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10.1002/adma.201804598 | Hardware Sequencing of Inflatable Nonlinear Actuators for Autonomous Soft Robots | Soft robots are an interesting alternative for classic rigid robots in applications requiring interaction with organisms or delicate objects. Elastic inflatable actuators are one of the preferred actuation mechanisms for soft robots since they are intrinsically safe and soft. However, these pneumatic actuators each require a dedicated pressure supply and valve to drive and control their actuation sequence. Because of the relatively large size of pressure supplies and valves compared to electrical leads and electronic controllers, tethering pneumatic soft robots with multiple degrees of freedom is bulky and unpractical. Here, a new approach is described to embed hardware intelligence in soft robots where multiple actuators are attached to the same pressure supply, and their actuation sequence is programmed by the interaction between nonlinear actuators and passive flow restrictions. How to model this hardware sequencing is discussed, and it is demonstrated on an 8-degree-of-freedom walking robot where each limb comprises two actuators with a sequence embedded in their hardware. The robot is able to carry pay loads of 800 g in addition to its own weight and is able to walk at travel speeds of 3 body lengths per minute, without the need for complex on-board valves or bulky tethers. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1042/BJ20121211 | Rapid Purification Of Ribosomal Particles Assembled On Histone H4 Mrna A New Method Based On Mrna Dna Chimaeras | Detailed knowledge of the structure of the ribosomal particles during their assembly on mRNA is a prerequisite for understanding the intricate translation initiation process. In vitro preparation of eukaryotic translation initiation complexes is limited by the rather tricky assembly from individually purified ribosomal subunits, initiation factors and initiator tRNA. In order to directly isolate functional complexes from living cells, methods based on affinity tags have been developed which, however, often suffer from non-specific binding of proteins and/or RNAs. In the present study we present a novel method designed for the purification of high-quality ribosome/mRNA particles assembled in RRL (rabbit reticulocyte lysate). Chimaerical mRNA-DNA molecules, consisting of the full-length mRNA ligated to a biotinylated desoxy-oligonucleotide, are immobilized on streptavidin-coated beads and incubated with RRL to form initiation complexes. After a washing step, the complexes are eluted by specific DNase I digestion of the DNA moiety of the chimaera, releasing initiation complexes in native conditions. Using this simple and robust purification setup, 80S particles properly programmed with full-length histone H4 mRNA were isolated with the expected ribosome/mRNA molar ratio of close to 1. We show that by using this novel approach purified ribosomal particles can be obtained that are suitable for biochemical and structural studies, in particular single-particle cryo-EM (cryo-electron microscopy). This purification method thus is a versatile tool for the isolation of fully functional RNA-binding proteins and macromolecular RNPs. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering"
]
|
EP 21771427 A | CLOTHING TREATMENT APPARATUS | A clothing treatment apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a cabinet provided with an inlet port through which clothing is introduced; a tub provided inside the cabinet and having a tub inlet part through which the clothing can be introduced; a drum rotatably provided inside the tub and accommodating the clothing; a driver for rotating the drum; an induction module for heating the drum; a gasket provided to be stretchable and connecting the inlet port and the tub inlet part; and a communication part for communicating the inside of the tub and the outside of the cabinet. During a drying cycle of the clothing, the revolutions per minutes (RPM) of the drum can be increased to a target RPM at which there is at least one section in which the tub can resonate in accordance with the rotation of the drum. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1021/acs.jpcc.6b03473 | Preparation, Structure, and Surface Chemistry of Ni-Au Single Atom Alloys | Ni/Au is an alloy combination that while, immiscible in the bulk, exhibits a rich array of surface geometries that may offer improved catalytic properties. It has been demonstrated that the addition of small amounts of Au to Ni tempers its reactivity and reduces coking during the steam reforming of methane. Herein, we report the first successful preparation of dilute Ni-Au alloys (up to 0. 04 ML) in which small amounts of Ni are deposited on, and alloyed into, Au(111) using physical vapor deposition. We find that the surface structure can be tuned during deposition via control of the substrate temperature. By adjusting the surface temperature in the 300-650 K range, we are able to produce first Ni islands, then mixtures of Ni islands and Ni-Au surface alloys, and finally, when above 550 K, predominantly island-free Ni-Au single atom alloys (SAAs). Low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) combined with density functional theory calculations confirm that the Ni-Au SAAs formed at high temperature correspond to Ni atoms exchanged with surface Au atoms. Ni-Au SAAs form preferentially at the elbow regions of the Au(111) herringbone reconstruction, but at high coverage also appear over the whole surface. To investigate the adsorption properties of Ni-Au SAAs, we studied the adsorption and desorption of CO using STM which allowed us to determine at which atomic sites the CO adsorbs on these heterogeneous alloys. We find that small amounts of Ni in the form of single atoms increases the reactivity of the substrate by creating single Ni sites in the Au surface to which CO binds significantly more strongly than Au. These results serve as a guide in the design of surface architectures that combine Au's weak binding and selective chemistry with localized, strong binding Ni atom sites that serve to increase reactivity. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
10.1038/nri3312 | The impact of probiotics and prebiotics on the immune system | Probiotics and prebiotics are increasingly being added to foodstuffs with claims of health benefits. Probiotics are live microorganisms that are thought to have beneficial effects on the host, whereas prebiotics are ingredients that stimulate the growth and/or function of beneficial intestinal microorganisms. But can these products directly modulate immune function and influence inflammatory diseases? Here, Nature Reviews Immunology asks four experts to discuss these issues and provide their thoughts on the future application of probiotics as a disease therapy. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1186/s12916-018-1066-y | Efficacy and safety of ascending doses of praziquantel against Schistosoma haematobium infection in preschool-aged and school-aged children: A single-blind randomised controlled trial | Background: Despite decades of experience with praziquantel treatment in school-aged children (SAC) and adults, we still face considerable knowledge gaps relevant to the successful treatment of preschool-aged children (PSAC). This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of escalating praziquantel dosages in PSAC infected with Schistosoma haematobium. Methods: We conducted a randomised, dose-finding trial in PSAC (2-5 years) and as comparator a cohort of SAC (6-15 years) infected with S. haematobium in Côte d'Ivoire. A total of 186 PSAC and 195 SAC were randomly assigned to 20, 40 or 60 mg/kg praziquantel or placebo. The nature of the dose-response relationship in terms of cure rate (CR) was the primary objective. Egg reduction rate (ERR) and tolerability were secondary outcomes. CRs and ERRs were assessed using triplicate urine filtration over 3 consecutive days. Available-case analysis was performed including all participants with primary endpoint data. Results: A total of 170 PSAC and 174 SAC received treatment. Almost 90% of PSAC and three quarters of SAC were lightly infected with S. haematobium. Follow-up data were available for 157 PSAC and 166 SAC. In PSAC, CRs of praziquantel were 85. 7% (30/35), 78. 0% (32/41) and 68. 3% (28/41) at 20, 40 and 60 mg/kg and 47. 5% (19/40) for placebo. In SAC, CRs were 10. 8% for placebo (4/37), 55. 6% for 20 mg/kg (25/45), 68. 3% for 40 mg/kg (28/41) and 60. 5% for 60 mg/kg (26/43). ERRs based on geometric means ranged between 96. 5% (60 mg/kg) and 98. 3% (20 mg/kg) in PSAC and between 97. 6% (20 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg) and 98. 6% (40 mg/kg) in SAC. Adverse events were mild and transient. Conclusions: Praziquantel revealed dose-independent efficacy against light infections of S. haematobium. Over the dose range tested, praziquantel displayed a ceiling effect with the highest response for 20 mg/kg in PSAC. In SAC maximum efficacy was obtained with 40 mg/kg praziquantel. Further investigations are required in children with moderate to heavy infections. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1039/c9sc05507j | Rotaxane PtII-complexes: mechanical bonding for chemically robust luminophores and stimuli responsive behaviour | We report an approach to interlocked PtII luminophores in which the mechanical bond stabilises the coordination environment of the embedded metal ion. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
W2022985675 | Time line inference from story sentence with time series | Recently, we can find many literary works on the Web. Automatic summarization is effective method to find favorite work through various works. But, stories have no logical structure like minutes or news papers. So, many exiting researches of automatic summarization are not effective for stories because these target minutes or news papers only. System optimized for stories is necessary. We focused on time series at story, a type of structure of story. We organized the system to infer it. System infers four types of time series by using timeword database. We tested features of four time series. System was checked it worked at story sentences. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Texts and Concepts"
]
|
10.1103/PhysRevB.90.024420 | Resonance in magnetostatically coupled transverse domain walls | We have observed the eigenmodes of coupled transverse domain walls in a pair of ferromagnetic nanowires. Although the pair is coupled magnetostatically, its spectrum is determined by a combination of pinning by edge roughness and dipolar coupling of the two walls. Because the corresponding energy scales are comparable, the coupling can be observed only at the smallest wire separations. A model of the coupled wall dynamics reproduces the experiment quantitatively, allowing for comparisons with the estimated pinning and domain wall coupling energies. The results have significant implications for the dynamics of devices based on coupled domain walls. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
W2002045358 | Modeling and analysis of an energy-efficient sleep-mode operation in IEEE 802.16e system | Power saving mechanisms with sleep-mode operations have been used in IEEE 802.16e in order to extend the battery lifetime of mobile devices. The standard sleep-mode operation needs to meet a given delay constraint. However, it may incur unnecessary energy consumption due to frequent state transitions. In this paper, we propose a new energy-efficient sleep-mode operation while meeting a given delay requirement. We apply an M/G/1 queue model with multiple vacations for downlink traffic in an error-free environment in order to evaluate the energy efficiency performance of the proposed sleep-mode operation in terms of packets/Joule. We compare the proposed sleep-mode operation with the standard sleep-mode operation. The results show that our proposed sleep-mode operation improves the total energy efficiency consumption per unit frame time by 35% and energy efficiency by 21% while meeting a given delay requirement. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1080/14992027.2017.1288304 | Desynchronisation Of Auditory Steady State Responses Related To Changes In Interaural Phase Differences An Objective Measure Of Binaural Hearing | AbstractObjective: Binaural processing can be measured objectively as a desynchronisation of phase-locked neural activity to changes in interaural phase differences (IPDs). This was reported in a magnetoencephalography study for 40 Hz amplitude modulated tones. The goal of this study was to measure this desynchronisation using electroencephalography and explore the outcomes for different modulation frequencies. Design: Auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) were recorded to pure tones, amplitude modulated at 20, 40 or 80 Hz. IPDs switched between 0 and 180° at fixed time intervals. Study sample: Sixteen young listeners with bilateral normal hearing thresholds (≤25 dB HL at 125–8000 Hz) participated in this study. Results: Significant ASSR phase desynchronisations to IPD changes were detected in 14 out of 16 participants for 40 Hz and in 8, respectively 9, out of 13 participants for 20 and 80 Hz modulators. Desynchronisation and restoration of ASSR phase took place significantly faster for 80 Hz than for . . . | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
W2101127992 | Attitudes and Beliefs Associated With Mammography in a Multiethnic Population in Israel | This article highlights beliefs, attitudes, and barriers that are associated with mammography use in four distinct cultural and ethnic groups in Israel: veteran, ultra-orthodox, and immigrant Jewish and Arab women. A random telephone survey of 1,550 women was performed. Information from claims records concerning mammography use was obtained for each woman from Maccabi Health Services. Of the barriers studied, no one barrier was associated with mammography performance in all population groups. However, the combined measure was associated with mammography use in all groups. Subjective norms, fatalism, fear of breast cancer, and perceived effectiveness were associated with mammography in some of the population groups but not in others. Each population seems to have a unique set of variables predicting mammography use. It is not possible to generalize from one population to another and it implies that information concerning beliefs and attitudes should be studied in each subpopulation before planning interventions. | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1093/biosci/biw117 | Greenhouse gas emissions from reservoir water surfaces: A new global synthesis | Collectively, reservoirs created by dams are thought to be an important source of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to the atmosphere. So far, efforts to quantify, model, and manage these emissions have been limited by data availability and inconsistencies in methodological approach. Here, we synthesize reservoir CH4, CO2, and N2O emission data with three main objectives: (1) to generate a global estimate of GHG emissions from reservoirs, (2) to identify the best predictors of these emissions, and (3) to consider the effect of methodology on emission estimates. We estimate that GHG emissions from reservoir water surfaces account for 0. 8 (0. 5-1. 2) Pg CO2 equivalents per year, with the majority of this forcing due to CH4. We then discuss the potential for several alternative pathways such as dam degassing and downstream emissions to contribute significantly to overall emissions. Although prior studies have linked reservoir GHG emissions to reservoir age and latitude, we find that factors related to reservoir productivity are better predictors of emission. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
10.4049/jimmunol.1700594 | Learning the high-dimensional immunogenomic features that predict public and private antibody repertoires | Recent studies have revealed that immune repertoires contain a substantial fraction of public clones, which may be defined as Ab or TCR clonal sequences shared across individuals. It has remained unclear whether public clones possess predictable sequence features that differentiate them from private clones, which are believed to be generated largely stochastically. This knowledge gap represents a lack of insight into the shaping of immune repertoire diversity. Leveraging a machine learning approach capable of capturing the high-dimensional compositional information of each clonal sequence (defined by CDR3), we detected predictive public clone and private clone-specific immunogenomic differences concentrated in CDR3?s N1-D-N2 region, which allowed the prediction of public and private status with 80% accuracy in humans and mice. Our results unexpectedly demonstrate that public, as well as private, clones possess predictable high-dimensional immunogenomic features. Our support vector machine model could be trained effectively on large published datasets (3 million clonal sequences) and was sufficiently robust for public clone prediction across individuals and studies prepared with different library preparation and high-throughput sequencing protocols. In summary, we have uncovered the existence of high-dimensional immunogenomic rules that shape immune repertoire diversity in a predictable fashion. Our approach may pave the way for the construction of a comprehensive atlas of public mouse and human immune repertoires with potential applications in rational vaccine design and immunotherapeutics. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1371/journal.pgen.1003431 | Disruption of TTDA Results in Complete Nucleotide Excision Repair Deficiency and Embryonic Lethality | The ten-subunit transcription factor IIH (TFIIH) plays a crucial role in transcription and nucleotide excision repair (NER). Inactivating mutations in the smallest 8-kDa TFB5/TTDA subunit cause the neurodevelopmental progeroid repair syndrome trichothiodystrophy A (TTD-A). Previous studies have shown that TTDA is the only TFIIH subunit that appears not to be essential for NER, transcription, or viability. We studied the consequences of TTDA inactivation by generating a Ttda knock-out (Ttda-/-) mouse-model resembling TTD-A patients. Unexpectedly, Ttda-/- mice were embryonic lethal. However, in contrast to full disruption of all other TFIIH subunits, viability of Ttda-/- cells was not affected. Surprisingly, Ttda-/- cells were completely NER deficient, contrary to the incomplete NER deficiency of TTD-A patient-derived cells. We further showed that TTD-A patient mutations only partially inactivate TTDA function, explaining the relatively mild repair phenotype of TTD-A cells. Moreover, Ttda-/- cells were also highly sensitive to oxidizing agents. These findings reveal an essential role of TTDA for life, nucleotide excision repair, and oxidative DNA damage repair and identify Ttda-/- cells as a unique class of TFIIH mutants. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
