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886510 | Viewgas – patented gas vision system for a safe and fast detection of gas leaks | Gas leaks detectors are often part of an emergency shutdown system (ESD), where the detector can interface a control system and automatically shut down a process in case of a leak. A reliable ESD is an absolute necessity to minimize the potentially catastrophic consequences of a gas leakage. For the ESD, a high safety integrity level (SIL) is needed. Conventional point and line detectors are SIL certified. However, these systems have several shortcomings (detection depends on meteorological conditions; coverage is limited to a specific point or a line; don’t operate in real-time; are not able to identify the source of the leakage; can respond and elicit false alarms due to the presence of dust or water vapor), which together have propelled the emergence of Optical Gas Imaging (OGI). Still, today, none of the existing OGI systems are SIL certified, which hinders their integration with operators’ ESDs. Gas Optics (GO) aims to address this unmet need by commercializing the first and only SIL-graded OGI system with its patented GVS technology. GVS represents a gamechanger for natural gas leak detection as it allows an invisible gas leak to be immediately pinpointed and evaluated. The unique value proposition is achieved by using GO`s proprietary technology (gas correlation) as a principle of measurement – proven to be the most sensitive and reliable way to recognize gasses (key advantage over existing OGI technologies to SIL approval). GVS provides substantially better area coverage, presenting intuitive, real-time pictures of gas leaks. To ensure SIL certification and successful commercialization, GO needs to conduct all the activities required to meet SIL requirements, and to carry out large field trials for technology demonstration and validation. These comprise the innovation project objectives. If successfully achieving the objectives, GO will position as a leading supplier of OGI systems, with anticipated cumulated net profits of €30M, 5 years post-project. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1021/ACSCATAL.6B02561 | Pdpb Catalyzed Decarboxylation Of Proline To Pyrrolidine Highly Selective Formation Of A Biobased Amine In Water | Amino acids have huge potential as platform chemicals in the biobased industry. Pd-catalyzed decarboxylation is a very promising route for the valorization of these natural compounds derived from protein waste or fermentation. We report that the highly abundant and nonessential amino acid l-proline is very reactive in the Pd-catalyzed decarboxylation. Full conversions are obtained with Pd/C and different Pd/MeOx catalysts; this allowed the identification of the different side reactions and the mapping of the reaction network. Due to the high reactivity of pyrrolidine, the selectivity for pyrrolidine was initially low. By carefully modifying Pd/ZrO2 with Pb in a controlled manner—via two incipient wetness impregnation steps—the selectivity increased remarkably. Finally, a thorough investigation of the reaction parameters resulted in an increased activity of this modified catalyst and an even further enhanced selectivity under a low H2 pressure of 4 bar at 235 °C in water. This results in a very selective a. . . | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
850859 | The Ecology of Collective Behaviour | The evolutionary transition from solitary to group living has fundamentally changed how organisms interact with their environment. However, to reap the rewards of group living, from collective intelligence to predator avoidance, group members must maintain cohesion by making collective decisions. Theory suggests that individuals’ ability to influence collective decisions could be determined by a range of factors, including their state, social role, relationships with other group members, the composition of their social group, and the physical environment. Although these factors could all interact, most empirical studies have investigated them in isolation. The aim of this project is to take a ‘whole-system’ approach by quantifying (1) how individual-level factors determine leadership, (2) how movement decisions are modulated by long-term social and genetic relationships among group members, and (3) whether the mechanisms by which groups reach consensus are resilient to rapid environmental change. This research program will add unprecedented ecological validity and replication to the field of collective decision making. I will leverage state-of-the-art technology and develop novel methods to simultaneously collect and analyse multi-scale data in a wild population of highly social birds. These data include the movement of individuals within and between groups (high-resolution GPS), social interactions (direct observations), kinship (whole-genome sequencing), physiology (heart rate), and environmental conditions (drone-based mapping). The analytical methods I will develop (e.g. multi-layered dynamic social network analysis) will provide new tools for the research community, while integrating these unique data across replicated groups and over multiple generations, the project will bring new depth to the field. This depth is essential to address the questions that are central to our understanding of social behaviour in mobile animal groups, including humans. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
