languages in NEXP. d) Languages in the class NSPACE[s(n)] can be reduced to the satisfiability of 2-DQBF with O(s(n)) universal variables. e) Languages in the class NTIME[t(n)] can be reduced to the satisfiability of 3-DQBF with O(log t(n)) universal variables. The first result parallels the well known classical results that 2-SAT and 3-SAT are NL- and NP-complete, respectively

Smart City, Citizen Engagement, and Information System Research

The paper highlights the importance of involvement of citizens in all the steps of smart city initiatives.Therefore, authors try to identify key factors and enablers for effective engagement and involvement of citizens and residents in any smart city project

Draft Genome of the Leopard Gecko, \u3cem\u3eEublepharis Macularius\u3c/em\u3e

Background Geckos are among the most species-rich reptile groups and the sister clade to all other lizards and snakes. Geckos possess a suite of distinctive characteristics, including adhesive digits, nocturnal activity, hard, calcareous eggshells, and a lack of eyelids. However, one gecko clade, the Eublepharidae, appears to be the exception to most of these ‘rules’ and lacks adhesive toe pads, has eyelids, and lays eggs with soft, leathery eggshells. These differences make eublepharids an important component of any investigation into the underlying genomic innovations contributing to the distinctive phenotypes in ‘typical’ geckos. Findings We report high-depth genome sequencing, assembly, and annotation for a male leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius (Eublepharidae). Illumina sequence data were generated from seven insert libraries (ranging from 170 to 20 kb), representing a raw sequencing depth of 136X from 303 Gb of data, reduced to 84X and 187 Gb after filtering. The assembled genome of 2.02 Gb was close to the 2.23 Gb estimated by k-mer analysis. Scaffold and contig N50 sizes of 664 and 20 kb, respectively, were compble to the previously published Gekko japonicus genome. Repetitive elements accounted for 42 % of the genome. Gene annotation yielded 24,755 protein-coding genes, of which 93 % were functionally annotated. CEGMA and BUSCO assessment showed that our assembly captured 91 % (225 of 248) of the core eukaryotic genes, and 76 % of vertebrate universal single-copy orthologs. Conclusions Assembly of the leopard gecko genome provides a valuable resource for future comptive genomic studies of geckos and other squamate reptiles

Accounting Academic Workloads: Balancing Workload Creep to Avoid Depreciation in the Higher Education Sector

Accounting Academics are subject to external influences such as preparing graduates for future workplaces, bridging the gap between industry and academia and development of pathways to becoming professional accountants. Add to this the internal influences of delivery methods for student engagement, work integrated learning and casualisation of the workforce, the accounting academic is at capacity in terms of how these influences impact on workload. Using the “lived experience”, this research delves into the academic themselves to find that they categorize their workload into four themes of Teaching, Research, Accounting academic workload and development of Curricula, deemed the TRAC Framework for this study. Using this workload TRAC framework, accounting academics identified five factors they believe will influence their future roles. These include growth in international students that student success will be a shared responsibility that student engagement will be critical, that curricula design will involve stakeholder input and that expectations around research will change. These additional impact factors when added to the already at capacity workload model for accounting academics, will create a type of workload creep. This workload creep can be described as an increase in academic wear and tear, almost like depreciation on capital assets

Target Enzyme-Activated Two-Photon Fluorescent Probes:A Case Study of CYP3A4 Using a Two-Dimensional Design Strategy

The rapid development of fluorescent probes for monitoring target enzymes is still a great challenge owing to the lack of efficient ways to optimize a specific fluorophore. Herein, a practical two-dimensional strategy was designed for the development of an isoform-specific probe for CYP3A4, a key cytochrome P450 isoform responsible for the oxidation of most clinical drugs. In first dimension of the design strategy, a potential two-photon fluorescent substrate (NN) for CYP3A4 was effectively selected using ensemble-based virtual screening. In the second dimension, various substituent groups were introduced into NN to optimize the isoform-selectivity and reactivity. Finally, with ideal selectivity and sensitivity, NEN was successfully applied to the real-time detection of CYP3A4 in living cells and zebrafish. These findings suggested that our strategy is practical for developing an isoform-specific probe for a target enzyme.</p