]
|
10.1039/c8cc03980a | ALKBH5-induced demethylation of mono- and dimethylated adenosine | ALKBH5 is able to accept m62A as a substrate and demethylates it to m6A and A. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1109/ICTON.2017.8025100 | Frequency And Linewidth Dependence Of Distributed Feedback Resonators On Thermal Chirp | We present an analysis of the spectral characteristics of distributed-feedback (DFB) laser resonators with thermally chirped distributed mirrors. Such DFB resonators have the interesting capability of producing a linewidth as narrow as a few kHz. The investigated devices are ytterbium-doped amorphous Al2O3 channel waveguides with a periodic Bragg grating inscribed into its SiO 2 top cladding. The resonance in the spectral response of the resonator results from a distributed λ/4 phase-shift produced by increasing the waveguide width. Its frequency is determined by the period of the Bragg grating, whereas its linewidth is determined by the intrinsic losses and the outcoupling losses of the resonator. When such a device is optically pumped to achieve gain and eventually lasing, the grating period becomes thermally chirped, thereby influencing the spectral characteristics of the resonator. We investigate experimentally and via simulations the frequency and linewidth of the resonance in the presence of a thermally induced linear chirp on the grating profile. Experiments and simulations show good quantitative agreement. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
W4281673116 | Nota sobre educación lingüística y pandemia: retos y oportunidades de la didáctica a distancia en Italia | por Marianna Montanaro | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
]
|
10.1038/srep05760 | The dipole moment of the spin density as a local indicator for phase transitions | The intra-atomic magnetic dipole moment-frequently called T zterm-plays an important role in the determination of spin magnetic moments by X-ray absorption spectroscopy for systems with nonspherical spin density distributions. In this work, we present the dipole moment as a sensitive monitor to changes in the electronic structure in the vicinity of a phase transiton. In particular, we studied the dipole moment at the Fe2+ and Fe3+ sites of magnetite as an indicator for the Verwey transition by a combination of X-ray magnetic circular dichroism and density functional theory. Our experimental results prove that there exists a local change in the electronic structure at temperatures above the Verwey transition correlated to the known spin reorientation. Furthermore, it is shown that measurement of the dipole moment is a powerful tool to observe this transition in small magnetite nanoparticles for which it is usually screened by blocking effects in classical magnetometry. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
]
|
10.1038/NMAT3581 | Tailoring And Imaging The Plasmonic Local Density Of States In Crystalline Nanoprisms | Surface plasmon (SP) technologies exploit the spectral and spatial properties of collective electronic oscillations in noble metals placed in an incident optical field. Yet the SP local density of states (LDOS), which rule the energy transducing phenomena between the SP and the electromagnetic field, is much less exploited. Here, we use two-photon luminescence (TPL) microscopy to reveal the SP-LDOS in thin single-crystalline triangular gold nanoprisms produced by a quantitative one-pot synthesis at room temperature. Variations of the polarization and the wavelength of the incident light redistribute the TPL intensity into two-dimensional plasmonic resonator patterns that are faithfully reproduced by theoretical simulations. We demonstrate that experimental TPL maps can be considered as the convolution of the SP-LDOS with the diffraction-limited Gaussian light beam. Finally, the SP modal distribution is tuned by the spatial coupling of nanoprisms, thus allowing a new modal design of plasmonic information processing devices. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
10.1126/sciadv.1600534 | Ultrahigh sensitivity of methylammonium lead tribromide perovskite single crystals to environmental gases | One of the limiting factors to high device performance in photovoltaics is the presence of surface traps. Hence, the understanding and control of carrier recombination at the surface of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite is critical for the design and optimization of devices with this material as the active layer. We demonstrate that the surface recombination rate (or surface trap state density) in methylammonium lead tribromide (MAPbBr3) single crystals can be fully and reversibly controlled by the physisorption of oxygen and water molecules, leading to a modulation of the photoluminescence intensity by over two orders of magnitude. We report an unusually low surface recombination velocity of 4 cm/s (corresponding to a surface trap state density of 108cm−2) in this material, which is the lowest value ever reported for hybrid perovskites. In addition, a consistent modulation of the transport properties in single crystal devices is evidenced. Our findings highlight the importance of environmental conditions on the investigation and fabrication of high-quality, perovskite-based devices and offer a new potential application of these materials to detect oxygen and water vapor. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
10.1145/3196831 | An Empirical Study Of Meta And Hyper Heuristic Search For Multi Objective Release Planning | A variety of meta-heuristic search algorithms have been introduced for optimising software release planning. However, there has been no comprehensive empirical study of different search algorithms across multiple different real-world datasets. In this article, we present an empirical study of global, local, and hybrid meta- and hyper-heuristic search-based algorithms on 10 real-world datasets. We find that the hyper-heuristics are particularly effective. For example, the hyper-heuristic genetic algorithm significantly outperformed the other six approaches (and with high effect size) for solution quality 85% of the time, and was also faster than all others 70% of the time. Furthermore, correlation analysis reveals that it scales well as the number of requirements increases. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1039/c2cc38058g | Pattern-based sensing of nucleotides with functionalized gold nanoparticles | A sensing system has been obtained by self-assembly of multiple fluorescent indicators and monolayer protected gold nanoparticles. The system is able to discriminate between each of the eight nucleotides NDP and NTP (N = A, T, G, C) in a quantitative manner at micromolar concentrations. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4636-13.2014 | Prion Transmission Prevented By Modifying The Β2 Α2 Loop Structure Of Host Prpc | Zoonotic prion transmission was reported after the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic, when >200 cases of prion disease in humans were diagnosed as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Assessing the risk of cross-species prion transmission remains challenging. We and others have studied how specific amino acid residue differences between species impact prion conversion and have found that the β2-α2 loop region of the mouse prion protein (residues 165-175) markedly influences infection by sheep scrapie, BSE, mouse-adapted scrapie, deer chronic wasting disease, and hamster-adapted scrapie prions. The tyrosine residue at position 169 is strictly conserved among mammals and an aromatic side chain in this position is essential to maintain a 310-helical turn in the β2-α2 loop. Here we examined the impact of the Y169G substitution together with the previously described S170N, N174T "rigid loop" substitutions on cross-species prion transmission in vivo and in vitro. We found that transgenic mice expressing mouse PrP containing the triple-amino acid substitution completely resisted infection with two strains of mouse prions and with deer chronic wasting disease prions. These studies indicate that Y169 is important for prion formation, and they provide a strong indication that variation of the β2-α2 loop structure can modulate interspecies prion transmission. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy"
]
|
10.1126/science.1235665 | Determining benefits and costs for future generations | The United States and others should consider adopting a different approach to estimating costs and benefits in light of uncertainty. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
]
|
879837 | Woodoo augmented wood - transforming wood into construction material strong as concrete and translucent as amber | Woodoo transforms natural wood into an augmented material that is strong, light, durable and stunningly translucent. It uses a patented scalable technology to replace wood’s lignin with a bio-polymer that boosts its performance. The result is a material as strong as concrete and luminous as amber. It will be used to create unique auto interiors, lightweight car chassis and sustainable wooden buildings. It will benefit Europe by revitalising the forestry sector. Problem: Global shortage of construction materials (concrete, steel), even as the urbanisation boom exacerbates demand. Current building materials are unsustainable. Wood is too weak to replace steel and concrete. Solution: Woodoo creates augmented wood, a new material that is abundant, sustainable and extremely strong. Woodoo wood can be bent into any shape, used like touchscreens for electronics, and replace concrete to build massive wooden constructions with low environmental footprint. Innovation: Wood is treated to remove lignin, then impregnated with a proprietary polymer. This modifies wood’s structure, increasing strength and durability, while allowing light to penetrate. Commercialization: Woodoo will produce small batches for auto suppliers for interior panels and wooden touchscreens. It will later license technology to carmakers and sawmills to enable large-scale localized production. Demand: Interest from major premium car manufacturers and tier 1 suppliers. Markets: Auto outfitting, construction materials, lignin by-product. All large and growing. TAM of €125B for the automotive interior materials and €313B for wood construction. Company: Founded in 2016. Team of experienced managers and R&D experts. Ready to scale. Project: Woodoo will develop an auto interior part (a dashboard) from augmented wood. The outcome will be a ready-to-launch production process. | [
"Materials Engineering",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
10.1364/OL.39.005309 | Intensity Noise Driven Nonlinear Fiber Polarization Scrambler | We propose and analyze a novel all-optical fiber polarization scrambler based on the transfer (via the Kerr effect) of the intensity fluctuations of an incoherent pump beam into polarization fluctuations of a frequency-shifted signal beam, copropagating in a randomly birefringent telecom fiber. Optimal signal polarization scrambling results whenever the input signal and pump beams have nearly orthogonal states of polarization. The nonlinear polarization scrambler may operate on either cw or high-bit-rate pulsed signals. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
630327 | Injectable wireless microsensors based on the eaxon technology | Within the eAXON project, which is funded by an ERC CoG, we are developing a technology for neuroprosthetics which consists of wireless microstimulators whose operation is based on rectification of galvanically conducted bursts of high frequency current. In addition to the microstimulators technology, we have conceived and protected a technology for the development of implantable sensing systems with an unprecedented level of minimal invasiveness. The sensing technology consists of a very thin implant and an external unit able to wirelessly interrogate the implant for obtaining measurements related to physical or chemical magnitudes in the implant or in its vicinity. In contrast to previous implantable sensing technologies, our technology allows the implementation of thread-like implants; flexible and very thin (diameter < 1 mm). Such level of miniaturization is possible because our technology avoids the need of bulky components within the implants (e.g. batteries or coils) for power and communications. The proposed PoC project is essentially intended to pave the way for a spin-off company aimed at further developing and clinically validating the technology for a specific clinical need. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1038/nplants.2015.111 | The non-processive rice kinesin-14 OsKCH1 transports actin filaments along microtubules with two distinct velocities | Microtubules and actin filaments function coordinately in many cellular processes 1-3. Although much of this coordination is mediated by proteins that statically bridge the two cytoskeletal networks 4-6, kinesin-14 motors with an actin binding calponin homology domain (KCHs) have been discovered as putatively dynamic crosslinkers in plants 7,8. OsKCH1, a KCH from rice, interacts with both microtubules and actin filaments in vivo and in vitro 9. However, it has remained unclear whether this interaction is dynamic or if actin binding reduces or even abolishes the motor's motility on microtubules 10,11. Here, we directly show in vitro that OsKCH1 is a non-processive, minus-end-directed motor that transports actin filaments along microtubules. Interestingly, we observe two distinct transport velocities dependent on the relative orientation of the actin filaments with respect to the microtubules. In addition, torsional compliance measurements on individual molecules reveal low flexibility in OsKCH1. We suggest that the orientation-dependent transport velocities emerge from OsKCH1's low torsional compliance combined with an inherently oriented binding to the actin filament. Together, our results imply a central role of OsKCH1 in the polar orientation of actin filaments along microtubules, and thus a contribution to the organization of the cytoskeletal architecture. | [
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1109/TIT.2016.2619701 | Arbitrarily Varying Wiretap Channels With Type Constrained States | Determining a single-letter secrecy-capacity formula for the arbitrarily varying wiretap channel (AVWTC) is an open problem largely because of two main challenges. Not only does it capture the difficulty of the compound wiretap channel (another open problem), it also requires that secrecy is ensured with respect to exponentially many possible channel state sequences. By extending the strong soft-covering lemma, recently derived by the authors, to the heterogeneous scenario, this paper accounts for the exponential number of secrecy constraints while only imposing single-letter constraints on the communication rate. Through this approach, we derive a single-letter characterization of the correlated-random (CR)-assisted semantic-security (SS) capacity of an AVWTC with a type constraint on the allowed state sequences. The allowed state sequences are the ones in a typical set around a single constraining type. The stringent SS requirement is established by showing that the mutual information between the message and the eavesdropper’s observations is negligible even when maximized over all message distributions, choices of state sequences, and realizations of the CR-code. Both the achievability and the converse proofs of the type-constrained coding theorem rely on stronger claims than actually required. The direct part establishes a novel single-letter lower bound on the CR-assisted SS-capacity of an AVWTC with state sequences constrained by any convex and closed set of state probability mass functions. This bound achieves the best known single-letter secrecy rates for a corresponding compound wiretap channel over the same constraint set. In contrast to other single-letter results in the AVWTC literature, this paper does not assume the existence of a best channel to the eavesdropper. Instead, SS follows by leveraging the heterogeneous version of the strong soft-covering lemma and a CR-code reduction argument. Optimality is a consequence of a max-inf upper bound on the CR-assisted SS-capacity of an AVWTC with state sequences constrained to any collection of type-classes. When adjusted to the aforementioned compound WTC, the upper bound simplifies to a max–min structure, thus strengthening the previously best known single-letter upper bound by Liang et al. that has a min–max form. The proof of the upper bound uses a novel distribution coupling argument. The capacity formula shows that the legitimate users effectively see an averaged main channel, while security must be ensured versus an eavesdropper with perfect channel state information. An example visualizes our single-letter results, and their relation to the past multi-letter secrecy-capacity characterization of the AVWTC is highlighted. | [
"Mathematics",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1016/j.celrep.2018.06.086 | Blocking Ca<sup>2+</sup> Channel β<inf>3</inf> Subunit Reverses Diabetes | Lee et al. report that pancreatic islets from diabetic mice overexpress Cavβ3, resulting in altered [Ca2+]i dynamics and impaired insulin secretion. Reducing Cavβ3 expression recovers islet dysfunction and glucose homeostasis. Experiments with human islets suggest that Cavβ3 may constitute a druggable target in diabetes treatment. | [
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
2719517 | Southinnogate | The overall objective of the Project is to boost a single, coherent and collaborative Single Market that will be consisted of the
actors of European Union and third countries at regional level, aiming the competitiveness, integration, innovation and
internationalism of the SMEs in the regions of Europe. The acceleration of globalization, aided by the rapid development in
information and communication technologies, improved access facilities and innovation factors present opportunities and
challenges to small and medium sized enterprises. Participation into a Network and being the part of a single market can
give SMEs the opportunity to attain financial stability, increase productivity and opportunity to expand their markets.
