89 research outputs found
A Sequential Optimization Sampling Method for Metamodels with Radial Basis Functions
Metamodels have been widely used in engineering design to facilitate analysis and optimization of complex systems that involve computationally expensive simulation programs. The accuracy of metamodels is strongly affected by the sampling methods. In this paper, a new sequential optimization sampling method is proposed. Based on the new sampling method, metamodels can be constructed repeatedly through the addition of sampling points, namely, extrema points of metamodels and minimum points of density function. Afterwards, the more accurate metamodels would be constructed by the procedure above. The validity and effectiveness of proposed sampling method are examined by studying typical numerical examples
Undersampling and Cumulative Class Re-decision Methods to Improve Detection of Agitation in People with Dementia
Agitation is one of the most prevalent symptoms in people with dementia (PwD)
that can place themselves and the caregiver's safety at risk. Developing
objective agitation detection approaches is important to support health and
safety of PwD living in a residential setting. In a previous study, we
collected multimodal wearable sensor data from 17 participants for 600 days and
developed machine learning models for predicting agitation in one-minute
windows. However, there are significant limitations in the dataset, such as
imbalance problem and potential imprecise labels as the occurrence of agitation
is much rarer in comparison to the normal behaviours. In this paper, we first
implement different undersampling methods to eliminate the imbalance problem,
and come to the conclusion that only 20\% of normal behaviour data are adequate
to train a competitive agitation detection model. Then, we design a weighted
undersampling method to evaluate the manual labeling mechanism given the
ambiguous time interval (ATI) assumption. After that, the postprocessing method
of cumulative class re-decision (CCR) is proposed based on the historical
sequential information and continuity characteristic of agitation, improving
the decision-making performance for the potential application of agitation
detection system. The results show that a combination of undersampling and CCR
improves F1-score and other metrics to varying degrees with less training time
and data used, and inspires a way to find the potential range of optimal
threshold reference for clinical purpose.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figure
Two-Dimensional Nature of Four-Layer Superconductors by Inequivalent Hole Distribution
The magnetization of the four-layer superconductor
CuBa_{2}Ca_{3}Cu_4O_{12-\delta} with T_c\simeq117 K is presented. The
high-field magnetization around T_c(H) follows the exact two-dimensional
scaling function given by Te\v{s}anovi\'{c} and Andreev. This feature is
contrary to the inference that the interlayer coupling becomes strong if the
number of CuO_2 planes in a unit cell increases. Also, the fluctuation-induced
susceptibility in the low-field region was analyzed by using the modified
Lawrence-Doniach model. The effective number of independently fluctuating CuO_2
layers per unit cell, g_{\rm eff}, turned out to be \simeq 2 rather than 4,
which indicated that two among the four CuO_2 layers were in states far from
their optimal doping levels. This result could explain why
CuBa_{2}Ca_{3}Cu_4O_{12-\delta} shows two-dimensional behavior.Comment: 5 pages and 4 figure
Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis for RNA-Sequencing Data of the Varicose Veins Transcriptome
ObjectiveVaricose veins are a common problem worldwide and can cause significant impairments in health-related quality of life, but the etiology and pathogenesis remain not well defined. This study aims to elucidate transcriptomic regulations of varicose veins by detecting differentially expressed genes, pathways and regulator genes.MethodsWe harvested great saphenous veins (GSV) from patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and varicose veins from conventional stripping surgery. RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) technique was used to obtain the complete transcriptomic data of both GSVs from CABG patients and varicose veins. Weighted Gene Co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and further analyses were then carried out with the aim to elucidate transcriptomic regulations of varicose veins by detecting differentially expressed genes, pathways and regulator genes.ResultsFrom January 2015 to December 2016, 7 GSVs from CABG patients and 13 varicose veins were obtained. WGCNA identified 4 modules. In the brown module, gene ontology (GO) analysis showed that the biological processes were focused on response to stimulus, immune response and inflammatory response, etc. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed that the biological processes were focused on cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and TNF signaling pathway, etc. In the gray module, GO analysis showed that the biological processes were skeletal myofibril assembly related. The immunohistochemistry staining showed that the expression of ASC, Caspase-1 and NLRP3 were increased in GSVs from CABG patients compared with varicose veins. Histopathological analysis showed that in the varicose veins group, the thickness of vascular wall, tunica intima, tunica media and collagen/smooth muscle ratio were significantly increased, and that the elastic fiber/internal elastic lamina ratio was decreased.ConclusionThis study shows that there are clear differences in transcriptomic information between varicose veins and GSVs from CABG patients. Some inflammatory RNAs are down-regulated in varicose veins compared with GSVs from CABG patients. Skeletal myofibril assembly pathway may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of varicose veins. Characterization of these RNAs may provide new targets for understanding varicose veins diagnosis, progression, and treatment
G-Quadruplexes in Repeat Expansion Disorders
The repeat expansions are the main genetic cause of various neurodegeneration diseases. More than ten kinds of repeat sequences with different lengths, locations, and structures have been confirmed in the past two decades. G-rich repeat sequences, such as CGG and GGGGCC, are reported to form functional G-quadruplexes, participating in many important bioprocesses. In this review, we conducted an overview concerning the contribution of G-quadruplex in repeat expansion disorders and summarized related mechanisms in current pathological studies, including the increasing genetic instabilities in replication and transcription, the toxic RNA foci formed in neurons, and the loss/gain function of proteins and peptides. Furthermore, novel strategies targeting G-quadruplex repeats were developed based on the understanding of disease mechanism. Small molecules and proteins binding to G-quadruplex in repeat expansions were investigated to protect neurons from dysfunction and delay the progression of neurodegeneration. In addition, the effects of environment on the stability of G-quadruplex were discussed, which might be critical factors in the pathological study of repeat expansion disorders
Order Reconstruction in a Nanoconfined Nematic Liquid Crystal between Two Coaxial Cylinders
The dynamics of a disclination loop (s = ±1/2) in nematic liquid crystals constrained between two coaxial cylinders were investigated based on two-dimensional Landau–de Gennes tensorial formalism by using a finite-difference iterative method. The effect of thickness (d = R2 − R1, where R1 and R2 represent the internal and external radii of the cylindrical cavity, respectively) on the director distribution of the defect was simulated using different R1 values. The results show that the order reconstruction occurs at a critical value of dc, which decreases with increasing inner ratio R1. The loop also shrinks, and the defect center deviates from the middle of the system, which is a non-planar structure. The deviation decreases with decreasing d or increasing R1, implying that the system tends to be a planar cell. Two models were then established to analyze the combined effect of non-planar geometry and electric field. The common action of these parameters facilitates order reconstruction, whereas their opposite action complicates the process
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