Past alcohol consumption and incident atrial fibrillation: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

BackgroundAlthough current alcohol consumption is a risk factor for incident atrial fibrillation (AF), the more clinically relevant question may be whether alcohol cessation is associated with a reduced risk.Methods and resultsWe studied participants enrolled in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC) between 1987 and 1989 without prevalent AF. Past and current alcohol consumption were ascertained at baseline and at 3 subsequent visits. Incident AF was ascertained via study ECGs, hospital discharge ICD-9 codes, and death certificates. Of 15,222 participants, 2,886 (19.0%) were former drinkers. During a median follow-up of 19.7 years, there were 1,631 cases of incident AF, 370 occurring in former consumers. Former drinkers had a higher rate of AF compared to lifetime abstainers and current drinkers. After adjustment for potential confounders, every decade abstinent from alcohol was associated with an approximate 20% (95% CI 11-28%) lower rate of incident AF; every additional decade of past alcohol consumption was associated with a 13% (95% CI 3-25%) higher rate of AF; and every additional drink per day during former drinking was associated with a 4% (95% CI 0-8%) higher rate of AF.ConclusionsAmong former drinkers, the number of years of drinking and the amount of alcohol consumed may each confer an increased risk of AF. Given that a longer duration of abstinence was associated with a decreased risk of AF, earlier modification of alcohol use may have a greater influence on AF prevention

On Using Active Learning and Self-Training when Mining Performance Discussions on Stack Overflow

Abundant data is the key to successful machine learning. However, supervised learning requires annotated data that are often hard to obtain. In a classification task with limited resources, Active Learning (AL) promises to guide annotators to examples that bring the most value for a classifier. AL can be successfully combined with self-training, i.e., extending a training set with the unlabelled examples for which a classifier is the most certain. We report our experiences on using AL in a systematic manner to train an SVM classifier for Stack Overflow posts discussing performance of software components. We show that the training examples deemed as the most valuable to the classifier are also the most difficult for humans to annotate. Despite carefully evolved annotation criteria, we report low inter-rater agreement, but we also propose mitigation strategies. Finally, based on one annotator's work, we show that self-training can improve the classification accuracy. We conclude the paper by discussing implication for future text miners aspiring to use AL and self-training.Comment: Preprint of paper accepted for the Proc. of the 21st International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering, 201

Evaluation of Satellite Retrievals of Chlorophyll-a in the Arabian Gulf

The Arabian Gulf is a highly turbid, shallow sedimentary basin whose coastal areas have been classified as optically complex Case II waters (where ocean colour sensors have been proved to be unreliable). Yet, there is no such study assessing the performance and quality of satellite ocean-colour datasets in relation to ground truth data in the Gulf. Here, using a unique set of in situ Chlorophyll-a measurements (Chl-a; an index of phytoplankton biomass), collected from 24 locations in four transects in the central Gulf over six recent research cruises (2015–2016), we evaluated the performance of VIIRS and other merged satellite datasets, for the first time in the region. A highly significant relationship was found (r = 0.795, p < 0.001), though a clear overestimation in satellite-derived Chl-a concentrations is evident. Regardless of this constant overestimation, the remotely sensed Chl-a observations illustrated adequately the seasonal cycles. Due to the optically complex environment, the first optical depth was calculated to be on average 6–10 m depth, and thus the satellite signal is not capturing the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM at ~25 m). Overall, the ocean colour sensors’ performance was comparable to other Case II waters in other regions, supporting the use of satellite ocean colour in the Gulf. Yet, the development of a regional-tuned algorithm is needed to account for the unique environmental conditions of the Gulf, and ultimately provide a better estimation of surface Chl-a in the region

Nuclear ribosomal DNA diversity of a cotton pest (Rotylenchulus reniformis) in the United States