Cooperation within a network of upstream and downstream partners can enhance a firm’s status, information flows and
learning possibilities, introduce new business practices and more advanced technology. On the other hand, SMEs’
involvement in a Network demands greater managerial and financial resources, the ability to meet international standards
and the protection of in house intellectual property. SMEs need support to meet these challenges. European Enterprise
Network will open a great path to SMEs in the region in support of business competitiveness and integration based on
“nowrong door” concept. Within the framework of EEN Project and at Horizon 2020 the project consortium will aim to result
that the majority of regional SME’s gain momentum from the point where there have low value internal dynamics to the point
where perform with added value international dynamics. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
]
|
W2089100827 | Dyskeratosis Congenita- Management and Review of Complications: A Case Report | Among the inherited bone marrow failure disorders, dyskeratosis congenita is an X-linked inherited disorder arising as a consequence of short telomere and mutations in telomere biology. Production of the altered protein dyskerin, leads to vulnerable skin, nails, and teeth which lead to higher permeability for noxious agents which can induce carcinogenesis accounting for the classical triad of skin pigmentation, nail dystrophy and oral leukoplakia. This condition is fatal and patients succumb to aplastic anemia, malignancy or immunocompromised state. We present a young male with the classic clinical triad and avascular necrosis of both femoral heads, with no evidence of hematologic anomaly or any malignancy. He was managed for osteonecrosis with uncemented total hip arthroplasty for the symptomatic left hip. Our case represents a benign form of such a fatal and rare condition, which if detected and managed early can result in improved quality of life for the patient suffering from this disorder. This patient is under our meticulous follow-up for the last 2 years in order to determine any late development of complications before being labelled as a variant of this syndrome. | [
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1007/s10980-019-00796-w | Evaluating the effects of landscape structure on the recovery of an invasive vertebrate after population control | Context: Effective landscape control of invasive species is context-dependent due to the interplay between the landscape structure, local population dynamics, and metapopulation processes. We use a modelling approach incorporating these three elements to explore the drivers of recovery of populations of invasive species after control. Objectives: We aim to improve our understanding of the factors influencing the landscape-level control of invasive species. Methods: We focus on the case study of invasive brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) control in New Zealand. We assess how 13 covariates describing the landscape, patch, and population features influence the time of population recovery to a management density threshold of two possums/ha. We demonstrate the effects of those covariates on population recovery under three scenarios of population growth: logistic growth, strong Allee effects, and weak Allee effects. Results: Recovery times were rapid regardless of the simulated population dynamics (average recovery time < 2 years), although populations experiencing Allee effects took longer to recover than those growing logistically. Our results indicate that habitat availability and patch area play a key role in reducing times to recovery after control, and this relationship is consistent across the three simulated scenarios. Conclusions: The control of invasive possum populations in patchy landscapes would benefit from a patch-level management approach (considering each patch as an independent management unit), whereas simple landscapes would be better controlled by taking a landscape-level view (the landscape as the management unit). Future research should test the predictions of our models with empirical data to refine control operations. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Earth System Science"
]
|
10.1007/978-3-319-08587-6_2 | Electronic Voting How Logic Can Help | Electronic voting should offer at least the same guarantees than traditional paper-based voting systems. In order to achieve this, electronic voting protocols make use of cryptographic primitives, as in the more traditional case of authentication or key exchange protocols. All these protocols are notoriously difficult to design and flaws may be found years after their first release. Formal models, such as process algebra, Horn clauses, or constraint systems, have been successfully applied to automatically analyze traditional protocols and discover flaws. Electronic voting protocols however significantly increase the difficulty of the analysis task. Indeed, they involve for example new and sophisticated cryptographic primitives, new dedicated security properties, and new execution structures. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1021/ct500368p | Evaluation of host-guest binding thermodynamics of model cavities with grid cell theory | A previously developed cell theory model of liquid water was used to evaluate the excess thermodynamic properties of confined clusters of water molecules. The results are in good agreement with reference thermodynamic integration calculations, suggesting that the model is adequate to probe the thermodynamic properties of water at interfaces or in cavities. Next, the grid cell theory (GCT) method was applied to elucidate the thermodynamic signature of nonpolar association for a range of idealized host-guest systems. Polarity and geometry of the host cavities were systematically varied, and enthalpic and entropic solvent components were spatially resolved for detailed graphical analyses. Perturbations in the thermodynamic properties of water molecules upon guest binding are restricted to the immediate vicinity of the guest in solvent-exposed cavities, whereas longer-ranged perturbations are observed in buried cavities. Depending on the polarity and geometry of the host, water displacement by a nonpolar guest makes a small or large enthalpic or entropic contribution to the free energy of binding. Thus, no assumptions about the thermodynamic signature of the hydrophobic effect can be made in general. Overall the results warrant further applications of GCT to more complex systems such as protein-ligand complexes. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
]
|
865437 | Rise of the 3rd dimension in nanotemperature mapping | The last decades witnessed a quest for devices responding to temperature at a distance with unprecedented space resolution, approaching the nanoscale. Such devices are valuable in both fundamental and applied science, from overheat in micromachines to hyperthermia applied to cells. Despite great advances, the response is still collected in 2D. In real systems, heat flows in 3 dimensions such that 2D nanothermometers give just a plane view of a 3D reality. The restriction to 2D emerges because space resolution is bound to time and temperature resolutions, leading to a trilemma: scanning into the 3rd dimension is time consuming and cannot be achieve without losing temperature and time resolutions. While incremental improvements have been achieved in recent years, adding the 3rd dimension to nanothermometry is crucial for further impact and requires an innovative approach. Herein, I propose the development of nano local probes with tailored magnetic properties recording critical information about local temperature in 3D. These thermometric local probes avoid the resolution trilemma by recording the most relevant temperature information instead of reading the present temperature value. In many applications, including cellular hyperthermia, most part of the current temperature reading is of minor relevance and can be dropped. The key temperature information includes the maximum temperature achieved, the surpass of a given temperature threshold, and the time elapsed after this surpass. Once recorded, this key information can be read in 3D by standard devices (such as confocal microscopes and magnetic resonance imaging scanners) without time constrains and thus keeping a high space and temperature resolution. Moreover, the reading step can be performed in-situ and/or ex-situ, decoupling probes and reading devices if needed. This widens the range of applications of nanothermometers, allowing detection in confined environments and in non-transparent media. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
W1981536455 | Metallogeny and tectonic evolution of the Cenozoic Ahar–Arasbaran volcanic belt, northern Iran | The Cenozoic Ahar–Arasbaran volcanic belt (AHAVB) in northern Iran is part of the Alborz–Azerbaijan magmatic zone, which developed along the southern margin of Eurasia. Upper Jurassic–Cretaceous flysch deposits and platform carbonates were deposited adjacent to this margin, are overlain by Eocene volcanic rocks, and are intruded by Oligo-Miocene, shallow-crustal to hypabyssal plutons that collectively make up the AHAVB. The volcanic and plutonic rocks have medium- to high-K, calc-alkaline to alkaline compositions and show similar geochemical features, indicating a common subduction-metasomatized continental lithospheric mantle source. Granodioritic, tonalitic, and quartz monzonitic plutons provided the heat flux and magmatic fluids that played a major role in the precipitation of porphyry, skarn, and epithermal copper, molybdenum, and gold deposits. The distribution of mineralization shows three major zones parallel to the general NW–SE trend of the AHAVB. Most of the major Cu ± Mo porphyry and skarn depo... | [
"Earth System Science",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
637857 | From ownership to access: digital and policy tools for building post-homeownership futures | Growing numbers of people are renting rather than owning commodities such as music, films, cars and, crucially, housing. The shift from ownership to access in exchange for a fee is occurring in the context of new socio-economic conditions and digital platforms emerging from crisis-ridden landscapes. Homeownership, the social cement of capitalism in past decades, is losing ground to new access economies in housing, featuring transnational landlords and rental platforms. This entails that new profiles of renters and rentiers are gaining centrality in contemporary urban political economies. Novel forms of income generation have developed, but also novel forms of precariety and inequality. The project seeks to engage with these changing urban conditions and analyse emerging strategies to counter associated power and wealth imbalances. To this end, the project involves an intensive analysis of Barcelona, an ‘extreme case’ in two respects; (1) in the significance of the shift from ownership to access economies in housing, and (2) in how related asset-ownership inequalities, as well as asymmetries in the control of data and digital infrastructures, are being addressed in innovative ways. The project will analyse the development of digital counter-infrastructures and legal and policy innovations that are drafting new ‘social contracts’ for post-homeownership societies. Drawing on and contributing to political-economic urban theories and using qualitative as well as quantitative methods, this in-depth and interdisciplinary approach will generate new knowledge, which can inform theory and action on a pressing contemporary challenge. | [
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space",
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
10.1085/jgp.201611726 | Understanding the conformational motions of RCK gating rings | Regulator of conduction of K+ (RCK) domains are ubiquitous regulators of channel and transporter activity in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In humans, RCK domains form an integral component of large-conductance calcium-activated K channels (BK channels), key modulators of nerve, muscle, and endocrine cell function. In this review, we explore how the study of RCK domains in bacterial and human channels has contributed to our understanding of the structural basis of channel function. This knowledge will be critical in identifying mechanisms that underlie BK channelopathies that lead to epilepsy and other diseases, as well as regions of the channel that might be successfully targeted to treat such diseases. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
10.1073/pnas.1013148108 | Exploring transcription regulation through cell-to-cell variability | The regulation of cellular protein levels is a complex process involving many regulatory mechanisms, each introducing stochastic events, leading to variability of protein levels between isogenic cells. Previous studies have shown that perturbing genes involved in transcription regulation affects the amount of cell-to-cell variability in protein levels, but to date there has been no systematic characterization of variability in expression as a phenotype. In this research, we use single-cell expression levels of two fluorescent reporters driven by two different promoters under a wide range of genetic perturbations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, to identify proteins that affect variability in the expression of these reporters. We introduce computational methodology to determine the variability caused by each perturbation and distinguish between global variability, which affects both reporters in a coordinated manner (e. g. , due to cell size variability), and local variability, which affects the individual reporters independently (e. g. , due to stochastic events in transcription initiation). Classifying genes by their variability phenotype (the effect of their deletion on reporter variability) identifies functionally coherent groups, which broadly correlate with the different stages of transcriptional regulation. Specifically, we find that most processes whose perturbation affects global variability are related to protein synthesis, protein transport, and cell morphology, whereas most processes whose perturbations affect local variability are related to DNA maintenance, chromatin regulation, and RNA synthesis. Moreover, we demonstrate that the variability phenotypes of different protein complexes provide insights into their cellular functions. Our results establish the utility of variability phenotype for dissecting the regulatory mechanisms involved in gene expression. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
]
|
10.1016/j.isci.2019.08.058 | Long and Repeat-Rich Intronic Sequences Favor Circular RNA Formation under Conditions of Reduced Spliceosome Activity | Circular RNAs (circRNAs), an important class of regulatory RNAs, have been shown to be the most prevalent in the brain compared with other tissues. However the processes governing their biogenesis in neurons are still elusive. Moreover, little is known about whether and how different biogenesis factors work in synchrony to generate neuronal circRNAs. To address this question, we pharmacologically inhibited the spliceosome and profiled rat neuronal circRNAs using RNA sequencing. We identified over 100 circRNAs that were up-regulated and a few circRNAs that were down-regulated upon spliceosome inhibition. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that up-regulated circRNAs possess significantly longer flanking introns compared with the un-changed circRNA population. Moreover, the flanking introns of up-regulated circRNAs harbor a higher number of distinct repeat sequences and more reverse complementary motifs compared with the unchanged circRNAs. Taken together, our data demonstrate that the biogenesis of circRNAs containing distinct intronic features becomes favored under conditions of limited spliceosome activity. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
10.1038/srep10431 | Tracing the dynamic life story of a Bronze Age Female | Ancient human mobility at the individual level is conventionally studied by the diverse application of suitable techniques (e. g. aDNA, radiogenic strontium isotopes, as well as oxygen and lead isotopes) to either hard and/or soft tissues. However, the limited preservation of coexisting hard and soft human tissues hampers the possibilities of investigating high-resolution diachronic mobility periods in the life of a single individual. Here, we present the results of a multidisciplinary study of an exceptionally well preserved circa 3. 400-year old Danish Bronze Age female find, known as the Egtved Girl. We applied biomolecular, biochemical and geochemical analyses to reconstruct her mobility and diet. We demonstrate that she originated from a place outside present day Denmark (the island of Bornholm excluded), and that she travelled back and forth over large distances during the final months of her life, while consuming a terrestrial diet with intervals of reduced protein intake. We also provide evidence that all her garments were made of non-locally produced wool. Our study advocates the huge potential of combining biomolecular and biogeochemical provenance tracer analyses to hard and soft tissues of a single ancient individual for the reconstruction of high-resolution human mobility. | [
"The Study of the Human Past",
"Earth System Science",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1016/j.cub.2017.09.033 | Evolutionary History of Saber-Toothed Cats Based on Ancient Mitogenomics | Saber-toothed cats (Machairodontinae) are among the most widely recognized representatives of the now largely extinct Pleistocene megafauna. However, many aspects of their ecology, evolution, and extinction remain uncertain. Although ancient-DNA studies have led to huge advances in our knowledge of these aspects of many other megafauna species (e. g. , mammoths and cave bears), relatively few ancient-DNA studies have focused on saber-toothed cats [1–3], and they have been restricted to short fragments of mitochondrial DNA. Here we investigate the evolutionary history of two lineages of saber-toothed cats (Smilodon and Homotherium) in relation to living carnivores and find that the Machairodontinae form a well-supported clade that is distinct from all living felids. We present partial mitochondrial genomes from one S. populator sample and three Homotherium sp. samples, including the only Late Pleistocene Homotherium sample from Eurasia [4]. We confirm the identification of the unique Late Pleistocene European fossil through ancient-DNA analyses, thus strengthening the evidence that Homotherium occurred in Europe over 200,000 years later than previously believed. This in turn forces a re-evaluation of its demography and extinction dynamics. Within the Machairodontinae, we find a deep divergence between Smilodon and Homotherium (∼18 million years) but limited diversity between the American and European Homotherium specimens. The genetic data support the hypothesis that all Late Pleistocene (or post-Villafrancian) Homotherium should be considered a single species, H. latidens, which was previously proposed based on morphological data [5, 6]. Paijmans et al. present ancient DNA from some of the most recognized extinct Pleistocene megafauna: the saber-toothed cats. The results elucidate the evolutionary history of these iconic carnivores and provide genetic evidence that saber-toothed cats existed in Europe over 200,000 years later than previously believed. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"The Study of the Human Past"