W2137927123 | Cognitive Capitalism | Traditional economic theories stress the relevance of political, institutional, geographic, and historical factors for economic growth. In contrast, human-capital theories suggest that peoples’ competences, mediated by technological progress, are the deciding factor in a nation’s wealth. Using three large-scale assessments, we calculated cognitive-competence sums for the mean and for upper- and lower-level groups for 90 countries and compared the influence of each group’s intellectual ability on gross domestic product. In our cross-national analyses, we applied different statistical methods (path analyses, bootstrapping) and measures developed by different research groups to various country samples and historical periods. Our results underscore the decisive relevance of cognitive ability—particularly of an intellectual class with high cognitive ability and accomplishments in science, technology, engineering, and math—for national wealth. Furthermore, this group’s cognitive ability predicts the quality of economic and political institutions, which further determines the economic affluence of the nation. Cognitive resources enable the evolution of capitalism and the rise of wealth. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
GB 8900905 W | IMPROVED PINNED ROLLERS AND PROCESSES FOR MANUFACTURING FIBRILLATED FILMS | Roller (10) has a cylindrical surface (12) from which project pins (16) inclined at an angle (A) between 20 and 80 to the tangent to the roller. The pins have a projection length of 0.5 to 2.0 mm and a diameter of 0.2 to 0.8 mm. They are arranged in double rows (14) with 25 to 34 pins to the inch arranged in a spaced staggered relationship in two adjacent lines. Each row is either inclined to a line parallel to the axis of the roller or of sinusoidal form. A film to be fibrillated is advanced over the surface of the rotating roller for an arc length of contact of 30 to 37 with the ratio of the surface speed of the roller to that of the advancing film being between 1.8 to 1 and 2.2 to 1. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
740120 | The Interstellar Medium of High Redshift Galaxies | When and how did the first galaxies form across cosmic history? Were they different from present-day ones? This is only a small subset of key cosmological questions that the combination of deep galaxy observations, theoretical modeling, and powerful simulations envisaged here will allow us to answer for the first time.
Deep galaxy surveys have provided a first valuable characterization of early galaxies in the Epoch of Reionization (redshift z > 6), mostly in terms of their stellar content. However, almost nothing is known about their internal structure and Interstellar Medium (ISM). This is in striking contrast with galaxies at z < 2, for which ISM observations have enabled a much more complete physical description. Hence, a substantial progress in the study of early galaxies must be based on techniques able to probe their ISM. Conversely, ISM studies will help completing the “stellar” picture.
Interstellar will bridge this gap. Its main aim is to understand the internal structure and interstellar medium of galaxies in the Epoch of Reionization by performing theoretical modeling and high fidelity simulations. By post-processing the simulations and calibrating them with local analogs, we will produce mock images/spectra used to (i) interpret available high-redshift observations, and (ii) plan breakthrough experiments with ALMA, JWST and E-ELT.
The advent of ALMA, JWST, E-ELT and advances in computational cosmology make the study of high-z ISM one of the most promising areas of development in cosmology.
The aim will be achieved through 5 objectives distributed among 3 Work Packages (WPs). WP1 is concerned with theoretical work, a preparatory phase for the cosmological simulations performed in WP2. WP2 represents the production phase of the project and will deliver cutting-edge zoom simulations of a sample of high-z galaxies and their ISM. Finally, WP3 is concerned with the exploitation of the numerical results and their integration with observations. | [
"Universe Sciences",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.5194/acp-20-10459-2020 | Evolution of NO<sub>3</sub> reactivity during the oxidation of isoprene | Abstract. In a series of experiments in an atmospheric simulation
chamber (SAPHIR,1 Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany), NO3 reactivity
(kNO3) resulting from the reaction of NO3 with isoprene and
stable trace gases formed as products was measured directly using a
flow tube reactor coupled to a cavity ring-down spectrometer (FT-CRDS). The
experiments were carried out in both dry and humid air with variation of the
initial mixing ratios of ozone (50–100 ppbv), isoprene (3–22 ppbv) and
NO2 (5–30 ppbv). kNO3 was in excellent agreement with
values calculated from the isoprene mixing ratio and the rate coefficient
for the reaction of NO3 with isoprene. This result serves to
confirm that the FT-CRDS returns accurate values of kNO3 even at
elevated NO2 concentrations and to show that reactions of NO3 with
stable reaction products like non-radical organic nitrates do not contribute
significantly to NO3 reactivity during the oxidation of isoprene. A
comparison of kNO3 with NO3 reactivities calculated
from NO3 mixing ratios and NO3 production rates suggests that
organic peroxy radicals and HO2 account for ∼50 % of
NO3 losses. This contradicts predictions based on numerical simulations
using the Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM version 3. 3. 1) unless the rate
coefficient for reaction between NO3 and isoprene-derived RO2 is
roughly doubled to ∼5×10-12 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Earth System Science"
]
|
