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Cross-domain classification is a challenging problem, in which, how to learn domain invariant features is critical. Recently, significant improvements to this problem have emerged with the wide application of deep learning models, which have been proposed to learn higher level and robust feature representation. Marginalized stacked denoising autoencoder model (mSDA) has proved to be effective to address this problem. However, the performance of mSDA is sensitive to the noise probability. In previous works, the noise probability is usually set as a constant value by cross-validation in the source domain. There is few work focus on the relationship between the noise probability and cross-domain task. In this paper, we try to compute the value of noise probability adaptively. Thus, an approach called Marginalized Stacked Denoising Autoencoders with Adaptive noise Probability (mSDA-AP) is proposed. Firstly, we extract an informative feature space by an improved index, weighted log-likehood ratio (IWLLR), then aggregate these informative features by weighting. Secondly, we compute the value of noise probability adaptively according to the distance between source domain and target domain, and then with the adaptive noise probability, we disturb the input data to learn a stronger feature space with mSDA. Finally, experimental results show the effectiveness of our proposed approach.

Background N-RAS mutations are the most commonly detected molecular abnormalities in hematologic malignancies, especially in those of myeloid origin. Objective Current study aimed to determine the frequency of N-RAS mutation and its correlation with P21N-RAS protein expression in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in Iraq. Methods Peripheral blood, bone marrow aspirate and biopsy samples were taken from 58 newly diagnosed AML patients (57 de novo and 1 therapy related AML) and 30 individuals with reactive bone marrow conditions were selected as a control group. Samples screened for N-RAS gene mutations using nested PCR followed by mutation sensitive digestion analysis (MSDA), and immunohistochemical analysis of P21N-RAS protein expression by using anti N-RAS monoclonal antibody. Results N-RAS mutations at the time of diagnosis were found in 10/58 (17.24%) and P21N-RAS expression found in 5/58 (8.62%) patients with AML. There was a significant difference (P = 0.001) in P21N-RAS expression between mutant and wild type N-RAS patients with AML. No N-RAS mutations or P21N-RAS expression detected in the control group individuals. Conclusion It can be suggested that there is activation of RAS-signaling cascade in AML patients, this is may support their role in molecular pathogenesis of acute leukemia. Also, there was a significant difference between N-RAS gene status and P21N-RAS protein expression in patients with AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background N-RAS mutations are the most commonly detected molecular abnormalities in hematologic malignancies, especially in those of myeloid origin. Objective Current study aimed to determine the frequency of N-RAS mutation; and its influence on response to induction therapy in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in Iraq. Methods Peripheral blood and bone marrow samples were taken from 58 newly diagnosed AML patients and 30 individuals with reactive bone marrow were selected as a control group. Samples screened for N-RAS gene mutations using nested PCR were followed by mutation sensitive digestion analysis (MSDA). Results N-RAS mutations at the time of diagnosis were found in 10/58 (17.24%) patients with AML and no mutation in control individuals. Patients with mutant N-RAS showed lower complete remission (CR) than wild type, the difference was not significant (60% vs. 72.92%, P = 0.414). Conclusion The current results provide clues for activation of RAS-signaling cascade in AML patients, supporting their role in molecular pathogenesis of leukemia. N-RAS mutations show no influence on CR rate in AML patients. Further studies on larger scale to define the prognostic significance of N-RAS mutations are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theoretical framework of General Recognition Theory (GRT; Ashby & Townsend, Psychological Review, 93, 154-179, 1986) coupled with the empirical analysis tools of Multidimensional Signal Detection Analysis (MSDA; Kadlec & Townsend, Multidimensional models of perception and recognition, pp. 181-228, 1992) have become one important method for assessing dimensional interactions in perceptual decision-making. In this article, we critically examine MSDA and characterize cases where it is unable to discriminate two kinds of dimensional interactions: perceptual separability and decisional separability. We performed simulations with known instances of violations of perceptual or decisional separability, applied MSDA to the data generated by these simulations, and evaluated MSDA on its ability to accurately characterize the perceptual versus decisional source of these simulated dimensional interactions. Critical