]
|
W1497642607 | 3D video tracking and localization of underwater swarm robots | Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) are robots, which usually estimate their position by localization the help of internal or external sensors. In this thesis, small swarm robots from the CoCoRo are used as experimental platform. It is often useful, to know the exact position inside the testing area to evaluate swarm algorithms. Controlling the position of the robot should be possible as well. A software is developed, which is able to track a robot inside an aquarium. Two cameras are install at each side of this aquarium for determining the 3D position which includes the diving depth. Perspective distortions, which come from viewing angle, are compensated with the help of image transformation. With the corrected image, the template matching algorithm with normalized cross-correlation is used to track the robot in the camera image. A wireless connection is established between the computer and the robot to read out sensor data and to control the motors. Waypoints can be set by the user which the robot follows. The computer uses two independent controllers for rotational and for distance control. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1371/journal.pone.0215052 | Publication bias examined in meta-analyses from psychology and medicine: A meta-meta-analysis | Publication bias is a substantial problem for the credibility of research in general and of meta-analyses in particular, as it yields overestimated effects and may suggest the existence of non-existing effects. Although there is consensus that publication bias exists, how strongly it affects different scientific literatures is currently less well-known. We examined evidence of publication bias in a large-scale data set of primary studies that were included in 83 meta-analyses published in Psychological Bulletin (representing meta-analyses from psychology) and 499 systematic reviews from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR; representing meta-analyses from medicine). Publication bias was assessed on all homogeneous subsets (3. 8% of all subsets of meta-analyses published in Psychological Bulletin) of primary studies included in meta-analyses, because publication bias methods do not have good statistical properties if the true effect size is heterogeneous. Publication bias tests did not reveal evidence for bias in the homogeneous subsets. Overestimation was minimal but statistically significant, providing evidence of publication bias that appeared to be similar in both fields. However, a Monte-Carlo simulation study revealed that the creation of homogeneous subsets resulted in challenging conditions for publication bias methods since the number of effect sizes in a subset was rather small (median number of effect sizes equaled 6). Our findings are in line with, in its most extreme case, publication bias ranging from no bias until only 5% statistically nonsignificant effect sizes being published. These and other findings, in combination with the small percentages of statistically significant primary effect sizes (28. 9% and 18. 9% for subsets published in Psychological Bulletin and CDSR), led to the conclusion that evidence for publication bias in the studied homogeneous subsets is weak, but suggestive of mild publication bias in both psychology and medicine. | [
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
W181554864 | Nonproteinuric Diabetic Nephropathy | Diabetic nephropathy (DN) refers to the structural and functional changes in the kidneys of patients with diabetes mellitus (type 1 or 2). A subset of patients with presumed DN may not have overt proteinuria as a prerequisite to renal failure, contrary to the classical paradigm. No animal model fully recapitulates the human subset. All studies on this subject are observational and most lack biopsy data. Many mechanisms have been postulated, including use of renin-angiotensin system agents, recurrent bouts of acute kidney injury, genetic predisposition, and renal lesions other than DN. A well-designed biopsy study and a series of intervention trials are needed to fully understand this entity. | [
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
864971 | Reconstructing the coordinated self-assembly of a bacterial nanomachine | Life has evolved diverse protein machines and bacteria provide many fascinating examples. Despite being unicellular organisms of relatively small size, bacteria produce sophisticated nanomachines with a high degree of self-organization. The motility organelle of bacteria, the flagellum, is a prime example of complex bacterial nanomachines. Flagella are by far the most prominent extracellular structures known in bacteria and made through self-assembly of several dozen different kinds of proteins and thus represents an ideal model system to study sub-cellular compartmentalization and self-organization. The flagellum can function as a macromolecular motility machine only if its many building blocks assemble in a coordinated manner. However, previous studies have focused on phenotypic and genetic analyses, or the characterization of isolated sub-components. Crucially, how bacteria orchestrate the many different cellular processes in time and space in order to construct a functional motility organelle remains enigmatic. The present proposal constitutes a comprehensive research program with the aim to obtain a holistic understanding of the underlying principles that allow bacteria to control and coordinate the simultaneous self-assembly processes of several multi-component nanomachines within a single cell. Towards this goal, we will combine for the first time the visualization of the dynamic self-assembly of individual flagella with quantitative single-cell gene expression analyses, re-engineering of the genetic network and biophysical modeling in order to develop a biophysical model of flagella self-assembly. This novel, integrative approach will allow us to move beyond the classical, descriptive characterization of protein complexes towards an engineering-type understanding of the extraordinarily robust and coordinated assembly of a multi-component molecular machine. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
]
|
W2005782743 | A Randomized Controlled Trial of Enhanced Cleaning to Reduce Contamination of Healthcare Worker Gowns and Gloves with Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria | OBJECTIVE. To determine whether enhanced daily cleaning would reduce contamination of healthcare worker (HCW) gowns and gloves with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB). DESIGN. A cluster-randomized controlled trial. SETTING. Four intensive care units (ICUs) in an urban tertiary care hospital. PARTICIPANTs. ICU rooms occupied by patients colonized with MRSA or MDRAB. INTERVENTION. Extra enhanced daily cleaning of ICU room surfaces frequently touched by HCWs. RESULTS. A total of 4,444 cultures were collected from 132 rooms over 10 months. Using fluorescent dot markers at 2,199 surfaces, we found that 26% of surfaces in control rooms were cleaned and that 100% of surfaces in experimental rooms were cleaned (P < .001). The mean proportion of contaminated HCW gowns and gloves following routine care provision and before leaving the rooms of patients with MDRAB was 16% among control rooms and 12% among experimental rooms (relative risk, 0.77 [95% confidence interval, 0.28-2.11]; P = .23). For MRSA, the mean proportions were 22% and 19%, respectively (relative risk, 0.89 [95% confidence interval, 0.50-1.53]; P = .16). DISCUSSION. Intense enhanced daily cleaning of ICU rooms occupied by patients colonized with MRSA or MDRAB was associated with a nonsignificant reduction in contamination of HCW gowns and gloves after routine patient care activities. Further research is needed to determine whether intense environmental cleaning will lead to significant reductions and fewer infections. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1098/rstb.2015.0485 | Waiting in the wings: what can we learn about gene co-option from the diversification of butterfly wing patterns? | A major challenge is to understand how conserved gene regulatory networks control the wonderful diversity of form that we see among animals and plants. Butterfly wing patterns are an excellent example of this diversity. Butterfly wings form as imaginal discs in the caterpillar and are constructed by a gene regulatory network, much of which is conserved across the holometabolous insects. Recent work in Heliconius butterflies takes advantage of genomic approaches and offers insights into how the diversification of wing patterns is overlaid onto this conserved network. WntA is a patterning morphogen that alters spatial information in the wing. Optix is a transcription factor that acts later in development to paint specific wing regions red. Both of these loci fit the paradigm of conserved protein-coding loci with diverse regulatory elements and developmental roles that have taken on novel derived functions in patterning wings. These discoveries offer insights into the ‘Nymphalid Ground Plan’, which offers a unifying hypothesis for pattern formation across nymphalid butterflies. These loci also represent ‘hotspots’ for morphological change that have been targeted repeatedly during evolution. Both convergent and divergent evolution of a great diversity of patterns is controlled by complex alleles at just a few genes. We suggest that evolutionary change has become focused on one or a few genetic loci for two reasons. First, pre-existing complex cis -regulatory loci that already interact with potentially relevant transcription factors are more likely to acquire novel functions in wing patterning. Second, the shape of wing regulatory networks may constrain evolutionary change to one or a few loci. Overall, genomic approaches that have identified wing patterning loci in these butterflies offer broad insight into how gene regulatory networks evolve to produce diversity. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Evo-devo in the genomics era, and the origins of morphological diversity’. | [
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1063/5.0012754 | Entangled Photon Assisted Multidimensional Nonlinear Optics Of Exciton Polaritons | We present a theoretical formulation of the frequency domain multidimensional pump-probe analog spectroscopy, which utilizes the spectral–temporal entanglement features of the biphoton sources. It has been shown, via a compact multi-time, convolutional Green’s function expression and the accompanying numerical simulations, that utilizing the correlation properties of non-classical sources offers a viable scheme for the exploration of dissipative kinetics of the cavity confined quantum aggregates. The cooperative and competitive modifications brought in by the photonic cavity mode and the auxiliary vibrational modes into the scattering and dephasing properties of the exciton–polaritons have been explored via their signatures in the multidimensional correlation maps. The study offers a new parameter window for the investigation of the dynamical polariton characteristics and warrants the usage of multi-mode entanglement properties of the external photonic sources in future studies. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.3389/fncel.2013.00232 | Dynamic micro-organization of P2X7 receptors revealed by PALM based single particle tracking | Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-gated P2X7 receptors (P2X7Rs) are members of the purinergic receptor family that are expressed in several cell types including neurons. A high concentration of ATP is required for the channel opening of P2X7Rs compared to other members of this receptor family. Recent work suggests that ATP binding to members of the P2X receptor family determines the diffusion and localization of these receptors on the plasma membrane of neurons. Here, we employed single particle tracking photoactivated localization microscopy (sptPALM) to study the diffusion and ATP-dependence of rat P2X7Rs. Dendra2-tagged P2X7Rs were transfected in hippocampal neurons and imaged on proximal dendrites. Our results suggest the presence of two populations of P2X7Rs within the extra-synaptic membrane: a population composed of rapidly diffusing receptors and one stabilized within nanoclusters (~100 nm diameter). P2X7R trajectories were rarely observed at synaptic sites. P2X7R mutations in the ATP-binding site (K64A) or the conserved phosphorylation site (K17A) resulted in faster- and slower-diffusing receptors, respectively. Furthermore, ATP differentially accelerated wild type and K17A-mutant receptors but not K64A-mutant receptors. Our results indicate that receptor conformation plays a critical role in regulating ATP-mediated changes in P2X7R diffusion and micro-organization. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System"
]
|
10.1111/j.1542-4774.2010.tb00517.x | Asset auctions, information, and liquidity | A model is presented of a uniform price auction where bidders compete in demand schedules; the model allows for common and private values in the absence of exogenous noise. It is shown how private information yields more market power than the levels seen with full information. Results obtained here are broadly consistent with evidence from asset auctions, may help explain the response of central banks to the crisis, and suggest potential improvements in the auction formats of asset auctions. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
10.1126/sciadv.aaw3095 | GWAS on longitudinal growth traits reveals different genetic factors influencing infant, child, and adult BMI | Early childhood growth patterns are associated with adult health, yet the genetic factors and the developmental stages involved are not fully understood. Here, we combine genome-wide association studies with modeling of longitudinal growth traits to study the genetics of infant and child growth, followed by functional, pathway, genetic correlation, risk score, and colocalization analyses to determine how developmental timings, molecular pathways, and genetic determinants of these traits overlap with those of adult health. We found a robust overlap between the genetics of child and adult body mass index (BMI), with variants associated with adult BMI acting as early as 4 to 6 years old. However, we demonstrated a completely distinct genetic makeup for peak BMI during infancy, influenced by variation at the LEPR/LEPROT locus. These findings suggest that different genetic factors control infant and child BMI. In light of the obesity epidemic, these findings are important to inform the timing and targets of prevention strategies. | [
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1080/08164649.2019.1644607 | Governing Austerity Governance Reforms As Facilitators Of Gendered Austerity In Finland | ABSTRACTThis article contributes to literature on gender and austerity by analysing recent neoliberal transformations of governance that have facilitated the adoption of highly gendered austerity m. . . | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
]
|
10.1016/j.cognition.2018.01.012 | Investing in commitment: Persistence in a joint action is enhanced by the perception of a partner's effort | Can the perception that one's partner is investing effort generate a sense of commitment to a joint action? To test this, we developed a 2-player version of the classic snake game which became increasingly boring over the course of each round. This enabled us to operationalize commitment in terms of how long participants persisted before pressing a ‘finish’ button to conclude each round. Our results from three experiments reveal that participants persisted longer when they perceived what they believed to be cues of their partner's effortful contribution (Experiment 1). Crucially, this effect was not observed when they knew their partner to be an algorithm (Experiment 2), nor when it was their own effort that had been invested (Experiment 3). These results support the hypothesis that the perception of a partner's effort elicits a sense of commitment, leading to increased persistence in the face of a temptation to disengage. | [
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
]
|
EP 2005006914 W | KNITTING MACHINE | The invention relates to a knitting machine (1) comprising a knitting unit (2), a thread reserve (9-11), which has at least one warp beam (12-14) and a delivery unit (20-22), which supplies threads (6-8) from the thread reserve (9-11) to the knitting unit (2). The aim of the invention is to increase the productivity of the knitting machine. To achieve this, the warp beam mounting (15-17) comprises a rotary drive (23, 24) with a control device, which maintains the thread tension between the warp beam (12-14) and the delivery unit (20-22) at a predetermined value. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
169692 | Revolutionary embedded memory for internet of things devices and energy reduction | REMINDER aims to develop an embedded DRAM solution optimized for ultra-low-power consumption and
variability immunity, specifically focused on Internet of Things cut-edge devices. The objectives of REMINDER are :
i) Investigation (concept, design, characterization, simulation, modelling), selection and optimization of a
Floating-Body memory bit cell in terms of low power and low voltage, high reliability, robustness
(variability), speed, reduced footprint and cost.
