Autoregressive Modeling and Prediction of the Activity of Antihypertensive Peptides

Naturally derived bioactive peptides with antihypertensive activities serve as promising alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs. There are few relevant reports on the mapping relationship between the EC50 value of antihypertensive peptide activity (AHTPA-EC50) and its corresponding amino acid sequence (AAS) at present. In this paper, we have constructed two group series based on sorting natural logarithm of AHTPA-EC50 or sorting its corresponding AAS encoding number. One group possesses two series, and we find that there must be a random number series in any group series. The random number series manifests fractal characteristics, and the constructed series of sorting natural logarithm of AHTPA-EC50 shows good autocorrelation characteristics. Therefore, two non-linear autoregressive models with exogenous input (NARXs) were established to describe the two series. A prediction method is further designed for AHTPA-EC50 prediction based on the proposed model. Two dynamic neural networks for NARXs (NARXNNs) are designed to verify the two series characteristics. Dipeptides and tripeptides are used to verify the proposed prediction method. The results show that the mean square error (MSE) of prediction is about 0.5589 for AHTPA-EC50 prediction when the classification of AAS is correct. The proposed method provides a solution for AHTPA-EC50 prediction.

Periodicities in the time-series of the annual mean temperatures of Central England

ABSTRACT .Maximum Entropy spectral Analysis (MESA) of the 8IUlua1 mean temperature series for Central England for 1659-1991 indicated significant periodicilies at T = 7.8, 11.1, 12.5, 15, 18, 23, 32, 37, 68, 81, l09 and 203 years. These compare well with T = 22, 30, 80, 200 years obtained for China. Also, a good comparison is obtained with some periodicities in the sunspot number series.

Education Differences in Older Adults' Performance on Online Assessments of Inductive Reasoning and Verbal Memory

Paper-and-pencil measures of inductive reasoning and verbal memory administered in-person are well-established methods for measuring cognitive ability in adults. However, given recent increases in the use of online surveys, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when in-person research with older adults became difficult, we investigated whether these cognitive measures could be administered effectively online and whether older adults’ performance on these measures of inductive reasoning and verbal memory might differ by education level. Data were collected online between mid-May and mid-June of 2020 from 292 individuals aged 66-90 years (M=69.1, SD=3.3). The sample was primarily White (91%) and had more women (62%) than men; 83 participants had a graduate-level education (master’s/doctoral degree), 101 had an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, and 108 had less than an associate’s degree. Three measures of inductive reasoning (Number Series, Letter Sets, and Word Series) and two measures of verbal memory (Immediate Recall and Delayed Recall of a list of 20 words) were completed by participants on an online platform. One-way MANOVA found a significant main effect for education group on the inductive reasoning measures (Wilks’ lambda=.93, p=.001). However, follow-up univariate ANOVAs indicated significant differences by education group only for Number Series, with Tukey post hoc tests showing that the graduate-level and college-degree groups performed significantly better than the group with less than an associate’s degree. Factorial repeated-measures ANOVA found a significant decline between immediate and delayed recall (p<.001) and that this difference varied by education group (p=.003). Implications of these findings will be discussed.

Awareness of age-related change and its relationship with inductive reasoning and ageism

Subjective aging is important due to its relationship with well-being. Diehl and Wahl (2010) proposed Awareness of Age-Related Change (AARC) as a measure of subjective aging; their theoretical model proposed that cognition’s relationship to AARC is mediated by ageist experiences. The current study tests this model and proposes an alternative model where cognition is hypothesized to mediate the relationship of ageist experiences to AARC. Inductive reasoning was used to measure cognition due to its susceptibility to ageism. Participants were 283 older adults aged 66-90 years (M=69.08, SD=3.36) without a dementia diagnosis or cognitive impairment. Inductive reasoning was measured by Word Series, Number Series, Letter Sets, and a composite score. AARC total losses, cognitive losses, total gains, and cognitive gains were used. Age, gender, and education covariates were included. Analysis of Diehl and Wahl’s (2010) model showed that the composite and individual reasoning measures had negative direct effects on all AARC measures. Ageism mediated the effect of the composite and individual reasoning measures on AARC total and cognitive losses. In the alternative model, ageist experiences had positive direct effects on AARC total and cognitive losses. The composite, Number Series, and Letter Sets mediated the effect of ageism on all AARC measures. Word Series mediated the effect of ageism on total and cognitive losses. Overall, inductive reasoning seems to play an important role in understanding the relationship of ageism with AARC. Thus, inductive reasoning abilities may be a potential intervention point to cultivate well-being. Future research should assess additional domains of cognition.