The reniform nematode (Rotylenchulus reniformis) has emerged as a major cotton pest in the United States. A recent analysis of over 20 amphimictic populations of this pest from the US and three othercountries has shown no sequence variation at the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) despite the region’s usual variability. We investigated this unexpected outcome by amplifying, cloningand sequencing two regions of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (18S, ITS1) to ascertain whether any variation occurred within and among populations of reniform nematodes in Alabama, US. Both thenrITS1 and the relatively conserved 18S region showed a fairly substantial amount of variation among populations. The identity among ITS sequences ranged from 1.00 to 0.86, while sequence identity at the18S ranged from 1.00 to 0.948. We conclude that variation does exist in these sequences in reniform nematodes, and the earlier report showing no ribosomal ITS variation in this pest might have beencaused by preferential amplification of a conserved ITS paralog. Current and future application towards resistance in cotton varieties to this pest requires reliable information on the molecular variability of thenematode in cotton-growing areas

VISUALIZATION-BASED DECISION SUPPORT FOR OPTIMIZING SITE SELECTION:QUARRIES IN LEBANON; WHERE TO?

Traditionally the term visualization has been used to describe the process of graphically conveying or presenting end results. This paper argues that the utility of visualization approaches extends beyond these limits as it plays key role in fields of exploration, analysis and presentation, which enhances planner\u27s capabilities to solve complex planning problems. It proposes a transdisciplinary method that combines visualization approaches to site selection, integrated with spatial scenario planning, and stakeholder participation. However, it focuses on visualization as it relates to spatial data, to be applied to all the stages of problem-solving in geographical analysis, from development of initial hypotheses, through knowledge discovery, analysis, presentation and evaluation. It uses three different spatial scenarios – nature conservation, residential expansion, and sustainable development- to investigate the potentials of GIS based visualization to develop maps of a range of plausible future for possible quarrying locations in Lebano

Optimization of Fuzzy Logic Controller for Supervisory Power System Stabilizers

This paper presents a powerful supervisory power system stabilizer (PSS) using an adaptive fuzzy logic controller driven by an adaptive fuzzy set (AFS). The system under study consists of two synchronous generators, each fitted with a PSS, which are connected via double transmission lines. Different types of PSS-controller techniques are considered. The proposed genetic adaptive fuzzy logic controller (GAFLC)-PSS, using 25 rules, is compared with a static fuzzy logic controller (SFLC) driven by a fixed fuzzy set (FFS) which has 49 rules. Both fuzzy logic controller (FLC) algorithms utilize the speed error and its rate of change as an input vector. The adaptive FLC algorithm uses a genetic algorithmto tune the parameters of the fuzzy set of each PSS. The FLC’s are simulated and tested when the system is subjected to different disturbances under a wide range of operating points. The proposed GAFLC using AFS reduced the computational time of the FLC, where the number of rules is reduced from 49 to 25 rules. In addition, the proposed adaptive FLC driven by a genetic algorithm also reduced the complexity of the fuzzy model, while achieving a good dynamic response of the system under study

Optimization of Fuzzy Logic Controller for Supervisory Power System Stabilizers

This paper presents a powerful supervisory power system stabilizer (PSS) using an adaptive fuzzy logic controller driven by an adaptive fuzzy set (AFS). The system under study consists of two synchronous generators, each fitted with a PSS, which are connected via double transmission lines. Different types of PSS-controller techniques are considered. The proposed genetic adaptive fuzzy logic controller (GAFLC)-PSS, using 25 rules, is compared with a static fuzzy logic controller (SFLC) driven by a fixed fuzzy set (FFS) which has 49 rules. Both fuzzy logic controller (FLC) algorithms utilize the speed error and its rate of change as an input vector. The adaptive FLC algorithm uses a genetic algorithmto tune the parameters of the fuzzy set of each PSS. The FLC’s are simulated and tested when the system is subjected to different disturbances under a wide range of operating points. The proposed GAFLC using AFS reduced the computational time of the FLC, where the number of rules is reduced from 49 to 25 rules. In addition, the proposed adaptive FLC driven by a genetic algorithm also reduced the complexity of the fuzzy model, while achieving a good dynamic response of the system under study