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Q3844224 | Improving the processes of management and organizational innovations in Borola Ltd. | Our overall concept is related to supporting a healthy lifestyle and creating a health culture in modern people. Since our creation in 1996 we have developed our ideas, and for 20 years we managed to become the only company in Bulgaria, which besides a manufacturer of food supplements and cosmetics, has a comprehensive health program with different directions. They are all developed by our development team, but as demand has outpaced our investment opportunities, we initially had to transfer some of the stages of the technological process to external contractors. This limited our capacity, increased the cost of products and we were unable to constantly control the quality. We solved these problems by investing in new equipment through which we closed the production cycle for the majority of products by reducing the participation in the production process of external contractors. In order to be able to continue our development and improve our market position, we need to significantly increase our management capacity through the implementation of CRM and ERP systems, as well as through the introduction and certification of a quality management system, according to ISO9001. This will improve the organisation within the enterprise, plan production resources better and have the opportunity to perform performance and productivity analyses to optimise production and commercial activities. Better organisation of the workflow will also allow us to introduce the envisaged new products into regular production more quickly. The quality management standard certification, together with the planned control equipment, will allow us to further enhance the export potential, as for most of our partners the availability of a certificate is a prerequisite for working with us. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
W2902821133 | Special Issue on Globalization, Cosmopolitanism, and Migration: Ethics of Inclusion and Exclusion | The contributors to this issue offer applied critical and normative perspectives on central, yet overlooked, ethical aspects of migration management with a certain cosmopolitan lance in some capacity. However, cosmopolitanism might mean different things for transnational migration. It can refer to “political cosmopolitanism” that provides the reasons for why there should be certain global institutions governing migration. It can also refer to “moral cosmopolitanism” that simply represents a moral concern for individual rights and interests first and foremost (Caney 2005). Cosmopolitanism can also work as a lens that is based on a scepticism towards using the nation-state as the ultimate unit or locus of analysis. These perspectives are not mutually exclusive, and the contributions in this special issue accommodate a form of cosmopolitan outlook or stance to some extent in their discussion on migration management practices. | [
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
]
|
10.1083/jcb.200903131 | Muscle inactivation of mTOR causes metabolic and dystrophin defects leading to severe myopathy | Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a key regulator of cell growth that associates with raptor and rictor to form the mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTORC2, respectively. Raptor is required for oxidative muscle integrity, whereas rictor is dispensable. In this study, we show that muscle-specific inactivation of mTOR leads to severe myopathy, resulting in premature death. mTOR-deficient muscles display metabolic changes similar to those observed in muscles lacking raptor, including impaired oxidative metabolism, altered mitochondrial regulation, and glycogen accumulation associated with protein kinase B/Akt hyperactivation. In addition, mTOR-deficient muscles exhibit increased basal glucose uptake, whereas whole body glucose homeostasis is essentially maintained. Importantly, loss of mTOR exacerbates the myopathic features in both slow oxidative and fast glycolytic muscles. Moreover, mTOR but not raptor and rictor deficiency leads to reduced muscle dystrophin content. We provide evidence that mTOR controls dystrophin transcription in a cell-autonomous, rapamycin-resistant, and kinase-independent manner. Collectively, our results demonstrate that mTOR acts mainly via mTORC1, whereas regulation of dystrophin is raptor and rictor independent. | [
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
]
|
10.1007/s00216-011-5556-4 | Monitoring metabolites consumption and secretion in cultured cells using ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-ToF-MS) | Here we present an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) method for extracellular measurements of known and unexpected metabolites in parallel. The method was developed by testing 86 metabolites, including amino acids, organic acids, sugars, purines, pyrimidines, vitamins, and nucleosides, that can be resolved by combining chromatographic and m/z dimensions. Subsequently, a targeted quantitative method was developed for 80 metabolites. The presented method combines a UPLC approach using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) and MS detection achieved by a hybrid quadrupole-time of flight (Q-ToF) mass spectrometer. The optimal setup was achieved by evaluating reproducibility and repeatability of the analytical platforms using pooled quality control samples to minimize the drift in instrumental performance over time. Then, the method was validated by analyzing extracellular metabolites from acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines (MOLT-4 and CCRF-CEM) treated with direct (A-769662) and indirect (AICAR) AMP activated kinase (AMPK) activators, monitoring uptake and secretion of the targeted compound over time. This analysis pointed towards a perturbed purine and pyrimidine catabolism upon AICAR treatment. Our data suggest that the method presented can be used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of extracellular metabolites and it is suitable for routine applications such as in vitro drug screening. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
W2381892345 | The Design of Vegetable Greenhouse Temperature and Humidity Monitoring System Based on ARM11 Processor | According to the application requirements of vegetable greenhouse temperature and humidity monitoring,it needs to de-sign a greenhouse temperature and humidity monitoring system based on ARM11 processor.This paper firstly analyzes the selection of tem-perature and humidity sensor and ARM processor and function in details,then describes the detailed design of algorithm of vegetablegreenhouse temperature and humidity,which mainly solves the multi senors data fusion and the anti-jamming problem in the process ofsampling,and the problem of automatic control in the vegetable greenhouse temperature and humidity. This test shows that the tempera-ture and humidity monitoring system designed in this paper has quicker response speed can carry on the adjustment in vegetable green-house temperature and humidity in a short period time. Besides,this monitoring system has stronger anti-jamming ability. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1016/j.jmb.2016.10.012 | The Multiple Facets of PRC2 Alterations in Cancers | Genome sequencing of large cohorts of tumors has revealed that mutations in genes encoding chromatin regulators are frequent in cancer. However, the precise contribution of these mutations to tumor development often remains elusive. Here, we review the current knowledge concerning the alterations of the Polycomb machinery in cancer, with a particular focus on the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), a key chromatin modifier involved in the maintenance of transcriptional silencing. A broad variety of alterations can impair PRC2 activity; yet, overall, only one type of alteration is found in a given class of tumor. We discuss the potential impact of the various types of PRC2 alterations on gene expression. We propose that the distinct set of genes regulated by PRC2, depending on tumor etiology, constrain the type of alteration of PRC2 that can fuel tumor development. Beyond this specificity, we propose that PRC2 and, more generally, chromatin regulators act as gatekeepers of transcriptional integrity, a role that often confers a tumor-suppressive function. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
10.1016/j.culher.2017.09.008 | What is a nautical chart, really? Uncovering the geometry of early modern nautical charts | During the sixteenth century and beyond, nautical charts were the single most important source of geographical information for the image of the world that was depicted in European maps and atlases. However, little was known until very recently about the geometry of these remarkable artefacts. Making use of results obtained with modern techniques of cartometric analysis and numerical modeling, we clarify the nature of the early modern nautical chart and show how its geometry is intimately connected with the contemporaneous navigational methods. Two major conclusions follow from our study: firstly, nautical charts can only be understood in full cognizance of the navigational techniques they were intended to support; and secondly, nautical charts were instruments for navigation, not attempts at representing the Earth. | [
"The Study of the Human Past",
"Mathematics"
]
|
10.1074/jbc.M114.596585 | Aberrant assembly complexes of the reaction center light-harvesting 1 PufX (RC-LH1-PufX) core complex of rhodobacter sphaeroides imaged by atomic force microscopy | In the purple phototrophic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides, manyproteincomplexescongregate within themembrane to form operational photosynthetic units consisting of arrays of light-harvesting LH2 complexes and monomeric and dimeric reaction center (RC)-light-harvesting 1 (LH1)-PufX "core" complexes. Each half of a dimer complex consists of aRCsurrounded by 14 LH1 αβ subunits, with two bacteriochlorophylls (Bchls) sandwiched between each αβ pair of transmembrane helices. We used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to investigate the assembly of single molecules of the RC-LH1-PufX complex using membranes prepared from LH2-minus mutants. When the RC and PufX components were also absent, AFM revealed a series ofLH1variants where the repeating α1β1(Bchl)2 units had formed rings of variable size, ellipses, and spirals and also arcs that could be assembly products. The spiral complexes occur when the LH1 ring has failed to close, and short arcs are suggestive of prematurely terminated LH1 complex assembly. In the absence of RCs, we occasionally observed captive proteins enclosed by the LH1 ring. When production of LH1 units was restricted by lowering the relative levels of the cognate pufBA transcript, we imaged a mixture of complete RC-LH1 core complexes, empty LH1 rings, and isolated RCs, leading us to conclude that once a RC associates with the first α1β1(Bchl)2 subunit, cooperative associations between subsequent subunits and the RC tend to drive LH1 ring assembly to completion. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
W1996673298 | Hydrogen generated from hydrolysis of ammonia borane using cobalt and ruthenium based catalysts | Abstract Ammonia borane (NH 3 BH 3 , AB), one kind of promising hydrogen storage materials, is hydrolyzed to produce hydrogen in presence of HCl, Co/IR-120 and Ru/IR-120 catalysts. The kinetics analysis of the AB hydrolysis shows that hydrogen production is of the first-order reaction in regard to both concentrations of ammonia borane and catalysts initially present, respectively. The hydrolyzate of ammonia borane after hydrogen evolution is also characterized with XRD, FT-IR and 11 B NMR. Boric acid (H 3 BO 3 ) is found to be the dominant product in the hydrolyzate. Besides, the produced gas is discovered to contain both hydrogen and ammonia according to the GC–MS analysis and the indophenol colorimetric analysis. A possible reaction pathway on hydrogen generation from hydrolysis of ammonia borane is, accordingly, proposed based on the existence of boric acid, hydrogen and ammonia in the products. The total life cycle of ammonia borane is also proposed to illustrate formation of different intermediates during the AB hydrolysis for hydrogen generation and a possible regeneration scheme of the spent ammonia borane. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
10.1103/PhysRevB.94.165141 | Capturing nonlocal interaction effects in the Hubbard model: Optimal mappings and limits of applicability | We investigate the Peierls-Feynman-Bogoliubov variational principle to map Hubbard models with nonlocal interactions to effective models with only local interactions. We study the renormalization of the local interaction induced by nearest-neighbor interaction and assess the quality of the effective Hubbard models in reproducing observables of the corresponding extended Hubbard models. We compare the renormalization of the local interactions as obtained from numerically exact determinant quantum Monte Carlo to approximate but more generally applicable calculations using dual boson, dynamical mean field theory, and the random phase approximation. These more approximate approaches are crucial for any application with real materials in mind. Furthermore, we use the dual boson method to calculate observables of the extended Hubbard models directly and benchmark these against determinant quantum Monte Carlo simulations of the effective Hubbard model. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1186/s13059-017-1278-z | Large scale genomic reorganization of topological domains at the HoxD locus | Background: The transcriptional activation of HoxD genes during mammalian limb development involves dynamic interactions with two topologically associating domains (TADs) flanking the HoxD cluster. In particular, the activation of the most posterior HoxD genes in developing digits is controlled by regulatory elements located in the centromeric TAD (C-DOM) through long-range contacts. Results: To assess the structure-function relationships underlying such interactions, we measured compaction levels and TAD discreteness using a combination of chromosome conformation capture (4C-seq) and DNA FISH. We assessed the robustness of the TAD architecture by using a series of genomic deletions and inversions that impact the integrity of this chromatin domain and that remodel long-range contacts. We report multi-partite associations between HoxD genes and up to three enhancers. We find that the loss of native chromatin topology leads to the remodeling of TAD structure following distinct parameters. Conclusions: Our results reveal that the recomposition of TAD architectures after large genomic re-arrangements is dependent on a boundary-selection mechanism in which CTCF mediates the gating of long-range contacts in combination with genomic distance and sequence specificity. Accordingly, the building of a recomposed TAD at this locus depends on distinct functional and constitutive parameters. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
interreg_609 | Central Europe Eco-Tourism: tools for nature protection | The last State of Environment Report (SOER 2015, by European Environmental Agency) states that the most effective goal related to nature conservation is to foster ecosystems resilience and in this vision human activities are the main driving forces. Within the Protected Areas (PAs) involved in CEETO tourism, of all the human activities, can be the most effective tool to valorize the natural heritage, contribute to its conservation, achieve well-being of local communities. The identification of appropriate, cost-effective and low-impact models to manage a sustainable tourism is still an open challenge in Central Europe: CEETO project therefore aims at implementing an innovative governance system for tourism based on a participatory planning approach (as described in the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas-ECST), able to improve the managing capacities of PAs managers and implement an actual sustainable use of nature and its assets. Moreover CEETO aims at identifying and testing innovative management and monitoring tools specifically focused on sustainable tourism activities in different contexts, well represented by the PAs involved in the pilot actions. CEETO project builds on a strategic transnational partnership, that involves subjects (partners and associates) belonging both to the policy making level and to the PAs managing bodies level. The project has a high transnational character because it capitalizes the long-standing experiences of ECST implementation in Europe and it provides a common approach to Protected Areas management shared among the six participating Countries (IT; DE; AT; HU; SI; HR). The establishment of the permanent CEETO Network among project partners and associates will enhance the durability and sustainability of CEETO project outcomes well beyond its duration, ensure a wide and concrete impact of results, findings and best practices that will be transferred to the PAs in the whole Central Europe territory. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
]
|
10.1038/NCHEM.1343 | Ultrafast Dynamics In The Power Stroke Of A Molecular Rotary Motor | Light-driven molecular motors convert light into mechanical energy through excited-state reactions. Unidirectional rotary molecular motors based on chiral overcrowded alkenes operate through consecutive photochemical and thermal steps. The thermal (helix inverting) step has been optimized successfully through variations in molecular structure, but much less is known about the photochemical step, which provides power to the motor. Ultimately, controlling the efficiency of molecular motors requires a detailed picture of the molecular dynamics on the excited-state potential energy surface. Here, we characterize the primary events that follow photon absorption by a unidirectional molecular motor using ultrafast fluorescence up-conversion measurements with sub 50 fs time resolution. We observe an extraordinarily fast initial relaxation out of the Franck-Condon region that suggests a barrierless reaction coordinate. This fast molecular motion is shown to be accompanied by the excitation of coherent excited-state structural motion. The implications of these observations for manipulating motor efficiency are discussed. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
10.4324/9780203804803 | The Conceptual Politics Of Democracy Promotion | European Research Council, Political Economies of Democratisation, ERC grant number 202 596. | [
