Genetical genomics: use all data

BACKGROUND: Genetical genomics is a very powerful tool to elucidate the basis of complex traits and disease susceptibility. Despite its relevance, however, statistical modeling of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) has not received the attention it deserves. Based on two reasonable assertions (i) a good model should consider all available variables as potential effects, and (ii) gene expressions are highly interconnected, we suggest that an eQTL model should consider the rest of expression levels as potential regressors, in addition to the markers. RESULTS: It is shown that power can be increased with this strategy. We also show, using classical statistical and support vector machines techniques in a reanalysis of public data, that the external transcripts, i.e., transcripts other than the one being analysed, explain on average much more variability than the markers themselves. The presence of eQTL hotspots is reassessed in the light of these results. CONCLUSION: Model choice is a critical yet neglected issue in genetical genomics studies. Although we are far from having a general strategy for model choice in this area, we can at least propose that any transcript level is scanned not only for the markers genotyped but also for the rest of gene expression levels. Some sort of stepwise regression strategy can be used to select the final model

The Effect of Drama-based Pedagogies on K-12 Literacy-related Outcomes: A Meta-analysis of 30 Years of Research

A recent national report heartily supported arts integration as an effective, innovative, and cost-efficient way to address teachers’ and students’ needs; however, the report called for a better understanding of when, for whom, and what content areas are best served by arts integration methods. The effectiveness of drama-based pedagogy (DBP), a type of arts integration, has been assessed in previous meta-analyses; however, an updated meta-analysis is warranted. In the present report, we review and meta-analyze thirty years of accumulated research of the effects of drama-based pedagogies on literacy related student outcomes. The findings show a significant positive effect of DBP on achievement, attitudes, 21st century skills, drama skills, and motivation. In particular, effects are more positive when DBP is led by a classroom teacher over multiple hours of instruction. Limitations and implications are discussed

Expanding the expressive power of Monadic Second-Order logic on restricted graph classes

We combine integer linear programming and recent advances in Monadic Second-Order model checking to obtain two new algorithmic meta-theorems for graphs of bounded vertex-cover. The first shows that cardMSO1, an extension of the well-known Monadic Second-Order logic by the addition of cardinality constraints, can be solved in FPT time parameterized by vertex cover. The second meta-theorem shows that the MSO partitioning problems introduced by Rao can also be solved in FPT time with the same parameter. The significance of our contribution stems from the fact that these formalisms can describe problems which are W[1]-hard and even NP-hard on graphs of bounded tree-width. Additionally, our algorithms have only an elementary dependence on the parameter and formula. We also show that both results are easily extended from vertex cover to neighborhood diversity.Comment: Accepted for IWOCA 201

RALEO DE FRUTOS EN PLANTAS DE MELÓN (Cucumis melo) DEL TIPO RETICULADO CULTIVADO EN INVERNADERO

El raleo de frutos es una práctica utilizada en horticultura para aumentar el tamaño de frutos. Este trabajo tuvo como objetivo evaluar el rendimiento y calidad de frutos del melón variedad Autumn Waltz, sometido a diferentes intensidades de raleo de frutos. El experimento fue realizado en un invernadero de la Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, ubicado en San Lorenzo, Paraguay, a 25º 20' de latitud Sur y 57º 31' longitud Oeste. La producción de mudas fue en bandejas y el transplante al lugar definitivo se realizó el 22/02/08 y la cosecha entre el 7/05/08 y 29/05/08. El cultivo fue conducido en forma tutorada con dos ramas por planta. Los tratamientos fueron: T1= 1 fruto/rama (2 frutos/planta); T2= 2 frutos/rama (4 frutos/planta); T3 = 3 frutos/rama (6 frutos/planta) y T4= Sin raleo de frutos. El diseño estadístico fue completamente al azar con 5 repeticiones. Los datos fueron sometidos al análisis de varianza y prueba de Duncan al 5%. El tratamiento con 1 fruto/rama generó las mayores medias para peso, diámetro y altura de frutos, mientras para rendimiento por planta, proporcionó la menor media

A three-parameter affine approximation of focus and zoom variations

This work aims to develop a dynamic approximation to the variation in a lens' intrinsic parameters when the zoom and focus parameters are modified . This approximation is built by tracking two generic points in a monocular image sequence. Our preliminary analysis demonstrates that a particular three-parameter affine model is sufficient to describe these modifications . The general affine model is not acceptable on a mathematical or physical level : the mathematical transformation to be used has only five parameters, instead of six, and an analysis of the physics reveals that three parameters are sufficient . Experimentally, this approximation is entirely valid, with the precision being better than 1 .5 pixels in almost every case . Using a least-squares method, we obtain very simple equations in which the precision of the estimate increases with the number of available correspondences .Dans ce travail, on approxime dynamiquement le changement de focale et de la mise au point en suivant deux points quelconques entre deux images prises par la même caméra. Plus précisément, on étudie la variation des paramètes intrinsèques lors d'un changement de la mise au point et du zoom. On démontre grâce à cette analyse, qu'un modèle de transformation affine à 3 paramètres est tout à fait suffisant, et qu'un modèle de transformation affine général ne se justifie pas, car la transformation à utiliser n'a - mathématiquement - que 5 paramètres et non 6 tandis que l'analyse physique du système montre que 3 paramètres suffisent. Expérimentalement, le modèle est justifié, car la précision est meilleure que 1.5 pixel pour des variations de la mise au point et dans tous les cas meilleure que si l'on utilise le modèle général. Par une méthode des moindres carrés on accède à des équations très simples qui nous permettent d'obtenir une précision dépendant du nombre des points suivi

