Search

Approximate learning machines have become popular in the era of small devices, including quantised, factorised, hashed, or otherwise compressed predictors, and the quest to explain and guarantee good generalisation abilities for such methods has just begun. In this paper, we study the role of approximability in learning, both in the full precision and the approximated settings. We do this through a notion of sensitivity of predictors to the action of the approximation operator at hand. We prove upper bounds on the generalisation of such predictors, yielding the following main findings, for any PAC-learnable class and any given approximation operator: (1) We show that under mild conditions, approximable target concepts are learnable from a smaller labelled sample, provided sufficient unlabelled data; (2) We give algorithms that guarantee a good predictor whose approximation also enjoys the same generalisation guarantees; (3) We highlight natural examples of structure in the class of sensitivities, which reduce, and possibly even eliminate the otherwise abundant requirement of additional unlabelled data, and henceforth shed new light onto what makes one problem instance easier to learn than another. These results embed the scope of modern model-compression approaches into the general goal of statistical learning theory, which in return suggests appropriate algorithms through minimising uniform bounds.

The study objectives were to demonstrate that glycerol, when topically applied from a roll-on antiperspirant formulation, can be delivered directly to human skin ex vivo and the axillary stratum corneum (SC) in vivo, and to assess whether it improves the quality of the axillary skin barrier. Ex vivo human skin absorption of glycerol was measured following application of a roll-on antiperspirant formulation containing 4% 13C3-glycerol. Skin distribution of 13C3-glycerol over 24 h was assessed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. In vivo axillary SC penetration was measured by confocal Raman spectroscopy and multivariate curve-resolution software 1 h after topical application of a roll-on antiperspirant formulation containing 8% deuterated glycerol (d5-glycerol). A clinical study was conducted to determine the efficacy of a roll-on antiperspirant formulation containing 4% glycerol in reducing shaving-induced visual irritation and in increasing axillary-skin hydration. Ex vivo skin absorption studies indicated that the formulation delivered 13C3-glycerol into the SC at all timepoints over the 24-h period. In vivo Raman measurements (1 h after application) demonstrated that d5-glycerol was detectable to a depth of at least 10 μm in the axillary SC. Application of 4% glycerol from a roll-on antiperspirant formulation to the axilla was associated with significantly less visible irritation and greater skin hydration than observed with the control (glycerol-free) product. These studies demonstrate that glycerol, incorporated in a roll-on antiperspirant formulation, is delivered directly and rapidly to all depths of the axillary SC, and results in improvements in visible irritation and hydration in the axilla.

In 2009, the UK House of Commons Science and Technology Committee (STC) conducted an ‘evidence check’ on homeopathy to evaluate evidence for its effectiveness. In common with the wider literature critical of homeopathy, the STC report seems to endorse many of the strong claims that are made about its implausibility. In contrast with the critical literature, however, the STC report explicitly does not place any weight on implausibility in its evaluation. I use the contrasting positions of the STC and the wider critical literature to examine the ‘implausibility arguments’ against homeopathy and the place of such arguments within evidence-based medicine (EBM). I argue that the STC report undervalues its strong claims about the mechanistic plausibility of homeopathy because it relies on a misunderstanding about the role of mechanistic evidence within EBM. This is not a conclusion for a revision of the role mechanistic evidence plays within EBM, however. It is a conclusion about the inconsistency of the STC report’s position towards implausibility arguments, given the evidential claims they endorse and the atypical situation that homeopathy presents. It provides a further example of the general point that mechanistic reasoning should not be seen as providing categorically lower quality evidence.

Microporous ‘functionalised’ calcium carbonate (FCC) has potential for use as a carrier for the controlled release of ‘actives’, by permeation and diffusion. We have investigated the nature of the FCC surface and the mechanism of adsorption of two typical actives, namely the anti-inflammatory drug aspirin and the flavour compound vanillin, from chloroform and aqueous ethanolic solutions. There is indirect evidence from the quantitative perturbation of Toth isotherms that their adsorption is hindered by a stagnant diffusion layer of water trapped in the micro-porosity of the FCC. To complement previous studies of the surface of FCC, it was also tested with the cationic probe benzyltrimethylammonium bromide and the anionic probe sodium 2-naphthalenesulphonate. Experimental procedures were validated by comparison with adsorption onto ground calcium carbonate and high surface area talc.

Purpose Metal contamination arising from boat maintenance is a growing environmental concern. In this study, metals currently or historically employed in boat paints (Ba, Cu, Pb, Sn and Zn) have been determined in geosolids sampled from within and in the vicinity of two leisure boat maintenance facilities in south west England.

