921 research outputs found
Bayesian Analysis for Penalized Spline Regression Using WinBUGS
No full textPenalized splines can be viewed as BLUPs in a mixed model framework, which allows the use of mixed model software for smoothing. Thus, software originally developed for Bayesian analysis of mixed models can be used for penalized spline regression. Bayesian inference for nonparametric models enjoys the flexibility of nonparametric models and the exact inference provided by the Bayesian inferential machinery. This paper provides a simple, yet comprehensive, set of programs for the implementation of nonparametric Bayesian analysis in WinBUGS. Good mixing properties of the MCMC chains are obtained by using low-rank thin-plate splines, while simulation times per iteration are reduced employing WinBUGS specific computational tricks.
Unemployment insurance in Algeria : implications for a labor market in transition
No full textTo predict how Algeria's unemployment crisis will evolve, the author evaluates the Algerian unemployment insurance system's ability to finance itself, to affect employment decisions, and promote enterprise restructuring. The main conclusion is that industrial restructuring has serious and persistent implications for the labor market. In an environment where many equilibria are possible, there is a real danger of reaching a high unemployment equilibrium. The big-bang experience of structural adjustment in Central and Eastern Europe transition economies resulted in large-scale unemployment. Despite considerable restructuring progress, structural rigidities still exist in the labor market, and long-term unemployment has persisted. One advantage of the big-bang approach is adjustment speed, but the resulting unemployment may be too costly for Algeria's economy, especially if it persists. A more modern mixed bang approach would incorporate active employment measures to mitigate entrenched unemployment. The policies will maintain or enhance human capital through work, so idle workers don't lose their skills. Flex-time arrangements would help workers maintain an attachment to the labor force. However minor, such work would help workers avoid the traps of long-term unemployment. Two striking conclusions emerge from the Central and Eastern European experience: a) unemployment is not essential to enterprise restructuring and labor market adjustment;and b) growing long-term unemployment is self-fulfilling and results in higher and persistence unemployment. Although active employment measures are costly and have relatively low rates of return in the short run, they can be marginally effective as part of a long-term strategy.Health Economics&Finance,Labor Policies,Environmental Economics&Policies,Labor Markets,Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Labor Markets,Economic Theory&Research,Health Economics&Finance,Banks&Banking Reform
Pollen data from Ruppert Lake, south-central Brooks Range, Alaska
No full text<p>Data from:<br>Higuera, P. E., L. B. Brubaker, P. M. Anderson, F. S. Hu, and T. A. Brown. 2009.<br>Vegetation mediated the impacts of postglacial climate change on fire regimes<br>in the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska. Ecological Monographs 79:201-219.</p>
<p>For each site, Code (CO), Ruppert (RP), Wild Tussock (WK), and Xindi (XI), there<br>are the six files:</p>
<p>1. xx_age_depth_data.txt – Depth (cm) and age (cal yr BP) from the published<br>age-depth model.</p>
<p>2. xx_age_depth_fig.pdf – Figure of the age-depth model, ¼ of Fig. 2 in Higuera<br>et al. (2009)</p>
<p>3. xx_charData.csv – Charcoal data in a CharAnalysis input file. Units are in the<br>column headers: See https://sites.google.com/site/charanalysis/ for more details.</p>
<p>4. xx_charParams.csv – Parameter file CharAnalysis, with parameters as used in the<br>original publication. See https://sites.google.com/site/charanalysis/ for more details.</p>
<p>5. xx_charResults.csv – CharAnalysis results file. Units are in the<br>column headers: See https://sites.google.com/site/charanalysis/ for more details.</p>
<p>6. xx_pollen.xls – Pollen counts for each sample. The tab “pollen_counts” and<br>“pollen_cm” contains raw the same data as in the tab “data” but in a raw format<br>used for plotting. Ages associated with each pollen sample have to be obtained<br>from the “xx_age_depth_data.txt” file, or from the appropriate column in the<br>“charData” file in the “xx_char.xls” file.</p>
<p>Radiocarbon dates from each site are in the file “Higuera_et_al_2009_Table_B1”<br>in the folder titled “C14_dates” as published here:<br>http://www.esapubs.org/archive/mono/M079/007/</p>
<p>CONTACT:<br>Philip Higuera<br>[email protected]<br>[email protected]</p>
<p>Key words: Arctic, boreal forest, climate change, pollen analysis, tundra, shrub tundra,<br>paleoecology, Gates of the Arctic National Park</p>
<p>Taxa: Alnus, Artemisia, Cyperaceae, Betula, Picea mariana, Picea glauca, Populus, Poaceae,<br>Salix, Sphagnum, Pediastrum</p>
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Restoration of cytomegalovirus antigen presentation by gamma interferon combats viral escape.