W4280635307 | Evaluation des incertitudes et de l’homogénéité de longues séries de débits de crue sur le Rhin à Bâle (1225–2017) et Maxau (1815–2018) | RESUMEUn diagnostic sur la sécurité aux inondations des digues du Rhin en aval de Strasbourg a été réalisé par INRAE de 2018 à 2020, pour le compte de la DREAL Grand-Est, avec des échanges au sein de la Commission Permanente internationale pour l’aménagement du Rhin supérieur. Un travail spécifique d’analyse des incertitudes est présenté à l’aide du modèle BaRatin sur la reconstitution des débits de crue des séries de Bâle (1225–2017) et Maxau (1815–2018). La largeur de l’intervalle d’incertitude à 95% varie à Bâle de ± 7% sur la période récente (1994–2017) à ± 48% sur la période la plus ancienne (1225–1713), et à Maxau de ± 5% sur la période récente (1977–2018) à ± 45% sur la période la plus ancienne (1815–1839). L’application de tests statistiques fait apparaître des hétérogénéités pour les deux séries de crues, qui proviennent pour partie des aménagements hydrauliques sur le Rhin au cours des deux derniers siècles. Les séries corrigées de ces effets sont de meilleure qualité, avec toutefois une rupture vers 1966–1976 à Bâle et Maxau, qui pourrait provenir d’un changement constaté en Europe centrale en termes de régime de circulation climatique depuis les années 1970. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
interreg_1650 | Hous-Es | Hous-Es has brought together a strong and varied partnership
representing both the new EU member states and those from
the EU 15 (benefiting or having benefited from URBAN initiatives
or Urban Pilot Projects) with the aim of examining together
the subject of Management and Renewal of Large Housing Areas. The network is characterised by a high degree of differentiation
not only in geographical location but also in the scale of urban
concentration and perspectives, involving 1 provincial authority,
3 capital cities, 1 urban agglomeration, plus city and district
authorities – as well as 4 important associate partners.
The intention was to focus on the policy issues and situations
affecting large housing estates and homogenous inner-city
housing areas with a view to identifying strategies which can
produce improved urban planning, architectural and general
living standards in such areas. The network placed an
important emphasis on the improvement of living conditions
in deprived housing areas and neighbourhoods.
In order to examine and share partner experience and
expertise Hous-Es instigated a series of working seminars
focussing on thematic aspects of the problem but always
referring back to a holistic point of departure. The seminar
topics are outlined below:
> Duisburg (Germany) – An introduction to integrated practices
> Milan (Italy) – The public realm
> Brindisi (Italy) – The physical dimension
> Gelderland (Netherlands) - Process
> Brno (Czech Republic) – Financing housing provision
> Rillieux-la-Pape (Grand Lyon, France) – The social context
> Csepel: Budapest and Dunaujvaros (Hungary) – Review
of partner experience and future perspectives…
The result of these exchanges (based on preparation
of case studies and papers, site visits, and partner debate)
has generated a common understanding of the issues
but also demonstrated a wide variety of experience among
the network members ranging from: the comprehensive and
often sophisticated approach to neighbourhood renewal with
housing as a key component, to; the application of targeted even
punctual actions in response to defined priorities; and the
appreciation of the scale and scope of ongoing difficulties
confronting many cities which is frequently context specific. | [
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
]
|
W2806997990 | Impact Assessment on Land Acquisition of Transmission Line Development toward Socioeconomic Conditions of Society | Development of transmission line is needed to increase the availability of electrical demand. This development requires a land acquisition, which has some impacts toward socio-economic of society, namely changes of livehood and loss of earnings. Objectives of this study were: 1) to identify some problems caused by land acquisition; 2) to analyze the changes of livehood and income caused by land acquisition; 3) factors affected price of land compensation; 4) alternatives solution to minimize impact of land acquisition. The change of livehood was analyzed by descriptive qualitative method, meanwhile the change of income by loss of earning, factors affected price of land compensation by regression. This study was conducted in 12 villages in Bogor and Depok crossed by the transmission line. The result of study showed that the transmission lines development the emergencing of various problems, namely: (a) land acquisition is causing the loss of home for 3,33 percent of respondents that had to be relocated to other areas, (b) land acquisition is causing the loss of 16,63 percent agricultural land owned by community that affected by the transmission line, (c) land acquisition is causing internal conflict within the family of 5.00 percent respondents in terms of the distribution of compensation money received. The land acquisition causes change of livelihood of farmers (6,67 percent), owners of grocery shop and drink stalls business (3.33 percent), and business owners of rental house (3,33 percent). This causes loss of earning for 26.67 percent respondent, with the total loss of earnings of IDR 6,605,000 per month or an average of IDR 412,813 per month per respondent. The regression model of land compensation price has R-Square (adj) 73,9 percent, with the factors that significantly affect the value of land compensation are: Tax Object Sales Value (NJOP) of land, market price of the land, and the size area of respondents landholding, with a significance level of each respectively 0,000. The result of classical assumption test proves that the regression model is built in accordance with the rules of econometrics is good with no autocorrelation, no multicollinieraty, no heteroscedasticity, and the data is also distributed normally. To minimize the land acquisitioned impact should be noted about how the continuation of economic enterprise communities that rely on land as the main capital of the business, and how the compensation value specified must meet the aspect of obedience to the law and agreement with the land owners. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
