Modelling Background Noise in Finite Mixtures of Generalized Linear Regression Models

In this paper we show how only a few outliers can completely break down EM-estimation of mixtures of regression models. A simple, yet very effective way of dealing with this problem, is to use a component where all regression parameters are fixed to zero to model the background noise. This noise component can be easily defined for different types of generalized linear models, has a familiar interpretation as the empty regression model, and is not very sensitive with respect to its own parameters

Creating R Packages: A Tutorial

This tutorial gives a practical introduction to creating R packages. We discuss how object oriented programming and S formulas can be used to give R code the usual look and feel, how to start a package from a collection of R functions, and how to test the code once the package has been created. As running example we use functions for standard linear regression analysis which are developed from scratch

It was and it was not: identity and the power of storytelling for Muslims (guest blog)

Can a minority community use storytelling to create a new identity for itself instead of having its identity decided by majority culture? Polis Intern Paula Brito reports on a talk by US playwright and author Wajahat Ali and actor Riz Ahmed

FROM THE RIGHT TO BE LET ALONE TO THE CONTROL OF PERSONAL DATA

The theme of this paper is the paradigm shift in the outlook of workers' privacy protection. The focus of this work is the successive and recent evolution of this theme, defending an active approach to privacy, per which the workers have an effective control over their personal data. The adopted methodology is based on the theoretical framework of the worker’s right to privacy and its adaptation to the current technological world. It includes the study of the legislation, doctrinal and jurisprudential positions, and guidelines from various bodies and entities. The conclusions summarize the new challenges faced by the labour jurist, in an era when NICT (new information and communication technologies) are part of the corporate environment, in order to find ways to raise awareness about the reaffirmation of limits and control of technology, as the only way to guarantee the safeguarding of the workers' fundamental rights, which are undoubtedly essential for defending the worker in a potentially absorbing context outside his domain, being subject to corporate power. The conciliation between the defense of workers' privacy, on the one hand, and business interests and rights, on the other hand, is the reference for balanceinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

An Empirical Analysis of Name Signs in English Sign Languages based on Supalla's Categorisation System

Trabajo de fin de Grado. Grado en Estudios Ingleses. Curso académico 2021-2022El foco de estudio de este Trabajo de Fin de Grado son los signos personales de las lenguas de signos inglesas. El objetivo de este estudio es determinar la naturaleza de los signos personales creados hoy en día aplicando el sistema de categorización de Samuel Supalla, considerando que los signos personales arbitrarios son preferidos. El análisis realizado distingue cada signo personal basándose en su arbitrariedad o descriptividad. Por ello, este estudio se centra en si la tendencia de los signos personales es ser arbitrarios o descriptivos.This Bachelor’s dissertation focuses on name signs in English sign languages. The aim of the study is to determine the nature of name signs created nowadays by applying Samuel Supalla’s categorization system, given that arbitrary name signs are preferred. The analysis performed distinguishes each name sign based on its arbitrariness or descriptiveness. Therefore, this study concentrates on whether the tendency of name signs is to be arbitrary or descriptive

Estimation of kinetic parameters related to biochemical interactions between hydrogen peroxide and signal transduction proteins

Copyright © 2014 Brito and Antunes. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.The lack of kinetic data concerning the biological effects of reactive oxygen species is slowing down the development of the field of redox signaling. Herein, we deduced and applied equations to estimate kinetic parameters from typical redox signaling experiments. H2O2-sensing mediated by the oxidation of a protein target and the switch-off of this sensor, by being converted back to its reduced form, are the two processes for which kinetic parameters are determined. The experimental data required to apply the equations deduced is the fraction of the H2O2 sensor protein in the reduced or in the oxidized state measured in intact cells or living tissues after exposure to either endogenous or added H2O2. Either non-linear fittings that do not need transformation of the experimental data or linearized plots in which deviations from the equations are easily observed can be used. The equations were shown to be valid by fitting to them virtual time courses simulated with a kinetic model. The good agreement between the kinetic parameters estimated in these fittings and those used to simulate the virtual time courses supported the accuracy of the kinetic equations deduced. Finally, equations were successfully tested with real data taken from published experiments that describe redox signaling mediated by the oxidation of two protein tyrosine phosphatases, PTP1B and SHP-2, which are two of the few H2O2-sensing proteins with known kinetic parameters. Whereas for PTP1B estimated kinetic parameters fitted in general the present knowledge, for SHP-2 results obtained suggest that reactivity toward H2O2 as well as the rate of SHP-2 regeneration back to its reduced form are higher than previously thought. In conclusion, valuable quantitative kinetic data can be estimated from typical redox signaling experiments, thus improving our understanding about the complex processes that underlie the interplay between oxidative stress and redox signaling responses.Supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal (PEst-OE/QUI/UI0612/2013 and VIH/SAU/0020/2011).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Carga de trabajo de la enfermería en una unidad de hospitalización

