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Analyzing the suppressive properties of ZNF132 and ZNF154 in head and neck squamous carcinoma
No full textHead and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a disease of the head and neck derived
from the mucosal epithelium. ZNF154 has been previously shown to have tumour suppressive
properties in nasopharynx cancer cell lines. Investigation of the TCGA dataset reveals that
patients with low expression of ZNF132 and ZNF154 have statistically significant worse overall
survival rate when compared to patients with high expression of each gene. ZNF132 and
ZNF154 has been shown to be hypermethylated as well as have reduced gene expression in
HNSCC. Overexpression of ZNF154 in the oral cavity cancer cell line UM-SCC1 appears to
cause the production of a truncated ZNF154 protein. Additionally, this causes the production of a
shortened ZNF154 transcript. Overexpression of ZNF154 in the immortalized kidney cell line
HEK293 causes a significant downregulation of both p53 and FOX01. Gene sequencing of
ZNF154 overexpressing UM-SCC1 shows a segment of the ZNF154 gene is missing in the
coding region of ZNF154. siRNA knockdown of KAP1 in keratinocyte cells causes a significant
increase in ZNF154 expression. These results appear to indicate a relationship between KAP1
and ZNF154. We expect that KAP1 is having a regulatory effect on ZNF154 in UM-SCC1 cells,
binding downstream in the coding region of ZNF154 causing the production of a shortened
transcript. The silencing of ZNF154 likely involves two mechanisms, DNA methylation as well
as the KAP1-ZNF complex binding in the coding region of ZNF154.Includes bibliographical references (pages 95-104
Unsupervised land cover classification in Ontario using multi-sensor satellite imagery
No full textHigh-resolution land cover classification is essential for environmental monitoring and
resource management. This thesis presents a fully unsupervised framework for land
cover classification in Ontario, Canada, using fused Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar
(SAR) and Sentinel-2 optical imagery at 10-meter resolution. A cloud-native export
pipeline in Google Earth Engine produces seasonally consistent, cloud-free, and
snow-free composites. A comprehensive feature engineering process extracts spectral
indices, SAR backscatter metrics, terrain attributes from digital elevation models
(DEMs), and temporal statistics to form a rich multi-sensor feature space.
Dimensionality reduction via Sparse Principal Component Analysis (SparsePCA)
and mutual information–based feature selection is applied to improve class separability.
Three clustering algorithms—K-means (centroid-based), HDBSCAN (densitybased),
and OPTICS (reachability-based)—are employed to capture diverse structural
patterns in the data. The final land cover labels are determined via a majority-voting
ensemble strategy, with OPTICS acting as a deterministic tie-breaker.
Classification outputs are evaluated against the Dynamic World dataset using
overall accuracy (OA), precision, recall, F1-score, Adjusted Rand Index (ARI), and
Normalized Mutual Information (NMI). The ensemble model consistently outperforms
individual clustering methods, achieving an OA of 99%, ARI of 96.70%, and NMI of
92.20%. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed ensemble-based,
label-free methodology for scalable and accurate land cover mapping using multisensor
Earth observation data
Simulating stream discharge and temperature in the Horsefly watershed: evaluating model performance, future scenarios under climate change, land cover and riparian vegetation composition and effects on aquatic life
No full textThis study assesses the impacts of climate change, land cover, and riparian vegetation on stream discharge and temperature in British Columbia’s Horsefly watershed, a key habitat for Pacific salmon. Using coupled Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model and River Basin Model, we validated simulations across three basins (Moffat, McKinley, and McKusky/McKay) for the summer-fall period. DHSVM performed well for unmanaged flow (adjusted R²: 0.50–0.54) but struggled with managed flows, while RBM accurately predicted temperatures (NNSE: 0.63–0.79). Subsequently, we applied these models to project stream discharge and temperature under two Climate Change Scenarios (CCS) i.e. SSP 1-2.6 (CCS-I) and SSP 3-7.0(CCS-II), for 2040 and 2060, Landcover Scenario (LCS) under agriculture and harvesting practices and Riparian Vegetation Scenarios (RVS) under buffer width and tree height variations. Results suggest that stream discharge declines, most pronounced in July (reduction of more than 3.4 m³/s in Moffat) for CCS. LCS reduced summer discharge. Whereas, stream temperatures are projected to increase in October (Moffat > 1°C, McKinley > 10°C, McKusky/McKay > 4°C) for CCS, exceeding the optimal thermal ranges for salmonids. Riparian vegetation provided thermal buffering (up to 2.3°C), though its efficacy was limited. Findings highlight salmon habitat vulnerability to combined climate and land-use pressures
The problem of divine aseity in the Middle Schelling
No full textThe middle period works of the philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling are marked by their adherence to the notion of historical immanentism, the notion that God becomes conscious of Godself through history. My thesis argues that the system of historical immanentism outlined by Schelling in his middle period works ultimately leads to a denial of the principle of divine aseity (the principle that God must not be dependent on anything outside of Godself for God's being or existence). My thesis also argues that the denial of divine aseity in the middle Schelling does not indicate that God is a mere creation of nature or humanity for Schelling, or that God is necessarily imperfect; on the contrary, for the middle Schelling God's dependence on that which is outside of Godself is an essential requirement for the existence of a God which possesses consciousness. My thesis substantiates this argument primarily through an analysis of four of Schelling's middle period works: Philosophical Investigations into the Essence of Human Freedom, Stuttgart Seminars, Monument to Jacobi's Work on the Divine Things, and The Ages of the World
The role of risk-taking propensity in small business success: a systematic literature review
No full textBackground: Small and medium-sized businesses are vital for economic growth but face significant risk, uncertainty, and resource constraints. Risk-taking propensity (RTP)—the tendency or willingness to make decisions or take actions involving risk, where loss or negative outcomes are possible, has emerged as a key, context-dependent factor influencing entrepreneurial outcomes.
