Using Machine Learning for Land Suitability Classification

Artificial intelligence and machine learning methods can be used to automate the land suitability classification. Multiple Classifier System (MCS) or ensemble methods are rapidly growing and receiving a lot of attention and proved to be more accurate and robust than an excellent single classifier in many fields. In this study a dataset based land suitability classification is addressed. It is done using a newly proposed ensemble classifier generation technique referred to as RotBoost, which is constructed by combining Rotation Forest and AdaBoost, and it is known to be the first time that RotBoost has been applied for suitability classification. The experiments conducted with the study area, Shavur plain, lies in the northern of Khuzestan province, southwest of Iran. It should be noted that suitability classes for the input data were calculated according to FAO method. This provides positive evidence for the utility of machine learning methods in land suitability classification especially MCS methods. The results demonstrate that RotBoost can generate ensemble classifiers with significantly higher prediction accuracy than either Rotation Forest or AdaBoost, which is about 99% and 88.5%, using two different performance evaluation measures

Prevalence of early childhood dental caries and some related factors among 3-6 year-old children in Marivan - 2016

Background and Aims: The early childhood caries has a high prevalence. Considering the importance of providing optimal solutions for increasing level of oral health and improving the health of children, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of early childhood caries and some related factors with it.  Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study in which the statistical population consisted of 3-6 years old children in kindergarten and preschools in Marivan city in 2016.Totally, 422 children were selected through multi-stage sampling. Two dental specialists were measured and recorded early childhood caries. A researcher-made checklist was also used for demographic and background variables. The collected data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and Logistic regression using the SPSS software (version 16). All stages of the study were conducted according to moral standards.Results: Based on the results, 306 children (75.2%) had Early Childhood Caries. The results of logistic regression showed that the Early Childhood Caries significantly associated with variables such as child age and parent's education level (diploma & collegiate vs. under the diploma) (P<0.05).   Conclusion: The prevalence of Early Childhood Caries was higher in children having father and mother with a subordinate level of education and children with higher age. Therefore, it is essential that these children pay more attention to the design of educational programs to maintain and promote the health of the teeth.  

The Risk of Power Imbalance in Project Delivery: A Study of Large Victorian Public Infrastructure Projects

In large public infrastructure projects, political risks due to the power imbalance between central and delivery agencies are often overlooked or underestimated. The primary motive of the delivery agency in distorting information for political gains should be deemed a risk that creates uncertainty for large projects planning the outcome. In this study, seven large infrastructure projects in the state of Victoria, Australia are examined through a workshop involving key stakeholders who had played active roles in these projects. The findings revealed that power asymmetry between central and delivery agencies exist and would lead to optimism bias, which in turn creates uncertainty and risk of overpromising in the business case. Power asymmetry exist in large infrastructure projects because the central agencies usually only have the responsibility but not the skill set needed to measure the robustness of the business case. These types of political risks are difficult to quantify and even detect. This paper recommends a few managerial strategies that have referential values and/or can be used to mitigate and circumvent this risk

Participants’ power asymmetry in public infrastructure projects

© 2017 Dr. Hamzeh ZareiMany large infrastructure projects around the world significantly exceed their budgets and take longer than expected to complete. The cost overruns and delays in such projects cause significant economic and social challenges around the world and in Australia. This research focuses on seven large infrastructure projects in Victoria, Australia to better understand why these projects fail to deliver what government and the public expected. This thesis answers the question; “why did the projects fail to meet expectations” and “how could this be avoided in future”? The explanations on infrastructure project delivery failure have been covered by many studies, some decades old. These include, among other things, exaggerating benefits, overlooking risks, and unrealistic assumptions promising benefits that fail to materialise. These explanations do not explain the reasons why large infrastructure projects continue to fail. Large infrastructure projects are complex and contain many stakeholders, including central agencies, delivery agencies, government departments, construction companies and contractors. Based on thorough analysis of a Parliamentary inquiry of the Committee of the Public Accounts and Estimates the research identified the notion of power as an important factor in investigated infrastructure projects. The analysis found that the interplay between the stakeholders involved in a project is affected by the power distribution among the stakeholders. A new concept of informal authority is postulated to provide a consistent explanation of how a delivery agency’s self-interest in the presence of an asymmetric distribution of power may result in project failure. The research concludes that power asymmetry is a critical success factor in public infrastructure and makes suggestions for its management and control that would improve project outcomes

Strategies of targeting the extracellular domain of RON tyrosine kinase receptor for cancer therapy and drug delivery

Cancer is one of the most important life-threatening diseases in the world. The current efforts to combat cancer are being focused on molecular-targeted therapies. The main purpose of such approaches is based on targeting cancer cell-specific molecules to minimize toxicity for the normal cells. RON (Recepteur d'Origine Nantais) tyrosine kinase receptor is one of the promising targets in cancer-targeted therapy and drug delivery

Identification of a RON tyrosine kinase receptor binding peptide using phage display technique and computational modeling of its binding mode

RON (Recepteur d'Origine Nantais) tyrosine kinase receptor is a promising target for therapeutic intervention in cancer therapy. The aim of this work was identification of RON-binding peptides using phage display and computational modeling their mode of binding. A 12-mer peptide phage library was utilized to perform biopanning against RON. The RON-binding ability of the selected peptide-displaying phage and their possible binding sites were examined by ELISA. Binding modes and affinities were also predicted by docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The results of ELISA experiment showed that P6 peptide displaying phage has higher affinity for RON compared to others and its binding site is located out of ligand binding site. Docking and MD simulation results also indicated higher affinity of P6 to RON as well as its exosite-binding feature. Taken together, our data suggest a capacity for P6 peptide (FEHSLYKEMTHL) to be utilized as RON binding agent, and hence be used for various purposes, including design of drug delivery systems for transferring cytotoxic agents to RON-positive cancer cells, interfering with RON signaling, peptidomimetics design, and diagnostic imaging

Characterizing the Hot Spots Involved in RON-MSP beta Complex Formation Using In Silico Alanine Scanning Mutagenesis and Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Purpose: Implication of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in development of many diseases such as cancer makes them attractive for therapeutic intervention and rational drug design. RON (Recepteur d'Origine Nantais) tyrosine kinase receptor has gained considerable attention as promising target in cancer therapy. The activation of RON via its ligand, macrophage stimulation protein (MSP) is the most common mechanism of activation for this receptor. The aim of the current study was to perform in silico alanine scanning mutagenesis and to calculate binding energy for prediction of hot spots in proteinprotein interface between RON and MSP beta chain (MSP beta)

Hyaluronic Acid and Platelet-rich Plasma in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Due to loss of function and intolerable pain associated with Osteoarthritis (OA), this condition is regarded as one of the major causes of disability, worldwide. Aging and obesity are regarded as two fundamental causes of knee OA. The aim of this study was to review the literature on the efficacy of hyaluronic acid in compression [z1] in patients with knee OA. Materials and Methods: A systematic web-based search was conducted in Cochrane Library and MEDLINE to identify articles published before December 2014. English articles with available abstracts, relevant to the subject of the study, were retrieved. Moreover, manual search was performed in reference lists of the articles. Two commentators independently reviewed and assessed the inclusion criteria, evaluated the quality of articles and extracted the data. Results: The evaluated articles were published during 2011-2014. All studies were conducted on adult patients with knee OA. Overall, 745 patients were evaluated in five studies. More than 100 participants were enrolled in four studies and 90 patients were included in only one study. Conclusion: Based on the findings, the application of single-dose platelet-rich plasma is safe, useful and cost-effective in patients with knee OA