1,905 research outputs found

    On unitary convex decompositions of vectors in a JBJB^{*}-algebra

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    summary:By exploiting his recent results, the author further investigates the extent to which variation in the coefficients of a unitary convex decomposition of a vector in a unital JBJB^{*}-algebra permits the vector decomposable as convex combination of fewer unitaries; certain C C^{*}-algebra results due to M. Rørdam have been extended to the general setting of JBJB^{*}-algebras

    A rapid review of key policies and programs linked with nutrition and health in Ghana

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    As part of the process by the government of Ghana to develop food-based dietary guidelines, a review of policies and programs was commissioned. The review aimed to identify and describe the policy environment, with a focus on identifying the type of existing policies, priorities, and programs related to nutrition and health between 2010 and 2020. The review also tracked the evolution of changes in policies and programs over the same period. Using a systematic rapid scoping review approach, policy and program documents were identified and classified according to relevant nutritionspecific and nutrition-sensensitive sectors, including health, agriculture and food, human development, social protection, and trade. Data from included documents were extracted using an excel extraction tool. The extracted data including policies, programs, objectives, coverage of the policies/programs, intended outcomes, target groups, and agencies responsible for implementing these policies and programs. More than 70 government documents, plus other reports and literature sources describing government policy and programs with relevance for nutrition were identified. Most of these policies and programs were not designed to directly address malnutrition. This is because, the policies and programs neither referenced nutrition objectives, nor nutrition outcomes. However, the existing policies and programs had aspects that can be leveraged (either through redesign or implementation) to contribute to improved nutrition outcomes. A key challenge in the nutrition programming landscape is the nonexistence of a comprehensive and costed national nutrition strategic plan to accompany the national nutrition policy. The key nutrition priorities of the Government of Ghana and its partners, as expressed in the documents reviewed included infant and young child feeding, stunting reduction, anemia, and food security. There were key nutritionrelated issues which have not been prioritized, although current local and global evidence as well as stakeholder opinion suggests these have already become, or are rapidly becoming important priorities. These include overweight and obesity, dietrelated chronic diseases, nutrition of school-age children, and nutrition of the elderly. These nutrition issues, if not appropriately addressed, will continue to exact significant human health, economic, and social costs for Ghana. There is need for a comprehensive nutrition strategy that leverages opportunities across multiple sectors to improve nutrition for today and for the future.&nbsp

    Surjective isometries between unitary sets of unital JB∗-algebras

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    We would like to thank Prof. Lajos Molnár for encouraging us to explore this problem. We are also indebted to the anonymous reviewer for several useful comments. First and fifth authors partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICINN) and European Regional Development Fund project no. PGC2018-093332-B-I00, Programa Operativo FEDER 2014-2020 and Consejería de Economía y Conocimiento de la Junta de Andalucía grant numbers A-FQM-242-UGR18 and FQM375. First author partially supported by EPSRC (UK) project “Jordan Algebras, Finsler Geometry and Dynamics” ref. no. EP/R044228/1. Second author partially supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP 21J21512. Fourth author partially supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Japan) Grant Number JP 20K03650. * Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada / CBUAThis paper is, in a first stage, devoted to establishing a topological–algebraic characterization of the principal component, U0(M), of the set of unitary elements, U(M), in a unital JB⁎-algebra M. We arrive to the conclusion that, as in the case of unital C⁎-algebras, U0(M)=M1−1∩U(M)={Ue⋯Ue(1):n∈N,hj∈Msa∀1≤j≤n}={u∈U(M): there exists w∈U0(M) with ‖u−w‖<2} is analytically arcwise connected. Actually, U0(M) is the smallest quadratic subset of U(M) containing the set eiM. Our second goal is to provide a complete description of the surjective isometries between the principal components of two unital JB⁎-algebras M and N. Contrary to the case of unital C⁎-algebras, we shall deduce the existence of connected components in U(M) which are not isometric as metric spaces. We shall also establish necessary and sufficient conditions to guarantee that a surjective isometry Δ:U(M)→U(N) admits an extension to a surjective linear isometry between M and N, a conclusion which is not always true. Among the consequences it is proved that M and N are Jordan ⁎-isomorphic if, and only if, their principal components are isometric as metric spaces if, and only if, there exists a surjective isometry Δ:U(M)→U(N) mapping the unit of M to an element in U0(N). These results provide an extension to the setting of unital JB⁎-algebras of the results obtained by O. Hatori for unital C⁎-algebras.CBUAConsejería de Economía y Conocimiento de la Junta de Andalucía A-FQM-242-UGR18, FQM375Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y UniversidadesEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council EP/R044228/1Universidad de GranadaMinisterio de Ciencia e InnovaciónJapan Society for the Promotion of Science JP 20K03650, JP 21J21512European Regional Development Fund PGC2018-093332-B-I0

    Scoping review of diet-related health outcomes and associated risk factors in Ghana