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
]
|
10.1021/acsnano.8b06464 | All-2D Material Inkjet-Printed Capacitors: Toward Fully Printed Integrated Circuits | A well-defined insulating layer is of primary importance in the fabrication of passive (e. g. , capacitors) and active (e. g. , transistors) components in integrated circuits. One of the most widely known two-dimensional (2D) dielectric materials is hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). Solution-based techniques are cost-effective and allow simple methods to be used for device fabrication. In particular, inkjet printing is a low-cost, noncontact approach, which also allows for device design flexibility, produces no material wastage, and offers compatibility with almost any surface of interest, including flexible substrates. In this work, we use water-based and biocompatible graphene and hBN inks to fabricate all-2D material and inkjet-printed capacitors. We demonstrate an areal capacitance of 2. 0 ± 0. 3 nF cm -2 for a dielectric thickness of ∼3 μm and negligible leakage currents, averaged across more than 100 devices. This gives rise to a derived dielectric constant of 6. 1 ± 1. 7. The inkjet printed hBN dielectric has a breakdown field of 1. 9 ± 0. 3 MV cm -1 . Fully printed capacitors with sub-micrometer hBN layer thicknesses have also been demonstrated. The capacitors are then exploited in two fully printed demonstrators: a resistor-capacitor (RC) low-pass filter and a graphene-based field effect transistor. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
W2041544866 | Electrochemical and electrogravimetric behaviors of conducting polymer. Theoretical aspects and application to co-polymer films based on juglone | Redox mechanisms of conducting polymers are not yet fully understood. Attractive analytical tools and pertinent models are necessary to achieve this goal. In this paper, numerical simulations based on a theory dealing with ions transfer through electroactive film/electrolyte interface was developed to predict the behavior of a conducting polymer called poly(JUG-co-JUGA). The main advantage of this approach is that it can be applied for any polymer assuming a mixed conducting material and a thin enough film neglecting the transport effect. It is the first time where the same model allows both classical cyclic electrogravimetry (current and mass over a potential scan) and ac-electrogravimetry (electrochemical impedance and mass/potential transfer functions) to be estimated theoretically. Moreover and to our knowledge the electrochemical behavior of poly(JUG-co-JUGA) was examined through these techniques for the first time. It is shown herein that the cation transfer is preponderant but the free solvent motion must be taken into account. This effect is not detected by classical electrochemical measurements but only by combining electrochemical characterization to gravimetric measurements. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
]
|
10.1088/1361-6463/aa935d | Comprehensive analyses of core-shell InGaN/GaN single nanowire photodiodes | Single nitride nanowire core/shell n-p photodetectors are fabricated and analyzed. Nanowires consisting of an n-doped GaN stem, a radial InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well system and a p-doped GaN external shell were grown by catalyst-free metal-organic vapour phase epitaxy on sapphire substrates. Single nanowires were dispersed and the core and the shell regions were contacted with a metal and an ITO deposition, respectively, defined using electron beam lithography. The single wire photodiodes present a response in the visible to UV spectral range under zero external bias. The detector operation speed has been analyzed under different bias conditions. Under zero bias, the -3 dB cut-off frequency is ∼200 Hz for small light modulations. The current generation was modeled using non-equilibrium Green function formalism, which evidenced the importance of phonon scattering for carrier extraction from the quantum wells. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1039/C8OB02243G | Self Assembled Micro Fibres By Oxime Connection Of Linear Peptide Amphiphiles | Linear peptide amphiphiles are excellent biocompatible scaffolds for the hierarchical self-assembly of one-dimensional nano-structures in aqueous media. However, their structural exploration and screening of self-assembling properties are often limited by time-consuming synthesis and purification steps. We here describe the application of an oxime bond as a powerful synthetic tool towards the conjugation of peptide heads bearing a hydroxylamine group with hydrophobic aldehyde tails. This methodology allowed the quick preparation of a small library of oxime-connected peptide amphiphiles, whose supramolecular screening revealed nano-to-micro-fibrillation with dependency on their chemical structure. These results demonstrate the simplicity and the synthetic potential of the oxime conjugation for the preparation of peptide amphiphiles with improved self-assembling capabilities. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
US 0308896 W | AUTOMATIC SEQUENTIAL TUNING OF NARROWBAND RECEIVERS OF A WIRELESS LOCATION SYSTEM FOR VOICE/TRAFFIC CHANNEL TRACKING | In a wireless location system, narrowband receivers are used in a mode, known as automatic sequential tuning, in which the receivers are tuned sequentially and in unison to a plurality of predefined RF channels. Signal transmissions in these channels are digitally recorded and used in location processing. A location record or report is generated to identify an estimated location of one or more wireless transmitters. The identity of the located transmitter(s) is determined by matching the location record to data indicating which wireless transmitters were in use at a time corresponding to the location record, and which cell sites and RF channels were used by each wireless transmitter. This method is especially suited for voice or traffic channel tracking of wireless mobile transmitters, such as cellular telephones. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1002/cbic.201900047 | Biocatalytic Protein-Based Materials for Integration into Energy Devices | There is a current need to fabricate new biobased functional materials. Bottom-up approaches to assemble simple molecular units have shown promise for biomaterial fabrication due to their tunability and versatility for the incorporation of functionalities. Herein, the fabrication of catalytic protein thin films by the entrapment of catalase into protein films composed of a scaffolding protein is demonstrated. Extensive structural and functional characterization of the films provide evidence of the structural integrity, order, stability, catalytic activity, and reusability of the biocatalytic materials. Finally, these functional biomaterials are coupled with piezoelectric disks to fabricate a second generation of bio-inorganic generators. These devices are capable of producing electricity from renewable fuels through catalase-driven gas production that mechanically stimulates the piezoelectric material. | [
"Materials Engineering",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
10.1083/jcb.201411093 | VAMP8-dependent fusion of recycling endosomes with the plasma membrane facilitates T lymphocyte cytotoxicity | Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) eliminate infected and neoplastic cells through directed release of cytotoxic granule contents. Although multiple SNARE proteins have been implicated in cytotoxic granule exocytosis, the role of vesicular SNARE proteins, i. e. , vesicle-associated membrane proteins (VAMPs), remains enigmatic. VAMP8 was posited to represent the cytotoxic granule vesicular SNARE protein mediating exocytosis in mice. In primary human CTLs, however, VAMP8 colocalized with Rab11a-positive recycling endosomes. Upon stimulation, these endosomes rapidly trafficked to and fused with the plasma membrane, preceding fusion of cytotoxic granules. Knockdown of VAMP8 blocked both recycling endosome and cytotoxic granule fusion at immune synapses, without affecting activating signaling. Mechanistically, VAMP8-dependent recycling endosomes deposited syntaxin-11 at immune synapses, facilitating assembly of plasma membrane SNARE complexes for cytotoxic granule fusion. Hence, cytotoxic granule exocytosis is a sequential, multivesicle fusion process requiring VAMP8-mediated recycling endosome fusion before cytotoxic granule fusion. Our findings imply that secretory granule exocytosis pathways in other cell types may also be more complex than previously appreciated. | [
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy"
]
|
10.1146/annurev-phyto-080615-095959 | A Multiscale Approach to Plant Disease Using the Metacommunity Concept | Plant disease arises from the interaction of processes occurring at multiple spatial and temporal scales. With new tools such as next-generation sequencing, we are learning about the diversity of microbes circulating within and among plant populations and often coinhabiting host individuals. The proliferation of pathogenic microbes depends on single-species dynamics and multispecies interactions occurring within and among host cells, the spatial organization and genetic landscape of hosts, the frequency and mode of transmission among hosts and host populations, and the abiotic environmental context. Here, we examine empirical evidence from these multiple scales to assess the utility of metacommunity theory, a theoretical framework developed for free-living organisms to further our understanding of and assist in predicting plant-pathogen infection and spread. We suggest that deeper understanding of disease dynamics can arise through the application of this conceptual framework at scales ranging from individual cells to landscapes. In addition, we use this multiscale theoretical perspective to synthesize existing knowledge, generate novel hypotheses, and point toward promising future opportunities for the study of plant pathogens in natural populations. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1364/OL.42.004307 | Single Shot Ultrafast Laser Processing Of High Aspect Ratio Nanochannels Using Elliptical Bessel Beams | Ultrafast lasers have revolutionized material processing, opening a wealth of new applications in many areas of science. A recent technology that allows the cleaving of transparent materials via non-ablative processes is based on focusing and translating a high-intensity laser beam within a material to induce a well-defined internal stress plane. This then enables material separation without debris generation. Here, we use a non-diffracting beam engineered to have a transverse elliptical spatial profile to generate high-aspect-ratio elliptical channels in glass of a dimension 350 nm×710 nm and subsequent cleaved surface uniformity at the sub-micron level. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1038/cdd.2013.60 | Contribution of humoral immune responses to the antitumor effects mediated by anthracyclines | Immunogenic cell death induced by cytotoxic compounds contributes to the success of selected chemotherapies by eliciting a protective anticancer immune response, which is mediated by CD4 + and CD8 + T cells producing interferon-γ. In many instances, cancer progression is associated with high titers of tumor-specific antibodies, which become detectable in the serum, but whose functional relevance is elusive. Here, we explored the role of humoral immune responses in the anticancer efficacy of anthracyclines. Chemotherapy reduced the number of tumor-infiltrating B cells, and failed to promote humoral responses against immunodominant tumor antigens. Although anthracycline-based anticancer chemotherapies failed in T cell-deficient mice, they successfully reduced the growth of cancers developing in mice lacking B lymphocytes (due to the injection of a B-cell-depleting anti-CD20 antibody), immunoglobulins (Igs) or Ig receptors (Fc receptor) due to genetic manipulations. These results suggest that the humoral arm of antitumor immunity is dispensable for the immune-dependent therapeutic effect of anthracyclines against mouse sarcoma. In addition, we show here that the titers of IgA and IgG antibodies directed against an autoantigen appearing at the cell surface of tumor cells post chemotherapy (calreticulin, CRT) did not significantly increase in patients treated with anthracyclines, and that anti-CRT antibodies had no prognostic or predictive significance. Collectively, our data indicate that humoral anticancer immune responses differ from cellular responses in, thus far, that they do not contribute to the success of anthracycline-mediated anticancer therapies in human breast cancers and mouse sarcomas. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1109/EMBC.2015.7320050 | Hardware In The Loop Simulation And Energy Optimization Of Cardiac Pacemakers | Implantable cardiac pacemakers are medical devices that can monitor and correct abnormal heart rhythms. To provide the necessary safety assurance for pacemaker software, both testing and verification of the code, as well as testing the entire pacemaker hardware in the loop, is necessary. In this paper, we present a hardware testbed that enables detailed hardware-in-the-loop simulation and energy optimisation of pacemaker algorithms with respect to a heart model. Both the heart and the pacemaker models are encoded in Simulink/Stateflow™ and translated into executable code, with the pacemaker executed directly on the microcontroller. We evaluate the usefulness of the testbed by developing a parameter synthesis algorithm which optimises the timing parameters based on power measurements acquired in real-time. The experiments performed on real measurements successfully demonstrate that the testbed is capable of energy minimisation in real-time and obtains safe pacemaker timing parameters. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
W1943671851 | Stability of social behavior in captive American Flamingos (<i>Phoenicopterus ruber</i>): A quantitative case study | Over a three-year period a captive American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) group showed recurring seasonal changes in the pattern of agonistic behavior. In spite of seasonal changes in the rates of agonistic behavior, dominance relations were generally stable across seasons. Males had significantly higher dominance status than females, and birds in long-term male-female pair bonds had significantly higher dominance than others. Unresolved agonistic encounters (URI), those with no clear winner or loser, were frequently observed; and their pattern of occurrence changed over the course of the year. URI were most frequent on the breeding "island" during the breeding season, and at the feeder in the post-breeding season. Thus, the frequency of URI reliably tracked seasonal changes regarding the resources most in contention; and, the extent of an individual's involvement in URI was indicative of privileged access to resources over which competition occurred. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
]
|
10.1145/3299869.3324961 | A Layered Aggregate Engine For Analytics Workloads | This paper introduces LMFAO (Layered Multiple Functional Aggregate Optimization), an in-memory optimization and execution engine for batches of aggregates over the input database. The primary motivation for this work stems from the observation that for a variety of analytics over databases, their data-intensive tasks can be decomposed into group-by aggregates over the join of the input database relations. We exemplify the versatility and competitiveness of LMFAO for a handful of widely used analytics: learning ridge linear regression, classification trees, regression trees, and the structure of Bayesian networks using Chow-Liu trees; and data cubes used for exploration in data warehousing. LMFAO consists of several layers of logical and code optimizations that systematically exploit sharing of computation, parallelism, and code specialization. We conducted two types of performance benchmarks. In experiments with four datasets, LMFAO outperforms by several orders of magnitude on one hand, a commercial database system and MonetDB for computing batches of aggregates, and on the other hand, TensorFlow, Scikit, R, and AC/DC for learning a variety of models over databases. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1145/2732527 | Lod Generation For Urban Scenes | We introduce a novel approach that reconstructs 3D urban scenes in the form of levels of detail (LODs). Starting from raw datasets such as surface meshes generated by multiview stereo systems, our algorithm proceeds in three main steps: classification, abstraction, and reconstruction. From geometric attributes and a set of semantic rules combined with a Markov random field, we classify the scene into four meaningful classes. The abstraction step detects and regularizes planar structures on buildings, fits icons on trees, roofs, and facades, and performs filtering and simplification for LOD generation. The abstracted data are then provided as input to the reconstruction step which generates watertight buildings through a min-cut formulation on a set of 3D arrangements. Our experiments on complex buildings and large-scale urban scenes show that our approach generates meaningful LODs while being robust and scalable. By combining semantic segmentation and abstraction, it also outperforms general mesh approximation approaches at preserving urban structures. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
324146 | Pacific Presences: Oceanic Art and European Museums | This project investigates major ethnographic collections that entered European museums during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and have remained largely unstudied since. Focussing on materials from the Pacific that are now in museums in Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom, it will use innovative cross-disciplinary methods to advance understandings of materiality, cross-cultural history, and museum policy and practice in Europe today. Led by the PI, a team of postdoctoral researchers based in Cambridge will investigate Oceanic collections across a range of European museums in unprecedented depth. They will work with a network of collaborators, including elders and community members in the Pacific Islands, and contemporary artists, who will provide a range of expert, customary, and experimental perspectives upon art works and genres, and upon the questions raised by collection histories and museum environments. The project will:
1. Theorise the constitution of collections, as complex, relational assemblages, never simple samples of local material cultures.