]
|
W55716418 | Exploration Strategies for Learned Probabilities in Smart Terrain | AbstractConsider a mobile agent (such as a robot) surrounded by objects that may or may not meet its needs. An important goal of such an agent is to learn probabilities that different types of objects meet needs, based on objects it has previously explored. This requires a rational strategy for determining which objects to explore next based on distances to objects, prevalence of similar objects, and amount of information the agent expects to gain. We define information gain in terms of how additional examples increase the certainty of the probabilities (represented as beta distributions), based on how that certainty reduces future travel time by preventing the agent from moving to objects which do not actually meet needs. This is used to create a smart terrain-based influence map in which objects send signals proportional to their information gain (with inverse falloff over distance) to enable simple agent navigation to those objects.KeywordsLearning robotsBayesian learning | [
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
Q82249 | Implementation of technology for manufacturing innovative furniture edges made of polymer composition on ABS copolymer warp. | The subject of the project is the implementation of product innovation – ABS PLUS furniture edges manufactured on the basis of innovative polymer composition on ABS copolymer warp. As a result of the Rzeszów University of Technology R & D research, an internationally innovative polymer composition on the ABS warp has been developed, allowing to obtain much better physical and chemical properties and functional furniture edges. The research was aimed at eliminating the fundamental technological problems related to the current market outskirts based on ABS or PVC – on the one hand eliminating the fragility of ABS strip and, on the other, gaining flammability at V1 level. ABS PLUS furniture edges manufactured from an innovative mixture on ABS warp are characterised by a clear improvement of performance in the range of extended durability (guarantee 36 months), flammability class V1, increased resistance to mechanical damage, the highest quality, the possibility of working under variable temperature conditions and meeting environmental requirements. The results of the research are covered by the patent application P.412228 ‘Polymer composition on ABS copolymer warp’. The scope of the project includes the purchase of a complete technological line, enabling the production of ABS PLUS furniture edgebands based on an innovative polymer mixture. As a result of the project, product innovation will be introduced, thanks to which the assortment structure of the company will be expanded. The placing on the market of a substantially altered product, which is technologically distinct and of performance against the background of competition offering similar products, will form part of the product range guaranteeing an increase in sales levels both on the domestic and international markets. SA 42799(2015/X), Article 13, 651/2014 | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1038/s41593-019-0518-9 | Computational noise in reward-guided learning drives behavioral variability in volatile environments | When learning the value of actions in volatile environments, humans often make seemingly irrational decisions that fail to maximize expected value. We reasoned that these ‘non-greedy’ decisions, instead of reflecting information seeking during choice, may be caused by computational noise in the learning of action values. Here using reinforcement learning models of behavior and multimodal neurophysiological data, we show that the majority of non-greedy decisions stem from this learning noise. The trial-to-trial variability of sequential learning steps and their impact on behavior could be predicted both by blood oxygen level-dependent responses to obtained rewards in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and by phasic pupillary dilation, suggestive of neuromodulatory fluctuations driven by the locus coeruleus–norepinephrine system. Together, these findings indicate that most behavioral variability, rather than reflecting human exploration, is due to the limited computational precision of reward-guided learning. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
864616 | Healthy lifespan inequality: Measurement, trends and determinants | Despite its widespread use and popularity, life expectancy (LE) has two shortcomings. First, its definition only takes into consideration mortality levels, thus ignoring the health status of those who remain alive. Second, LE is an average that does not explain how length of life is distributed across the population. These limitations have generated two strands of research (i.e. the study of ‘health expectancies’ (HE) and ‘lifespan inequality’ (LI)) that, so far, have developed independently from each other. The overarching objective of the HEALIN project is to bring together these research avenues into a coherent whole to get a more comprehensive understanding of contemporary population health dynamics. To attain this goal, I put forward the new concept of ‘healthy lifespan inequality’ (HLI), which is designed to investigate the extent to which healthy lifespans are unequally distributed across the population.