ii) Design and fabrication in FDSOI 28nm (FD28) and FDSOI 14nm (FD14) technology nodes of a
memory matrix based on the optimized bit-cells developed. Matrix memory subcircuits,
blocks and architectures will be carefully analysed from the power-consumption point of view.
In addition variability tolerant design techniques underpinned by variability analysis and statistical
simulation technology will be considered.
iii) Demonstration of a system on chip application using the developed memory solution and
benchmarking with alternative embedded memory blocks.
The eventual replacement of Si by strained Si/SiGe and III-V materials in future CMOS circuits would also
require the redesign of different applications, including memory cells, and therefore we also propose the evaluation
of the optimized bit cells developed in FD28 and FD14 technology nodes using these alternative
materials.
The fulfilment of the objectives above will also imply the development of:
i) New techniques for the electrical characterization of ultimate CMOS nanometric devices. This will
allow us to improve the CMOS technology by boosting device performance.
ii) New behavioural models, incorporating variability effects, to reach a deep understanding of
nanoelectronics devices
iii) Advanced simulation tools for nanoelectronic devices for state of the art, and emerging devices.
iv) Extreme low power solutions
The consortium supporting this proposal is ideally balanced with 2 industrial partners, 2 SMEs, 2 research centers and 3 universities. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1051/0004-6361/201936988 | Noema Redshift Measurements Of Bright Herschel Galaxies | Using the IRAM NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA), we conducted a program to measure redshifts for 13 bright galaxies detected in the Herschel Astrophysical Large Area Survey with S500 μm ≥ 80 mJy. We report reliable spectroscopic redshifts for 12 individual sources, which are derived from scans of the 3 and 2 mm bands, covering up to 31 GHz in each band, and are based on the detection of at least two emission lines. The spectroscopic redshifts are in the range 2. 08 1013 L⊙) galaxies. We also present a reanalysis of the spectral energy distributions including the continuum flux densities measured at 3 and 2 mm to derive the overall properties of the sources. Future prospects based on these efficient measurements of redshifts of high-z galaxies using NOEMA are outlined, including a comprehensive survey of all the brightest Herschel galaxies. | [
"Universe Sciences",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
W2111219288 | High-temperature environments of human evolution in East Africa based on bond ordering in paleosol carbonates | Many important hominid-bearing fossil localities in East Africa are in regions that are extremely hot and dry. Although humans are well adapted to such conditions, it has been inferred that East African environments were cooler or more wooded during the Pliocene and Pleistocene when this region was a central stage of human evolution. Here we show that the Turkana Basin, Kenya—today one of the hottest places on Earth—has been continually hot during the past 4 million years. The distribution of 13 C- 18 O bonds in paleosol carbonates indicates that soil temperatures during periods of carbonate formation were typically above 30 °C and often in excess of 35 °C. Similar soil temperatures are observed today in the Turkana Basin and reflect high air temperatures combined with solar heating of the soil surface. These results are specific to periods of soil carbonate formation, and we suggest that such periods composed a large fraction of integrated time in the Turkana Basin. If correct, this interpretation has implications for human thermophysiology and implies a long-standing human association with marginal environments. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"The Study of the Human Past"
]
|
10.1126/scitranslmed.aax7161 | Metal-captured inhibition of pre-mRNA processing activity by CPSF3 controls Cryptosporidium infection | Cryptosporidium is an intestinal pathogen that causes severe but self-limiting diarrhea in healthy humans, yet it can turn into a life-threatening, unrelenting infection in immunocompromised patients and young children. Severe diarrhea is recognized as the leading cause of mortality for children below 5 years of age in developing countries. The only approved treatment against cryptosporidiosis, nitazoxanide, has limited efficacy in the most vulnerable patient populations, including malnourished children, and is ineffective in immunocompromised individuals. Here, we investigate inhibition of the parasitic cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor 3 (CPSF3) as a strategy to control Cryptosporidium infection. We show that the oxaborole AN3661 selectively blocked Cryptosporidium growth in human HCT-8 cells, and oral treatment with AN3661 reduced intestinal parasite burden in both immunocompromised and neonatal mouse models of infection with greater efficacy than nitazoxanide. Furthermore, we present crystal structures of recombinantly produced Cryptosporidium CPSF3, revealing a mechanism of action whereby the mRNA processing activity of this enzyme is efficiently blocked by the binding of the oxaborole group at the metal-dependent catalytic center. Our data provide insights that may help accelerate the development of next-generation anti-Cryptosporidium therapeutics. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
169941 | Robotic assistant for mci patients at home | RAMCIP will research and develop a novel domestic service robot, with the aim to proactively and discreetly assist older persons, MCI and AD patients in their every day life. Instead of simply being an obedient servant, the RAMCIP robot will have high-level cognitive functions, driven through advanced human activity and home environment modelling and monitoring, enabling it to optimally decide when and how to assist. The robot will provide subtle physical and cognitive user skills training, by maintaining an optimal balance between physical assistance provision and user stimulation to act. The cognitive functions will orchestrate an ensemble of advanced lower-level mechanisms, enabling the robot to (a) communicate with the user and (b) establish dextrous and safe robotic manipulations. Communication will be based on multimodal interfaces, adapted and fused so as to meet the current user’s needs and interaction context. Apart from touch-screen, speech and gestural modalities, RAMCIP will incorporate an augmented reality display, as well as an underlying empathic communication channel, allowing it to sense user affect and moderate it. In the context of robotic manipulations, RAMCIP will introduce advanced dexterity in service robots for assisted living environments; the robot will employ a sophisticated anthropomorphic hand, manipulated though novel grasping and dexterity algorithms, being capable to grasp and manipulate a variety of objects in realistic user homes, supporting also safe handover. Safety will be a major research focus. By establishing safe and dextrous manipulations, emphasis will be paid on physical HRI, enabling novel assistance scenarios that will involve physical contact between the user and the robot. Through multi-faceted proactive assistance enabled through all the above, RAMCIP will advance user independency and quality of life of its user. The robot will be evaluated in two pilot sites that will be deployed in two countries. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1038/nplants.2015.33 | Complementary effects of species and genetic diversity on productivity and stability of sown grasslands | Plant species diversity regulates the productivity 1-3 and stability 2,4 of natural ecosystems, along with their resilience to disturbance 5,6. The influence of species diversity on the productivity of agronomic systems is less clear 7-10. Plant genetic diversity is also suspected to influence ecosystem function 3,11-14, although empirical evidence is scarce. Given the large range of genotypes that can be generated per species through artificial selection, genetic diversity is a potentially important leverage of productivity in cultivated systems. Here we assess the effect of species and genetic diversity on the production and sustainable supply of livestock fodder in sown grasslands, comprising single and multispecies assemblages characterized by different levels of genetic diversity, exposed to drought and non-drought conditions. Multispecies assemblages proved more productive than monocultures when subject to drought, regardless of the number of genotypes per species present. Conversely, the temporal stability of production increased only with the number of genotypes present under both drought and non-drought conditions, and was unaffected by the number of species. We conclude that taxonomic and genetic diversity can play complementary roles when it comes to optimizing livestock fodder production in managed grasslands, and suggest that both levels of diversity should be considered in plant breeding programmes designed to boost the productivity and resilience of managed grasslands in the face of increasing environmental hazards. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering"
]
|
10.1016/j.immuni.2012.05.015 | CD4 <sup>+</sup> T Cells Rely on a Cytokine Gradient to Control Intracellular Pathogens beyond Sites of Antigen Presentation | Effector T cells are critical for clearance of pathogens from sites of infection. Like cytotoxic CD8 + T cells, CD4 + helper T cells have been shown to deliver effector molecules directionally toward the immunological synapse, suggesting that infected cells need to be engaged individually to receive effector signals. In contrast, we show here that CD4 + T cells stably contacted a minority of infected cells, yet these interactions triggered intracellular defense mechanisms in bystander cells in vivo. By using a functional read-out, we provide evidence that this effector bystander activity extends via a gradient of IFN-γ more than 80 μm beyond the site of antigen presentation, promoting pathogen clearance in the absence of immunological synapse formation. Our results thus demonstrate that CD4 + T cells can exert their protective activity by engaging a minority of infected cells. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
]
|
10.1007/978-3-319-62075-6_20 | Enigma Efficient Learning Based Inference Guiding Machine | ENIGMA is a learning-based method for guiding given clause selection in saturation-based theorem provers. Clauses from many previous proof searches are classified as positive and negative based on their participation in the proofs. An efficient classification model is trained on this data, classifying a clause as useful or un-useful for the proof search. This learned classification is used to guide next proof searches prioritizing useful clauses among other generated clauses. The approach is evaluated on the E prover and the CASC 2016 AIM benchmark, showing a large increase of E’s performance. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.3390/molecules24122337 | Unraveling Sugar Binding Modes to DC-SIGN by Employing Fluorinated Carbohydrates | A fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance (19F-NMR)-based method is employed to assess the binding preferences and interaction details of a library of synthetic fluorinated monosaccharides towards dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule 3-grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN), a lectin of biomedical interest, which is involved in different viral infections, including HIV and Ebola, and is able to recognize a variety of self- and non-self-glycans. The strategy employed allows not only screening of a mixture of compounds, but also obtaining valuable information on the specific sugar–protein interactions. The analysis of the data demonstrates that monosaccharides Fuc, Man, Glc, and Gal are able to bind DC-SIGN, although with decreasing affinity. Moreover, a new binding mode between Man moieties and DC-SIGN, which might have biological implications, is also detected for the first time. The combination of the 19F with standard proton saturation transfer difference (1H-STD-NMR) data, assisted by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, permits us to successfully define this new binding epitope, where Man coordinates a Ca2+ ion of the lectin carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) through the axial OH-2 and equatorial OH-3 groups, thus mimicking the Fuc/DC-SIGN binding architecture. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
interreg_314 | ADRIA.MUSE | Medical (health) tourism is an important economic niche, which can contribute to the growth of sustainable tourism in the Adriatic region. The region all the way from Slovenia to Montenegro can offer trusted European standards of healthcare, with sophisticated European flavor, rich historical and cultural heritage, as well as high quality, healthful options for gastronomy and comfortable accommodations. Adriatic medical tourism will encompass conventional healthcare, spa tourism, retirement communities, alternative health services, healthy lifestyle tourism with outdoor nature-based activities, cultural activities, and gastronomy. Specific medical tourism services were already assessed in selected Adriatic regions (e.g. dental tourism in B-H, general medical check-ups in Slovenia). However, some key challenges remain. Medical tourism providers are lacking strategic focus, in general the level of marketing and management skills is low, they are not well networked in domestic and international market, and they do not offer a range of service packages necessary to attract tourists. Though the quality and price of medical/health services are competitive, it is necessary for them to collaborate in networks and thus integrate their offer into attractive, high quality “health and vitality tourist experience”. Other challenges are: short, highly concentrated tourist season, concentration of tourism in seaside areas, poor tourism infrastructure in inland areas, lack of diversity, creativity and quality in package offerings, low level of co-operative marketing, generally low level of service sensitivity, lack of connectivity between tourism operators and academic institutions. The AHVN project integrates beneficiaries from private sector (Hotel Marita), major faculties in the field of tourism and medical education (School of Economics and Business Sarajevo, School of Dentistry), municipalities (City of Buzet), NGO-s (Green Home, Assoc. Healthy Entrepreneur). As agreed by the six initial AHVN partners from Obalno Kraška Region (SLO), Istra (CRO), Sarajevo Economic Region (B-H), Podgorica (MNE) the overall objective of the AHVN is to stimulate sustainable health tourism within and between the partner regions, increasing high-value tourist visits within the market niches of medical, alternative health tourism, spa and active lifestyles tourism. By strengthening networks and supporting entrepreneurs and institutions, the AHVN's specific objectives are: -to encourage high quality tourism products integrated with local and regional cultural and natural heritage offerings. This network aims to merge healthy food, good accommodation, recreational activities, medical & wellness services, and authentic culture into unique tourist experience networked throughout the Adriatic region; - to enhance inland tourism and expand the tourist season, thus relieving some of the pressure from the current focus on high season seaside tourism; - to train and network local health tourism service providers for high-quality tourism service delivery.The AHVN expected outputs are: (1) at least 50 tourist service providers identified and integrated into the Network, (2) two joint AHVN conferences implemented (participation of over 100 people), (3) joint trademark/brand and 5 specific health tourism service standard criteria identified and applied, (4) the AHVN web-site and promotional materials created individually presenting each of the 4 regions, (5) The AHVN Marketing Strategy and Action Plan for each local network developed, (6) within the direct support to the local networks for capacity building at least 10 initiatives implemented with altogether over 100 tourism service providers trained. Each beneficiary will be responsible for at least one local health network and will participate with staffing and financing. The cross-border partnership is formed in a way which will enable financial and institutional sustainability. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