2. Use comparative methods to understand both the arts of Oceania and the making of European collections and museums. No study has yet analysed British, Dutch, French, German and Russian collecting histories together, nor asked how and why these inter-connected enterprises resulted in distinctive collections and museums.
3. Propose new, powerfully historicised approaches to presentations of Oceanic art, and world cultures generally, appropriate to the European museums of the twenty-first century. | [
"Studies of Cultures and Arts",
"The Study of the Human Past"
]
|
10.1038/nrneurol.2015.123 | Cell-based therapies for Parkinson disease-past insights and future potential | Parkinson disease (PD) is characterized by loss of the A9 nigral neurons that provide dopaminergic innervation to the striatum. This discovery led to the successful instigation of dopaminergic drug treatments in the 1960s, although these drugs were soon recognized to lose some of their efficacy and generate their own adverse effects over time. Despite the fact that PD is now known to have extensive non-nigral pathology with a wide range of clinical features, dopaminergic drug therapies are still the mainstay of therapy, and work well for many years. Given the success of pharmacological dopamine replacement, pursuit of cell-based dopamine replacement strategies seemed to be the next logical step, and studies were initiated over 30 years ago to explore the possibility of dopaminergic cell transplantation. In this Review, we outline the history of this therapeutic approach to PD and highlight the lessons that we have learned en route. We discuss how the best clinical outcomes have been obtained with fetal ventral mesencephalic allografts, while acknowledging inconsistencies in the results owing to problems in trial design, patient selection, tissue preparation, and immunotherapy used post-grafting. We conclude by discussing the challenges of bringing the new generation of stem cell-derived dopamine cells to the clinic. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
]
|
10.1016/j.bbapap.2017.02.007 | The papain-like cysteine proteinases NbCysP6 and NbCysP7 are highly processive enzymes with substrate specificities complementary to Nicotiana benthamiana cathepsin B | The tobacco-related plant Nicotiana benthamiana is gaining interest as a versatile host for the production of monoclonal antibodies and other protein therapeutics. However, the susceptibility of plant-derived recombinant proteins to endogenous proteolytic enzymes limits their use as biopharmaceuticals. We have now identified two previously uncharacterized N. benthamiana proteases with high antibody-degrading activity, the papain-like cysteine proteinases NbCysP6 and NbCysP7. Both enzymes are capable of hydrolysing a wide range of synthetic substrates, although only NbCysP6 tolerates basic amino acids in its specificity-determining S2 subsite. The overlapping substrate specificities of NbCysP6 and NbCysP7 are also documented by the closely related properties of their other subsites as deduced from the action of the enzymes on proteome-derived peptide libraries. Notable differences were observed to the substrate preferences of N. benthamiana cathepsin B, another antibody-degrading papain-like cysteine proteinase. The complementary activities of NbCysP6, NbCysP7 and N. benthamiana cathepsin B indicate synergistic roles of these proteases in the turnover of recombinant and endogenous proteins in planta, thus representing a paradigm for the shaping of plant proteomes by the combined action of papain-like cysteine proteinases. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering"
]
|
SE 9901101 W | A SWITCHING DEVICE | A device for protecting, in a multiphase electric power plant for alternating voltage, one or more objects from over-currents and/or over-voltages, said objects being connected to an electric power network or another equipment comprised in the electric power plant, said device comprising an arrangement for reducing over-currents and/or over-voltages, said arrangement being activatable with the assistance of an arrangement detecting over-current and/or over-voltage conditions. The arrangement reducing over-currents and/or over-voltages comprises a plurality of electric closing means (9a), which each are coupled to phase conductors in the plant and which are closable to reduce occurring over-currents and/or over-voltages. Said plurality of closing means (9a) have their electrode gaps (16a) arranged within an enclosure (22a) common to the closing means. The device and the closing means (9a) thereof may also be used for general switching purposes. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
10.1109/IROS.2015.7353855 | Learning Predictive State Representations For Planning | Predictive State Representations (PSRs) allow modeling of dynamical systems directly in observables and without relying on latent variable representations. A problem that arises from learning PSRs is that it is often hard to attribute semantic meaning to the learned representation. This makes generalization and planning in PSRs challenging. In this paper, we extend PSRs and introduce the notion of PSRs that include prior information (P-PSRs) to learn representations which are suitable for planning and interpretation. By learning a low-dimensional embedding of test features we map belief points of similar semantic to the same region of a subspace. This facilitates better generalization for planning and semantical interpretation of the learned representation. In specific, we show how to overcome the training sample bias and introduce feature selection such that the resulting representation emphasizes observables related to the planning task. We show that our P-PSRs result in qualitatively meaningful representations and present quantitative results that indicate improved suitability for planning. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
W1946042141 | Research on yield estimation of rice based on remote sensing using moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer(MODIS) data: a case study of Jiangsu Province, China. | Based on the unique characteristic of high soil moisture in the flooding and transplanting period of rice, rice pixels in Jiangsu Province, China were extracted by vegetation index algorithm. The unique characteristic could be reflected by relationship between different vegetation indexes derived from MODIS09 data. Then, the relationship between statistical yield data and vegetation index of rice extracted previously in 2004-2006 was analyzed. Finally, rice yield in 2007 was predicted. The results showed that the method based on MODIS data can estimate yield effectively. The accuracy of predicted yield of each city in 2007 was about 95% and the relative error was 0.38% at the provincial level. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
GB 1804349 A | Improvements in thread carrier driving mechanism for straight bar knitting machines | 673,979. Knitting. COLTON, L. H. (Thiede, W.). July 8, 1949, No. 18043/49. Class 74 (ii). A straight-bar knitting-machine has a positive thread carrier drive, providing a substantially constant lead of the thread carrier or carriers in front of the slurcock, in which a coupling device for engaging and disengaging a thread carrier rod to and from the slurcock bar comprises an element movable along a cycloidal path during engagement to achieve substantially shock-free acceleration of the thread carrier rod at the commencement of its travel and movable along a cycloidal path during disengagement to achieve substantially shock-free retardation of the thread carrier rod at the end of its travel. As slur bar 1 begins to move to the left, pinion 7, which is carried with it, rolls along rack 15 and is rotated clockwise through 90 degrees. During this rotation, roller 6 enters behind member 9 and moves thread carrier rod 2 with increasing speed until, when crank-arm 5 is horizontal, bar 2 is moving at the same speed as bar 1. Towards the end of the traverse, pinion 7 engages rack 16 and is rotated through a further 90 degrees to release member 9 by means of a bar 24. Rack pairs 15-17 and 16-18 are now raised whilst the slurcock is stationary, so that, as the reverse traverse begins, pinion 7 rolls along rack 18 through a third 90 degrees to enter pin 6 behind member 11 and accelerate rod 2 up to full speed and, as the traverse is ending, rolls along rack 17, through a final 90 degrees to disengage pin 6. Racks 15, 17 and 16, 18 are moved, during widening or narrowing, by means of rods 26, 27. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
323042 | Design Principles of Microtubule Cytoskeleton Architectures during Cell Division | The microtubule cytoskeleton provides an intracellular coordinate system and a mechanical scaffold for a multitude of essential cellular functions. The design principles underlying the dynamic organisation and function of the microtubule cytoskeleton are not understood. Using an in vitro reconstitution approach, we will determine the rules that govern which combination of mechano-chemical elements gives rise to specific large-scale organisation of the microtubule cytoskeleton. We will reconstitute the architecture of bipolar spindles that are essential for the segregation of the genetic material during cell division. For the in vitro reconstitutions, we will use candidate proteins suggested to be crucial by the literature and we will identify as yet unknown proteins with critical activities. We will investigate key fundamental questions: In which region of the multidimensional biochemical parameter space is bipolarity encoded, which is essential for successful cell division? What are the molecular mechanisms that determine size scaling of spindles or of spindle substructures? How do chromosomes position themselves correctly within spindles and how are spindles positioned properly within cells? To validate that the answers obtained from our in vitro reconstitutions are also applicable to the cytoskeleton in vivo, the reconstituted systems will be quantitatively compared to living cells at the global and single molecule level. The results of our experiments will develop theoretical models of cytoskeleton architecture and function. The overall goal of the project is to understand at a mechanistic level how the self-organised architecture of the microtubule cytoskeleton, and its collective dynamic and mechanical properties, derive from the complex interplay between its mechano-chemical constituents. This will link the functional properties of a system to the fundamental biochemistry and biophysics of the system’s components. | [
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
885746 | Neural origins of mind reading | Human thoughts have no mass and remain definitely hidden from others’ view. Still, we are remarkable at predicting others’ mental states from observable phenomena. Sensitivity to eye cues enables us, for example, to detect the presence of other minds, assess theirs content and interact with them through eye contact, gaze following and joint attention. Emerging in early infancy, these competences are precursor to later mentalizing abilities and are known to depend upon a set of cerebral structures overlapping with the theory of mind network, under the regulatory influence of neuropeptides such as oxytocin. While the existence of theory of mind in monkeys and apes is a matter of debate, these animals attend to eyes and understand what others see. Non-human primates thus offer a valuable perspective on the evolutionary path that shaped our brain to use eyes as a social interaction device and as a window into other’s mind. SOCIALEYES will aim to test the hypothesis that “eye reading” is rooted in conserved visual specializations, shared with functions like threat and danger detection. It will emphasize the role of a subcortical network that includes the hypothalamic oxytocin system, superior colliculus and amygdala. The links between eye processing, joint attention and knowledge states attribution (WP1) will be investigated in socially-interacting monkey dyads. The contribution of the colliculus and amygdala to joint attention mechanisms will be compared to that of core mentalizing regions of the cortex (WP2) using single neuron recordings. The functional role of oxytocin signaling within this network on joint attention and eye reading behavior (WP3) will be evaluated with site- and cell type-specific reversible inactivation procedures. Finally, the relevance of joint attention and eye reading abilities to natural social interactions (WP4) will be tested using novel ethological and computer vision-based behavior recognition methods in freely behaving monkeys. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1016/j.yexcr.2010.07.008 | A phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase class III sub-complex containing VPS15, VPS34, Beclin 1, UVRAG and BIF-1 regulates cytokinesis and degradative endocytic traffic | The mammalian class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K-III) complex regulates fundamental cellular functions, including growth factor receptor degradation, cytokinesis and autophagy. Recent studies suggest the existence of distinct PI3K-III sub-complexes that can potentially confer functional specificity. While a substantial body of work has focused on the roles of individual PI3K-III subunits in autophagy, functional studies on their contribution to endocytic receptor downregulation and cytokinesis are limited. We therefore sought to elucidate the specific nature of the PI3K-III complexes involved in these two processes. High-content microscopy-based assays combined with siRNA-mediated depletion of individual subunits indicated that a specific sub-complex containing VPS15, VPS34, Beclin 1, UVRAG and BIF-1 regulates both receptor degradation and cytokinesis, whereas ATG14L, a PI3K-III subunit involved in autophagy, is not required. The unanticipated role of UVRAG and BIF-1 in cytokinesis was supported by a strong localisation of these proteins to the midbody. Importantly, while the tumour suppressive functions of Beclin 1, UVRAG and BIF-1 have previously been ascribed to their roles in autophagy, these results open the possibility that they may also contribute to tumour suppression via downregulation of mitogenic signalling by growth factor receptors or preclusion of aneuploidy by ensuring faithful completion of cell division. | [
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
W1510163937 | The Effect of Interest Rate, Inflation and Government Expenditure on Economic Growth in Indonesia Period of 2005- 2012 | This study analyzed the effect of interest rates, inflation rates and government spending on economic growth in Indonesia during 2005 to 2012. By using the method of data analysis panel, overall the independent variables namely interest rate, inflation rate and government spending has a 99% influence on the dependent variable of economic growth. The results of this research is government spending has a positive significant to economic growth. It means that government spending has an effect on economic growth, according to Keynesian theory. Variable interest rate has a significant negative to economic growth, it means that the interest rate effect on economic growth. If the central bank decrease the interest rate, then the investment will be increase, and it means economic growth will also increase. While the rate of inflation also affect economic growth, inflation has a significant positive to economic growth, because the inflation rate in Indonesia is relatively low, it is below 10% and stable. Keywords: interest rate, inflation, government expenditure, economic growth | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