The HEALIN project will (i) investigate the trends and determinants of HLI, (ii) assess whether the specific ages and causes that drive changes in HLI are the same ones determining the changes in LE, HE and LI indicators, and (iii) investigate how these indicators behave across and within countries and socio-economic groups. In addition, the project aims at making innovative contributions to the measurement of co-morbidity and to our understanding on how the latter can in turn influence the measurement of health expectancy and healthy lifespan inequality. To attain these objectives, the project will develop path-breaking analytical methods inspired in the models applied for the study of inequality and multidimensional poverty. Besides traditional socio-economic and health data sources, the project will complementary draw from the vastly underutilized health registers for the entire population in Catalonia (7.5 million residents). Their huge size and micro-level design allow investigating trends in HLI and co-morbidity with unprecedented detail. | [
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space",
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
216466 | Ddd60 - high quality vr for filmtv industry professionals | DDD60
High-Quality VR for Film & TV industry professionals
DDD60 will introduce cutting edge video compression and delivery technology to deliver high-quality VR content to Film and TV professionals. DDD60 will show immersive content in some of the leading Film & TV markets worldwide.
Driven by the games industry, VR devices are currently flooding the market. Film and TV are picking up VR as well: Content is produced in all areas of film, led by documentaries and journalism, VR is revolutionizing the industry. At a much slower pace, the creators of fictional content are experimenting with the new technology as well.
While the creatives are developing the craft of creating VR films, one major obstacle for the distribution of VR content remains: The files are huge. And since the internet infrastructure does not grow as quickly as the size of VR files, content distributors, in an effort to minimize file size, have to greatly reduce the quality of the content they show online – if they can show it at all. In addition, storing big files is expensive, especially for the budget of creative industry SMEs.
DDD60 will greatly enhance the quality of VR content delivering online: By improving compression technology and transcoding mechanisms, the size of the files and the amount of information to be delivered through the internet will be reduced greatly, giving distributors the chance to deliver higher quality. And by improving storage and delivery workflows the efficiency and the cost for delivery will be reduced to an extent that will make the online screenings of VR content a viable business for European SMEs. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1039/C6DT01763K | Magnetic Frustration In A Hexaazatrinaphthylene Bridged Trimetallic Dysprosium Single Molecule Magnet | The synthesis, structure and magnetic properties of the HAN-bridged tri-dysprosium complex [{(thd)3Dy}3HAN] (1) are described. The complex is an SMM that shows two relaxation processes owing to the presence of two geometrically distinct Dy3+ sites in 1. Ab initio calculations reveal that the magnetic ground state of 1 is characterized by magnetic frustration. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
259620 | Advanced Lagrangian Optimization, Receptivity and Sensitivity analysis applied to industrial situations | In the last ten years there has been a surge of interest in non-modal analysis applied to canonical problems in fundamental fluid mechanics. Even in simple flows, the stability behaviour predicted by non-modal analysis can be completely different from and far more accurate than that predicted by conventional eigenvalue analysis.
As well as being more accurate, the tools of non-modal analysis, such as Lagrangian optimization, are very versatile. Furthermore, the outputs, such as receptivity and sensitivity maps of a flow, provide powerful insight for engineers. They describe where a flow is most receptive to forcing or where the flow is most sensitive to modification.
The application of non-modal analysis to canonical problems has set the scene for step changes in engineering practice in fluid mechanics and thermoacoustics. The technical objectives of this proposal are to apply non-modal analysis to high Reynolds number flows, reacting flows and thermoacoustic systems, to compare theoretical predictions with experimental measurements and to embed these techniques within an industrial design tool that has already been developed by the group.