No full textAn immediate-early protein of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV), pp89, elicits an immunodominant and protective major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I Ld-restricted CD8+ T-lymphocyte response. Remarkably, presentation of the naturally processed peptide of pp89, the nonapeptide YPHFMPTNL, is abolished during permissive MCMV infection in vitro. This defect in pp89 presentation is due to the expression of MCMV early gene functions that specifically block the transport of peptide-charged MHC class I complexes to the cell surface (M. Del Val, H. Hengel, H. Häcker, U. Hartlaub, T. Ruppert, P. Lucin, and U. H. Koszinowski, J. Exp. Med. 176:729-738, 1992). Here, we demonstrate that MCMV-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes can reconstitute pp89 presentation in a parakrine fashion. The lymphocytes mediate the restoration of antigen presentation by MCMV-infected cells by releasing gamma interferon (IFN-gamma). IFN-gamma has no effect on synthesis and stability of the viral antigen pp89 nor does it interfere with the expression of viral early genes and their inhibitory effect on MHC class I molecular maturation. IFN-gamma results in a 25-fold increase in the synthesis of MHC class I molecules and a similar increase in the abundance of pp89-derived peptide. Many of the MHC molecules remain retained by the viral effect, but a surplus of MHC molecules escapes the effect and provides the effective surface presentation of the peptide. Adoptive cell transfer studies demonstrate the IFN-gamma dependence of CD8+ T-lymphocyte function in vivo. Altogether, these data reconcile the paradoxical findings of an impaired pp89 presentation in vitro in parallel with pp89-specific CD8+ T-cell protection in vivo. The results also imply a role of IFN-gamma in the T-lymphocyte-mediated control of cytomegalovirus infection. The known propensity of cytomegalovirus to cause serious disease in the immunocompromised host is discussed in the light of these finding
Cytomegalovirus prevents antigen presentation by blocking the transport of peptide-loaded major histocompatibility complex class I molecules into the medial-Golgi compartment
No full textSelective expression of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) immediate-early (IE) genes leads to
the presentation by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule L a of a
peptide derived from MCMV IE protein pp89 (Reddehase, M. J., J. B. Rothbard, and U. H.
Koszinowski. 1989. Nature (Lond.). 337:651). Characterization of endogenous antigenic peptides
identified the pp89 peptide as the nonapeptide msYPHFMFFNLt76 (del Val, M., H.-J. Schlicht,
T. Ruppert, M. J. Reddehase, and U. H. Koszinowski. 1991. Cell. 66:1145). Subsequent expression
of MCMV early genes prevents presentation of pp89 (del Val, M., K. Mfinch, M. J. Reddehase,
and U. H. Koszinowski. 1989. Cell. 58:305). We report on the mechanism by which MCMV
early genes interfere with antigen presentation. Expression of the IE promoter-driven bacterial
gene lacZ by recombinant MCMV subjected antigen presentation of B-galactosidase to the same
control and excluded antigen specificity. The La-dependent presence of naturally processed
antigenic peptides also in nonpresenting cells located the inhibitory function subsequent to the
step of antigen processing. The finding that during the E phase of MCMV gene expression the
MHC class I heavy chain glycosylation remained in an Endo H-sensitive form suggested a block
within the endoplasmic reticulum/c/s-Golgi compartment. The failure to present antigenic peptides
was explained by a general retention of nascent assembled trimolecular MHC class I complexes.
Accordingly, at later stages of infection a significant decrease of surface MHC class I expression
was seen, whereas other membrane glycoproteins remained unaffected. Thus, MCMV E genes
endow this virus with an effective immune evasion potential. These results also indicate that
the formation of the trimolecular complex of MHC dass I heavy chain, ~2-microglobulin, and
the finally trimmed peptide is completed before entering the medial-Golgi compartment
Rituals of the enchanted world: Noh theater and religion in medieval Japan
No full textThis study explores of the religious underpinnings of medieval Noh theater and its operating as a form of ritual. As a multifaceted performance art and genre of literature, Noh is understood as having rich and diverse religious influences, but is often studied as a predominantly artistic and literary form that moved away from its religious/ritual origin. This study aims to recapture some of the Noh’s religious aura and reclaim its religious efficacy, by exploring the ways in which the art and performance of Noh contributed to broader religious contexts of medieval Japan.
Chapter One, the Introduction, provides the background necessary to establish the context for analyzing a selection of Noh plays which serve as case studies of Noh’s religious and ritual functioning. Historical and cultural context of Noh for this study is set up as a medieval Japanese world view, which is an enchanted world with blurred boundaries between the visible and invisible world, human and non-human, sentient and non-sentient, enlightened and conditioned. The introduction traces the religious and ritual origins of Noh theater, and establishes the characteristics of the genre that make it possible for Noh to be offered up as an alternative to the mainstream ritual, and proposes an analysis of this ritual through dynamic and evolving schemes of ritualization and mythmaking, rather than ritual as a superimposed structure.