cases of violations of perceptual separability are often mischaracterized by MSDA as violations of decisional separability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the psychometric properties of the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and the modified HAQ (MHAQ) in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Materials and Methods: The internal construct validity of the HAQ-DI and MHAQ were assessed by Rasch analysis and external construct validity by associations with the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Index of Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS-II) and the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Reliability was tested by internal consistency and person separation index. Results: Two hundred and fifteen outpatients with knee OA (mean age±standard deviation (SD) 57.7±10.9 years; 81% female) filled in the assessment scales including HAQ-DI, WOMAC, WHODAS-II and the NHP. MHAQ was not administered as a separate measure but scored by using the HAQ-DI forms. Both the HAQ-DI and the MHAQ data satisfied Rasch model expectations with a mean item fit of 0.096 (SD 1.186) and -0.312 (SD 1.063), and person fit of 0.307 (SD 0.895) and -0.329 (SD 0.879), respectively. Both scales were unidimensional and showed no differential item functioning. The reliabilities of both scales were good with high Cronbach's alpha and PSI levels above 0.85. However neither of them was particularly well targeted to the current population who displayed a level of disability much below the average difficulty level of the scales. External construct validity was confirmed by expected correlations with WOMAC, WHODAS-II and NHP. Although the distribution of both scales was right skewed, the floor effect was more prominent in MHAQ. Conclusion: Both the HAQ-DI and MHAQ are found to be reliable and valid to assess physical disability in patients with knee OA. However, the possible floor effect in this diagnostic group should be kept in mind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The crystal structure of cis-[Cu(C8H7O3)2(H2O)2] (115K data) reveals bidentate vanillinate ions coordinated via methoxy and deprotonated hydroxy oxygen atoms and water molecules in a distorted octahedral CuO6 chromophore. A cis orientation of the ligands enables two non-identical O(methoxy)ph name="sbnd" />O(water) coordination axes (2.354(1)+2.163(1); 2.151(1)+2.020(1)Å), and the third shortest O(hydroxy)ph name="sbnd" />O(hydroxy) axis (1.919(1)+1.914(1)Å). This 115K coordination sphere differs importantly to the one obtained from the 293K data of the same compound, where two long O(methoxy)ph name="sbnd" />O(water) axes are of the same length, and only minor changes at the short O(hydroxy)ph name="sbnd" />O(hydroxy) axis are noticed. An axial symmetry of the complex with an inverse pattern is observed in the temperature range from 298 to 180K. A further decrease of temperature reveals gradual changes from axial to rhombic symmetry (g 1 > g 2 > g 3) that is reversible. A mean-square displacement amplitude (MDSA) analysis reveals a disorder in the Cu) bonds, but not in the other metal) and Cubonds at 293 and 115K. The disorder is significantly weaker in the 115K structure. The MSDA analysis and the structural-EPR agreement show vibrational disorder in two coordination axes, due to the cis conformation of the complex with two O(methoxy)ph name="sbnd" />O(water) axes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The msdA gene encodes methylmalonic acid semialdehyde dehydrogenase (MSDH) and is known to be involved in valine catabolism in Streptomyces coelicolor. Using degenerative primers, a homolog of msdA gene was cloned and sequenced from the monensin producer, Streptomyces cinnamonensis. RT-PCR results showed msdA was expressed in a vegetative culture, bump-seed culture and the early stages of oil-based monensin fermentation. However, isotopic labeling of monensin A by [2, 4-13C2]butyrate revealed that this MSDH does not play a role in providing precursors such as methylmalonyl-CoA for the monensin biosynthesis under these fermentation conditions. Using a PCR-targeting method, msdA was disrupted by insertion of an apramycin resistance gene in S. cinnamonensis C730.1. Fermentation results revealed that the resulting Δ msdA mutant (CXL1.1) produced comparable levels of monensin to that observed for C730.1. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that butyrate metabolism in S. cinnamonensis in the oil-based fermentation is not mediated by msdA, and that methylmalonyl-CoA is probably produced through direct oxidation of the pro-S methyl group of isobutyryl-CoA. The CXL1.1 mutant and C730.1 were both able to grow in minimal medium with valine or butyrate as the sole carbon source, contrasting previous observations for S. coelicolor which demonstrated msdA is required for growth on valine. In conclusion, loss of the S. cinnamonensis msdA neither affects valine catabolism in a minimal medium, nor butyrate metabolism in an oil-based medium, and its role remains an enigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]