How to Get Better: Taking Notes Mediates the Effect of a Video Tutorial on Number Series

In recent studies, test-score increases have been shown in rule-based intelligence test tasks, such as number series, after watching a corresponding video tutorial. An open question remains regarding the mechanisms involved. Specifically, taking notes to describe the relations between numbers might be linked to test scores, and is hypothesized to mediate the effect of a number series video tutorial on number series test scores. Therefore, an experimental group (EG) watching a number series video tutorial (n = 58) was compared with a control group (CG) watching an irrelevant tutorial (n = 52) before working on number series items. Results revealed higher number series scores in the EG than the CG (d = .48), more items with provided notes in the EG than in the CG (d = .41), and substantial correlations between the number of items with notes and the number series sum scores in both groups (EG: r = .66; CG: r = .75). The effect of the video tutorial on the number series sum score was mediated by the number of items with notes (indirect effect = 3.41, SE = 1.74). Theoretical and practical implications as well as future research directions are discussed.

Reconstruction of the Sunspot Number Source Database and the 1947 Zurich Discontinuity

The recalibration of the sunspot number series, the primary long-term record of the solar cycle, requires the recovery of the entire collection of raw sunspot counts collected by the Zurich Observatory for the production of this index between 1849 and 1980.Here, we report about the major progresses accomplished recently in the construction of this global digital sunspot number database, and we derive global statistics of all the individual observers and professional observatories who provided sunspot data over more than 130 years.First, we can announce the full recovery of long-lost source-data tables covering the last 34 years between 1945 and 1979, and we describe the unique information available in those tables. We then also retrace the evolution of the core observing team in Zurich and of the auxiliary stations. In 1947, we find a major disruption in the composition of both the Zurich team and the international network of auxiliary stations.This sharp transition is unique in the history of the Zurich Observatory and coincides with the main scale-jump found in the original Zurich sunspot number series, the so-called “Waldmeier” jump. This adds key historical evidence explaining why methodological changes introduced progressively in the early 20th century could play a role precisely at that time. We conclude on the remaining steps needed to fully complete this new sunspot data resource.

Twin Prime Conjecture - Proof that there are infinite twin primes.

We determine that twin primes are not random within specific range of number series. Within the range, they are part of an infinite repeating cycle within the series. The repeating cycles of this series is symmetrical and that range is part of one such cycle. We can also determine where in the repeating cycle this range is located. Once we establish the repeating cycles, we find the probability of twin primes for the cycle/series. Next we determine the lower bound for the probability and the range. Finally, we prove that the twin prime conjecture is true.

Mathematics, Reading, and Selected Cognitive Abilities at the Beginning of Kindergarten

Cognitive abilities, executive functions (EFs) and patterning, and simple measures of early literacy and mathematics were measured for 275 kindergartners during the second and third month of formal schooling. An exploratory factor analysis revealed four factors. The first was a literacy factor, to which a number series scale made a small contribution. The second was primarily a mathematics scale, but also reflected early literacy. The ability to recognize patterns, working memory, and inhibition also contributed to this factor. A third factor involved cognitive flexibility, patterning, and literacy. Finally, there was a factor that essentially involved phonics. These results indicate that two EFs and patterning are related to early mathematics at the beginning of kindergarten when children have experienced little formal schooling. In addition, very early in kindergarten, there is a general achievement factor that does not reflect any of the cognitive abilities tested here.

ERP Characteristics of Inducing Rule Validity in Number Series Under Time Pressure

A great deal of research has been devoted to examining the neural mechanisms of inductive reasoning. However, the influences of rule validity and time pressure on numerical inductive reasoning remain unclear. In the current study, we aimed to examine the effects of these variables on the time course of rule identification in numerical inductive reasoning. We designed a 3 (task type: valid, invalid, and anomalous) × 2 (time pressure: with time pressure and without time pressure) within-subject experiment based on electroencephalographic event-related potentials (ERP). Behaviorally, we found significant effects of rule validity and time pressure on rule identification. Neurologically, we considered the elicited N200 ERP to reflect conflict detection and found it to be modulated by rule validity but not time pressure. We considered the induced P300 ERP to be primarily related to updating working memory, affected by both rule validity and time pressure. These findings have new implications for better understanding dynamic information processing within numerical inductive reasoning.