Content-Aware DataGuides for Indexing Large Collections of XML Documents

XML is well-suited for modelling structured data with textual content. However, most indexing approaches perform structure and content matching independently, combining the retrieved path and keyword occurrences in a third step. This paper shows that retrieval in XML documents can be accelerated significantly by processing text and structure simultaneously during all retrieval phases. To this end, the Content-Aware DataGuide (CADG) enhances the wellknown DataGuide with (1) simultaneous keyword and path matching and (2) a precomputed content/structure join. Extensive experiments prove the CADG to be 50-90% faster than the DataGuide for various sorts of query and document, including difficult cases such as poorly structured queries and recursive document paths. A new query classification scheme identifies precise query characteristics with a predominant influence on the performance of the individual indices. The experiments show that the CADG is applicable to many real-world applications, in particular large collections of heterogeneously structured XML documents

Visual exploration and retrieval of XML document collections with the generic system X2

This article reports on the XML retrieval system X2 which has been developed at the University of Munich over the last five years. In a typical session with X2, the user first browses a structural summary of the XML database in order to select interesting elements and keywords occurring in documents. Using this intermediate result, queries combining structure and textual references are composed semiautomatically. After query evaluation, the full set of answers is presented in a visual and structured way. X2 largely exploits the structure found in documents, queries and answers to enable new interactive visualization and exploration techniques that support mixed IR and database-oriented querying, thus bridging the gap between these three views on the data to be retrieved. Another salient characteristic of X2 which distinguishes it from other visual query systems for XML is that it supports various degrees of detailedness in the presentation of answers, as well as techniques for dynamically reordering and grouping retrieved elements once the complete answer set has been computed

Population structure and evolution of resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibitors in Amaranthus tuberculatus in Italy

6openInternationalBothBackground: Before 2010, Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) J. D. Sauer was barely known to farmers and stakeholders in Italy. Since then, several populations resistant to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides have been collected. In most populations, a known target site resistance-endowing mutation was found, a Trp to Leu substitution at position 574 of the ALS gene, but it was unclear whether they had evolved resistance independently or not. The aims of the work were (i) to elucidate the population structure of Italian ALS-resistant A. tuberculatus populations, and (ii) to analyze the ALS haplotypes of the various populations to determine whether resistance arose multiple times independently. Results: In order to determine the population structure of eight A. tuberculatus populations, eight previously described microsatellite loci were used. Two ancestors were found: three populations derived from one, and five from the other. In the 4-kb ALS region of the genome, including the 2-kb coding region, 389 single nucleotide polymorphisms were found. In silico haplotype estimation was used to reconstruct the sequence of three distinct haplotypes carrying the Trp574Leu mutation. In addition, no mutation was found in 83% of plants of a single population. Conclusions: (i) Resistance must have arisen independently at least three times; (ii) at least one population was already resistant to ALS inhibitors when introduced in Italy; (iii) a single haplotype with a Trp574Leu mutation was shared among six populations, probably because of broad seed dispersal; and (iv) one population likely evolved nontarget site ALS inhibitors resistance.openMilani, A.; Lutz, U.; Galla, G.; Scarabel, L.; Weigel, D.; Sattin, M.Milani, A.; Lutz, U.; Galla, G.; Scarabel, L.; Weigel, D.; Sattin, M

Assessment of Indoor and Outdoor PM Species at Schools and Residences in a High-Altitude Ecuadorian Urban Center