Methods: A systematic review was conducted using PRISMA 2020 guidelines, including forty-two peer-reviewed studies (2004–2024) published in English. Studies span multiple regions and methodologies, focusing on RTP and small business performance, with attention to industry, culture, and ownership structure.
Results: RTP was most commonly defined as the willingness to act under uncertainty or take risk, though operationalizations varied widely. Findings showed a non-linear, context-sensitive association: moderate, strategically aligned risk-taking typically fosters success, while overly high or low RTP correlates with poorer outcomes. High RTP benefited high-tech firms; conservative risk strategies were more effective in family businesses and risk-averse cultures. Moderators included industry, cultural norms, and ownership structure.
Discussion: Evidence suggests RTP is adaptive; business outcomes recalibrate future risk-taking. Predominant use of cross-sectional designs and subjective measures limited certainty. The review underscores the importance of context-sensitive mentorship, policy support, and risk management education for sustainable entrepreneurial success
Maternal loss of Cyp24a1 causes increased intestinal calcium absorption and hypercalcemia during pregnancy but reduced skeletal resorption during lactation in mice
No full textInactivating mutations of 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1) cause mild hypercalcemia in humans that can become severe during pregnancy. We studied Cyp24a1 null mice (NULL) during reproductive cycles, hypothesizing that they have a greater increase in calcitriol during pregnancy, leading to a greater increase in intestinal calcium absorption that causes hypercalcemia. We also hypothesized that bone loss would be reduced during lactation due to a persistent increase in intestinal calcium absorption.
Wild-type (WT) and NULL females were mated with heterozygous (HET) males. We examined them at baseline (BL), late pregnancy (LP), mid-lactation (ML), late lactation (LL), and during four weeks of post-weaning recovery (R1-4). Tests included intestinal calcium absorption, bone mineral content (BMC), μCT of femurs, 3-point bending tests of tibias, serum hormones, serum and urine minerals, hematocrit, milk analysis, and intestinal gene expression.
At LP, both NULL and WT mice saw a ~12% increase in BMC. In NULLs, calcitriol was 2.5-fold higher, with a 3-fold increase in intestinal calcium absorption, and marked hypercalcemia. By LL, NULLs remained hypercalcemic compared to WT and had reduced lactational BMC loss in the lumbar spine (11% vs. 21%, p<0.02).
In summary, Cyp24a1 ablation raises intestinal calcium absorption and causes hypercalcemia during pregnancy and lactation, with reduced lactational BMC loss. Treatment for women with gestational hypercalcemia due to Cyp24a1 mutations should target lowering calcitriol or intestinal calcium absorption, as increased bone resorption is not the underlying issue.Includes bibliographical references (pages 95-107
Privacy-Driven Classification of Contact Tracing Platforms: Architecture and Adoption Insights
No full textPublishedDigital contact-tracing (CT) systems differ in how they process risk and expose data, and
the centralized–decentralized dichotomy obscures these choices. We propose a modular
six-model classification and evaluate 18 platforms across 12 countries (July 2020–April
2021) using a 24-indicator rubric spanning privacy, security, functionality, and governance.
Methods include double-coding with Cohen’s κ for inter-rater agreement and a 1000-draw
weight-sensitivity check; assumptions and adversaries are stated in a concise threat model.
Results: No single model dominates; Bulletin Board and Custodian consistently form the
top tier on privacy goals, while Fully Centralized eases verification/notification workflows.
Timelines show rapid GAEN uptake and near-contemporaneous open-source releases,
with one late outlier. Contributions: (i) A practical, generalizable classification that makes
compute-locus and data addressability explicit; (ii) a transparent indicator rubric with an
evidence index enabling traceable scoring; and (iii) empirically grounded guidance aligning
deployments with goals G1–G3 (PII secrecy, notification authenticity, unlinkability). Limitations
include reliance on public documentation and architecture-level (not mechanized) verification;
future work targets formal proofs and expanded double-coding. The framework
and findings generalize beyond COVID-19 to privacy-preserving digital-health workflows.This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license
On the higher-order affine isoperimetric and isocapacitary inequalities
No full textUnderstanding the size and shape of convex bodies is fundamental in many geometric problems and plays an important role in applications. Commonly used measurements for convex bodies include volume, surface area, diameters etc; and polytopes, Euclidean
balls and ellipsoids are among the most important shapes. The isoperimetric inequality is arguably one of the most important results, which states that Euclidean
balls have the smallest surface area among those convex bodies with a fixed volume. This elegant result provides a powerful tool to measure the difference between convex bodies and Euclidean balls, but only through very basic geometric invariants: volume and surface area. It has found numerous applications, for example, to analysis, partial differential equations, image recognition, mathematical physics, information theory and computer-aided design.