Draft genome of the leopard gecko, <i>Eublepharis macularius</i>

BACKGROUND: Geckos are among the most species-rich reptile groups and the sister clade to all other lizards and snakes. Geckos possess a suite of distinctive characteristics, including adhesive digits, nocturnal activity, hard, calcareous eggshells, and a lack of eyelids. However, one gecko clade, the Eublepharidae, appears to be the exception to most of these ‘rules’ and lacks adhesive toe pads, has eyelids, and lays eggs with soft, leathery eggshells. These differences make eublepharids an important component of any investigation into the underlying genomic innovations contributing to the distinctive phenotypes in ‘typical’ geckos. FINDINGS: We report high-depth genome sequencing, assembly, and annotation for a male leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius (Eublepharidae). Illumina sequence data were generated from seven insert libraries (ranging from 170 to 20 kb), representing a raw sequencing depth of 136X from 303 Gb of data, reduced to 84X and 187 Gb after filtering. The assembled genome of 2.02 Gb was close to the 2.23 Gb estimated by k-mer analysis. Scaffold and contig N50 sizes of 664 and 20 kb, respectively, were comparable to the previously published Gekko japonicus genome. Repetitive elements accounted for 42 % of the genome. Gene annotation yielded 24,755 protein-coding genes, of which 93 % were functionally annotated. CEGMA and BUSCO assessment showed that our assembly captured 91 % (225 of 248) of the core eukaryotic genes, and 76 % of vertebrate universal single-copy orthologs. CONCLUSIONS: Assembly of the leopard gecko genome provides a valuable resource for future comparative genomic studies of geckos and other squamate reptiles. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13742-016-0151-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

¿Está China transformando el mundo?

En los primeros años del siglo XXI, muchos capita- listas occidentales veían a China como un “nuevo El Dorado”. Dado que se había vuelto más abierto al comercio internacional, desde principios de la déca- da de 2000 especialmente, y había sido admitido en la Organización Mundial del Comercio (OMC), en di- ciembre de 2001, se suponía que se convertiría en un enorme mercado accesible para los inversores de los países industrializados del Norte, donde sus empre- sas transnacionales podrían disponer de buena parte de su sobreproducción crónica. Además, con su enor- me reserva de mano de obra altamente calificada y relativamente barata, vería su papel confinado al de “taller del mundo”, permitiendo, mejor que cualquier otra economía del Sur, abastecer masivamente a los países del Norte con bienes de bajo costo

High C3 photosynthetic capacity and high intrinsic water use efficiency underlies the high productivity of the bioenergy grass Arundo donax

AbstractArundo donax has attracted interest as a potential bioenergy crop due to a high apparent productivity. It uses C3 photosynthesis yet appears competitive with C4 grass biomass feedstock’s and grows in warm conditions where C4 species might be expected to be that productive. Despite this there has been no systematic study of leaf photosynthetic properties. This study determines photosynthetic and photorespiratory parameters for leaves in a natural stand of A. donax growing in southern Portugal. We hypothesise that A. donax has a high photosynthetic potential in high and low light, stomatal limitation to be small and intrinsic water use efficiency unusually low. High photosynthetic rates in A. donax resulted from a high capacity for both maximum Rubisco (Vc,max 117 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1) and ribulose-1:5-bisphosphate limited carboxylation rate (Jmax 213 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1) under light-saturated conditions. Maximum quantum yield for light-limited CO2 assimilation was also high relative to other C3 species. Photorespiratory losses were similar to other C3 species under the conditions of measurement (25%), while stomatal limitation was high (0.25) resulting in a high intrinsic water use efficiency. Overall the photosynthetic capacity of A. donax is high compared to other C3 species and comparable to C4 bioenergy grasses.</jats:p