Well-M³N: A Maximum-Margin Approach to Unsupervised Structured Prediction

Unsupervised structured prediction is of fundamental importance for the clustering and classification of unannotated structured data. To date, its most common approach still relies on the use of structural probabilistic models and the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. Conversely, structural maximum-margin approaches, despite their extensive success in supervised and semi-supervised classification, have not raised equivalent attention in the unsupervised case. For this reason, in this paper we propose a novel approach that extends the maximum-margin Markov networks (M3N) to an unsupervised training framework. The main contributions of our extension are new formulations for the feature map and loss function of M3N that decouple the labels from the measurements and support multiple ground-truth training. Experiments on two challenging segmentation datasets have achieved competitive accuracy and generalization compared to other unsupervised algorithms such as k-means, EM and unsupervised structural SVM, and comparable performance to a contemporary deep learning-based approach

Improving the Representation of Cross-Boundary Transport of Anthropogenic Pollution in East Asia Using Radon-222.

We report on 10 years of hourly atmospheric radon, CO, and SO2 observations at Gosan Station, Korea. An improved radon detector was installed during this period and performance of the detectors is compared. A technique is developed whereby the distribution of radon concentrations from a fetch region can be used to select air masses that have consistently been in direct contact with land-based emissions, and have been least diluted en route to the measurement site. Hourly radon concentrations are used to demonstrate and characterise contamination of remote-fetch pollution observations by local emissions at this key WMO GAW site, and a seasonally-varying 5-hour diurnal sampling window is proposed for days on which diurnal cycles are evident to minimise these effects. The seasonal variability in mixing depth and “background” pollutant concentrations are characterised. Based on a subset of observations most representative of the important regional fetch areas for this site, and least affected by local emissions, seasonal estimates of CO and SO2 in air masses originating from South China, North China, Korea and Japan are compared across the decade of observations. 2016, © Taiwan Association for Aerosol Researc

Joint association analysis of bivariate quantitative and qualitative traits

Univariate genome-wide association analysis of quantitative and qualitative traits has been investigated extensively in the literature. In the presence of correlated phenotypes, it is more intuitive to analyze all phenotypes simultaneously. We describe an efficient likelihood-based approach for the joint association analysis of quantitative and qualitative traits in unrelated individuals. We assume a probit model for the qualitative trait, under which an unobserved latent variable and a prespecified threshold determine the value of the qualitative trait. To jointly model the quantitative and qualitative traits, we assume that the quantitative trait and the latent variable follow a bivariate normal distribution. The latent variable is allowed to be correlated with the quantitative phenotype. Simultaneous modeling of the quantitative and qualitative traits allows us to make more precise inference on the pleiotropic genetic effects. We derive likelihood ratio tests for the testing of genetic effects. An application to the Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 data is provided. The new method yields reasonable power and meaningful results for the joint association analysis of the quantitative trait Q1 and the qualitative trait disease status at SNPs with not too small MAF

Children grow and horses race: is the adiposity rebound a critical period for later obesity?

BACKGROUND: The adiposity rebound is the second rise in body mass index that occurs between 3 and 7 years. An early age at adiposity rebound is known to be a risk factor for later obesity. The aim here is to clarify the connection between the age at rebound and the corresponding pattern of body mass index change, in centile terms, so as to better understand its ability to predict later fatness. DISCUSSION: Longitudinal changes in body mass index during adiposity rebound, measured both in original (kg/m(2)) and standard deviation (SD) score units, are studied in five hypothetical subjects. Two aspects of the body mass index curve, the body mass index centile and the rate of body mass index centile crossing, determine a child's age at rebound. A high centile and upward centile crossing are both associated separately with an early rebound, while a low centile and/or downward centile crossing correspond to a late rebound. Early adiposity rebound is a risk factor for later fatness because it identifies children whose body mass index centile is high and/or crossing upwards. Such children are likely to have a raised body mass index later in childhood and adulthood. This is an example of Peto's "horse racing effect". The association of centile crossing with later obesity is statistical not physiological, and it applies at all ages not just at rebound, so adiposity rebound cannot be considered a critical period for future obesity. Body mass index centile crossing is a more direct indicator of the underlying drive to fatness. SUMMARY: An early age at adiposity rebound predicts later fatness because it identifies children whose body mass index centile is high and/or crossing upwards. Such children are likely to have a raised body mass index later. Body mass index centile crossing is more direct than the timing of adiposity rebound for predicting later fatness