This study evaluated the nursing workload in an inpatient unit of a university hospital. This descriptive study applied the Nursing Activities Score (NAS) over the course of 30 consecutive days. A total of 1,080 observations were obtained from the medical files of 156 patients. The average scored obtained in the NAS instrument was 47.31%. Considering that each single NAS score corresponds to 0.24 hours, an average of 11.35 hours of nursing care was required. This amount of hours correspond to the profile of inpatients demanding semi-intensive and intensive care, suggesting that the NAS can be used to evaluate the workload of the nursing staff in this unit.Este estudio objetiva evaluar la carga de trabajo de enfermería en una unidad de internación de un hospital de enseñanza. Se trata de un estudio descriptivo con la aplicación del Nursing Activities Score (NAS), por 30 días consecutivos. Fueron 1080 observaciones obtenidas del registro de 156 pacientes y el promedio del NAS fue de 47,31%. Considerando que cada punto del NAS corresponde a 0,24h, fueron requeridas, en promedio, 11,35 horas de enfermería en la asistencia en 24 horas, lo que corresponde a un perfil de pacientes que requiere cuidados semi-intensivos e intensivos, sugiriendo que el NAS puede ser utilizado para evaluar la carga de trabajo de enfermería en esa unidad.O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a carga de trabalho de enfermagem em uma unidade de internação de um hospital de ensino. Trata-se de estudo descritivo, com a aplicação do Nursing Activities Score (NAS), por 30 dias consecutivos. Foram 1.080 observações obtidas do registro de 156 pacientes, e a média do NAS foi de 47,31%. Considerando que cada ponto do NAS corresponde a 0,24h, foram requeridas, em média, 11,35 horas de enfermagem na assistência em 24 horas, o que corresponde a um perfil de pacientes que requer cuidados semi-intensivos e intensivos, sugerindo que o NAS pode ser utilizado para avaliar a carga de trabalho de enfermagem nessa unidade

Błąd "wyborów naukowych" w erze COVID. Odkrywanie wyzwań związanych z zarządzaniem wyborami 2020-2021 w Ugandzie

COVID-19 broke out in the period that Uganda was due to have presidential and parliamentary elections, posing a very precarious human security challenge. The ruling party (National Resistance Movement; NRM) faced the challenge of passing power to the Speaker of parliament if elections were not to be held. To mitigate the public health challenges and maintain power, the government acquiesced to an election process without public campaigns. Instead, campaigns were to be held over the radio, TV, and social media in what came to be known as 'scientific elections.' However, in a country hamstrung by massive political and bureaucratic corruption and an entrenched regime that uses violence against opponents, little attention was paid to the fairness of the process, especially in terms of access to media resources by the opposition. Conversely, as elections are about crowds and showmanship, the Ugandan Electoral Commission struggled with the ever-evolving electoral campaign process, especially as large spontaneous crowds sprang up on the campaign trail of the political candidates. The opposition needs a large crowd for legitimacy and a show of popularity. To mitigate this, the ruling party used violence against opposition members as an excuse to enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the prevention of COVID-19, yet its candidates were left to gather crowds. This radicalized some of the opposition that used media outlets to call for violence and ethnic cleansing. This qualitative study delves into the extent to which the 'scientific elections' process was designed to produce a fair outcome of the 2021 elections in Uganda. This study uses the rational choice theory to explore the calculations of different stakeholders. The study relies on secondary data, especially available in media outlets, but also primary data through reports and social media and speeches of key figures in the political landscape in Uganda. The study finds that the Independent Electoral Commission was caught between two highly sophisticated opponents and did not have the capacity and agency to enforce the rules in the political game. In the end, the key facets of the 'scientific elections' process were found wanting and did not produce a fair outcome of the 2021 elections in Uganda.Pandemia COVID-19 rozpoczęła się w okresie, gdy w Ugandzie miały się odbyć wybory prezydenckie i parlamentarne, co stanowiło wyzwanie dla bezpieczeństwa ludności. Partia rządząca (Narodowy Ruch Oporu) stanęła wobec sytuacji przekazania władzy przewodniczącemu parlamentu, gdyby wybory miały się nie odbyć. Aby złagodzić problemy związane ze zdrowiem publicznym i utrzymać władzę, rząd zgodził się na proces wyborczy bez kampanii publicznych. Zamiast tego miały zostać przeprowadzone kampanie w radiu, telewizji i mediach społecznościowych, w tak zwanych "wyborach naukowych". Jednak w kraju ogarniętym masową korupcją polityczną i biurokratyczną oraz z zakorzenionym reżimem, który stosuje przemoc wobec przeciwników, niewiele uwagi poświęcono sprawiedliwości tego procesu, zwłaszcza w kwestii dostępu opozycji do zasobów medialnych. I odwrotnie, ponieważ w wyborach chodzi o tłumy i popisy, Ugandyjska Komisja Wyborcza zmagała się z ciągle ewoluującym procesem kampanii wyborczej, zwłaszcza że na szlaku kampanii kandydatów politycznych pojawiły się spore spontaniczne tłumy. Opozycja potrzebuje dużego tłumu dla legitymizacji i pokazania popularności. Partia rządząca użyła przemocy wobec członków opozycji pod pretekstem egzekwowania standardowych procedur operacyjnych w celu zapobiegania COVID-19, ale jej kandydaci mogli gromadzić tłumy. Doprowadziło to do radykalizacji części opozycji, która wykorzystywała media do wzywania do przemocy i czystek etnicznych. Opisane w artykule badanie jakościowe sprawdza, w jakim stopniu proces "wyborów naukowych" został zaprojektowany w celu uzyskania sprawiedliwego wyniku wyborów w 2021 r. w Ugandzie. Badanie wykorzystuje teorię racjonalnego wyboru do zbadania kalkulacji różnych interesariuszy. Opiera się na danych wtórnych, zwłaszcza doniesieniach medialnych, ale także na danych pierwotnych z raportów, mediów społecznościowych i przemówień kluczowych postaci ze sceny politycznej Ugandy. Z badania wynika, że niezależna komisja wyborcza miała do czynienia z dwoma wysoce wyrafinowanymi przeciwnikami i nie miała możliwości ani sprawczości do egzekwowania reguł w grze politycznej. Ostatecznie okazało się, że kluczowe aspekty procesu "wyborów naukowych" były niesprawcze i nie przyniosły sprawiedliwego wyniku wyborów w 2021 r. w Ugandzie