1,182 research outputs found
Correlated patterns in non-monotonic graded-response perceptrons
The optimal capacity of graded-response perceptrons storing biased and
spatially correlated patterns with non-monotonic input-output relations is
studied. It is shown that only the structure of the output patterns is
important for the overall performance of the perceptrons.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
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Evaluating the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System scales in acute intermittent porphyria.
PurposeAcute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is a rare inborn error of heme biosynthesis characterized by life-threatening acute attacks. Few studies have assessed quality of life (QoL) in AIP and those that have had small sample sizes and used tools that may not have captured important domains.MethodsBaseline data from the Porphyrias Consortium's Longitudinal Study were obtained for 259 patients, including detailed disease and medical history data, and the following Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) scales: anxiety, depression, pain interference, fatigue, sleep disturbance, physical function, and satisfaction with social roles. Relationships between PROMIS scores and clinical and biochemical AIP features were explored.ResultsPROMIS scores were significantly worse than the general population across all domains, except depression. Each domain discriminated well between asymptomatic and symptomatic patients with symptomatic patients having worse scores. Many important clinical variables like symptom frequency were significantly associated with domain scores in univariate analyses, showing responsiveness of the scales, specifically pain interference and fatigue. However, most regression models only explained ~20% of the variability observed in domain scores.ConclusionPain interference and fatigue were the most responsive scales in measuring QoL in this AIP cohort. Future studies should assess whether these scales capture longitudinal disease progression and treatment response
Social workers' and police officers' perceptions of victim credibility: perspective-taking and the impact of extra-evidential factors
Convection in colloidal suspensions with particle-concentration-dependent viscosity
The onset of thermal convection in a horizontal layer of a colloidal
suspension is investigated in terms of a continuum model for binary-fluid
mixtures where the viscosity depends on the local concentration of colloidal
particles. With an increasing difference between the viscosity at the warmer
and the colder boundary the threshold of convection is reduced in the range of
positive values of the separation ratio psi with the onset of stationary
convection as well as in the range of negative values of psi with an
oscillatory Hopf bifurcation. Additionally the convection rolls are shifted
downwards with respect to the center of the horizontal layer for stationary
convection (psi>0) and upwards for the Hopf bifurcation (psi<0).Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, submitted to European Physical Journal
Evaluation of work-rest schedules with respect to the effects of postural workload in standing work
Efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Daily Life in Early Psychosis:Results from the Multi-Center INTERACT Randomized Controlled Trial
Selenium deficiency risk predicted to increase under future climate change
Deficiencies of micronutrients, including essential trace elements, affect up to 3 billion people worldwide. The dietary availability of trace elements is determined largely by their soil concentrations. Until now, the mechanisms governing soil concentrations have been evaluated in small-scale studies, which identify soil physicochemical properties as governing variables. However, global concentrations of trace elements and the factors controlling their distributions are virtually unknown. We used 33,241 soil data points to model recent (1980â1999) global distributions of Selenium (Se), an essential trace element that is required for humans. Worldwide, up to one in seven people have been estimated to have low dietary Se intake. Contrary to small-scale studies, soil Se concentrations were dominated by climateâsoil interactions. Using moderate climate-change scenarios for 2080â2099, we predicted that changes in climate and soil organic carbon content will lead to overall decreased soil Se concentrations, particularly in agricultural areas; these decreases could increase the prevalence of Se deficiency. The importance of climateâsoil interactions to Se distributions suggests that other trace elements with similar retention mechanisms will be similarly affected by climate change
Predominance of methanogens over methanotrophs in rewetted fens characterized by high methane emissions
The rewetting of drained peatlands alters peat geochemistry and often leads
to sustained elevated methane emission. Although this methane is produced
entirely by microbial activity, the distribution and abundance of
methane-cycling microbes in rewetted peatlands, especially in fens, is rarely
described. In this study, we compare the community composition and abundance
of methane-cycling microbes in relation to peat porewater geochemistry in two
rewetted fens in northeastern Germany, a coastal brackish fen and a
freshwater riparian fen, with known high methane fluxes. We utilized 16S rRNA
high-throughput sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) on 16S
rRNA, mcrA, and pmoA genes to determine microbial community
composition and the abundance of total bacteria, methanogens, and
methanotrophs. Electrical conductivity (EC) was more than 3Â times higher in
the coastal fen than in the riparian fen, averaging 5.3 and 1.5 mSâcmâ1,
respectively. Porewater concentrations of terminal electron acceptors (TEAs) varied
within and among the fens. This was also reflected in similarly high intra-
and inter-site variations of microbial community composition. Despite these
differences in environmental conditions and electron acceptor availability,
we found a low abundance of methanotrophs and a high abundance of
methanogens, represented in particular by Methanosaetaceae, in both
fens. This suggests that rapid (re)establishment of methanogens and slow
(re)establishment of methanotrophs contributes to prolonged increased methane
emissions following rewetting.</p
Modulation of oestrone sulphate formation and hydrolysis in breast cancer cells by breast cyst fluid from British and Hungarian women
Women with gross cystic breast disease may have an increased risk of breast cancer. In this study the ability of breast cyst fluid (BCF), obtained from British or Hungarian women, to modulate oestrone sulphate (E1S) formation or hydrolysis, has been examined. For this, oestrogen receptor-positive (ER+) MCF-7 or MDA-MB-231 (ERâ) breast cancer cells were employed. The formation and hydrolysis of E1S was measured using radiometric techniques. BCF from British and Hungarian women mainly inhibited E1S hydrolysis in MCF-7 cells while stimulating hydrolysis in MDA-MB-231 cells. The extent of inhibition or stimulation of E1S hydrolysis in these cells was related to the Na+/K+ratio of the BCF. There was a significant inverse relationship between the extent to which BCF samples inhibited hydrolysis in MCF-7 cells and stimulated it in MDA-MB-231 cells. BCF stimulated E1S formation in MCF-7 cells while inhibiting formation in MDA-MB-231 cells. No difference in the ability of BCF from British or Hungarian women to inhibit or stimulate E1S hydrolysis was detected in ER+ or ERâ breast cancer cells. In contrast, BCF from British women stimulated E1S formation in ER+ cells (median 82%) to a significantly greater extent (P< 0.01) than BCF from Hungarian women (median 33%). The role that E1S has in breast cancer development remains unclear. The greater stimulation of E1S formation by BCF from British women, who have a higher risk of breast cancer than Hungarian women, suggests that it may act as a storage form of oestrogen within cells that can be activated by oestrone sulphatase. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig
Intimate Partner Violence in Urban, Rural, and Remote Areas: An Investigation of Offense Severity and Risk Factors
This study compared the severity of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the relationship between risk factors for IPV and overall risk judgements of future IPV in urban, rural and remote areas. IPV risk assessments conducted by the Swedish police between 2010 and 2014 in urban (n = 564), rural (n = 456), and remote (n = 196) areas were examined. Rurality was associated with the severity of IPV reported, as well as the presence of risk factors and their relationship to overall risk judgements. Cases in remote areas included more severe IPV as well as more risk factors
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