An air monitoring campaign to assess children’s environmental exposures in schools and residences, both indoors and outdoors, was conducted in 2010 in three low-income neighborhoods in Z1(north), Z2(central), and Z3(southeast) zones of Quito, Ecuador - a major urban center of 2.2 million inhabitants situated 2850 meters above sea level in a narrow mountainous basin. Z1 zone, located in northern Quito, historically experienced emissions from quarries and moderate traffic. Z2 zone was influenced by heavy traffic in contrast to Z3 zone which experienced low traffic densities. Weekly averages of PM samples were collected at schools (one in each zone) and residences (Z1=47, Z2=45, and Z3=41) every month, over a twelve-month period at the three zones. Indoor PM2.5 concentrations ranged from 10.6±4.9 μg/m3 (Z1 school) to 29.0±30.5 μg/m3 (Z1 residences) and outdoor PM2.5 concentrations varied from 10.9±3.2 μg/m3 (Z1 school) to 14.3±10.1 μg/m3 (Z2 residences), across the three zones. The lowest values for PM10–2.5 for indoor and outdoor microenvironments were recorded at Z2 school, 5.7±2.8 μg/m3 and 7.9±2.2 μg/m3 , respectively. Outdoor school PM concentrations exhibited stronger associations with corresponding indoor values making them robust proxies for indoor exposures in naturally ventilated Quito public schools. Correlation analysis between the school and residential PM size fractions and the various pollutant and meteorological parameters from central ambient monitoring (CAM) sites suggested varying degrees of temporal relationship. Strong positive correlation was observed for outdoor PM2.5 at Z2 school and its corresponding CAM site (r=0.77) suggesting common traffic related emissions. Spatial heterogeneity in PM2.5 concentrations between CAM network and sampled sites was assessed using Coefficient of Divergence (COD) analysis. COD values were lower when CAM sites were paired with outdoor measurements (\u3c 0.2) and higher when CAM and indoor values were compared (\u3e 0.2), suggesting that CAM network in Quito may not represent actual indoor exposures

Evaluation of sources and patterns of elemental composition of PM2. 5 at three low-income neighborhood schools and residences in Quito, Ecuador

Elemental characterization of fine particulate matter was undertaken at schools and residences in three low income neighborhoods in Quito, Ecuador. The three zones were located in the northern (Cotocollao), south central (El Camal), and south east (Los Chillos) neighborhoods and were classified as zones 1–3, respectively. Forty elements were quantified via ICP-MS analysis. Amongst the geogenic elements, the concentration of Si was the most abundant followed by S, Al, and Ca. Elements with predominantly anthropogenic sources such as Zn, V, and Ni were higher in zone 3 school followed by zone 2 and zone 1 schools. Enrichment factors were calculated to study the role of crustal sources in the elemental concentrations. Geogenic elements, except K, all had valuesNi, V, Zn, Pb, As, Cr had \u3e10. Principal Component Analysis suggested that Ni and V concentrations were strongly attributable to pet coke and heavy oil combustion. Strong associations between As and Pb could be attributed to traffic and other industrial emissions. Resuspended dust, soil erosion, vehicular emissions (tailpipe, brake and tire wear, and engine abrasion), pet coke, heavy oil combustion, and heavy industrial operations were major contributors to air pollution

How to measure the parity of the Θ+\Theta^+ in p⃗p⃗\vec p\vec p collisions

Triggered by a recent paper by Thomas, Hicks and Hosaka, we investigate which observables can be used to determine the parity of the $\Theta^+$ from the reaction $\vec p\vec p \to \Sigma^+\Theta^+$ near its production threshold. In particular, we show that the sign of the spin correlation coefficient $A_{xx}$ for small excess energies yields the negative of the parity of the $\Theta^+$. The argument relies solely on the Pauli principle and parity conservation and is therefore model--independent.Comment: References completed, discussion on possible influence of background added; conclusions unchange

Heavy Quark Solitons in the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio Model

The Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model (NJL) is extended to incorporate heavy quark spin-symmetry. In this model baryons containing one heavy quark are analyzed as bound-states of light baryons, represented as chiral solitons, and mesons containing one heavy quark. From related studies in Skyrme type models, the ground-state heavy baryon is known to arise for the heavy meson in a P--wave configuration. In the limit of an infinitely large quark mass the heavy meson wave-function is sharply peaked at the center of the chiral soliton. Therefore the bound state equation reduces to an eigenvalue problem for the coefficients of the operators contained in the most general P-wave {\it ansatz} for the heavy meson. Within the NJL model a novel feature arises from the coupling of the heavy meson to the various light quark states. In this respect conceptual differences to Skyrme model calculations are discovered: The strongest bound state is given by a heavy meson configuration which is completely decoupled from the grand spin zero channel of the light quarks.Comment: 16 pages REVTEX, one postscript figure, to appear in Phys. Rev.