Quantitative trait locus analysis of hybrid pedigrees: variance-components model, inbreeding parameter, and power

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>For the last years reliable mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) has become feasible through linkage analysis based on the variance-components method. There are now many approaches to the QTL analysis of various types of crosses within one population (breed) as well as crosses between divergent populations (breeds). However, to analyse a complex pedigree with dominance and inbreeding, when the pedigree's founders have an inter-population (hybrid) origin, it is necessary to develop a high-powered method taking into account these features of the pedigree.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We offer a universal approach to QTL analysis of complex pedigrees descended from crosses between outbred parental lines with different QTL allele frequencies. This approach improves the established variance-components method due to the consideration of the genetic effect conditioned by inter-population origin and inbreeding of individuals. To estimate model parameters, namely additive and dominant effects, and the allelic frequencies of the QTL analysed, and also to define the QTL positions on a chromosome with respect to genotyped markers, we used the maximum-likelihood method. To detect linkage between the QTL and the markers we propose statistics with a non-central χ²-distribution that provides the possibility to deduce analytical expressions for the power of the method and therefore, to estimate the pedigree's size required for 80% power. The method works for arbitrarily structured pedigrees with dominance and inbreeding.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our method uses the phenotypic values and the marker information for each individual of the pedigree under observation as initial data and can be valuable for fine mapping purposes. The power of the method is increased if the QTL effects conditioned by inter-population origin and inbreeding are enhanced. Several improvements can be developed to take into account fixed factors affecting trait formation, such as age and sex.</p

Green's function for the Hodge Laplacian on some classes of Riemannian and Lorentzian symmetric spaces

We compute the Green's function for the Hodge Laplacian on the symmetric spaces M\times\Sigma, where M is a simply connected n-dimensional Riemannian or Lorentzian manifold of constant curvature and \Sigma is a simply connected Riemannian surface of constant curvature. Our approach is based on a generalization to the case of differential forms of the method of spherical means and on the use of Riesz distributions on manifolds. The radial part of the Green's function is governed by a fourth order analogue of the Heun equation.Comment: 18 page

COMPARACIÓN DE RENTABILIDAD DEL SÉSAMO (Sesomum indicum L.) ENTRE FINCAS DE INDÍGENAS Y DE LATINOS - PARAGUAYOS EN EL DEPARTAMENTO DE BOQUERÓN

Para realizar la comparación de rentabilidad de sésamo en la zona sur del Departamento de Boquerón, Paraguay fue necesaria la selección de las fincas de indígenas y de latinos -paraguayos que se dedican a la producción de sésamo. Para ello se extrajeron 10 muestras de productores indígenas y 3 de latinos, a los cuales se aplicó la encuesta dirigida para la recolección de datos. El estudio se realizó utilizando los datos de la campaña agrícola 2006/07. Se recopilaron informaciones sobre los costos de producción y productividad para determinar las rentabilidades. La producción de sésamo por parte de los latinos-paraguayos presenta menores costos que la producción de los indígenas en alrededor de 12% por cada unidad de superficie. La actividad que mayor participación tuvo entre los componentes del costo total fue la operación de cosecha. La productividad promedio por unidad de superficie es de 484 kg/ha para los productores latinos - paraguayos y de 403 kg/ha para los productores indígenas de la zona. La rentabilidad de sésamo en fincas de productores latinos- paraguayos es mayor en comparación a la rentabilidad de los productores indígenas en la zafra en estudio, ésta se traduce en 66,62% para los productores latinos en contra de 34,61 % obtenida por productores indígenas encuestados.

CARACTERISTICAS AGRONOMICAS DE HIBRIDOS Y VARIEDADES DE PIMIENTO

Con el objetivo de comparar híbridos y variedades de pimiento adaptados a la región central del Paraguay, fueron conducidos dos experimentos en el Centro Hortifruticola de la Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias de la Universidad Nacional de Asunción, en el distrito de San Lorenzo, Paraguay, en el periodo de junio a diciembre de 2008. El primer experimento fue dentro de un invernadero tipo túnel alto y se compararon los híbridos Margarita, Kongo, Invasor, Golden Star y Purple Star. El segundo experimento fue a campo abierto y además de los híbridos citados anteriormente se incluyó a Nathalie y las variedades Cascadura Ikeda y Yolo Gonder. En los dos experimentos el diseño estadístico adoptado fue bloques completos al azar con cuatro repeticiones. En ambiente protegido los híbridos Purple Star, Margarita, Invasor y Kongo fueron los más productivos, mientras que a campo abierto los híbridos Nathalie, Purple Star y Margarita. En ambos experimentos Purple Star proporcionó frutos con menor peso medio y longitud.