Synthesis and molecular structures of monooxo aryl complexes of osmium(VI)

Reaction of [OsO4] with C7H7MgBr (C7H7 = 2-methylphenyl) followed by column chromatography afforded the reported osmium tetraaryl [Os(C7H7)4] along with the oxo-osmium(VI) ([OsO(C7H7)4]) (1) (13%) and the dioxoosmium(VI) ([OsO2(C7H7)2]) (2) (25%) complexes. Treatment of [OsO4] with C8H9MgBr (C8H9 = 2,5-dimethylphenyl) gave a mixture of [Os(C8H9)4] (3) (34%) and [OsO(C8H9)4] (4) (4%) while that with C8H9OMgBr (C8H9O = 4-methoxy-2-methylphenyl) afforded [OsO(C8H9O)4] (5) in 20% yield. Oxidation of 3 with 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid afforded 4 in good yield. The solid-state structures of 1 and 4 have been established by X-ray crystallography. Crystals of 1 are tetragonal with a = 13.080(1) and c = 6.6506(5) Å, V = 1137.9(1) Å3, Z = 2, and space group of P4/n; while those of 4 are tetragonal with a = 13.593(2) and c = 7.377(2) Å, V = 1363.0(5) Å3, Z = 4, and space group of P4/n. The geometry around osmium in both complexes is square pyramidal with the oxo ligand occupying apical position. The Os - O and Os - C distances in 1 are 1.652(2) and 2.084(1) Å, respectively, while those in 4 are 1.688(7) and 2.088(4) Å, respectively. The cyclic voltammograms of the monooxo aryl osmium(VI) compounds show reversible Os(VI/V) couple at around -1.4 V vs. ferrocene/ferrocenium couple.published_or_final_versio

Lower cardiorespiratory fitness contributes to increased insulin resistance and fasting glycaemia in middle-aged South Asian compared with European men living in the UK

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: This study aimed to determine the extent to which increased insulin resistance and fasting glycaemia in South Asian men, compared with white European men, living in the UK, was due to lower cardiorespiratory fitness (maximal oxygen uptake [[Formula: see text]]) and physical activity. METHODS: One hundred South Asian and 100 age- and BMI-matched European men without diagnosed diabetes, aged 40–70 years, had fasted blood taken for measurement of glucose concentration, HOMA-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA(IR)), plus other risk factors, and underwent assessment of physical activity (using accelerometry), [Formula: see text], body size and composition, and demographic and other lifestyle factors. For 13 South Asian and one European man, HbA(1c) levels were >6.5% (>48 mmol/mol), indicating potential undiagnosed diabetes; these men were excluded from the analyses. Linear regression models were used to determine the extent to which body size and composition, fitness and physical activity variables explained differences in HOMA(IR) and fasting glucose between South Asian and European men. RESULTS: HOMA(IR) and fasting glucose were 67% (p < 0.001) and 3% (p < 0.018) higher, respectively, in South Asians than Europeans. Lower [Formula: see text], lower physical activity and greater total adiposity in South Asians individually explained 68% (95% CI 45%, 91%), 29% (11%, 46%) and 52% (30%, 80%), respectively, and together explained 83% (50%, 119%) (all p < 0.001) of the ethnic difference in HOMA(IR). Lower [Formula: see text] and greater total adiposity, respectively, explained 61% (9%, 111%) and 39% (9%, 76%) (combined effect 63% [8%, 115%]; all p < 0.05) of the ethnic difference in fasting glucose. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Lower cardiorespiratory fitness is a key factor associated with the excess insulin resistance and fasting glycaemia in middle-aged South Asian, compared with European, men living in the UK. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00125-013-2969-y) contains peer-reviewed but unedited supplementary material, which is available to authorised users

