Molecular classification of non-invasive breast lesions for personalised therapy and chemoprevention

Breast cancer screening has led to a dramatic increase in the detection of pre-invasive breast lesions. While mastectomy is almost guaranteed to treat the disease, more conservative approaches could be as effective if patients can be stratified based on risk of co-existing or recurrent invasive disease.Here we use a range of biomarkers to interrogate and classify purely non-invasive lesions (PNL) and those with co-existing invasive breast cancer (CEIN). Apart from Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS), relative homogeneity is observed. DCIS contained a greater spread of molecular subtypes. Interestingly, high expression of p-mTOR was observed in all PNL with lower expression in DCIS and invasive carcinoma while the opposite expression pattern was observed for TOP2A.Comparing PNL with CEIN, we have identified p53 and Ki67 as predictors of CEIN with a combined PPV and NPV of 90.48% and 43.3% respectively. Furthermore, HER2 expression showed the best concordance between DCIS and its invasive counterpart.We propose that these biomarkers can be used to improve the management of patients with pre-invasive breast lesions following further validation and clinical trials. p53 and Ki67 could be used to stratify patients into low and high-risk groups for co-existing disease. Knowledge of expression of more actionable targets such as HER2 or TOP2A can be used to design chemoprevention or neo-adjuvant strategies. Increased knowledge of the molecular profile of pre-invasive lesions can only serve to enhance our understanding of the disease and, in the era of personalised medicine, bring us closer to improving breast cancer care.

Kernelized structural classification for 3D dogs body parts detection

Despite pattern recognition methods for human behavioral analysis has flourished in the last decade, animal behavioral analysis has been almost neglected. Those few approaches are mostly focused on preserving livestock economic value while attention on the welfare of companion animals, like dogs, is now emerging as a social need. In this work, following the analogy with human behavior recognition, we propose a system for recognizing body parts of dogs kept in pens. We decide to adopt both 2D and 3D features in order to obtain a rich description of the dog model. Images are acquired using the Microsoft Kinect to capture the depth map images of the dog. Upon depth maps a Structural Support Vector Machine (SSVM) is employed to identify the body parts using both 3D features and 2D images. The proposal relies on a kernelized discriminative structural classificator specifically tailored for dogs independently from the size and breed. The classification is performed in an online fashion using the LaRank optimization technique to obtaining real time performances. Promising results have emerged during the experimental evaluation carried out at a dog shelter, managed by IZSAM, in Teramo, Italy.

A Configurable Packet Classification Architecture for Software-Defined Networking

Network management tools must be able to monitor and analyze traffic flowing through network systems. According to the OpenFlow protocol applied in Software-Defined Networking (SDN), packets are classified into flows that are searched in flow tables. Further actions, such as packet forwarding, modification, and redirection to a group table, are made in the flow table with respect to the search results. A novel hardware solution for SDN-enabled packet classification is presented in this paper. The proposed scheme is focused on a label-based search method, achieving high flexibility in memory usage. The implemented hardware architecture provides optimal lookup performance by configuring the search algorithm and by performing fast incremental update as programmed the software controller.

Optimized Packet Classification for Software-Defined Networking

Recent trends, such as Software-Defined Networking (SDN), introduce programmability to the network with the opportunity to dynamically route traffic based on flow descriptions. Packet header lookup is the first phase in this process. In this paper, we illustrate improved header lookup and flow rule update speeds over conventional lookup algorithms. This is achieved by performing individual packet header field searches and combining the search results. We propose that individual algorithms should be selected for packet classification based on the application requirements. Improving the network processing performance with our configurable solution will directly support the proposed capability of programmability in SDN.

Implication of modified molecular structure of lipid through heat-related process to fatty acids supply in Brassica carinata seed.

This study was conducted to explore the effect of different autoclave heating times (30, 60 and 90 min) on fatty acids supply and molecular stability in Brassica carinata seed. Multivariate spectral analyses and correlation analyses were also carried out in our study. The results showed that autoclaving treatments significantly decreased the total fatty acids content in a linear fashion in B. carinata seed as heating time increased. Reduced concentrations were also observed in C18:3n3, C20:1, C22:1n9, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), omega 3 (ω-3) and 9 (ω-9) fatty acids. Correspondingly, the heated seeds showed dramatic reductions in all the peak intensities within lipid-related spectral regions. Results from agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis (AHCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the raw oilseed had completely different structural make-up from the autoclaved seeds in both CH3 and CH2 asymmetric and symmetric stretching region (ca. 2999–2800 cm−1) and lipid ester Cdouble bond; length as m-dashO carbonyl region (ca. 1787–1706 cm−1). However, the oilseeds heated for 30, 60 and 90 min were not grouped into separate classes or ellipses in all the lipid-related regions, indicating that there still exhibited similarities in lipid biopolymer conformations among autoclaved B. carinata seeds. Moreover, strong correlations between spectral information and fatty acid compositions observed in our study could imply that lipid-related spectral parameters might have a potential to predict some fatty acids content in oilseed samples, i.e. B. carinata. However, more data from large sample size and diverse range would be necessary and helpful to draw up a final conclusion.