Lower-dimensional information on convex bodies, such as sections, projections, and chords, often offers powerful tools to understand their size and shape. This
is particularly important in medical image analysis, for example, X-rays. Using the ( ─ 1)-dimensional volume of the orthogonal projection of onto the hyperplane perpendicular to the direction , one can define a sublinear function and hence uniquely determine a convex body , known as the projection body of . Associated with the projection body is the well-known affine isoperimetric inequality, stating that the volume
of the polar body of attains the maximum at the ellipsoids. Compared to the isoperimetric inequality, the affine one is arguably more powerful in applications due
to its affine invariance: the inequality remains invariant under the volume-preserving linear transforms.
The capacity of convex bodies is another important concept in mathematics and physics. It is used to measure the size of a convex body (or more general sets) in terms of electrical charge. It has strong connections with Riesz potential and hence plays
fundamental roles in analysis, mathematical physics, partial differential equations, etc. It is well known that Euclidean balls have the smallest capacity among all convex bodies with a fixed volume. This isocapacitary inequality has an affine analogue, the affine isocapacitary inequality, which states that among all convex bodies of a fixed volume, ellipsoids minimize the affine capacity.
This thesis contributes to the development of the so-called higher-order Brunn-Minkowski theory of convex bodies. Initiated by Schneider in 1970, this direction was
recently revived by Haddad, Langharst, Putterman, Roysdon and Ye in 2023, who introduced the so-called higher-order projection body Πᵐ of the -dimensional convex body . In particular, they established the higher-order affine isoperimetric inequality: the volume of the polar body of Πᵐ attains the maximum at the ellipsoids. The higher-order theory exhibits some unique features. The underlying space is indeed the real x matrix space. It shows similarity to the n-dimensional complex space, for example, when = 2, and the local information is entangled. The complexity of
the higher-order object can be seen from the fact that, although the higher-order projection body of a Euclidean ball is well-defined and often regarded as the "best
shape" of convex bodies in characterizing equality cases in many higher-order affine isoperimetric inequalities, its shape is still a mystery.
This thesis has made the following contributions. In Chapter 3, the th order -affine capacity is introduced, and some of its equivalent definitions are provided.
Besides its basic properties (such as affine invariance, monotonicity and translation invariance), several affine isoperimetric and isocapacitary inequalities are established, aiming to compare the th order -affine capacity with the volume, the -variational capacity, the th order -integral surface area and the ₚ surface area. In Chapter 4 and Chapter 5, the th order Orlicz projection and centroid bodies are introduced
respectively. These notions involve non-homogeneous convex functions defined on -dimensional Euclidean space ℝᵐ, and contain various projection and centroid bodies as their special cases. Our main results in Chapter 4 are again the affine isoperimetric inequalities for the th order Orlicz projection bodies but in the Orlicz setting. In Chapter 5, under some conditions on L, we obtain the monotonicity of
\frac{V_n(\Gamma_{\Phi}^m \mathbf{L})}{V_{nm}(\mathbf{L})^{\frac{1}{m}}} in terms of the Fiber symmetrization, where m
L is the th order Orlicz centroid body of L.
The results in this thesis further extend the affine isoperimetric and isocapacitary inequalities to the higher-order setting in the real x matrix space. It has potential applications in many areas including affine geometry, convex analysis, image recognition, mathematical physics, information theory and computer-aided design
Advancing knowledge of striped shrimp (Pandalus montagui) feeding biology and ecology in the northeast Atlantic
No full textClimate change impacts on marine ecosystems and species underscore the importance of understanding species characteristics to predict future change, particularly for commercial species. This study advances biological and ecological knowledge of striped shrimp (Pandalus montagui) in the commercially important northern shrimp fishery in the northwest Atlantic. Stomach content metabarcoding resolved the general diet of striped shrimp, revealing dominance of fish in stomachs and implicating scavenging behaviour. Investigation of drivers of diet variation suggested opportunistic feeding with prey availability driving diet composition. Abundance performance curves that characterized environments of maximum striped shrimp and northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) performance at regional scales (100s of kms) across the fishery described a comparatively cooler and shallower niche of striped shrimp. Generalized additive models (GAMs) indicated that large-scale climate drivers (North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and sea surface temperature (SST)) were poor predictors of abundances, which related strongly to in situ temperature for both species. Thermal niche stationarity through time underpinned predictions of widespread abundance declines given forecasted ocean warming. This research attests to the importance of scale in assessing and managing striped shrimp, its important ecosystem roles, and its fishery contributions