Mathematically gifted and talented learners: Theory and practice

This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 40(2), 213-228, 2009, copyright Taylor & Francis, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/00207390802566907.There is growing recognition of the special needs of mathematically gifted learners. This article reviews policy developments and current research and theory on giftedness in mathematics. It includes a discussion of the nature of mathematical ability as well as the factors that make up giftedness in mathematics. The article is set in the context of current developments in Mathematics Education and Gifted Education in the UK and their implications for Science and Technology. It argues that early identification and appropriate provision for younger mathematically promising pupils capitalizes on an intellectual resource which could provide future mathematicans as well as specialists in Science or Technology. Drawing on a Vygotskian framework, it is suggested that the mathematically gifted require appropriate cognitive challenges as well as attitudinally and motivationally enhancing experiences. In the second half of this article we report on an initiative in which we worked with teachers to identify mathematically gifted pupils and to provide effective enrichment support for them, in a number of London Local Authorities. A number of significant issues are raised relating to the identification of mathematical talent, enrichment provision for students and teachers’ professional development

Task-related functional magnetic resonance imaging activations in patients with acute and subacute mild traumatic brain injury: A coordinate-based meta-analysis

This is the final version. Available on open access from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordTask-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been used to examine neuroanatomical and functional changes following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Prior studies have lacked consistency in identifying common regions of altered neural activity during cognitive tasks. This may be partly due to differences in task paradigm, patient heterogeneity, and methods of fMRI analysis. We conducted a meta-analysis using an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) method to identify regions of differential brain activation in patients with mTBI compared to healthy controls. We included experiments that performed scans from acute to subacute time points post-injury. The seven included studies recruited a total sample of 174 patients with mTBIs and 139 control participants. The results of our coordinate based meta-analysis revealed a single cluster of reduced activation within the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) that differentiated mTBI from healthy controls. We conclude that the cognitive impairments in memory and attention typically reported in mTBI patients may be associated with a deficit in the right MFG, which impacts the recruitment of neural networks important for attentional control

Looked after children in prison as adults: life adversity and neurodisability

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Emerald via the DOI in this recordData availability statement: Due to ethical concerns, the research data supporting this publication are not publicly available.Purpose Looked after children (LAC) are criminalised at five times the rate of children in the general population. Children in contact with both child welfare and child justice systems have higher rates of neurodisability and substance use problems, and LAC in general have high rates of school exclusion, homelessness and unemployment. This study aims to understand whether these factors persist in LAC who are in prison as adults. Design/methodology/approach Administrative data collected by the Do-IT profiler screening tool in a prison in Wales, UK, were analysed to compare sentenced prisoners who were LAC (n = 631) to sentenced prisoners who were not LAC (n = 2,201). The sample comprised all prisoners who were screened on entry to prison in a two-year period. Findings Prisoners who were LAC scored more poorly on a functional screener for neurodisability (effect size = 0.24), and on four self-report measures capturing traits of dyslexia (0.22), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (0.40), autism spectrum disorders (0.34) and developmental co-ordination disorder (0.33). Prisoners who were LAC were more likely to have been to a pupil referral unit (0.24), have substance use problems (0.16), be homeless or marginally housed (0.18) and be unemployed or unable to work due to disability (0.13). Originality/value This study uniquely contributes to our understanding of prisoners who were LAC as a target group for intervention and support with re-integration into the community upon release. LAC in prison as adults may require additional interventions to help with employment, housing and substance use. Education programmes in prison should screen for neurodisability, to develop strategies to support engagement.Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)HMP/YOI Par