]
|
10.5194/bg-13-841-2016 | The impact of sedimentary alkalinity release on the water column CO<sub>2</sub> system in the North Sea | Abstract. It has been previously proposed that alkalinity release from sediments can play an important role in the carbonate dynamics on continental shelves, lowering the pCO2 of seawater and hence increasing the CO2 uptake from the atmosphere. To test this hypothesis, sedimentary alkalinity generation was quantified within cohesive and permeable sediments across the North Sea during two cruises in September 2011 (basin-wide) and June 2012 (Dutch coastal zone). Benthic fluxes of oxygen (O2), alkalinity (AT) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) were determined using shipboard closed sediment incubations. Our results show that sediments can form an important source of alkalinity for the overlying water, particularly in the shallow southern North Sea, where high AT and DIC fluxes were recorded in near-shore sediments of the Belgian, Dutch and German coastal zone. In contrast, fluxes of AT and DIC are substantially lower in the deeper, seasonally stratified, northern part of the North Sea. Based on the data collected, we performed a model analysis to constrain the main pathways of alkalinity generation in the sediment, and to quantify how sedimentary alkalinity drives atmospheric CO2 uptake in the southern North Sea. Overall, our results show that sedimentary alkalinity generation should be regarded as a key component in the CO2 dynamics of shallow coastal systems. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
EP 2005010614 W | SURGICAL IMPLANT | A surgical implant (10) has an areal base structure (12) and at least one projection (14) which is absorbable or partially absorbable and which is designed to take up at least half the implant's own weight of body fluids. In a preferred embodiment, the projection (14) has an attachment area (16) which is sited on the base structure (12) and which is adjoined by a cylindrical or frustoconical middle part (17), pointing away from the base structure (12), followed by a widening (18) arranged at the end remote from the base structure (12). | [
"Materials Engineering",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
W2418680915 | Is the Precariat a Class? | <p>Precariousness is a pervasive and increasing condition of life in both the developed and less developed regions of the world. Guy Standing has proposed a reconceptualisation of these trends from precarity as a condition to the precariat as a class distinct from the working class. This article presents a Marxist critique of this reconceptualisation on two principle grounds: first, that the material interests of people in the precariat and in the working class are not sufficiently opposed to each other for these to constitute two distinct classes; and second, that across the various segments of the precariat the optimal strategies for securing a livelihood are not sufficiently unified for the precariat as a whole to constitute a class.</p> | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
interreg_4011 | Developing transnational transversal youth strategies in regions with migration
| Many regions within the Central Europe area are suffering from demographic change and brain drain of young and skilled population.
The project Yura wants to develop transnational transversal youth strategies to counteract the consequences of demographic change and brain-drain. The participating regions are all suffering from above-average migration of especially young and qualified people.
The development and implementation of transnational strategies for the adaptation of social infrastructure (access to education and culture, mobility and transport, leisure opportunities, living conditions, etc.) in the participating regions should contribute to counteract social and spatial segregation and integrate the interest of relevant target group (young people and young families) in the early planning phase. An important effort of the project is the integration regional decision makers from different policy areas (regional development, economy, education, social and urban planning), key stakeholders from industry and academia, regional employment agencies as well as the social partners and relevant target groups (young people and young families) already in the early planning phase. | [
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space",
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
]
|
W3094717296 | La realidad aumentada y el aprendizaje basado en problemas como estrategia que soportan los living lab | This article analyses, in a first exploratory approach, the changes in television in Spain produced by the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, with a particular focus on the alterations in audience numbers and habits, in content production, programming, platform and advertising environments The study is based on literature review around the impact of COVID-19 on communication and the interpretation of reports from relevant agencies and institutions on the impact of confinement on television The results of the research reveal an abrupt increase in audiences and consumption on traditional televisions and streaming platforms, both paid and free The supply and demand of news content is increasing, although they are being punished by demonetization through the action of bots In addition, entertainment and offerings for young audiences are reinforced, with an educational focus in the case of public media © 2020, Associacao Iberica de Sistemas e Tecnologias de Informacao All rights reserved | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
10.1111/jcms.12071 | Defining Borders and People in the Borderlands: EU Policies, Israeli Prerogatives and the Palestinians | This article investigates the rules and practices pertaining to visa regimes and the crossing of borders across the European Union, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Their consideration as three interlinked entities rests on the high degree of EU-Israeli interdependence, the EU's deep involvement in the Palestinian territories and Israel's control over the latter. The article evidences the existence of variegated borders regimes applying to different categories of Israelis, Palestinians and EU citizens, together with Israel's outstanding prerogatives in defining these practices. The analysis suggests conceptualizing the space comprising the EU and Israel/Palestine as overlapping borderlands, with Israel and the territories emerging as a single, yet highly fragmented, space in which borders are alternative expressions of power relations in protracted conflicts. With the EU being drawn into prevailing conflict dynamics, the type and extent of EU-Israeli-Palestinian interconnectedness thus undermine the coherent implementation of Brussels' mainly bilateral policies towards Israel and the territories. | [
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
]
|
W561360952 | Visualization of superparamagnetic dynamics in magnetic topological insulators | Quantized Hall conductance is a generic feature of two-dimensional electronic systems with broken time reversal symmetry. In the quantum anomalous Hall state recently discovered in magnetic topological insulators, time reversal symmetry is believed to be broken by long-range ferromagnetic order, with quantized resistance observed even at zero external magnetic field. We use scanning nanoSQUID (nano-superconducting quantum interference device) magnetic imaging to provide a direct visualization of the dynamics of the quantum phase transition between the two anomalous Hall plateaus in a Cr-doped (Bi,Sb)2Te3 thin film. Contrary to naive expectations based on macroscopic magnetometry, our measurements reveal a superparamagnetic state formed by weakly interacting magnetic domains with a characteristic size of a few tens of nanometers. The magnetic phase transition occurs through random reversals of these local moments, which drive the electronic Hall plateau transition. Surprisingly, we find that the electronic system can, in turn, drive the dynamics of the magnetic system, revealing a subtle interplay between the two coupled quantum phase transitions. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
218209 | A data-driven, multivariate approach to human mate preferences. | Human mate preferences can provide important insight into human social and sexual relationships; however, to date research on human mate preferences are typically based on sexual selection models derived from studies of non-human species to identify candidate characteristics that may influence preferences, and then studies only assess one or two of these characteristics at a time. This is problematic as this does not reflect the multivariate nature of human mate choice in reality. To address these limitations, I propose a research project that uses data-driven approaches to identify characteristics important to human mate preferences that entirely avoids the problem of selecting candidate characteristics based on inappropriate theoretical models. I also propose using powerful new computational methods to develop the first multivariate model of human mate preferences. First, I will use state-of-the-art statistical techniques developed in evolutionary biology to identify facial, body, and personality characteristics important for human mate preferences. Once these characteristics have been identified, they will be used as input into a large, iterative, online study using a technique that simulates the effects of Darwinian evolution on preferences. This project directly addresses difficulties in the field and will develop the first multivariate model of human mate preferences that will drive future research in the field. | [
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
10.1090/proc/14267 | Factoring onto Z <sup>d</sup> subshifts with the finite extension property | We define the finite extension property for d-dimensional subshifts, which generalizes the topological strong spatial mixing condition defined by the first author, and we prove that this property is invariant under topological conjugacy. Moreover, we prove that for every d, everyd-dimensional block gluing subshift factors onto every d-dimensional shift of finite type with strictly lower entropy, a fixed point, and the finite extension property. This result extends a theorem from [Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 362 (2010), 4617–4653], which requires that the factor contain a safe symbol. | [
"Mathematics"
]
|
10.1093/scan/nsx076 | That's me in the spotlight: Neural basis of individual differences in self-consciousness | A long-standing literature implicates activity within the default mode network (DMN) to processes linked to the self. However, contemporary work suggests that other large-scale networks networks might also be involved. For instance, goaldirected autobiographical planning requires positive functional connectivity (FC) between DMN and frontoparietal control (FPCN) networks. The present study examined the inter-relationship between trait self-focus (measured via a selfconsciousness scale; SCS), incidental memory in a self-reference paradigm, and resting state FC of large-scale networks. Behaviourally, we found that private SCS was linked to stronger incidental memory for self-relevant information. We also examined how patterns of FC differed according to levels of self-consciousness by using the SCS data to drive multiple regression analyses with seeds from the DMN, the FPCN and the limbic network. High levels of SCS was not linked to differences in the functional behaviour of the DMN, however, it was linked to stronger FC between FPCN and a cluster extending into the hippocampus, which meta analytic decoding using Neurosynth linked to episodic memory retrieval. Subsequent analysis demonstrated that trait variance in this pattern of FC was a moderator for the observed relationship between private SCS and enhanced memory for self-items. Together these findings suggest that interactions between the FPCN and hippocampus may support the memory advantage of self-relevant information associated with SCS and confirm theoretical positions that argue that that self-related processing does not simply depend upon the DMN, but instead relies on complex patterns of interactions between multiple large-scale networks. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
W3111505188 | Evaluating entrepreneurship through the lens of institutional quality and social capital theory | This paper investigates how the structural domain of social capital and institutional quality explains the current and expected entrepreneurial behavior. Based on the literature of social capital and institutional theory this article aims to examine the strength of the relationship between the degree of trust, norms, networks, and associations within a society with governance quality. By using a quantitative methodology, the data collected through the Global Competitiveness Index for 72 businesses in Albania are processed by conducting descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The study intention is to explain the impact of perceived assessment for country institutions at entrepreneurial action in order to create a social relationship in society based on trust, norms, and networks. The results showed the significance of perceived trust and quality at public and private institutions as important predictors of entrepreneurship behaviors toward market or network orientations. | [
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
W2154866193 | fMRI correlates of object-based attentional facilitation vs. suppression of irrelevant stimuli, dependent on global grouping and endogenous cueing | Theories of object-based attention often make two assumptions: that attentional resources are facilitatory, and that they spread automatically within grouped objects. Consistent with this, ignored visual stimuli can be easier to process, or more distracting, when perceptually grouped with an attended target stimulus. But in past studies, the ignored stimuli often shared potentially relevant features or locations with the target. In this fMRI study, we measured the effects of attention and grouping on Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) responses in the human brain to entirely task-irrelevant events.Two checkerboards were displayed each in opposite hemifields, while participants responded to check-size changes in one pre-cued hemifield, which varied between blocks. Grouping (or segmentation) between hemifields was manipulated between blocks, using common (versus distinct) motion cues. Task-irrelevant transient events were introduced by randomly changing the colour of either checkerboard, attended or ignored, at unpredictable intervals. The above assumptions predict heightened BOLD signals for irrelevant events in attended versus ignored hemifields for ungrouped contexts, but less such attentional modulation under grouping, due to automatic spreading of facilitation across hemifields. We found the opposite pattern, in primary visual cortex. For ungrouped stimuli, BOLD signals associated with task-irrelevant changes were lower, not higher, in the attended versus ignored hemifield; furthermore, attentional modulation was not reduced but actually inverted under grouping, with higher signals for events in the attended versus ignored hemifield. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System"
]
|