10.1167/17.2.12 | Different Spatial Representations Guide Eye And Hand Movements | Our visual system allows us to localize objects in the world and plan motor actions toward them. We have recently shown that the localization of moving objects differs between perception and saccadic eye movements (Lisi & Cavanagh, 2015), suggesting different localization mechanisms for perception and action. This finding, however, could reflect a unique feature of the saccade system rather than a general dissociation between perception and action. To disentangle these hypotheses, we compared object localization between saccades and hand movements. We flashed brief targets on top of double-drift stimuli (moving Gabors with the internal pattern drifting orthogonally to their displacement, inducing large distortions in perceived location and direction) and asked participants to point or make saccades to them. We found a surprising difference between the two types of movements: Although saccades targeted the physical location of the flashes, pointing movements were strongly biased toward the perceived location (about 63% of the perceptual illusion). The same bias was found when pointing movements were made in open-loop conditions (without vision of the hand). These results indicate that dissociations are present between different types of actions (not only between action and perception) and that visual processing for saccadic eye movements differs from that for other actions. Because the position bias in the double-drift stimulus depends on a persisting influence of past sensory signals, we suggest that spatial maps for saccades might reflect only recent, short-lived signals, and the spatial representations supporting conscious perception and hand movements integrate visual input over longer temporal intervals. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
W3102940152 | Scalar field cosmologies with inverted potentials | Regular bouncing solutions in the framework of a scalar-tensor gravity model were found in a recent work. We reconsider the problem in the Einstein frame (EF) in the present work. Singularities arising at the limit of physical viability of the model in the Jordan frame (JF) are either of the Big Bang or of the Big Crunch type in the EF. As a result we obtain integrable scalar field cosmological models in general relativity (GR) with inverted double-well potentials unbounded from below which possess solutions regular in the future, tending to a de Sitter space, and starting with a Big Bang. The existence of the two fixed points for the field dynamics at late times found earlier in the JF becomes transparent in the EF. | [
"Universe Sciences",
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter"
]
|
10.1162/NECO_a_00141 | On the simulation of nonlinear bidimensional spiking neuron models | Bidimensional spiking models are garnering a lot of attention for their simplicity and their ability to reproduce various spiking patterns of cortical neurons and are used particularly for large network simulations. These models describe the dynamics of the membrane potential by a nonlinear differential equation that blows up in finite time, coupled to a second equation for adaptation. Spikes are emitted when the membrane potential blows up or reaches a cutoff Θ. The precise simulation of the spike times and of the adaptation variable is critical, for it governs the spike pattern produced and is hard to compute accurately because of the exploding nature of the system at the spike times. We thoroughly study the precision of fixed time-step integration schemes for this type of model and demonstrate that these methods produce systematic errors that are unbounded, as the cutoff value is increased, in the evaluation of the two crucial quantities: the spike time and the value of the adaptation variable at this time. Precise evaluation of these quantities therefore involves very small time steps and long simulation times. In order to achieve a fixed absolute precision in a reasonable computational time, we propose here a new algorithm to simulate these systems based on a variable integration step method that either integrates the original ordinary differential equation or the equation of the orbits in the phase plane, and compare this algorithm with fixed time-step Euler scheme and other more accurate simulation algorithms. | [
"Mathematics",
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System"
]
|
10.1016/j.cirp.2018.03.005 | Ultimate capability of variable pitch milling cutters | Variable pitch milling cutters intend to increase performance, but off-the-shelf cutters do not ensure this generally. Depending on the milling process they are selected for, they can perform better or even worse than uniform pitch cutters do. Improved performance can be guaranteed by considering the reflected dynamic behaviour of the machine/tool/workpiece system. This work presents the achievable upper and lower capability bounds by introducing so-called stabilizability diagrams of a hypothetical variable pitch milling cutter that is tuned continuously along the stability boundaries. Robustly tuned milling cutters are designed for selected spindle speed ranges, which are experimentally tested both under laboratory and industrial conditions. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
W4221113285 | Rôle des facteurs sociogéographiques dans la participation à un programme de réadaptation cardiaque après une angioplastie coronarienne | La réadaptation cardiaque (RC) après angioplastie coronaire pour syndrome coronarien aigu (SCA) ou chronique (SCC) est sous-utilisée en France, malgré son efficacité démontrée sur la morbi-mortalité et son rapport coût-efficacité favorable. L'objectif était d’étudier, à partir de bases de données de vie réelle, le rôle des caractéristiques sociogéographiques des patients dans leur participation à la RC. Les patients ayant bénéficié d'une angioplastie en Aquitaine en 2013 ont été sélectionnés à partir du registre Aquitain de cardiologie interventionnelle (ACIRA) apparié au PMSI SSR 2013-2014 (97 % des séjours retrouvés), pour identifier leur participation à la RC. A partir d'une analyse classique des bases de données, l'association entre les facteurs socio-géographiques (indice de défavorisation sociale-FDep09, accessibilité spatiale aux médecins généralistes-APL MG 2015, distance domicile-centre de RC le plus proche) et la participation à la RC à 1 ou 3 mois pour les SCA et à 6 mois pour les SCC) a été analysée par des modèles de régression logistique multivariée. Au total, 19,0 % des 2797 patients SCA inclus ont bénéficié d'une RC à 3 mois (11,3 % à 1 mois) et 10,1 % des 1361 patients SCC en ont bénéficié à 6 mois. Dans les deux populations, le faible accès aux médecins généralistes (SCA-RC 3 mois : OR=0,57 IC 95 % [0,39-0,83], SCA-RC 1 mois : OR=0,62 IC 95 % [0,40-0,96], SCC-RC 6 mois : OR=0,37 IC 95 % [0,19-0,73]) et le niveau social "intermédiaire" par rapport au niveau "très avantagé" (SCA-RC 3 mois : OR=0,42 IC 95 % [0,21-0,83], SCA-RC 1 mois : OR=0,44 IC 95 % [0,29-0,68], SCC-RC 6 mois : OR=0,40 IC 95 % [0,22-0,76]) étaient associés à une plus faible probabilité de participation à une RC à 1, 3 et 6 mois. L'association avec la distance au centre de RC n'était pas significative. Les politiques visant à promouvoir la participation à la RC doivent prendre en compte le rôle de l'accessibilité aux médecins généralistes et le niveau social qui semblent associés à la participation aux programmes de RC. | [
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
]
|
10.1038/NNANO.2013.240 | Detecting The Translocation Of Dna Through A Nanopore Using Graphene Nanoribbons | Solid-state nanopores can act as single-molecule sensors and could potentially be used to rapidly sequence DNA molecules. However, nanopores are typically fabricated in insulating membranes that are as thick as 15 bases, which makes it difficult for the devices to read individual bases. Graphene is only 0. 335 nm thick (equivalent to the spacing between two bases in a DNA chain) and could therefore provide a suitable membrane for sequencing applications. Here, we show that a solid-state nanopore can be integrated with a graphene nanoribbon transistor to create a sensor for DNA translocation. As DNA molecules move through the pore, the device can simultaneously measure drops in ionic current and changes in local voltage in the transistor, which can both be used to detect the molecules. We examine the correlation between these two signals and use the ionic current measurements as a real-time control of the graphene-based sensing device. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
10.1002/ejhf.801 | Circular RNAs in heart failure | Cardiovascular disease, and particularly heart failure, is still a serious health care issue for which novel treatments and biomarkers are needed. The RNA family comprises different subgroups, among which the small-sized microRNAs and the larger long non-coding RNAs have shown some potential to aid in moving personalized health care of heart failure patients a step forward. Here, members of the Cardiolinc network review the recent findings suggesting that the less well-known circular RNAs may constitute a novel reservoir of therapeutic targets and biomarkers of heart failure. The knowledge of the mode of biogenesis of circular RNAs will first be reported, followed by a description of different features that make these RNA molecules of interest for the heart failure community. The functions of circular RNAs in the heart will be described, with some emphasis given to their regulation in the failing heart. Circulating in the bloodstream, circular RNAs have appeared as potential biomarkers and recent findings associated with the use of circular RNAs as heart failure biomarkers will be discussed. Finally, some directions for future research will be provided. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1002/ece3.4595 | Silk properties and overwinter survival in gregarious butterfly larvae | All organisms are challenged by encounters with parasites, which strongly select for efficient escape strategies in the host. The threat is especially high for gregarious species entering immobile periods, such as diapause. Larvae of the Glanville fritillary butterfly, Melitaea cinxia, spend the winter in diapause in groups of conspecifics each sheltered in a silk nest. Despite intensive monitoring of the population, we have little understanding of the ecological factors influencing larval survival over the winter in the field. We tested whether qualitative and quantitative properties of the silk nest contribute to larval survival over diapause. We used comparative proteomics, metabarcoding analyses, microscopic imaging, and in vitro experiments to compare protein composition of the silk, community composition of the silk-associated microbiota, and silk density from both wild-collected and laboratory-reared families, which survived or died in the field. Although most traits assessed varied across families, only silk density was correlated with overwinter survival in the field. The silk nest spun by gregarious larvae before the winter acts as an efficient breathable physical shield that positively affects larval survival during diapause. Such benefit may explain how this costly trait is conserved across populations of this butterfly species and potentially across other silk-spinning insect species. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
IB 2016057748 W | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING VIRTUAL EXTENSIBLE LOCAL AREA NETWORK (VXLAN) TUNNEL WITH BORDER GATEWAY PROTOCOL (BGP)-ETHERNET VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK (EVPN) INFRASTRUCTURE | A method and apparatus for monitoring a status of a virtual extensible local area network (VXLAN) tunnel between a first network device and a second network device are described. A first packet is received from the first network device through the VXLAN tunnel. The first packet includes a network identifier which identifies a VXLAN segment and an inner destination address that identifies the first network device within the VXLAN segment. In response to receiving the first packet, the second network device transmits, based upon the inner destination address and the network identifier, a second packet towards the first network device through the VXLAN tunnel, where the transmitting the second packet causes the first network device to determine whether the VXLAN tunnel is active. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1007/978-3-319-62914-8_3 | Teichmuller Spaces Of Generalized Hyperelliptic Manifolds | In this paper we answer two questions posed by Catanese (Bull Math Sci 5(3):287–449, 2015), thus achieving in particular a description of the connected components of Teichmuller space corresponding to Generalized Hyperelliptic Manifolds X. These are the quotients X = T∕G of a complex torus T by the free action of a finite group G, and they are also the Kahler classifying spaces for a certain class of Euclidean crystallographic groups \(\Gamma\), the ones which are torsion free and even. | [
"Mathematics"
]
|
817533 | Post-transcriptional regulation of effector function in T cells by RNA binding proteins | CD8+ T cells are critical to fight infections and to clear tumor cells through the production of inflammatory cytokines and cytotoxic molecules. These effector molecules must be tightly controlled: too little leads to the inability to control the pathogen, and too much can result in a life-threatening cytokine storm and tissue damage. While transcriptional control of effector genes is well-studied, regulation at the levels of RNA stability and translation efficiency by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) has remained underappreciated. We recently found that several cytokines are tightly regulated through these processes, and we identified ZFP36L2 as one of the responsible RBPs. However, much is still to be learned about the underlying molecular mechanisms. Moreover, there are >1000 putative RBPs, and a systematic analysis of their regulatory activity in T cells is lacking, particularly with regard to the control of effector proteins.
Here, we will use a combination of mouse genetics, and molecular and cellular biology to gain a deep understanding of the control of cytokine production by RBPs, using ZFP36L2 as a paradigm. Next, we will take a novel, highly sensitive proteomics approach to systematically identify the RBP repertoire in resting and activated primary human T cells. Complementary functional screens will identify those RBPs that control specific effectors. Selected RBPs identified in these screens will be studied in-depth to understand their roles in T cell responses to acute infection and in tumor models. Lastly, we will define how RBPs can imprint and/or maintain the killer phenotype of human CD8+ T cells.
This research will significantly advance our understanding of post-transcriptional regulation of T cell effector activity, and it should help us to develop novel tools to drive effective T cell responses against pathogens and malignant cells. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
]
|
220965 | Integrated climate adaptation service tools for improving resilience measure efficiency | Urban areas and traffic infrastructure linking such areas are highly vulnerable to climate change. Smart use of existing climate intelligence can increase urban resilience and generate added value for businesses and society at large.
