A Short Survey on Data Clustering Algorithms

With rapidly increasing data, clustering algorithms are important tools for data analytics in modern research. They have been successfully applied to a wide range of domains; for instance, bioinformatics, speech recognition, and financial analysis. Formally speaking, given a set of data instances, a clustering algorithm is expected to divide the set of data instances into the subsets which maximize the intra-subset similarity and inter-subset dissimilarity, where a similarity measure is defined beforehand. In this work, the state-of-the-arts clustering algorithms are reviewed from design concept to methodology; Different clustering paradigms are discussed. Advanced clustering algorithms are also discussed. After that, the existing clustering evaluation metrics are reviewed. A summary with future insights is provided at the end

Characterization of the nicotine-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress response in the rat placenta in vivo and in vitro

Nicotine exposure during pregnancy leads to adverse health outcomes, including compromised placental development. Although the molecular mechanisms remain elusive, recent studies identified that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress may underlie poor placentation. Therefore, we were interested in investigating the effects of nicotine exposure on the ER stress response in the placenta. A well-established maternal nicotine exposure rat model and Rcho-1 trophoblast giant cell model were utilized to address the research questions. Maternal nicotine exposure in vivo led to elevated ER stress in association with impaired disulfide bond formation and hypoxia. Nicotine exposure in vitro further differentiated that ER stress may be augmented directly through nicotinic acetylcholine receptor activation and indirectly through nicotine-induced hypoxia. Moreover, we relieved nicotine-induced ER stress in Rcho-1 cells in vitro using Tauroursodeoxycholic acid. In conclusion, this thesis provides novel mechanistic insight and contributes to the development of innovative therapeutic approaches to ameliorate nicotine-induced injury in pregnancy

Housing Price Dispersion: An Empirical Investigation

price dispersion, search models, macroeconomic factor, time aggregation

The regulation of the residential property market in Hong Kong : a study of government strategies and tools

published_or_final_versionPolitics and Public AdministrationMasterMaster of Public Administratio