10.1126/science.aan0063 | Bidirectional eukaryotic DNA replication is established by quasi-symmetrical helicase loading | Bidirectional replication from eukaryotic DNA replication origins requires the loading of two ring-shaped minichromosome maintenance (MCM) helicases around DNA in opposite orientations. MCM loading is orchestrated by binding of the origin recognition complex (ORC) to DNA, but how ORC coordinates symmetrical MCM loading is unclear. We used natural budding yeast DNA replication origins and synthetic DNA sequences to show that efficient MCM loading requires binding of two ORC molecules to two ORC binding sites. The relative orientation of these sites, but not the distance between them, was found to be critical for MCM loading in vitro and origin function in vivo. We propose that quasi-symmetrical loading of individual MCM hexamers by ORC and directed MCM translocation into double hexamers acts as a unifying mechanism for the establishment of bidirectional replication in archaea and eukaryotes. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1073/pnas.1705242114 | Sec61 blockade by mycolactone inhibits antigen cross-presentation independently of endosome-to-cytosol export | Although antigen cross-presentation in dendritic cells (DCs) is critical to the initiation of most cytotoxic immune responses, the intracellular mechanisms and traffic pathways involved are still unclear. One of the most critical steps in this process, the export of internalized antigen to the cytosol, has been suggested to be mediated by Sec61. Sec61 is the channel that translocates signal peptide-bearing nascent polypeptides into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and it was also proposed to mediate protein retrotranslocation during ER-associated degradation (a process called ERAD). Here, we used a newly identified Sec61 blocker, mycolactone, to analyze Sec61’s contribution to antigen cross-presentation, ERAD, and transport of internalized antigens into the cytosol. As shown previously in other cell types, mycolactone prevented protein import into the ER of DCs. Mycolactone-mediated Sec61 blockade also potently suppressed both antigen cross-presentation and direct presentation of synthetic peptides to CD8+ T cells. In contrast, it did not affect protein export from the ER lumen or from endosomes into the cytosol, suggesting that the inhibition of cross-presentation was not related to either of these trafficking pathways. Proteomic profiling of mycolactone-exposed DCs showed that expression of mediators of antigen presentation, including MHC class I and β2 microglobulin, were highly susceptible to mycolactone treatment, indicating that Sec61 blockade affects antigen cross-presentation indirectly. Together, our data suggest that the defective translocation and subsequent degradation of Sec61 substrates is the cause of altered antigen cross-presentation in Sec61-blocked DCs. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
US 2022/0026771 W | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY COMPUTING RECOVERY METRICS AND SUGGESTING RECOVERY PLANS VIA REAL-TIME TELEMETRY | Various methods, apparatuses/systems, and media for understanding the recovery of business services due to loss of availability that occur in information technology infrastructure are provided. The system and method automatically predict or detect the probability of an availability incident, determine associated risk and impact using a machine learning model to enhance the determination of severity of an incident based upon technology component attributes data, incident history data or other metadata. The machine learning model also alerts and determines capacity requirements/availability of alternate infrastructure impacted to begin orchestrating recovery and the overall recovery time and potential data loss. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1016/j.bpj.2011.02.051 | Mechanical properties of high-G·C content DNA with A-type base-stacking | The sequence of a DNA molecule is known to influence its secondary structure and flexibility. Using a combination of bulk and single-molecule techniques, we measure the structural and mechanical properties of two DNAs which differ in both sequence and base-stacking arrangement in aqueous buffer, as revealed by circular dichroism: one with 50% G·C content and B-form and the other with 70% G·C content and A-form. Atomic force microscopy measurements reveal that the local A-form structure of the high-G·C DNA does not lead to a global contour-length decrease with respect to that of the molecule in B-form although it affects its persistence length. In the presence of force, however, the stiffness of high-G·C content DNA is similar to that of balanced-G·C DNA as magnetic and optical tweezers measured typical values for the persistence length of both DNA substrates. This indicates that sequence-induced local distortions from the B-form are compromised under tension. Finally, high-G·C DNA is significantly harder to stretch than 50%-G·C DNA as manifested by a larger stretch modulus. Our results show that a local, basepair configuration of DNA induced by high-G·C content influences the stretching elasticity of the polymer but that it does not affect the global, double-helix arrangement. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1016/j.jaap.2018.11.019 | Heterogeneous kinetics of timber charring at the microscale | Timber is becoming a popular construction material even for high-rise buildings despite its poorly understood fire behaviour. In a fire, timber—a natural polymer—degrades in the thermochemical process of charring, causing it to lose structural strength. In spite of significant research on the physics of charring, the chemical kinetics—reactions and kinetic parameters for pyrolysis and oxidation—remains a scientific challenge to model accurately. Current kinetic models are either computationally too expensive or neglect key chemical pathways. Here we derive a new appropriate kinetic model for fire science at the microscale using a novel methodology. First, we built a kinetic model for each component of timber (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) from literature studies and experiments of the components. Then, we combined these three models into one kinetic model (8 reactions, 8 chemical species) for timber. This approach accounts for chemical differences among timber species. However, the timber model is only able to reproduce the trend in the experiments when literature parameters are used. Using multi-objective inverse modelling, we extract a new set of optimised kinetic parameters from 16 high-quality experiments from the literature. The novel optimised kinetic model is able to reproduce these 16 and a further 64 (blind predictions) experiments nearly within the experimental uncertainty, spanning different heating rates (1–60 K/min), oxygen concentrations (0–60 %), and even isothermal experiments (220–300 °C). Furthermore, the model outperforms current kinetic models for fire science in accuracy across a wide range of conditions without an increase in complexity. Incorporated into a model of heat and mass transfer, this new and optmised kinetic model could improve the understanding of timber burning and has the potenial to lead to safer designs of timber buildings. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.4007/annals.2018.187.1.5 | Nodal sets of Laplace eigenfunctions: Proof of Nadirashvili's conjecture and of the lower bound in Yau's conjecture | Let u be a harmonic function in the unit ball B(0; 1) ⊂ ℝn, n ≥ 3, such that u(0) = 0. Nadirashvili conjectured that there exists a positive constant c, depending on the dimension n only, such that Hn-1((u = 0) (n-ary intersection) B) ≥ c. We prove Nadirashvili's conjecture as well as its counterpart on C∞-smooth Riemannian manifolds. The latter yields the lower bound in Yau's conjec- ture. Namely, we show that for any compact C∞-smooth Riemannian manifold M (without boundary) of dimension n, there exists c > 0 such that for any Laplace eigenfunction ψλ on M, which corresponds to the eigenvalue λ, the following inequality holds: c λ ≤ Hn-1((ψλ=0))). | [
"Mathematics"
]
|
10.1038/nature13560 | A shift of thermokarst lakes from carbon sources to sinks during the Holocene epoch | Thermokarst lakes formed across vast regions of Siberia and Alaska during the last deglaciation and are thought to be a net source of atmospheric methane and carbon dioxide during the Holocene epoch. However, the same thermokarst lakes can also sequester carbon, and it remains uncertain whether carbon uptake by thermokarst lakes can offset their greenhouse gas emissions. Here we use field observations of Siberian permafrost exposures, radiocarbon dating and spatial analyses to quantify Holocene carbon stocks and fluxes in lake sediments overlying thawed Pleistocene-aged permafrost. We find that carbon accumulation in deep thermokarst-lake sediments since the last deglaciation is about 1. 6 times larger than the mass of Pleistocene-aged permafrost carbon released as greenhouse gases when the lakes first formed. Although methane and carbon dioxide emissions following thaw lead to immediate radiative warming, carbon uptake in peat-rich sediments occurs over millennial timescales. We assess thermokarst-lake carbon feedbacks to climate with an atmospheric perturbation model and find that thermokarst basins switched from a net radiative warming to a net cooling climate effect about 5,000years ago. High rates of Holocene carbon accumulation in 20 lake sediments (47±10 grams of carbon per square metre per year; mean±standard error) were driven by thermokarst erosion and deposition of terrestrial organic matter, by nutrient release from thawing permafrost that stimulated lake productivity and by slow decomposition in cold, anoxic lake bottoms. When lakes eventually drained, permafrost formation rapidly sequestered sediment carbon. Our estimate of about 160petagrams of Holocene organic carbon in deep lake basins of Siberia and Alaska increases the circumpolar peat carbon pool estimate for permafrost regions by over 50 per cent (ref. 6). The carbon in perennially frozen drained lake sediments may become vulnerable to mineralization as permafrost disappears, potentially negating the climate stabilization provided by thermokarst lakes during the late Holocene. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
171404 | Support to future cror and uhbr propulsion system maturation | In the framework of the Large Passenger Aircraft ITD of Clean Sky 2, the industrial partners Airbus & Safran pushed the CROR low fuel burn propulsion concepts to TRL6, towards a flight test demonstration program. The activities proposed in this document will make a valuable contribution to this program. In addition PropMat provides valuable support to the implementation of the Airbus roadmaps for numerical methods for UHBR fan aeroacoustics, for UHBR aerodynamics, for experimental methods for aero-acoustics in Clean Sky 2, and for the SAAFIR UHBR Wind Tunnel test. The activities comprise: UHBR numerical aero-acoustic characterisation, UHBR Wind Tunnel experiment methods for SAAFIR (including fan design), and advanced UHBR wind tunnel test data analysis. In Clean Sky’s Smart Fixed Wing Aircraft, NLR supported Airbus & Safran with manufacturing the highly complex wind tunnel test rigs that laid the basis for the technical dossiers available today on CROR. Accurate numerical aero-acoustic simulations techniques were developed at NLR. In close collaboration with Airbus, these were subsequently applied to CROR which led to a deep physical understanding of this innovative propulsion concept. The current proposal builds on the success story of Clean Sky. It ensures a head start on pushing the frontiers of our current knowledge on novel CROR & UHBR propulsion concepts. In conclusion, NLR holds an impressive track record on engine integration support and is well equipped to carry out the proposed research. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
W2084750497 | Methodology for innovative eco-design based on TRIZ | In the context of product innovation, the environmental dimension takes a new dimension and can not be separated from other product requirements which make it competitive. Many tools are available but not widely used by companies. In the present work we have adopted an approach using a qualitative evaluation matrix including parameters related to the ease of use of the product related to the organizational preparation for the appropriation of an eco-design approach, in addition to the standard factors of eco-efficiency. In order to help the designer to make a decision, an adapted TRIZ method is proposed (Teoria Rechenia Izobretatelskikh Zadatch or theory of inventive problem solving). The applicability of this method is justified by the many contradictions in the choices in a study of the life cycle and can help designers and companies to choose an approach to attain a satisfying level of eco-design for the resources invested in it. An application, based on inventive principles, will be adapted and completed.This matrix can help the designer to reduce the scope of his creative investigations. Verification of the results was made by application to various situations of patents published in eco-design and monitoring of student teams that meet the challenges presented during the competition “24 Hours of innovation.” | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
10.1021/ol301551x | Palladium-catalyzed oxidative diarylating carbocyclization of enynes | A mild and efficient palladium-catalyzed oxidative diarylating carbocyclization of enynes is described. The reaction tolerates a range of functionalized arylboronic acids to give diarylated products in good yields. Control experiments suggest that the reaction starts with an arylpalladation of the alkyne, followed by carbocyclization, transmetalation, and reductive elimination to afford the diarylated product. | [
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1073/pnas.1606908113 | Finite-temperature fluid–insulator transition of strongly interacting 1D disordered bosons | We consider the many-body localization–delocalization transition for strongly interacting one-dimensional disordered bosons and construct the full picture of finite temperature behavior of this system. This picture shows two insulator–fluid transitions at any finite temperature when varying the interaction strength. At weak interactions, an increase in the interaction strength leads to insulator → fluid transition, and, for large interactions, there is a reentrance to the insulator regime. It is feasible to experimentally verify these predictions by tuning the interaction strength with the use of Feshbach or confinement-induced resonances, for example, in 7Li or 39K. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
221764 | Multidisciplinary training network for atrial fibrillation monitoring, treatment and progression | MY-ATRIA brings together universities, companies and hospitals from 5 European countries (Italy, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands and Germany). The main scope of MY-ATRIA is to establish a multidisciplinary network able to develop research and training “without walls” among academic, industrial and clinical entities in the area of cardiac, atrial disease. The composite nature of the MY_ATRIA network will ensure a highly qualified training and research infrastructure, which meets the needs of academic research, industrial exploitation and clinical end-users. MY_ATRIA will generate a new profile of Researcher with an intersectoral expertise able to fill the existing gap between basic research and clinical/businessoriented solutions. The training and research activities of MY-ATRIA are designed to pursue innovation in three domains: i) Educational concepts: MY_ATRIA will implement a new, intersectoral paradigm of PhD training to shape a modern professional Researcher with cross-competencies and able to accelerate the transfer of advances in basic science to market and clinics. ii) Basic science: MY_ATRIA will gain new knowledge about atrial functioning, atrial arrhythmias development and response to treatment, using multi-sectoral, model based integrative approach to explore the complex processes of electrical, contractile, and structural remodeling of the atrial myocardium. iii) Technology solutions: MY_ATRIA will develop new methodologies and technologies for the early detection of atrial arrhythmias, its monitoring, progression and risk stratification as well as for a better patient treatment. | [
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
