FishMark: A Linked Data Application Benchmark

Abstract. FishBase is an important species data collection produced by the FishBase Information and Research Group Inc (FIN), a not-forprofit NGO with the aim of collecting comprehensive information (from the taxonomic to the ecological) about all the world’s finned fish species. FishBase is exposed as a MySQL backed website (supporting a range of canned, although complex queries) and serves over 33 million hits per month. FishDelish is a transformation of FishBase into LinkedData weighing in at 1.38 billion triples. We have ported a substantial number of FishBase SQL queries to FishDelish SPARQL query which form the basis of a new linked data application benchmark (using our derivative of the Berlin SPARQL Benchmark harness). We use this benchmarking framework to compare the performance of the native MySQL application, the Virtuoso RDF triple store, and the Quest OBDA system on a fishbase.org like application.

Remodelling of human atrial K+ currents but not ion channel expression by chronic β-blockade

Chronic β-adrenoceptor antagonist (β-blocker) treatment in patients is associated with a potentially anti-arrhythmic prolongation of the atrial action potential duration (APD), which may involve remodelling of repolarising K+ currents. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic β-blockade on transient outward, sustained and inward rectifier K+ currents (ITO, IKSUS and IK1) in human atrial myocytes and on the expression of underlying ion channel subunits. Ion currents were recorded from human right atrial isolated myocytes using the whole-cell-patch clamp technique. Tissue mRNA and protein levels were measured using real time RT-PCR and Western blotting. Chronic β-blockade was associated with a 41% reduction in ITO density: 9.3 ± 0.8 (30 myocytes, 15 patients) vs 15.7 ± 1.1 pA/pF (32, 14), p < 0.05; without affecting its voltage-, time- or rate dependence. IK1 was reduced by 34% at −120 mV (p < 0.05). Neither IKSUS, nor its increase by acute β-stimulation with isoprenaline, was affected by chronic β-blockade. Mathematical modelling suggested that the combination of ITO- and IK1-decrease could result in a 28% increase in APD90. Chronic β-blockade did not alter mRNA or protein expression of the ITO pore-forming subunit, Kv4.3, or mRNA expression of the accessory subunits KChIP2, KChAP, Kvβ1, Kvβ2 or frequenin. There was no reduction in mRNA expression of Kir2.1 or TWIK to account for the reduction in IK1. A reduction in atrial ITO and IK1 associated with chronic β-blocker treatment in patients may contribute to the associated action potential prolongation, and this cannot be explained by a reduction in expression of associated ion channel subunits

Single-energy amplitudes for pion photoproduction in the first resonance region

We consider multipole amplitudes for low-energy pion photoproduction, constructed with minimal model dependence, at single energies. Comparisons with fits to the full resonance region are made. Explanations are suggested for the discrepancies and further experiments are motivated.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

Valuing energy futures; a comparative analysis of value pools across UK energy system scenarios

Electricity markets in liberalised nations are composed primarily of private firms that make strategic decisions about how to secure competitive advantage. Energy transitions, driven by decarbonisation targets and technological innovation, will create new markets and destroy old ones in a re-configuration of the power sector. This research suggests that by 2050 up to 21bnGBP per year of new financial value is available in the UK electricity system, and that depending on scenario, these new values represent up to 31% of the entire electricity sector. To service these markets business model innovation and new firm strategies are needed in electric power provision. Energy scenarios can inform strategic decisions over business model adaptation, but to date scenario modelling has not directly addressed firm strategy and behaviour. This is due in part to neo-classical assumptions of firm rationality and perfect foresight. This research adopts a resource based view of the firm rooted in evolutionary economics to argue that quantifying the relative size of the markets created and destroyed by energy transitions can provide useful insight into firm behaviour and innovation policy

Accreditation of in-company training provision: an overview of models and issues.