Based on the results of FP7 climate change, future internet and crisis preparedness projects (SUDPLAN, ENVIROFI, CRISMA) with an average TRL of 4-5 and following an agile and user-centred design process, end-users, purveyors and providers of climate intelligence will co-create an integrated Climate Services Information System (CSIS) to integrate resilience into urban infrastructure.
As a result, CLARITY will provide an operational eco-system of cloud based climate services to calculate and present the expected effects of CC-induced and -amplified hazards at the level of risk, vulnerability and impact functions. CLARITY will offer what-If decision support functions to investigate the effects of adaptation measures and risk reduction options in the specific project context, and allow the comparison of alternative strategies.
Four demonstration cases will showcase CLARITY climate services in different climatic, regional, infrastructure and hazard contexts in Italy, Sweden, Austria and Spain; focusing on the planning and implementation of urban infrastructure development projects.
CLARITY will provide the practical means to include the effects of CC hazards and possible adaptation and risk management strategies into planning and implementation of such projects, focusing on increasing CC resilience. Decision makers involved in these projects will be empowered to perform climate proof and adaptive planning of adaptation and risk reduction options. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1038/ismej.2015.80 | Local adaptation constrains the distribution potential of heat-tolerant Symbiodinium from the Persian/Arabian Gulf | The symbiotic association of corals and unicellular algae of the genus Symbiodinium in the southern Persian/Arabian Gulf (PAG) display an exceptional heat tolerance, enduring summer peak temperatures of up to 36 °C. As yet, it is not clear whether this resilience is related to the presence of specific symbiont types that are exclusively found in this region. Therefore, we used molecular markers to identify the symbiotic algae of three Porites species along >1000 km of coastline in the PAG and the Gulf of Oman and found that a recently described species, Symbiodinium thermophilum, is integral to coral survival in the southern PAG, the world's hottest sea. Despite the geographic isolation of the PAG, we discovered that representatives of the S. thermophilum group can also be found in the adjacent Gulf of Oman providing a potential source of thermotolerant symbionts that might facilitate the adaptation of Indian Ocean populations to the higher water temperatures expected for the future. However, corals from the PAG associated with S. thermophilum show strong local adaptation not only to high temperatures but also to the exceptionally high salinity of their habitat. We show that their superior heat tolerance can be lost when these corals are exposed to reduced salinity levels common for oceanic environments elsewhere. Consequently, the salinity prevailing in most reefs outside the PAG might represent a distribution barrier for extreme temperature-tolerant coral/Symbiodinium associations from the PAG. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
10.1093/cercor/bhr191 | Heterogeneous spine loss in layer 5 cortical neurons after spinal cord injury | A large thoracic spinal cord injury disconnects the hindlimb (HL) sensory-motor cortex from its target, the lumbar spinal cord. The fate of the synaptic structures of the axotomized cortical neurons is not well studied. We evaluated the density of spines on axotomized corticospinal neurons at 3, 7, and 21 days after the injury in adult mice expressing yellow fluorescence protein in a subset of layer 5 neurons. Spine density of the dendritic segment proximal to the soma (in layer 5) declined as early as 3 days after injury, far preceding the onset of somatic atrophy. In the distal segment (in layer 2/3), spine loss was slower and less severe than in the proximal segment. Axotomy of corticospinal axons in the brainstem (pyramidotomy) induced a comparable reduction of spine density, demonstrating that the loss is not restricted to the neurons axotomized in the thoracic spinal cord. Surprisingly, in both forms of injury, the spine density of putative non-axotomized layer 5 neurons was reduced as well. The spine loss may reflect fast rearrangements of cortical circuits after axotomy, for example, by a disconnection of HL cortical neurons from synaptic inputs that no longer provide useful information. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
]
|
10.1063/1.4861003 | Analytic Cubic And Quartic Force Fields Using Density Functional Theory | We present the first analytic implementation of cubic and quartic force constants at the level of Kohn–Sham density-functional theory. The implementation is based on an open-ended formalism for the evaluation of energy derivatives in an atomic-orbital basis. The implementation relies on the availability of open-ended codes for evaluation of one- and two-electron integrals differentiated with respect to nuclear displacements as well as automatic differentiation of the exchange–correlation kernels. We use generalized second-order vibrational perturbation theory to calculate the fundamental frequencies of methane, ethane, benzene, and aniline, comparing B3LYP, BLYP, and Hartree–Fock results. The Hartree–Fock anharmonic corrections agree well with the B3LYP corrections when calculated at the B3LYP geometry and from B3LYP normal coordinates, suggesting that the inclusion of electron correlation is not essential for the reliable calculation of cubic and quartic force constants. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
]
|
10.1039/c8nr07667g | Cancer cell targeting and therapeutic delivery of silver nanoparticles by mesoporous silica nanocarriers: Insights into the action mechanisms using quantitative proteomics | An approach for safely delivering AgNPs to cancer cells and the evaluation of the affected cellular mechanism are presented. The use of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) as nanovehicles decorated with transferrin (Tf, targeting agent) provides a nanoplatform for the nucleation and immobilization of AgNPs (MSNs-Tf-AgNPs). We performed the physico-chemical characterization of the nanosystems and evaluated their therapeutic potential using bioanalytical strategies to estimate the efficiency of the targeting, the degree of cellular internalization in two cell lines with different TfR expression, and the cytotoxic effects of the delivered AgNPs. In addition, cellular localization of the nanosystems in cells has been evaluated by a transmission electron microscopy analysis of ultrathin sections of human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cells exposed to MSNs-Tf-AgNPs. The in vitro assays demonstrate that only the nanosystem functionalized with Tf is able to transport the AgNPs inside the cells which overexpress transferrin receptors. Therefore, this novel nanosystem is able to deliver AgNPs specifically to cancer cells overexpressing Tf receptors and offers the possibility of a targeted therapy using reduced doses of silver nanoparticles as cytotoxic agents. Then, a quantitative proteomic experiment validated through the analysis of gene expression has been performed to identify the molecular mechanisms of action associated with the chemotherapeutic potential of the MSNs-Tf-AgNP nanocarriers. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1016/j.gca.2014.07.014 | Adsorption and desorption of arsenic to aquifer sediment on the Red River floodplain at Nam Du, Vietnam | The adsorption of arsenic onto aquifer sediment from the Red River floodplain, Vietnam, was determined in a series of batch experiments. Due to water supply pumping, river water infiltrates into the aquifer at the field site and has leached the uppermost aquifer sediments. The leached sediments remain anoxic but contain little reactive arsenic and iron, and are used in our experiments. The adsorption and desorption experiments were carried out by addition or removal of arsenic from the aqueous phase in sediment suspensions under strictly anoxic conditions. Also the effects of HCO3, Fe(II), PO4 and Si on arsenic adsorption were explored. The results show much stronger adsorption of As(V) as compared to As(III), full reversibility for As(III) adsorption and less so for As(V). The presence or absence of HCO3 did not influence arsenic adsorption. Fe(II) enhanced As(V) sorption but did not influence the adsorption of As(III) in any way. During simultaneous adsorption of As(III) and Fe(II), As(III) was found to be fully desorbable while Fe(II) was completely irreversibly adsorbed and clearly the two sorption processes are uncoupled. Phosphate was the only solute that significantly could displace As(III) from the sediment surface. Compiling literature data on arsenic adsorption to aquifer sediment in Vietnam and Bangladesh revealed As(III) isotherms to be almost identical regardless of the nature of the sediment or the site of sampling. In contrast, there was a large variation in As(V) adsorption isotherms between studies. A tentative conclusion is that As(III) and As(V) are not adsorbing onto the same sediment surface sites. The adsorption behavior of arsenic onto aquifer sediments and synthetic Fe-oxides is compared. Particularly, the much stronger adsorption of As(V) than of As(III) onto Red River as well as on most Bangladesh aquifer sediments, indicates that the perception that arsenic, phosphate and other species compete for the same surface sites of iron oxides in sediments with properties similar to those of, for example a synthetic goethite, probably is not correct. A simple two-component Langmuir adsorption model was constructed to quantitatively describe the reactive transport of As(III) and PO4 in the aquifer. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Earth System Science"
]
|
W2748540641 | Intrinsic self-healing polymers with a high E-modulus based on dynamic reversible urea bonds | One of the hardest self-healing polymers ever reported has been prepared using the reversible bonds of sterically hindered urea groups. Polymers that can re-form internal chemical links after being scratched or cracked are usually subject to design constraints that lower their mechanical strength. To overcome these constraints, Martin D. Hager and colleagues from Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany, created a series of poly(methacrylate) polymers bearing reversible urea units. By simply exposing the starting reagents to brief flashes of light, they prepared a cross-linked polymer featuring the urea units on the poly(methacrylate) chains resulting in mechanically tough materials. After optimizing the cross-link density, the team deliberately scratched the polymer and then heated it to begin the self-healing process. Temperatures of about 100 degree Celsius were sufficient to open urea bonds up and initiate material repair. | [
"Materials Engineering",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
W2064866962 | A CFD study of biomass pyrolysis in a downer reactor equipped with a novel gas–solid separator — I: Hydrodynamic performance | This study presents the first part of a CFD study on the performance of a downer reactor for biomass pyrolysis. The reactor was equipped with a novel gas-solid separation method, developed by the co-authors from the ICFAR (Canada). The separator, which was designed to allow for fast separation of clean pyrolysis gas, consisted of a cone deflector and a gas exit pipe installed inside the downer reactor. A multi-fluid model (Eulerian-Eulerian) with constitutive relations adopted from the kinetic theory of granular flow was used to simulate the multiphase flow. The effects of the various parameters including operation conditions, separator geometry and particle properties on the overall hydrodynamics and separation efficiency were investigated. The model prediction of the separator efficiency was compared with experimental measurements. The results revealed distinct hydrodynamic features around the cone separator, allowing for up to 100% separation efficiency. The developed model provided a platform for the second part of the study, where the biomass pyrolysis is simulated and the product quality as a function of operating conditions is analyzed. Crown | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.06.028 | The use of close-range photogrammetry in zooarchaeology: Creating accurate 3D models of wolf crania to study dog domestication | Close-range photographic techniques - including photogrammetry - are becoming common tools for constructing three-dimensional (3D) models of artifacts, particularly in archaeological research. Whether models obtained through photogrammetry can be used for zooarchaeological studies requires a systematic examination. In the context of research into dog domestication, we explore whether 3D models of wolf crania, obtained through a photogrammetric approach, accurately describe the original cranium in term of colouration, texture and most importantly, geometry. To answer this question, we compared the topology of 3D models obtained with a high-resolution surface scanner (used as reference geometry) with models reconstructed from the same five wolf crania using photogrammetry. The pairs of models were then compared using both a visual, qualitative and two quantitative approaches. The latter, a geometric comparison computed the deviation map between the pairs of 3D models, which was then followed by a 3D landmark based geometric morphometric approach using corresponding analyses. Our results demonstrate that photogrammetry can produce 3D models with visually satisfying levels of morphological detail in terms of texture, colouration and geometry. In addition, the quantitative comparison of the models revealed an average distance between the two surfaces of 0. 088 mm with an average standard deviation of 0. 53 mm. The geometric morphometric analyses revealed the same degree of measurement error for the two series of scans (2. 04% and 1. 95%), with only 6. 31% of the morphometric variation being due to the acquisition technique. Photogrammetry, therefore, offers a low cost, easily portable and simple to perform alternative to traditional surface scanning, affording advantages that make it a highly useful tool for zooarchaeological research. | [
"The Study of the Human Past",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1142/S0219498813501211 | A Note On Nil And Jacobson Radicals In Graded Rings | It was shown by Bergman that the Jacobson radical of a Z-graded ring is homogeneous. This paper shows that the analogous result holds for nil radicals, namely, that the nil radical of a Z-graded ring is homogeneous. It is obvious that a subring of a nil ring is nil, but generally a subring of a Jacobson radical ring need not be a Jacobson radical ring. In this paper, it is shown that every subring which is generated by homogeneous elements in a graded Jacobson radical ring is always a Jacobson radical ring. It is also observed that a ring whose all subrings are Jacobson radical rings is nil. Some new results on graded-nil rings are also obtained. | [
"Mathematics"
]
|
10.1007/JHEP03(2015)085 | Wilson Loops And Minimal Surfaces Beyond The Wavy Approximation | We study Euclidean Wilson loops at strong coupling using the AdS/CFT correspondence, where the problem is mapped to finding the area of minimal surfaces in Hyperbolic space. We use a formalism introduced recently by Kruczenski to perturbatively compute the area corresponding to boundary contours which are deformations of the circle. Our perturbative expansion is carried to high orders compared with the wavy approximation and yields new analytic results. The regularized area is invariant under a one parameter family of continuous deformations of the boundary contour which are not related to the global symmetry of the problem. We show that this symmetry of the Wilson loops breaks at weak coupling at an a priori unexpected order in the perturbative expansion. We also study the corresponding Lax operator and algebraic curve for these solutions. | [
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter",
"Mathematics"
]
|