Chapters Two through Five are analyses of four Noh plays, Kanawa, Dōjōji, Yamamba, and Hyakuman. This selection reflects my argument that a particularly efficacious form of Noh ritual is one that best responds to the liminal quality of the medieval worldview, and this is expressed through a specific way in which the main protagonist of each play is constructed as a ritualist and an object of ritual, and symbolically embodied in various incarnations of the character of demon - oni.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2018-12-01The student, Dunja Jelesijevic, accepted the attached license on 2016-08-11 at 12:00.The student, Dunja Jelesijevic, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2016-08-11 at 12:13.This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2016-08-11 at 16:02.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #10109 on 2017-02-28 at 14:40:43Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-01T17:00:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
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Data from Higuera et al. 2009, Ecological Monographs
No full text<p>Lake-sediment pollen, charcoal, and chronological data from Xindi, Ruppert, Code, and Wild Tussock lakes, as in:</p>
<p>Higuera, P. E., L. B. Brubaker, P. M. Anderson, F. S. Hu, and T. A. Brown. 2009. Vegetation mediated the impacts of postglacial climate change on fire regimes in the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska. Ecological Monographs 79:201-219.</p
An analysis of computer usage among speech-language pathologists in public schools
No full textThis study investigated if and why speech-language pathologists in public schools resist or accept computer technology as a tool of their profession. The researcher formulated hypotheses to identify variables that differentiated public school speech-language pathologists who are frequent users of computers from those who are infrequent/non-users of computers. The variables considered were: (1) attitudes toward computers and the "computerization" of society, (2) beliefs about computers, (3) gender, (4) number of years as a public school speech-language pathologist, (5) previous computer training, (6) number of schools served and (7) severity of handicapped student caseload.To implement the investigation the researcher designed a causal-comparative study. The sample chosen for this study consisted of 284 randomly selected public school speech-language pathologists holding membership in the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association and employed in public schools nationally. The instrument used was a computer attitude and opinion survey developed by Zoltan and Chapanis and a supplemental questionnaire developed by the researcher. Respondents were categorized as frequent users or infrequent/non-users of computers according to the "extreme-group" method. Data analysis consisted of descriptive and inferential data treatments.The findings indicated that public school speech-language pathologists who are frequent users of computers in the workplace differ significantly from those who seldom or never use computers. Frequent users have more positive attitudes toward computers (t = +6.32 and p =.000 .05) and more positive opinions about computers (t = +5.46 and p =.000 .05) than infrequent/non-users. Frequent users were more likely than infrequent/non-users to hold degrees or certificates beyond the Master's level (chi-square = 7.35 and p =.077 .05).Public school speech-language pathologists made better and more frequent use of computers if their school districts provided: (1) funding for hardware and software dedicated for use by speech-language pathologists (t = +2.97 and p =.003 .05), (2) facilities for the secure storage of computer equipment (p = +2.24 and p =.026 .05) and (3) effective human resource development programs such as in-service training programs to promote the formation of user-groups, "hands-on" experience and demonstration teaching (chi-square = 22.3 and p =.000 .05).Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-12, Section: A, page: 3692.Ph.D. American University 1988.Englis
Ueber kongenitale histologische leber-anomalien.
No full textSonderabdruck aus dem Archiv für wissensch. u. prakt. tierheilkunde. 1909. bd. 35.Inaug.-diss.--Bern."Literatur": p. 38.Mode of access: Internet
Current Controller With Artificial Neural Networks For Active Filter
No full textThe focus of this paper is the development of a three-phase four-wire current controller with neural networks. A brief discussion about active filters and current controllers is followed by an explanation of the three-dimensional space vector modulation algorithm. Then a detailed discussion about the use of multilayer feedforward neural networks is done. Practical and simulation results are presented. © 2004 The Institution of Electrical Engineers.2626631Buso, S., Malesani, L., Mattavelli, P., Comparison of current control techniques for active filter applications (1998) IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 45 (5), pp. 722-729. , OctoberHagan, M.T., Demuth, H.B., Beale, M., (1995) Neural Network Design, , PWS Publishing CompanyHaykin, S., (1999) Neural Networks - A Comprehensive Foundation, , Prentice HallMalesani, L., Mattavelli, P., Buso, S., Dead-beat current control for active filters (1998) 24th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, 3, pp. 1859-1864. , August/SeptemberMalesani, L., Mattavelli, P., Buso, S., Robust dead-beat current control for pwm rectifiers and active filters (1999) IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 35 (3), pp. 613-620. , May/JuneVan Der Broeck, H.W., Skudelny, H.-C., Stanke, G.V., Analysis and realization of a pulsewidth modulator based on voltage space vectors (1988) IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 24 (1), pp. 140-150. , January/FebruaryVerdelho, P., Marques, G.D., Four-wire current-regulated pwm voltage conveter (1998) IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 45 (5), pp. 761-770. , OctoberVillalva, M.G., De Oliveira, F.M.E., Ruppert, P.E., Detailed implementation of a current controller with 3d space vectors for four wire active filters (2003) 5th International Conference on Power Electronics and Drive Systems, PEDS '03, , Novembe
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