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    As part of a process to develop food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs), the national Multi-sectoral Technical Task Team coordinating FBDGs development in Ghana has commissioned a desk review of the nutrition and health situation, and trends for all persons living in Ghana, across the entire life cycle. Using a rapid scoping review method, multiple electronic databases were systematically searched using keywords related to nutrition and health outcomes, as well as potential drivers of nutrition and health in Ghana. The review included evidence from peer-reviewed articles, unpublished manuscripts, dissertations, reports of nationally representative surveys, and other grey literature (reports of nutrition situation evaluations commissioned by international and local agencies), spanning the decade starting from 2010. A total of 48 documents were included in this review: 15 for infants and young children, 14 for adolescents, 19 for adults and women of reproductive age, and five for the elderly. Among children under five, anemia and stunting were the most prevalent nutritionrelated outcomes, 62% and 19%, respectively. Underweight prevalence of 11% was observed among young children; wasting rates have remained below 10%, but registered about 20% prevalence in northern Ghana. Different levels of micronutrient deficiencies, particularly iron deficiency were reported across all age groups. Nutrient deficiency rates were higher among adolescent girls and women of reproductive age. Vitamin A deficiency was also high (21%) among under-fives. Overweight and obesity rates were high among women of reproductive age (40%) and adolescents (11% to 18% between 2013 and 2017), and still increasing. Underweight and overweight coexists among the elderly (50 years and above), at a rate of 10% and 20%, respectively. An increasing prevalence of central adiposity has also been reported among women of reproductive age (high waist circumference of 80.6%) and persons older than 60 years (67% in 2015). Rates of hypertension and cancers have also increased within the study period. Hypertension rates have been increasing with age, particularly among urban dwellers. Majority of persons with hypertension are not receiving treatment . Incidence of breast, cervical, and liver cancers were 20%, 14%, and 12% in 2018. Ghana is experiencing a double burden of malnutrition characterized by co-existing high levels of undernutrition and overnutrition. The national FBDGs for Ghana should prioritize recommendations and actions that address the dual burden of undernutrition and overnutrition

    Flexible time–space network formulation and hybrid metaheuristic for conflict-free and energy-efficient path planning of automated guided vehicles

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    Operations of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are desired to be more energy-efficient while maintaining high transport productivity, motivated by the green production requirements. This paper investigates a new energy-efficient planning problem for determining conflict-free paths of the AGVs in its transport roadmap. In this problem, the vehicle path and transport time in the roadmap are jointly optimized, based on a flexible time–space network (FTSN). We provide the mathematical problem formulation of the energy-efficient path planning problem. The resulting optimization problem is proved to be a non-convex mixed-integer nonlinear programming which is computationally intractable. We further propose a hybrid metaheuristic that integrates the genetic algorithm and estimation of the distribution algorithm to improve its computational efficiency. Numerical results show the effectiveness of the developed algorithm based on the FTSN framework, compared to the existing metaheuristics, the conventional path planning method, and a commercial solver. The proposed method has a wide application in improving energy use of material handling, providing a guiding significance on promoting cleaner production of flexible manufacturing systems.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Transport Engineering and Logistic

    Decoupling of genome size and sequence divergence in a symbiotic bacterium

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    Author Posting. © American Society for Microbiology, 2000. This article is posted here by permission of American Society for Microbiology for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Bacteriology 182 (2000): 3867-3869, doi:10.1128/JB.182.13.3867-3869.2000.In contrast to genome size variation in most bacterial taxa, the small genome size of Buchnera sp. was shown to be highly conserved across genetically diverse isolates (630 to 643 kb). This exceptional size conservation may reflect the inability of this obligate mutualist to acquire foreign DNA and reduced selection for genetic novelty within a static intracellular environment.Financial support was provided by a National Institute of Health postdoctoral training grant to J.J.W. (Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona) and a National Science Foundation grant (DEB- 9815413) to N.A.M

    Vertical transmission of biosynthetic plasmids in aphid endosymbionts (Buchnera)

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    Author Posting. © American Society for Microbiology, 2001. This article is posted here by permission of American Society for Microbiology for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Bacteriology 183 (2001): 785-790, doi:10.1128/JB.183.2.785-790.2001.This study tested for horizontal transfer of plasmids among Buchnera aphidicola strains associated with ecologically and phylogenetically related aphid hosts (Uroleucon species). Phylogenetic congruence of Buchnera plasmid (trpEG and leuABC) and chromosomal (dnaN and trpB) genes supports strictly vertical long-term transmission of plasmids, which persist due to their contributions to host nutrition rather than capacity for infectious transfer. Synonymous divergences indicate elevated mutation on plasmids relative to chromosomal genes.This work was supported by a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral training grant in Molecular Insect Science (Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona) to J.J.W. and a National Science Foundation grant (DEB-9815413) to N.A.M

    Tn5 synaptic complex formation : role of transposase residue W450

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    Author Posting. © American Society for Microbiology, 2008. This article is posted here by permission of American Society for Microbiology for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Bacteriology 190 (2008): 1484-1487, doi:10.1128/JB.01488-07.A series of Tn5 transposases (Tnp's) with mutations at the conserved amino acid position W450, which was structurally predicted to be important for synapsis, have been generated and characterized. This study demonstrates that W450 is involved in hydrophobic (and possibly aromatic) contacts within the Tnp monomer that negatively regulate synaptic complex formation.This work was supported by the NIH (grant no. GM50693) and the University of Wisconsin—Madison (grant no. WIS04792) and through the Evelyn Mercer Professorship in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

    Automatic extension of Gene Ontology with flexible identification of candidate terms

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    This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Bioinformatics following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available online at: http://bioinformatics.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/22/6/665Motivation: Gene Ontology (GO) has been manually developed to provide a controlled vocabulary for gene product attributes. It continues to evolve with new concepts that are compiled mostly from existing concepts in a compositional way. If we consider the relatively slow growth rate of GO in the face of the fast accumulation of the biological data, it is much desirable to provide an automatic means for predicting new concepts from the existing ones. Results: We present a novel method that predicts more detailed concepts by utilizing syntactic relations among the existing concepts. We propose a validation measure for the automatically predicted concepts by matching the concepts to biomedical articles. We also suggest how to find a suitable direction for the extension of a constantly growing ontology such as GO.This work was supported by MOST/KOSEF through AITrc
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