10.1039/c7nr05994a | Efficient electro-optic modulation in low-loss graphene-plasmonic slot waveguides | Surface plasmon polaritons enable light concentration within subwavelength regions, and here we demonstrate efficient and compact graphene-plasmonic modulators fully integrated in the silicon-on-insulator platform. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004685 | Implementation of Complex Biological Logic Circuits Using Spatially Distributed Multicellular Consortia | Engineered synthetic biological devices have been designed to perform a variety of functions from sensing molecules and bioremediation to energy production and biomedicine. Notwithstanding, a major limitation of in vivo circuit implementation is the constraint associated to the use of standard methodologies for circuit design. Thus, future success of these devices depends on obtaining circuits with scalable complexity and reusable parts. Here we show how to build complex computational devices using multicellular consortia and space as key computational elements. This spatial modular design grants scalability since its general architecture is independent of the circuit’s complexity, minimizes wiring requirements and allows component reusability with minimal genetic engineering. The potential use of this approach is demonstrated by implementation of complex logical functions with up to six inputs, thus demonstrating the scalability and flexibility of this method. The potential implications of our results are outlined. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1039/c6em00697c | Eawag-Soil in enviPath: a new resource for exploring regulatory pesticide soil biodegradation pathways and half-life data | Eawag-Soil offers an extensive collection of data on pesticide soil degradation pathways and half-lives for diverse uses, including QSBR development. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
W4205409966 | Severe alcoholic hepatitis as precipitant for organ failure and ACLF | Alcoholic hepatitis is the acute deterioration of alcoholic liver disease with rapid onset or worsening of jaundice, which in severe cases, may transition to acute-on-chronic liver failure with extremely high short-term mortality, increasing with the number and severity of hepatic and extra-hepatic organ dysfunction. Diagnosis and treatment are insufficient and challenging, especially due to the complex, multi-factorial and as yet not fully understood pathogenesis. While current management is limited to steroids and best supportive care, debate is ongoing concerning liver transplantation for selected patients, and several novel approaches are under way with mixed results. These drawbacks in disease management together with increasing prevalence in Germany, and generally in Western countries, constitute an unmet need for the healthcare systems. This review tries to summarize the current status of these aspects and provides an overview for pathogenesis, management and potential future treatments.Alkoholhepatitis ist die akute Verschlechterung der alkoholischen Lebererkrankungen mit einem raschen Auftreten oder einer Verschlechterung des Ikterus und in schweren Fällen mit der Transition zum akut-auf-chronischem Leberversagen mit einer horrenden Kurzzeitmortalität, die mit der Anzahl und Schwere der hepatischen und extrahepatischen Organdysfunktion ansteigt. Die Diagnose und Behandlung sind unbefriedigend und herausfordernd, vor allem wegen der komplexen und multifaktoriellen, unzureichend verstandenen Pathogenese. Während das aktuelle Management auf Steroide und “best supportive care” beschränkt ist, wird heftig über die Lebertransplantation für ausgewählte Patienten diskutiert, und mehrere neuere Strategien werden derzeit getestet mit gemischten Ergebnissen. Durch diese Nachteile des Managements zusammen mit der wachsenden Prävalenz in Deutschland und allgemein in westlichen Ländern, bezeichnet man die Alkoholhepatitis als ein „unmet need“ für das Gesundheitssystem. Diese Übersichtsarbeit versucht den aktuellen Stand dieser Aspekte zusammenzufassen und einen Überblick über die Pathogenese, Management und potenzielle zukünftige Therapien widerzugeben. | [
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1002/jmr.2527 | Antibody humanization by molecular dynamics simulations - In-silico guided selection of critical backmutations | Monoclonal antibodies represent the fastest growing class of biotherapeutic proteins. However, as they are often initially derived from rodent organisms, there is a severe risk of immunogenic reactions, hampering their applicability. The humanization of these antibodies remains a challenging task in the context of rational drug design. "Superhumanization" describes the direct transfer of the complementarity determining regions to a human germline framework, but this humanization approach often results in loss of binding affinity. In this study, we present a new approach for predicting promising backmutation sites using molecular dynamics simulations of the model antibody Ab2/3H6. The simulation method was developed in close conjunction with novel specificity experiments. Binding properties of mAb variants were evaluated directly from crude supernatants and confirmed using established binding affinity assays for purified antibodies. Our approach provides access to the dynamical features of the actual binding sites of an antibody, based solely on the antibody sequence. Thus we do not need structural data on the antibody-antigen complex and circumvent cumbersome methods to assess binding affinities. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1039/c8nr01622d | A gold-nanoparticle stoppered [2]rotaxane | A gold-nanoparticle stoppered [2]rotaxane based on a stable pseudo-rotaxane featuring an electroactive ferrocene rod encapsulated in a cucurbit[7]uril macrocycle is described. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
10.1371/journal.pone.0214510 | Why ruminating ungulates chew sloppily: Biomechanics discern a phylogenetic pattern | There is considerable debate regarding whether mandibular morphology in ungulates primarily reflects phylogenetic affinities or adaptation to specific diet. In an effort to help resolve this debate, we use three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) to assess the biomechanical performance of mandibles in eleven ungulate taxa with well-established but distinct dietary preferences. We found notable differences in the magnitude and the distribution of von Mises stress between Artiodactyla and Perissodactyla, with the latter displaying lower overall stress values. Additionally, within the order Artiodactyla the suborders Ruminantia and Tylopoda showed further distinctive stress patterns. Our data suggest that a strong phylogenetic signal can be detected in biomechanical performance of the ungulate mandible. In general, Perissodactyla have stiffer mandibles than Artiodactyla. This difference is more evident between Perissodactyla and ruminant species. Perissodactyla likely rely more heavily on thoroughly chewing their food upon initial ingestion, which demands higher bite forces and greater stress resistance, while ruminants shift comminution to a later state (rumination) where less mechanical effort is required by the jaw to obtain sufficient disintegration. We therefore suggest that ruminants can afford to chew sloppily regardless of ingesta, while hindgut fermenters cannot. Additionally, our data support a secondary degree of adaptation towards specific diet. We find that mandibular morphologies reflect the masticatory demands of specific ingesta within the orders Artiodactyla and Perissodactyla. Of particular note, stress patterns in the white rhinoceros (C. simum) look more like those of a general grazer than like other rhinoceros’ taxa. Similarly, the camelids (Tylopoda) appear to occupy an intermediate position in the stress patterns, which reflects the more ancestral ruminating system of the Tylopoda. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
W4211024852 | Adapter les territoires au risque d’inondation en France et en Espagne : vers de nouvelles pratiques d’aménagement des zones inondables ? | L’injonction actuelle à l’adaptation des territoires au changement climatique et à ses effets ne contribue-t-elle pas à l’émergence de nouvelles formes d’aménagement des zones exposées au risque d’inondation par débordement de cours d’eau ou submersion marine, via le développement de nouvelles pratiques opérationnelles visant à aménager avec l’inondabilité et l’eau ? Cette question est examinée grâce à une analyse comparée des politiques d’aménagement des zones inondables aujourd’hui mises en œuvre en France et en Espagne. En France, de nouvelles formes d’action publique voient le jour (au moins ponctuellement) afin de favoriser la résilience des territoires à l’inondation et leur adaptation aux conséquences du changement climatique. Les opérations d’urbanisme résilient et les acquisitions/démolitions de biens en zone à risque constituent deux manifestations de l’appropriation progressive de cette nouvelle logique par les acteurs de l’aménagement des territoires locaux. À l’inverse en Espagne, les initiatives s’inscrivant dans la logique du « faire avec » le risque d’inondation apparaissent bien plus embryonnaires. Toutefois, cette nouvelle perspective et les formes d’aménagement qui lui sont associées commencent à être mises en débat suite à de récents aléas naturels qui ne manquent pas de questionner les modes d’aménagement qui ont été privilégiés jusqu’à présent, en même temps qu’apparaissent des actions qui, promues par les collectivités territoriales, s’engagent pour un aménagement urbain plus résilient face au risque d’inondation. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space",
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
]
|
US 73463776 A | FUNNELING MACHINE WITH INCLINED ADVANCING RAMS | A vehicle for use in mine workings for enlarging a tunnel or for forming a heading and comprising a wheeled chassis having a rock breaker and a bucket loader mounted thereon further includes a conveyor means extending generally longitudinally of the chassis to receive rock and spoil collected by the bucket loader at the forward end of the chassis and to discharge such rock and spoil at the rearward end of such chassis. Rams are provided laterally of the chassis for supporting the same relative to opposed surfaces of the workings. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
interreg_1175 | ENERGY@SCHOOL: ENERGY OPTIMIZATION AND BEHAVIUOR CHANGE INTO SCHOOLS OF CENTRAL EUROPE | The building sector has high potential for energy optimization being the most consuming one in EU. In terms of public buildings heritage, energy consumption in schools is the second highest expenditure of Municipalities total running costs. This sector offers potential remarkable achievements in terms of EE, RES application and carbon footprint reduction and several PPs disparities exist as for planning and implementing performances of proper sector-based strategies, action plans and managerial capacities. Main ENERGY@SCHOOL objective is to increase the capacity of public sector to implement Energy Smart Schools, by application of an integrated approach that educate and train schools staff and pupils to become Senior and Junior Energy Guardians EGs. The project will provide: 1 Common/Transferrable and 8 customized Strategies for Smart Schools, 1 joint and 7 customized Energy Smart-school Management Plans, 3 smart phones APPs for EGs, 8 tested pilot solutions of EE&RES; application in schools under direct contribution of EGs, in the form of Guidelines, Toolbox, Best Practices as reference documents and experiences to capitalized far beyond project end. As well, training & education programmes will be provided as adaptable & replicable models for capacity raising and Energy Culture rooting. Innovation lies in the integrated (technical, applicative, educational, political) approach that will tackle EE and RES in a long term vision with active involvement of employees, experts, students, teachers and families – the EGs - in the process of transforming schools into virtuous energy-efficient environment. The transnational added value refers to remarkable match of PPs skills and experiences to guarantee concrete results: Progressive upgrade of public buildings in EE/RES applications and CO2 decrease, Budget-savings increase to be reinvested in training&education;, increase of public-schools capacity to improve EE & .RES by means of Senior and Junior EGs. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Earth System Science",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
]
|
10.1177/2041731420945633 | A Miniaturized Hydrogel Based In Vitro Model For Dynamic Culturing Of Human Cells Overexpressing Beta Amyloid Precursor Protein | Recent findings have highlighted an interconnection between intestinal microbiota and the brain, referred to as microbiota-gut-brain axis, and suggested that alterations in microbiota composition might affect brain functioning, also in Alzheimer's disease. To investigate microbiota-gut-brain axis biochemical pathways, in this work we developed an innovative device to be used as modular unit in an engineered multi-organ-on-a-chip platform recapitulating in vitro the main players of the microbiota-gut-brain axis, and an innovative three-dimensional model of brain cells based on collagen/hyaluronic acid or collagen/poly(ethylene glycol) semi-interpenetrating polymer networks and β-amyloid precursor protein-Swedish mutant-expressing H4 cells, to simulate the pathological scenario of Alzheimer's disease. We set up the culturing conditions, assessed cell response, scaled down the three-dimensional models to be hosted in the organ-on-a-chip device, and cultured them both in static and in dynamic conditions. The results suggest that the device and three-dimensional models are exploitable for advanced engineered models representing brain features also in Alzheimer's disease scenario. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1039/c4lc00985a | A droplet microfluidic system for sequential generation of lipid bilayers and transmembrane electrical recordings | We report a droplet microfluidic system that automates the formation of lipid bilayers and allows for electrophysiological measurements and for an automated screening protocols in which the activity of proteins is tested against inhibitors. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1016/j.coi.2010.12.017 | Signaling in thymic selection | T cell receptor signaling allows the developing thymocyte to undergo positive or negative selection, which is required for the formation of a useful mature T cell repertoire. Recent developments include the finding that much of the Lck kinase (required to initiate T cell signaling) is already in an active configuration before signaling. The analog strength of antigen binding to the T cell receptor binding may be translated into a digital signal by the amount of time the TCR is paired with a co-receptor carrying Lck. Downstream, the cellular localization of MAP kinase signaling is determined by the strength of the signal and in turn predicts positive or negative selection. A novel protein, Themis, is important in crossing the positive selection developmental checkpoint, but its mode of action is still uncertain. Commitment to the CD4 or CD8 lineage is influenced by the amount of ZAP-70 signaling and also by closely regulated responsiveness to intrathymic cytokines such as IL7. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy"
]
|
10.1007/978-3-030-01449-0_47 | Fast Light Field Inpainting Propagation Using Angular Warping And Color Guided Disparity Interpolation | This paper describes a method for fast and efficient inpainting of light fields. We first revisit disparity estimation based on smoothed structure tensors and analyze typical artefacts with their impact for the inpainting problem. We then propose an approach which is computationally fast while giving more coherent disparity in the masked region. This disparity is then used for propagating, by angular warping, the inpainted texture of one view to the entire light field. Performed experiments show the ability of our approach to yield appealing results while running considerably faster. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1080/13608746.2016.1199091 | Social Movements Within Organisations Occupy Parties In Italy And Turkey | AbstractThis paper analyses a little-studied phenomenon: movements within parties. While parties and movements are often assumed to be separate entities, the borders between the two have proved to be more fluent. Parties frequently play a pivotal role in movement politics, and movements influence parties through the dual militancy of many of their members. The article presents two cases of Occupy movements taking place within major left-of-centre parties – the Italian PD and the Turkish CHP – and analyses the causes of discontent within the party and the choice of activists to voice this discontent rather than exit the party. It is argued that, beyond country specificities, shared factors include the perceived betrayal of social-democratic values, a lack of internal democracy, and electoral defeats. In both cases, activists’ choice to refer to Occupy in their opposition inside the party can be explained by the normative resonance of anti-austerity protest claims and forms within the party, as well as the . . . | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
]
|