10.1016/j.bpg.2015.04.001 | T-cell and B-cell immunity in celiac disease | Celiac disease is an inflammatory disorder with leukocyte infiltration and changes of tissue architecture of the small intestine. The condition develops in genetically susceptible individuals as the result of an inappropriate immune response to gluten proteins of wheat, barley and rye. The clinical manifestations and the histological changes normalize when gluten is eliminated from the diet. CD4+ T cells that recognize gluten peptides bound to predisposing HLA-DQ molecules play a key role in the pathogenesis. These T cells recognize better gluten peptides that are deamidated, and this posttranslational modification is mediated by the enzyme transglutaminase 2 (TG2). Another hallmark of celiac disease is the production of antibodies to gluten as well as to TG2. A role for B cells in celiac disease pathogenesis is receiving increased recognition. This review will discuss the main discoveries in the field of T-cell and B-cell biology of celiac disease. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1016/j.cels.2018.05.008 | Dissection of Influenza Infection In Vivo by Single-Cell RNA Sequencing | The influenza virus is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Yet, both the impact of intracellular viral replication and the variation in host response across different cell types remain uncharacterized. Here we used single-cell RNA sequencing to investigate the heterogeneity in the response of lung tissue cells to in vivo influenza infection. Analysis of viral and host transcriptomes in the same single cell enabled us to resolve the cellular heterogeneity of bystander (exposed but uninfected) as compared with infected cells. We reveal that all major immune and non-immune cell types manifest substantial fractions of infected cells, albeit at low viral transcriptome loads relative to epithelial cells. We show that all cell types respond primarily with a robust generic transcriptional response, and we demonstrate novel markers specific for influenza-infected as opposed to bystander cells. These findings open new avenues for targeted therapy aimed exclusively at infected cells. Simultaneous mapping of host and viral transcriptomes at the same single cell provides a framework to study host-viral interactions. Analysis of cells derived from lungs of in vivo influenza infection reveals both generic and cell-type-specific infection response. By analyzing the cellular heterogeneity of both bystander (exposed but uninfected) and infected cells, we characterize novel markers specific for influenza-infected as opposed to bystanders. These findings open new avenues for targeted therapy aimed exclusively at infected cells. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1111/jgs.15837 | The Effect of Multidomain Lifestyle Intervention on Daily Functioning in Older People | OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of a 2-year multidomain lifestyle intervention on daily functioning of older people. DESIGN: A 2-year randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials. gov, NCT01041989). SETTING: Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1260 older adults, with a mean age of 69 years at the baseline, who were at risk of cognitive decline. INTERVENTION: A multidomain intervention, including simultaneous physical activity intervention, nutritional counseling, vascular risk monitoring and management, and cognitive training and social activity. MEASUREMENTS: The ability to perform daily activities (activities of daily living [ADLs] and instrumental ADLs) and physical performance (Short Physical Performance Battery). RESULTS: The mean baseline ADL score was 18. 1 (SD = 2. 6) points; the scale ranges from 17 (no difficulties) to 85 (total ADL dependence). During the 2-year intervention, the ADL disability score slightly increased in the control group, while in the intervention group, it remained relatively stable. Based on the latent growth curve model, the difference in the change between the intervention and control groups was −0. 95 (95% confidence interval [CI] = −1. 61 to −0. 28) after 1 year and −1. 20 (95% CI = −2. 02 to −0. 38) after 2 years. In terms of physical performance, the intervention group had a slightly higher probability of improvement (from score 3 to score 4; P =. 041) and a lower probability of decline (from score 3 to scores 0-2; P =. 043) for chair rise compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: A 2-year lifestyle intervention was able to maintain the daily functioning of the at-risk older population. The clinical significance of these results in this fairly well-functioning population remains uncertain, but the study results hold promise that healthy eating, exercise, and cognitive and social activity may have favorable effects on functional independence in older people. | [
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
215988 | Perceptual learning as optimized decoding: from maps to mechanisms | We usually think that as we emerge from childhood, our brains become less plastic, making learning effortful and highly specific. Recent findings however challenge this view, suggesting that even adult perceptual learning (PL), often considered the most specific form of learning, has the potential to generalize across training conditions. This questions classical theories positing that PL changes encoding in early sensory areas, as the functional properties of these areas cannot account for generalization. Building on recent computational models, I propose instead that PL relates to decoding, that is, how information from sensory areas is communicated and read out by higher areas to make decisions, because readout weights can be more flexibly adjusted and accommodate generalization. Decoding accounts are theoretically attractive yet technically challenging to test, as they require a multiscale brain investigation, i.e., tracking PL across networks, areas, and single neurons. I will address these theoretical and technical challenges by capitalizing on a recent innovation combining noninvasive neuroimaging with electrophysiological recordings while monkeys learn a discrimination task. This approach will allow for the first time to create a comprehensive map of brain areas involved in PL in monkeys, determine the involvement of connectivity changes to PL, and unravel the computations that the neurons in these specific areas perform. This project, at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology and computational theory, will set forth the foundations for a mechanistic investigation of PL at an unprecedented level of detail, bridging multiple scales from whole-brain networks down to single neurons, and will therefore allow me to start a competitive scientific career as an independent researcher. Ultimately, this innovative framework will help us understand the building blocks of adult brain plasticity, and how to optimize rehabilitation and educational applications. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.5194/acp-18-13231-2018 | The role of H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>-NH<sub>3</sub> anion clusters in ion-induced aerosol nucleation mechanisms in the boreal forest | . New particle formation (NPF) provides a large source of atmospheric aerosols, which affect the climate and human health. In recent chamber studies, ion-induced nucleation (IIN) has been discovered as an important pathway of forming particles; however, atmospheric investigation remains incomplete. For this study, we investigated the air anion compositions in the boreal forest in southern Finland for three consecutive springs, with a special focus on H2SO4-NH3 anion clusters. We found that the ratio between the concentrations of highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOMs) and H2SO4 controlled the appearance of H2SO4-NH3 clusters (3<no. S<13): all such clusters were observed when [HOM] ∕ [H2SO4] was smaller than 30. The number of H2SO4 molecules in the largest observable cluster correlated with the probability of ion-induced nucleation (IIN) occurrence, which reached almost 100 % when the largest observable cluster contained six or more H2SO4 molecules. During selected cases when the time evolution of H2SO4-NH3 clusters could be tracked, the calculated ion growth rates exhibited good agreement across measurement methods and cluster (particle) sizes. In these cases, H2SO4-NH3 clusters alone could explain ion growth up to 3 nm (mobility diameter). IIN events also occurred in the absence of H2SO4-NH3, implying that other NPF mechanisms also prevail at this site, most likely involving HOMs. It seems that H2SO4 and HOMs both affect the occurrence of an IIN event, but their ratio ([HOMs] ∕ [H2SO4]) defines the primary mechanism of the event. Since that ratio is strongly influenced by solar radiation and temperature, the IIN mechanism ought to vary depending on conditions and seasons. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Earth System Science"
]
|
10.1016/j.celrep.2017.07.054 | Pharmacologic or Genetic Targeting of Glutamine Synthetase Skews Macrophages toward an M1-like Phenotype and Inhibits Tumor Metastasis | Glutamine-synthetase (GS), the glutamine-synthesizing enzyme from glutamate, controls important events, including the release of inflammatory mediators, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation, and autophagy. However, its role in macrophages remains elusive. We report that pharmacologic inhibition of GS skews M2-polarized macrophages toward the M1-like phenotype, characterized by reduced intracellular glutamine and increased succinate with enhanced glucose flux through glycolysis, which could be partly related to HIF1α activation. As a result of these metabolic changes and HIF1α accumulation, GS-inhibited macrophages display an increased capacity to induce T cell recruitment, reduced T cell suppressive potential, and an impaired ability to foster endothelial cell branching or cancer cell motility. Genetic deletion of macrophagic GS in tumor-bearing mice promotes tumor vessel pruning, vascular normalization, accumulation of cytotoxic T cells, and metastasis inhibition. These data identify GS activity as mediator of the proangiogenic, immunosuppressive, and pro-metastatic function of M2-like macrophages and highlight the possibility of targeting this enzyme in the treatment of cancer metastasis. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy"
]
|
864818 | The Ties that Bind: Experimental Analyses of Political Solidarities in Modern European Democracies | POLITSOLID investigates the micro-foundations of political solidarities in fast-changing European polities. It analyses why some ordinary citizens show a high overall willingness to shoulder costs of public redistribution to other people in a polity, while others do not; and why ordinary citizens have multiple levels of willingness to shoulder costs depending on who receives the benefit.
Relevance: Having high levels of political solidarities is important for modern democracies to deal with exogenous shocks and long-term structural changes in their societies, which create pressures on the political system. Recent exogenous shocks in Europe that brought the necessity of political solidarities to light were the financial crisis (2007/8) with its extensive transnational bail-out policies across the European Union and the large refugee intake (2015/16). Relevant long-term structural changes are population ageing, rising income inequality and mass immigration.
This project answers the overarching research question: What drives political solidarities in modern European democracies?
Objectives
• To create a novel theoretical and empirical framework that allows simultaneous modelling of multiple political solidarities and that includes the individual as well as the macro levels to enable better predictions about how people behave.
• To test causal mechanisms with a range of mostly experimental methods to get a better understanding of causality where observational studies have so far dominated.
• To isolate effective levers that political actors can pull to create political solidarities.
Data: POLITSOLID collects and analyses new data from (1) lab experiments & online surveys, (2) a simulated artificial state ‘Novaland’ in which volunteers from Austria, Germany & Switzerland act as citizens in an online environment, with experimental treatments applied, (3) an international panel survey in six countries and (4) field experiments in collaboration with real political actors. | [
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
W1580799848 | Management of Patients with Post- Traumatic Exposed Bones at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret, Kenya | Background : The global frequency for open long bone fracture is at least 11.5 cases per 100,000 persons per year. Precise published research information regarding the characteristics and the management of patients with post- traumatic exposed bones for Africa, Kenya and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital- Eldoret is non- existent. This study will provide the much needed research information. Objective : To assess the characteristics of patients with post- traumatic exposed bones with their management at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret. Setting : Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret, Kenya. Design : Hospital based descriptive retrospective study. Subjects: One hundred and ninety six patients managed for post- traumatic exposed bones between 1st January, 2006 and 31st December, 2010. Methods : The medical records (files) were retrieved from the Records Department; data was gathered, recorded in observation checklist, organized, cleaned and analyzed in the statistical package for social science software version 19. Results : Males-167, females-29; ratio: 5.76:1. Mean age: 32.51 years (SD=13.26). Referrals were 51%, at least 60% were of low literacy and income earning status. All patients had exposed bones due to open fractures (97%) and degloving injuries (3%). Road traffic accidents were responsible in 49.5% of the patients. Duration of ailment was 0-300 days (median= 1.00). All patients benefited from surgical interventions. Waiting time for surgery was 0-67 days (median= 1.00); while number of procedures were 1-9 (mean= 2, (SD=1.6)). Survival was 99.5%; length of hospitalization was 2- 177 days (median= 24.00; mean= 36.3 days (SD= 32.8)). The main complication was infection (62 patients). Follow up was adhered to by 59% of the patients. Conclusions and Recommendations : Majority of patients were: referred, males, of low literacy and low income earning status. All patients had exposed bones and benefited from one form or another of the numerous surgical interventions with satisfactory outcome. Scarcity of resources remained major challenge. There is need to create awareness and empower people socio-economically; as well as providing resources required in prevention, control and treatment of this disorder. Key words : Exposed bones, Debridement, Fracture stabilization, Coverage procedure | [
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1016/bs.ctdb.2018.02.007 | Structure of Zona Pellucida Module Proteins | The egg coat, an extracellular matrix made up of glycoprotein filaments, plays a key role in animal fertilization by acting as a gatekeeper for sperm. Egg coat components polymerize using a common zona pellucida (ZP) “domain” module that consists of two related immunoglobulin-like domains, called ZP-N and ZP-C. The ZP module has also been recognized in a large number of other secreted proteins with different biological functions, whose mutations are linked to severe human diseases. During the last decade, tremendous progress has been made toward understanding the atomic architecture of the ZP module and the structural basis of its polymerization. Moreover, sperm-binding regions at the N-terminus of mollusk and mammalian egg coat subunits were found to consist of domain repeats that also adopt a ZP-N fold. This discovery revealed an unexpected link between invertebrate and vertebrate fertilization and led to the first structure of an egg coat–sperm protein recognition complex. In this review we summarize these exciting findings, discuss their functional implications, and outline future challenges that must be addressed in order to develop a comprehensive view of this family of biomedically important extracellular molecules. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
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