The bioaccessibility of Zn in tire wear particles (TWP) has been studied in incubations in the presence of estuarine sediment and solutions that mimic the digestive chemistry of sediment-ingesting invertebrates. Sea water solutions of the protein bovine serum albumin (BSA), a surrogate for digestive amino acids, released about 2 % of total Zn from sediment–TWP preparations (in ratios of 100:1, 12:1 and 6:1) after a 5-h period. Although sodium taurocholate, a surrogate of digestive surfactancy, released quantities of Zn that were not always greater than those released by a sea water control, addition of taurocholate to BSA in sea water enhanced Zn release by solutions of the protein alone. Time courses of Zn release by BSA, with or without taurocholate, conformed to a diffusion-controlled reaction, with rate constants ranging from about 0.1 to 2 mg L−1 h−1/2. Results of the study suggest that sediment-ingesting invertebrates inhabiting coastal environments impacted by urban runoff are instrumental to the mobilisation of Zn.

The bioaccessibilities of trace metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) in eelgrass, sediment and preparations thereof with and without antifouling paint particles have been assessed by undertaken a physiologically based extraction test (W-PBET) designed to mimic the chemistry of the gizzard and intestine of the mute swan, Cygnus olor. Because Cu- and Zn-based pigments are employed in contemporary antifouling paints, concentrations of these metals were greatest in the preparations containing paint particles. Moreover, relative to total metal, both Cu and Zn displayed the highest gizzard bioaccessibilities in these preparations (about 10%). In the intestine, where most nutrients are absorbed, the accessibility of Cu was maintained while that of Zn was dramatically reduced. These observations were qualitatively consistent with metal concentrations measured in source materials relative to those in swan faeces. We conclude that Cu poses the greatest threat to C. olor inhabiting coastal areas where boat repair takes place.

The marine macroalga, Ulva lactuca, has been exposed for 48 h to different concentrations of Ag added as either silver nanoparticles (AgNP) or aqueous metal (AgNO(3)) and the resulting toxicity, estimated from reductions in quenching of chlorophyll-a fluorescence, and accumulation of Ag measured. Aqueous Ag was toxic at available concentrations as low as about 2.5 μg l(-1) and exhibited considerable accumulation that could be defined by the Langmuir equation. AgNP were not phytotoxic to the macroalga at available Ag concentrations up to at least 15 μg l(-1) and metal measured in U. lactuca was attributed to a physical association of nanoparticles at the algal surface. At higher AgNP concentrations, a dose-response relationship was observed that was similar to that for aqueous Ag recorded at much lower concentrations. These findings suggest that AgNP are only indirectly toxic to marine algae through the dissolution of Ag(+) ions into bulk sea water, albeit at concentrations orders of magnitude greater than those predicted in the environment.

The toxicities of three synthetic surfactants to the marine macroalga, Ulva lactuca, have been examined by monitoring chlorophyll a fluorescence quenching. The anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), exerted no measurable toxicity over the concentration range 0–10 mg L−1, while presence of the non-ionic surfactant, Triton X-100 (TX), elicited a small reduction in photochemical efficiency that was independent of concentration. The cationic surfactant, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTMA), incurred a dose-dependent response to ∼3 mg L−1 (EC50 = 2.4 mg L−1), but a reduction in toxicity thereafter. Presence of TX had little effect on the toxicity of HDTMA but an equimolar concentration of SDS directly offset the impact of HDTMA on photochemical efficiency. Relative toxicities of the surfactants are attributed to differences in affinity for the algal surface and tendencies to disrupt cell membranes and interact with intracellular macromolecules. Non-linear dose responses and antagonistic effects are attributed to non-specific interactions between molecules of the same surfactant and electrostatic interactions between molecules of different amphiphilic character.

The elemental composition and bioaccessibility of trace metals have been determined in a variety of geosolids (soils, road dusts and house dusts) from an arid, coastal region (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia). Concentrations of many elements reflected those of the local geology, ascertained by analysis of desert sand. Several trace metals (e.g. Cu, Sb, Zn, Pb, Tl and Sn) were moderately enriched in both road and house dusts, reflecting external and internal (household) anthropogenic sources. For a given trace metal, bioaccessibilities, assessed using a physiologically based extraction test, were broadly similar across the range of geosolids. Median values for a simulated gastric phase ranged from less than 10% (Ba, Cu, Cr, Ni and V) to more than 50% (As, Cd, Sb, Sn and Tl), and for a subsequently simulated intestinal phase from less than 15% (Ba, Cr, Cu, Ni, V and Zn) to more than 50% (As, Cd, Sb, Tl and U). Results suggest that the levels and bioaccessibilities of trace metals in dusts from arid environments are controlled by the dilution of anthropogenic particulates by variable (but significant) proportions of fine, baseline sand.