Geochronological database and classification system for age uncertainties in Neotropical pollen records.

The newly updated inventory of palaeoecological research in Latin America offers an important overview of sites available for multi-proxy and multi-site purposes. From the collected literature supporting this inventory, we collected all available age model metadata to create a chronological database of 5116 control points (e.g. 14C, tephra, fission track, OSL, 210Pb) from 1097 pollen records. Based on this literature review, we present a summary of chronological dating and reporting in the Neotropics. Difficulties and recommendations for chronology reporting are discussed. Furthermore, for 234 pollen records in northwest South America, a classification system for age uncertainties is implemented based on chronologies generated with updated calibration curves. With these outcomes age models are produced for those sites without an existing chronology, alternative age models are provided for researchers interested in comparing the effects of different calibration curves and age–depth modelling software, and the importance of uncertainty assessments of chronologies is highlighted. Sample resolution and temporal uncertainty of ages are discussed for different time windows, focusing on events relevant for research on centennial- to millennial-scale climate variability. All age models and developed R scripts are publicly available through figshare, including a manual to use the scripts.

Dual Classification Revisited: Rodney Needham and Vertical Asymmetry aboard Scottish Trawlers

Drawing on ethnographic data collected while working as a deckhand on two Scottish trawlers, this article analyses the spatialisation of social, religious and economic inequalities that marked relations between crew members while they hunted for prawns in the North Sea. Moreover, it explores these inequalities as a wider feature of life in Gamrie, Aberdeenshire, a Brethren and Presbyterian fishing village riven by disparities in wealth and religion. Inequalities identified by fishermen at sea mirrored those identified by residents onshore, resulting in fishing boats being experienced as small 'floating villages'. Drawing on the work of Rodney Needham, this article suggests that these asymmetries can be traced along a vertical axis, with greater to lesser wealth and religiosity moving from top/above to bottom/below. The article seeks to understand the presence and persistence of these hierarchies at sea and on land, by revisiting dual classification within anthropological theory.

The role of the seed bank in recovery of temperate heath and blanket bog following wildfires

Questions - Are the germinable seed banks of upland heath and blanket bog reduced following wildfires? Are some species at particular risk? Do the impacts of wildfires on seed banks differ between heathlands and blanket bog?

Location - Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.

Methods - Vegetation surveys and seed bank sampling were conducted in 2012 at burned and unburned areas within six upland sites where large wildfires had occurred during spring 2011. Differences in seedling abundance, species richness and Jaccard similarity indices between burned and unburned areas were compared using GLMMs. Differences in the community composition were examined using pRDA.

Results - In total, 24 of the 51 species in the vegetation were detected in the germinable seed bank. Species richness and the abundance of seedlings other than Calluna vulgaris were lower in areas where wildfires had occurred. Species composition of both germinable seed banks and vegetation differed between burned and unburned areas within sites; with negative associations between burned areas and some key indicator species including Drosera rotundifolia, Eriophorum vaginatum, Empetrum nigrum, Narthecium ossifragum and Trichophorum germanicum. We did not find any evidence of significant interactions between burning and habitat, suggesting that wildfires had similar impacts on each species regardless of the habitat in which they occurred.

Conclusions - This study differs from other UK studies in that it examines impacts of wildfires at sites that have not been previously intensively managed by burning. In particular, we highlight potential impacts on N. ossifragum and D. rotundifolia, which are key components of the upland flora and, to our knowledge, were not present in previous UK studies.

Real-Time Multiple Event Detection and Classification Using Moving Window PCA

This paper proposes a method for the detection and classification of multiple events in an electrical power system in real-time, namely; islanding, high frequency events (loss of load) and low frequency events (loss of generation). This method is based on principal component analysis of frequency measurements and employs a moving window approach to combat the time-varying nature of power systems, thereby increasing overall situational awareness of the power system. Numerical case studies using both real data, collected from the UK power system, and simulated case studies, constructed using DigSilent PowerFactory, for islanding events, as well as both loss of load and generation dip events, are used to demonstrate the reliability of the proposed method.