W2766464963 | Social hair pulling in captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) | Alopecia is common among captive populations of nonhuman primates. There are many potential causes of alopecia, including physiological conditions such as hormonal imbalance and infection, features of the captive environment such as housing type, ground substrate, and group density, as well as behavioral abnormalities such as self-plucking. A potential behavioral cause of alopecia in group-housed primates is social hair pulling, where one animal pulls hair from a conspecific. While social hair pulling has been conflated with overgrooming in some of the alopecia literature, other authors have categorized it as a form of aggression rather than a form of excessive grooming. In this study, we examined social hair pulling, grooming, and aggression within seven groups of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) (N = 319). We took weekly 30-min behavioral observations on each group for one year to assess the patterns of hair pulling and grooming, which monkeys were receiving and initiating these behaviors, as well as aggression and other behaviors indicating dominance. We also assessed the amount of alopecia on each individual monthly. While grooming tended to be directed "up" the hierarchy (i.e., monkeys were more likely to groom animals of a higher rank than lower rank), most hair pulling was directed "down" the hierarchy. Further, hair pulling seldom co-occurred with aggressive behaviors, suggesting that it was not a form of aggression. Hair pulling also usually resulted in ingestion of the pulled hair. Hair pulling was correlated with alopecia; monkeys who were frequent recipients of hair pulling scored higher on monthly alopecia ratings than those who were less often observed having hair pulled. Our results suggest that social hair pulling is a behavior distinct from either grooming or aggressive behavior, and that it may contribute to alopecia in socially housed macaques. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
10.1007/s11538-013-9924-4 | Travelling Waves in Hybrid Chemotaxis Models | Hybrid models of chemotaxis combine agent-based models of cells with partial differential equation models of extracellular chemical signals. In this paper, travelling wave properties of hybrid models of bacterial chemotaxis are investigated. Bacteria are modelled using an agent-based (individual-based) approach with internal dynamics describing signal transduction. In addition to the chemotactic behaviour of the bacteria, the individual-based model also includes cell proliferation and death. Cells consume the extracellular nutrient field (chemoattractant), which is modelled using a partial differential equation. Mesoscopic and macroscopic equations representing the behaviour of the hybrid model are derived and the existence of travelling wave solutions for these models is established. It is shown that cell proliferation is necessary for the existence of non-transient (stationary) travelling waves in hybrid models. Additionally, a numerical comparison between the wave speeds of the continuum models and the hybrid models shows good agreement in the case of weak chemotaxis and qualitative agreement for the strong chemotaxis case. In the case of slow cell adaptation, we detect oscillating behaviour of the wave, which cannot be explained by mean-field approximations. | [
"Mathematics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.7554/eLife.18146 | Intramuscular neurotrophin-3 normalizes low threshold spinal reflexes, reduces spasms and improves mobility after bilateral corticospinal tract injury in rats | Brain and spinal injury reduce mobility and often impair sensorimotor processing in the spinal cord leading to spasticity. Here, we establish that complete transection of corticospinal pathways in the pyramids impairs locomotion and leads to increased spasms and excessive mono-and polysynaptic low threshold spinal reflexes in rats. Treatment of affected forelimb muscles with an adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) encoding human Neurotrophin-3 at a clinically-feasible time-point after injury reduced spasticity. Neurotrophin-3 normalized the short latency Hoffmann reflex to a treated hand muscle as well as low threshold polysynaptic spinal reflexes involving afferents from other treated muscles. Neurotrophin-3 also enhanced locomotor recovery. Furthermore, the balance of inhibitory and excitatory boutons in the spinal cord and the level of an ion co-transporter in motor neuron membranes required for normal reflexes were normalized. Our findings pave the way for Neurotrophin-3 as a therapy that treats the underlying causes of spasticity and not only its symptoms. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1007/s11403-017-0201-8 | Much ado about making money: the impact of disclosure, news and rumors on the formation of security market prices over time | This article develops an agent-based model of security market pricing process, capable to capture main stylised facts. It features collective market pricing mechanisms based upon evolving heterogenous expectations that incorporate signals of security issuer fundamental performance over time. Distinctive signaling sources on this performance correspond to institutional mechanisms of information diffusion. These sources differ by duration effect (temporary, persistent, and permanent), confidence, and diffusion degree among investors over space and time. Under full and immediate diffusion and balanced reaction by all the investors, the value content of these sources is expected to be consistently and timely integrated by the market price process, implying efficient pricing. By relaxing these quite heroic conditions, we assess the impact of distinctive information sources over market price dynamics, through financial systemic properties such as market price volatility, exuberance and errancy, as well as market liquidity. Our simulation analysis shows that transient information shocks can have permanent effects through mismatching reactions and self-reinforcing feedbacks, involving mispricing in both value and timing relative to the efficient market price series. This mispricing depends on both the information diffusion process and the ongoing information confidence mood among investors over space and time. We illustrate our results through paradigmatic cases of stochastic news, before generalising them to autocorrelated news. Our results are further corroborated by robustness checks over the parameter space and across several market trading mechanisms. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1111/jeb.12621 | The locus of sexual selection: Moving sexual selection studies into the post-genomics era | Sexual selection drives fundamental evolutionary processes such as trait elaboration and speciation. Despite this importance, there are surprisingly few examples of genes unequivocally responsible for variation in sexually selected phenotypes. This lack of information inhibits our ability to predict phenotypic change due to universal behaviours, such as fighting over mates and mate choice. Here, we discuss reasons for this apparent gap and provide recommendations for how it can be overcome by adopting contemporary genomic methods, exploiting underutilized taxa that may be ideal for detecting the effects of sexual selection and adopting appropriate experimental paradigms. Identifying genes that determine variation in sexually selected traits has the potential to improve theoretical models and reveal whether the genetic changes underlying phenotypic novelty utilize common or unique molecular mechanisms. Such a genomic approach to sexual selection will help answer questions in the evolution of sexually selected phenotypes that were first asked by Darwin and can furthermore serve as a model for the application of genomics in all areas of evolutionary biology. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
10.7554/elife.48182 | A neural mechanism for contextualizing fragmented inputs during naturalistic vision | With every glimpse of our eyes, we sample only a small and incomplete fragment of the visual world, which needs to be contextualized and integrated into a coherent scene representation. Here we show that the visual system achieves this contextualization by exploiting spatial schemata, that is our knowledge about the composition of natural scenes. We measured fMRI and EEG responses to incomplete scene fragments and used representational similarity analysis to reconstruct their cortical representations in space and time. We observed a sorting of representations according to the fragments' place within the scene schema, which occurred during perceptual analysis in the occipital place area and within the first 200 ms of vision. This schema-based coding operates flexibly across visual features (as measured by a deep neural network model) and different types of environments (indoor and outdoor scenes). This flexibility highlights the mechanism's ability to efficiently organize incoming information under dynamic real-world conditions. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1007/978-3-662-49896-5_25 | Fair And Robust Multi Party Computation Using A Global Transaction Ledger | Classical results on secure multi-party computation MPC imply that fully secure computation, including fairness either all parties get output or none and robustness output delivery is guaranteed, is impossible unless a majority of the parties is honest. Recently, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin where utilized to leverage the fairness loss in MPC against a dishonest majority. The idea is that when the protocol aborts in an unfair manner i. e. , after the adversary receives output then honest parties get compensated by the adversarially controlled parties. Our contribution is three-fold. First, we put forth a new formal model of secure MPC with compensation and show how the introduction of suitable ledger and synchronization functionalities makes it possible to describe such protocols using standard interactive Turing machines ITM circumventing the need for the use of extra features that are outside the standard model as in previous works. Second, our model, is expressed in the universal composition setting with global setup and is equipped with a composition theorem that enables the design of protocols that compose safely with each other and within larger environments where other protocols with compensation take place; a composition theorem for MPC protocols with compensation was not known before. Third, we introduce the first robust MPC protocol with compensation, i. e. , an MPC protocol where not only fairness is guaranteed via compensation but additionally the protocol is guaranteed to deliver output to the parties that get engaged and therefore the adversary, after an initial round of deposits, is not even able to mount a denial of service attack without having to suffer a monetary penalty. Importantly, our robust MPC protocol requires only a constant number of coin-transfer and communication rounds. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
W1935693849 | Reeb orbits and the minimal discrepancy of an isolated singularity | Let A be an affine variety inside a complex N dimensional vector space which has an isolated singularity at the origin. The intersection of A with a very small sphere turns out to be a contact manifold called the link of A. Any contact manifold contactomorphic to the link of A is said to be Milnor fillable by A. If the first Chern class of our link is torsion then we can assign an invariant of our singularity called the minimal discrepancy, which is an important invariant in birational geometry. We define an invariant of the link up to contactomorphism using Conley–Zehnder indices of Reeb orbits and then we relate this invariant with the minimal discrepancy. As a result we show that the standard contact five dimensional sphere has a unique Milnor filling up to normalization proving a conjecture by Seidel. | [
"Mathematics"
]
|
W2263881055 | Age distribution of abnormal pap smear in a secondary hospital in south-west Nigeria | Background : Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in Sub- Saharan Africa. It is the second commonest cancer in women worldwide. The prevalence of the disease has reduced in developed nations compared to most developing nations as a result of systematic screening programmes. There is no age distribution pattern of abnormal Paps smear in Nigerian women today that can help in the design of a national screening programme. Objective : To determine the age distribution pattern of abnormal Paps smear in women in our environment in order to have a basis for the points of entry and exit for cervical cancer screening protocol. Materials and Method : In this retrospective review, the 102 clients who had abnormal smear out of the total 629 clients who had Pap's smear at the State Specialist Hospital, Akure over a period of 5years (2008- 2012) were analyzed for specific diagnosis and their age distribution. Results : Among the clients with abnormal smear, 57 (55.9%) had ASCUS, 34 (33.3%) had LSIL and 9 (8.8%) of the clients had HSIL. A client each had AGCUS and cancer cytology and was 50 and 60 years old respectively. ASCUS, LSIL and HSIL were found across all age groups except 30years and below where few LSIL were seen. Conclusion : Screening uptake is still low in our environment and because only few LSIL were seen in Clients ≤30years, it may be cost effective to start screening from 30years and to exit screening at 70years since abnormal smears were still found in women ≥70years. Key Words : Cervical cancer, Paps smear, screening. | [
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
10.1051/0004-6361/202037957 | Vector Speckle Grid Instantaneous Incoherent Speckle Grid For High Precision Astrometry And Photometry In High Contrast Imaging | Photometric and astrometric monitoring of directly imaged exoplanets will deliver unique insights into their rotational periods, the distribution of cloud structures, weather, and orbital parameters. As the host star is occulted by the coronagraph, a speckle grid (SG) is introduced to serve as astrometric and photometric reference. Speckle grids are implemented as diffractive pupil-plane optics that generate artificial speckles at known location and brightness. Their performance is limited by the underlying speckle halo caused by evolving uncorrected wavefront errors. The speckle halo will interfere with the coherent SGs, affecting their photometric and astrometric precision. Our aim is to show that by imposing opposite amplitude or phase modulation on the opposite polarization states, a SG can be instantaneously incoherent with the underlying halo, greatly increasing the precision. We refer to these as vector speckle grids (VSGs). We derive analytically the mechanism by which the incoherency arises and explore the performance gain in idealised simulations under various atmospheric conditions. We show that the VSG is completely incoherent for unpolarized light and that the fundamental limiting factor is the cross-talk between the speckles in the grid. In simulation, we find that for short-exposure images the VSG reaches a $\sim$0. 3-0. 8\% photometric error and $\sim$$3-10\cdot10^{-3}$ $\lambda/D$ astrometric error, which is a performance increase of a factor $\sim$20 and $\sim$5, respectively. Furthermore, we outline how VSGs could be implemented using liquid-crystal technology to impose the geometric phase on the circular polarization states. The VSG is a promising new method for generating a photometric and astrometric reference SG that has a greatly increased astrometric and photometric precision. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Universe Sciences"
]
|
221286 | Circulating tumor cells for tailoring bmp targeted therapies | Gastro-intestinal (GI) cancers, including gastro-esophageal junctional (GEJC), gastric (GC), colorectal (CRC) and pancreatic cancer (PC) are devastating malignancies that annually affect over 2 million persons worldwide and lead to more than 600,000 deaths (Globocan 2012). Given the current trends, the incidence of GI cancer is expected to increase further. Conventional therapies include chemo- and radiation therapy combined with surgery. However, amongst cancer patients, GI cancer patients have one of the poorest outcomes with a 5-year survival ranging from only 60% for CRC to a mere 5% for PC
At the moment, important steps are being taken to implement the highly specific anti-BMP4 low molecular weight antibodies (Dwarfbodies ®; DB, recently developed by us) in the clinic as a novel treatment strategy for gastro-intestinal (GI) cancers. To enable optimal treatment a diagnostic compendium is required. The CTC4BMP project aims to deliver a blood based method for patient stratification to identify patients that will benefit from the BMP4 inhibiting Dwarfbody therapy. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1146/annurev-cellbio-111315-124936 | Regulation of Hematopoiesis and Osteogenesis by Blood Vessel-Derived Signals | In addition to their conventional role as a versatile transport system, blood vessels provide signals controlling organ development, regeneration, and stem cell behavior. In the skeletal system, certain capillaries support perivascular osteoprogenitor cells and thereby control bone formation. Blood vessels are also a critical component of niche microenvironments for hematopoietic stem cells. Here we discuss key pathways and factors controlling endothelial cell behavior in bone, the role of vessels in osteogenesis, and the nature of vascular stem cell niches in bone marrow. | [