Accreditation is the formal recognition of learning achievements of an individual, linked to an internal or external standard. Professional accreditation involves meeting standards agreed by a particular sector’s governing body. In academe it is normal for qualifications and programmes to be credit-bearing; furthermore processes also exist to award university credit for evidenced learning from both inside and outside the higher education institution. Therefore academic credits can be attached to programmes delivered outside formal higher education award structures. Universities can utilise the accreditation process to confirm that an individual’s performance or training at work, or indeed a training programme itself, conforms to standards that are agreed and approved by a higher education institution or a further education college. Accreditation not only provides a quality assurance process of an assessed learning activity, but also enables the university to benefit from the opportunities to form new external partnerships and confirms to learners that the programme of study is robust and of a high standard

Co-crystalization and in vitro biological characterization of 5-Aryl-4-(5-substituted-2-4-dihydroxyphenyl)-1,2,3-thiadiazole Hsp90 inhibitors

A potential therapeutic strategy for targeting cancer that has gained much interest is the inhibition of the ATP binding and ATPase activity of the molecular chaperone Hsp90. We have determined the structure of the human Hsp90α N-terminal domain in complex with a series of 5-aryl-4-(5-substituted-2-4-dihydroxyphenyl)-1,2,3-thiadiazoles. The structures provide the molecular details for the activity of these inhibitors. One of these inhibitors, ICPD 34, causes a structural change that affects a mobile loop, which adopts a conformation similar to that seen in complexes with ADP, rather than the conformation generally seen with the pyrazole/isoxazole-resorcinol class of inhibitors. Competitive binding to the Hsp90 N-terminal domain was observed in a biochemical assay, and these compounds showed antiproliferative activity and induced apoptosis in the HCT116 human colon cancer cell line. These inhibitors also caused induction of the heat shock response with the upregulation of Hsp72 and Hsp27 protein expression and the depletion of Hsp90 clients, CRAF, ERBB2 and CDK4, thus confirming that antiproliferative activity was through the inhibition of Hsp90. The presence of increased levels of the cleavage product of PARP indicated apoptosis in response to Hsp90 inhibitors. This work provides a framework for the further optimization of thiadiazole inhibitors of Hsp90. Importantly, we demonstrate that the thiadiazole inhibitors display a more limited core set of interactions relative to the clinical trial candidate NVP-AUY922, and consequently may be less susceptible to resistance derived through mutations in Hsp9

Effect of Steaming on Some Physical and Chemical Properties of Black Walnut Heartwood

The influence of steaming time and temperature on some physical and chemical properties of black walnut heartwood was studied. One-inch cube sample blocks were steamed at two different temperatures and four different times, and the pH, surface tension, and color of the wood fluids, as well as the extractives and area of cell lumina, were determined.The pH and surface tension were not affected enough by steaming to be related to color changes of wood, swelling the wood beyond that normally expected in water at room temperature, or reducing drying defects. Prolonged and high temperature (above 100 C) steaming increased alcohol-benzene extractives of the steamed wood. Prolonged and high temperature steaming caused cell walls to swell beyond that in water at room temperature, especially in earlywood. Steaming temperature and time were highly effective in changing the color of wood fluids

Different esterase activities of exponential and plateau phases of EMT6 cells monitored by flow cytofluorimetry.

The reaction rates of enzymes hydrolysing fluorescein diacetate have been studied in populations of intact tissue-culture EMT6, cells using flow cytofluorimetric techniques. It was found that the activity of these enzymes increased in plateau phases and that this correlated inversely with plating efficiency. Highly abnormal substrate-dependent reaction velocity kinetics were found in 14-, 21-, 28- and 35-day cultures

Combustion and Emission Characteristics of Sawdust-Coal Fine Pellets

Pellets made from wood and coal residues at various ratios (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% wood, and 50% wood-plus-limestone) were burned at different underfire/overfire air mixtures (20, 40, 60, and 80%) in a laboratory stationary bed burner to determine the effects of wood/coal ratio and underfire/overfire air mixture on the combustion and emission characteristics of wood-coal pellets.The results indicated: 1) the oxygen depletion periods appeared to increase with increasing percentages of wood in the pellets and also to increase with increasing underfire air (UFA); 2) increasing wood percentages in pellets decreased flame temperature and total run time, and, thus increased the firing rate; 3) increasing percentages of wood in pellets reduced sulfur dioxide (SO2 emissions but increased carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4) emissions; 4) increasing UFA increased the CO, CH4, and SO2 emissions; and 5) adding a small quantity of limestone to wood-coal pellets greatly increased the capture of sulfur in the bottom solids and thus reduced the SO2 emission substantially