Das Doppelkupplungsgetriebe ist kein neues Konzept, aber es sind grose Verbesserungen in Betatigung, Steuerung und im Kupplungsaufbau notig gewesen, um ein fertiges Produkt anbieten zu konnen. Auf diesen Verbesserungen liegt der Fokus, um die Eigenschaften weiterhin zu optimieren und die Kosten weiter zu reduzieren. Der Beitrag soll den aktuellen Status von Ricardos unabhangiger Forschungs- und Entwicklungstatigkeit im Bereich Doppelkupplungsgetriebe darstellen. Hauptfokus sind eine trockene Kupplung und neuartige Betatigungssysteme wie Linearmotoren. Mit Hilfe dieses Ansatzes mochte Ricardo weit uber die heutigen Konzepte hinausgehen: Ausgeklugelte Regelungs- und Steuerungsstrategien, effiziente Automatisierung und verbessertes Thermomanagement sind die Stosrichtungen.

The dual clutch transmission is not a new concept, but improvements in actuation, control and clutch structure have been necessary to offer a viable product. This is where effort continues with inventive steps to improve performance and reduce costs. The article describes the actual status of applications at Ricardo’s independent R&D in the field of dual clutch transmissions. The main focus lies on a dry clutch and a new actuation system like linear motors. Ricardo would like to go the far beyond today’s concepts: Thought-out control strategies, efficient automation and optimized thermal management are the goals to achieve.

The accumulation of Ag by the marine herbivorous gastropod, Littorina littorea, has been studied in a series of exposures in which the metal was added in aqueous form and as nanoparticles, both in the presence and absence of contaminated algal food (Ulva lactuca). Significant accumulation occurred in the gill, kidney, stomach and visceral mass when the snail was exposed to aqueous Ag in the absence of food. Despite the consumption of U. lactuca that had been previously contaminated by Ag, no accumulation was observed from the dietary route. When added as nanoparticles, accumulation of Ag was only measured in the head and gill and only in the absence of contaminated food. These observations suggest that Ag is most bioavailable to L. littorina when in true solution and that Ag measured in external tissues of the snail following exposure to nanoparticles arises from some physical association that does not result in significant transfer of the metal to internal organs.

The choice of invasive systemic haemodynamic monitoring in critically ill patients remains controversial as no multicentre comparative clinical data exist. Accordingly, we sought to study and compare the features and outcomes of patients who receive haemodynamic monitoring with either the pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) or pulse contour cardiac output (PiCCO) technology. We conducted a prospective multicentre, multinational epidemiological study in a cohort of 331 critically ill patients who received haemodynamic monitoring by PAC or PiCCO according to physician preference in intensive care units (ICUs) of eight hospitals in four countries. We collected data on haemodynamics, demographic features, daily fluid balance, mechanical ventilation days, ICU days, hospital days, and hospital mortality. We statistically compared the two techniques. Three hundred and forty-two catheters (PiCCO 192 and PAC 150) were inserted in 331 patients. On direct comparison, patients with PAC were older (68 versus 64 years of age; p = 0.0037), were given inotropic drugs more frequently (37.3% versus 13%; p < 0.0001), and had a lower cardiac index (2.6 versus 3.2 litres/minute per square meter; p < 0.0001). Mean daily fluid balance was significantly greater during PiCCO monitoring (+659 versus +350 ml/day; p = 0.017) and mechanical ventilation-free days were fewer (12 for PiCCO versus 21 for PAC; p = 0.045). However, after multiple regression analysis, we found no significant effect of monitoring technique on mean daily fluid balance, mechanical ventilation-free days, ICU-free days, or hospital mortality. A secondary multiple logistic regression analysis for hospital mortality which included mean daily fluid balance showed that positive fluid balance was a significant predictor of hospital mortality (odds ratio = 1.0002 for each ml/day; p = 0.0073). On direct comparison, the use of PiCCO was associated with a greater positive fluid balance and fewer ventilator-free days. After correction for confounding factors, the choice of monitoring did not influence major outcomes, whereas a positive fluid balance was a significant independent predictor of outcome. Future studies may best be targeted at understanding the effect of pursuing different fluid balance regimens rather than monitoring techniques per se.