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1103/PhysRevB.93.235144 | History dependence of the magnetic properties of single-crystal Fe1-xCoxSi | We report the magnetization, ac susceptibility, and specific heat of optically float-zoned single crystals of Fe1-xCoxSi, 0. 20≤x≤0. 50. We determine the magnetic phase diagrams for all major crystallographic directions and cooling histories. After zero-field cooling, the phase diagrams resemble that of the archetypal stoichiometric cubic chiral magnet MnSi. Besides the helical and conical state, we observe a pocket of skyrmion lattice phase just below the helimagnetic ordering temperature. At the phase boundaries between these states evidence for slow dynamics is observed. When the sample is cooled in small magnetic fields, the phase pocket of skyrmion lattice may persist metastably down to the lowest temperatures. Taken together with the large variation in the transition temperatures, transition fields, and helix wavelength as a function of the composition, this hysteresis identifies Fe1-xCoxSi as an ideal material for future experiments exploring, for instance, the topological unwinding of the skyrmion lattice. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1515/ling-2016-0035 | Cross-linguistic patterns in the structure, function, and position of (object) complement clauses | AbstractThe present contribution examines object complement clauses from the perspective of constituent-order typology. In particular, it provides the first principled empirical investigation of the position of object clauses relative to the matrix verb. Based on a stratified sample of 100 languages, we establish that there is an overall cross-linguistic preference for postverbal complements, due largely to the heterogeneous ordering patterns in OV-languages. Importantly, however, we also show that the position of complement clauses correlates with aspects of their structural organization: Preverbal complement clauses are significantly more likely to be coded by morphosyntactically “downgraded” structures than postverbal complements. Given that previous research has found a parallel correlation between structural downgrading and the semantics of the complement-taking predicate ( | [
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
10.1051/0004-6361/201834523 | Discovery Of A Directly Imaged Disk In Scattered Light Around The Sco Cen Member Wray 15 788 | As part of our on-going survey we have carried out high-contrast imaging with VLT/SPHERE/IRDIS to obtain polarized and total intensity images of the young ($11^{+16}_{-7}$Myr old) K3IV star Wray 15-788 within the Lower Centaurus Crux subgroup of Sco-Cen. For the total intensity images, we remove the stellar halo by an approach based on reference star differential imaging in combination with principal component analysis. Both total intensity and polarimetric data resolve a disk around Wray 15-788. Modeling of the stellar spectral energy distribution suggests that this is a protoplanetary disk at a transition stage. We detect a bright, outer ring at a projected separation of $\sim$370mas ($\approx$56au), hints for inner substructures at $\sim$170mas ($\approx$28au) and a gap in between. Only within a position angle range of $60^\circ<\varphi<240^\circ$, we are confident at 5$\sigma$ level to detect actual scattered light flux from the outer ring of the disk; the remaining part is indistinguishable from background noise. For the detected part of the outer ring we determine a disk inclination of $i$=21$^\circ\pm$6$^\circ$ and a position angle of $\varphi$=76$^\circ\pm$16$^\circ$. Furthermore, we find that Wray 15-788 is part of a binary system with the A2V star HD 98363 at a separation of $\sim$50'' ($\approx$6900au). The detection of only half of the outer ring might be due to shadowing by a misaligned inner disk. A potential substellar companion can cause the misalignment of the inner structures and can be responsible for clearing the detected gap from scattering material. We can not, however, rule out the possibility of a non-detection due to our limited signal to noise ratio, combined with brightness azimuthal asymmetry. From our data, we can exclude companions more massive than 10$M_\mathrm{jup}$ within the gap at a separation of $\sim$230mas ($\approx$35au). | [
"Universe Sciences"
]
|
10.1038/nn.4531 | Cerebellar granule cells acquire a widespread predictive feedback signal during motor learning | Cerebellar granule cells, which constitute half the brain's neurons, supply Purkinje cells with contextual information necessary for motor learning, but how they encode this information is unknown. Here we show, using two-photon microscopy to track neural activity over multiple days of cerebellum-dependent eyeblink conditioning in mice, that granule cell populations acquire a dense representation of the anticipatory eyelid movement. Initially, granule cells responded to neutral visual and somatosensory stimuli as well as periorbital airpuffs used for training. As learning progressed, two-thirds of monitored granule cells acquired a conditional response whose timing matched or preceded the learned eyelid movements. Granule cell activity covaried trial by trial to form a redundant code. Many granule cells were also active during movements of nearby body structures. Thus, a predictive signal about the upcoming movement is widely available at the input stage of the cerebellar cortex, as required by forward models of cerebellar control. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
]
|
interreg_1251 | European Rural Futures - New opportunities to secure the provision of public services in rural cities and municipalities | Most of the European rural areas are facing the problem of shrinking population and a significant increase in the proportion of elderly residents; associated with related challenges like; increasing costs for provision and maintenance of public services and infrastructure, changes within the economic situation of communities and unbalanced labour markets. The consequences of demographic change and shrinking population have been identified as a new global issue. The transnational cooperation projects can here help to find an appropriate framework to enable share of experiences and test new innovative solutions in order to fight with the problem.
This is also the intention of the EURUFU project that seeks to promote actions for the provision of innovative solutions to restructure services and infrastructure in shrinking regions and cities, bearing in mind the sustainable development of rural regions by developing and adapting integrated measures and strategies. | [
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
W2012142967 | Gendering constitutional change and policy outcomes: substantive representation and domestic violence policy in Scotland | Scotland bears many hallmarks of a case of successful feminist constitutional activism: high levels of women’s descriptive representation in the devolved parliament and a gender-inclusive institutional design mutually reinforced one another, opening up the political process. In this article domestic violence policy is examined in order to address the question as to whether political devolution has led to positive gender outcomes, in respect of substantive gains for women. The actors, institutions and outcomes of Scottish initiatives (1998–2007) are traced and it is argued that policies have been distinctive in the UK with respect to timing, framing and approach. Domestic violence, therefore, provides a striking case where devolution ‘has made a difference’ to the substantive representation of women, with positive – albeit fragile – outcomes. | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
]
|
10.1093/cercor/bhz110 | Auditory and Semantic Cues Facilitate Decoding of Visual Object Category in MEG | Sounds (e. g. , barking) help us to visually identify objects (e. g. , a dog) that are distant or ambiguous. While neuroimaging studies have revealed neuroanatomical sites of audiovisual interactions, little is known about the time course by which sounds facilitate visual object processing. Here we used magnetoencephalography to reveal the time course of the facilitatory influence of natural sounds (e. g. , barking) on visual object processing and compared this to the facilitatory influence of spoken words (e. g. , "dog"). Participants viewed images of blurred objects preceded by a task-irrelevant natural sound, a spoken word, or uninformative noise. A classifier was trained to discriminate multivariate sensor patterns evoked by animate and inanimate intact objects with no sounds, presented in a separate experiment, and tested on sensor patterns evoked by the blurred objects in the 3 auditory conditions. Results revealed that both sounds and words, relative to uninformative noise, significantly facilitated visual object category decoding between 300-500 ms after visual onset. We found no evidence for earlier facilitation by sounds than by words. These findings provide evidence for a semantic route of facilitation by both natural sounds and spoken words, whereby the auditory input first activates semantic object representations, which then modulate the visual processing of objects. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
10.1596/978-1-4648-1274-3 | Maritime Networks Port Efficiency And Hinterland Connectivity In The Mediterranean | For millennia, the Mediterranean has been one of the most active trading areas, supported by a transport network connecting riparian cities and beyond to their hinterland. The Mediterranean has complex trade patterns and routes--but with key differences from the past. It is no longer an isolated world economy: it is both a trading area and a transit area linking Europe and North Africa with the rest of the world through the hub-and-spoke structure of maritime networks. Understanding how trade connectivity works in the Mediterranean, and elsewhere, is important to policy makers, especially those in developing countries in the Mediterranean, concerned with the economic benefits of large investment in infrastructure. Better connectivity is expected to increase trade with distant markets and stimulate activities in the hinterland. This book is a practical exploration of the three interdependent dimensions of trade connectivity: maritime networks, port efficiency, and hinterland connectivity. Because of the complexity and richness of maritime and trade patterns in the Mediterranean, the research book combines both a regional focus and globally scalable lessons. This book is intended for a wide readership of policy makers in maritime affairs, trade, or industry; professionals from the world of finance or development institutions; and academics. It combines empirical analysis of microeconomic shipping and port data with three case studies of choice of port (focusing on Spain, Egypt, and Morocco) and five case studies on hinterland development (Barcelona; Malta; Marseilles; Port Said East, Egypt; and Tanger Med, Morocco). | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
]
|
10.1134/S0965542513020103 | Geometric Numerical Schemes For The Kdv Equation | Geometric discretizations that preserve certain Hamiltonian structures at the discrete level has been proven to enhance the accuracy of numerical schemes. In particular, numerous symplectic and multi-symplectic schemes have been proposed to solve numerically the celebrated Korteweg-de Vries equation. In this work, we show that geometrical schemes are as much robust and accurate as Fourier-type pseudospectral methods for computing the long-time KdV dynamics, and thus more suitable to model complex nonlinear wave phenomena. | [
"Mathematics",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
805098 | Beyond Eureka: The Foundations of Japan's Industrialization, 1800-1885 | Beyond Eureka seeks to challenge current understanding of how Japan became a global industrial power along with the model of how innovation takes place. Japan was the first Asian nation to industrialize and in a space of several decades went from a relatively isolated agrarian economy to an industrialized nation. The key assumption of this project is that a grasp of the salient features of the technological landscape during the pivotal period between 1800 and 1885 is an important tool for understanding Japan's industrialization. To date, this transitional period has been widely acknowledged as crucial for later development but remains empirically poorly understood. Recognizing the complexity of causation, this project seeks to use technology as a site for forging a more nuanced understanding of the emergence of Asia's first industrial power.
By bringing technological change into historical focus, the project challenges the notion of innovation as necessarily a matter of disruption. In Japanese, for example, there is no conceptual or cultural equivalent to Eureka, to stand for a unique, distinct moment of individual ingenuity. If we choose the Eureka moment to epitomize the conception of innovation, early examples in Japanese industry are few and far between. Instead, a small but growing body of research shows that a sophisticated and patient examination of archives can reveal innovative processes in place of what historiography has described as borrowing, imitation or adaptation. This project seeks to foreground innovation as a long-term process of accumulation in which the new only could only work by taking root and embedding itself within the old, not by replacing it and starting from scratch.
The team, comprising the PI and five postdoctoral fellows, will combine expertise and previously unexamined archives to bring depth and nuance to not only to the specific case of Japanese industrialization, but also more
broadly of innovative processes in human past. | [
"The Study of the Human Past",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
]
|
W1941231029 | Local moving least square-one-dimensional integrated radial basis function networks technique for incompressible viscous flows | This paper presents a local moving least square-one-dimensional integrated radial basis function networks
method for solving incompressible viscous flow problems using stream function-vorticity formulation. In this method, the partition of unity method is employed as a framework to incorporate the moving least square and one-dimensional integrated radial basis function networks techniques. The major advantages of the proposed method include the following: (i) a banded sparse system matrix which helps reduce the computational cost; (ii) the Kronecker-i property of the constructed shape function which helps impose the essential boundary condition in an exact manner; and (iii) high accuracy and fast convergence rate owing to the use of integration instead of conventional differentiation to construct the local radial basis function approximations. Several examples including two-dimensional (2D) Poisson problems, lid-driven cavity flow and flow past a circular cylinder are considered, and the present results are compared with the exact solutions
and numerical results from other methods in the literature to demonstrate the attractiveness of the proposed method. | [
"Mathematics",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
10.1002/bies.201600203 | Indole: An evolutionarily conserved influencer of behavior across kingdoms | Indole is a key environmental cue that is used by many organisms. Based on its biochemistry, we suggest indole is used so universally, and by such different organisms, because it derives from the metabolism of tryptophan, a resource essential for many species yet rare in nature. These properties make it a valuable, environmental cue for resources almost universally important for promoting fitness. We then describe how indole is used to coordinate actions within organisms, to influence the behavior of conspecifics and can even be used to change the behavior of species that belong to other kingdoms. Drawing on the evolutionary framework that has been developed for understanding animal communication, we show how this is diversely achieved by indole acting as a cue, a manipulative signal, and an honest signal, as well as how indole can be used synergistically to amplify information conveyed by other molecules. Clarifying these distinct functions of indole identifies patterns that transcend different kingdoms of organisms. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
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