This research group s vision is that future generations of engineering CFD tools will contain modules that can perform non-modal analysis. The generalized approach proposed here, combined with challenging scientific and engineering examples that are backed up by experimental evidence, will make this possible and demonstrate it to a wider engineering community. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Mathematics"
]
|
218350 | Automatic regulation of combustion process for wood stoves and fireplaces | The aesthetic appeal of wood burning stoves, able to enhance the home environment offering a gathering point for family and friends while now be providing additional heat. Following increased needs for more efficient combustion conditions (i.e. reduced fuel consumption (i.e. cost efficiency) and particle emissions); safe installations and minimum user intervention (i.e. reduced refueling time), FLORIAN is the latest innovation from ATech that solves these issues.
Draft control through manually controlled mechanical vents and fans are one of established solutions offered by the industry to increase the efficiency of wood log stoves. Nevertheless, manual solutions require constant user intervention to ensure sufficient utilization of the firewood and efficient combustion conditions, and their speed and effectiveness is far away and incomparable to a fully automatic solution. With FLORIAN we offer an innovative device differentiated from traditional solutions due to its intelligent (embedded algorithm) and fully automated nature which combines both mechanical (flap, fan) and electronic parts (regulation, sensors, automatic controller).
Our company, ATech has more than 25 years of experience as a contract manufacturer of electronic components. Since 2008, we focused on R&D of biomass combustion control electronics. FLORIAN is the best price and technologically robust solution that will generate optimal combustion conditions in wood stoves and ovens. FLORIAN offers a reduced 20% fuel consumption and emissions combining it with the maximum user comfort which will allow us to be established as a key player in (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) HVAC market.
According to our initial estimations, through the commercialisation of FLORIAN we expect to reach €45 million revenues five years after its commercialization boosting the expansion of our international network, increasing our staff, and achieve a Cumulative Return of Investment of 5.63 in 2024. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1016/j.rmed.2010.12.021 | LTB4 increases nasal neutrophil activity and conditions neutrophils to exert antiviral effects | Background: Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) recruits and activates neutrophils. Accordingly, this leukotriene is involved in innate defense actions. Objective: To examine if nasal LTB4 can produce neutrophil activity and to explore whether or not LTB4 can condition neutrophils to exert virucidal effects in vitro and in vivo. Methods: 1. Twenty-three healthy subjects received nasal LTB4 in a randomized and sham-controlled design. Symptoms were scored and nasal lavages carried out. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) and α-defensins were monitored as indices of neutrophil activity. IL-8, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and α2-macroglobulin were measured as indices of pro-inflammatory cytokine production, eosinophil activity, and plasma exudation. 2. Supernatants from neutrophils activated by LTB4 in vitro were assayed for virucidal activity against respiratory viruses. 3. In 38 healthy individuals, nasal inoculation with human rhinovirus-16 (HRV-16) was performed. In a preliminary study, intervention with LTB4 was given in a randomized and controlled design. Symptoms, virus replication, and antibody-titres were monitored. Results: 1. LTB4 produced statistically significant increases in MPO and α-defensins, whereas IL-8, ECP, and α2-macroglobulin were unaffected. 2. The supernatants efficiently killed human coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza B virus. 3. HRV-16 replication was lower in subjects receiving LTB4, but this difference failed to reach statistical significance. Common cold symptoms and incidence of seroconversion were unaffected. Conclusion: Nasal LTB4 induces a selective recruitment/activation of neutrophils. LTB4 can condition neutrophils to exert virucidal effects in vitro and may reduce virus replication in vivo. We suggest that the condition induced by LTB4 reflects an enhanced state of innate defense. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
10.1017/s0268416009990166 | Like my father before me: intergenerational occupational status transfer during industrialization (Zeeland, 1811–1915) | ABSTRACTThis article studies the influence of macro-level developments on intergenerational status transfer in the Dutch province of Zeeland between 1811 and 1915. Hypotheses on the effects of industrialization, educational expansion, mass communication, urbanization, geographical mobility, and mass transport are derived from conflicting theories. The influences of these contextual characteristics on status attainment are tested using hierarchical linear models, incorporating data on some 40,000 fathers and sons in over 100 municipalities. The results show regional as well as temporal differences in the association between a father's and a son's occupational status. In contrast to what is supposed by the logic of industrialism thesis, hardly any of the macro-level developments decreased the influence of a father's occupational status on that of his son. On the contrary, a father's status became more influential in the more industrialized areas. | [
"The Study of the Human Past",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
]
|
10.1063/1.4967937 | Anisotropic Straining Of Graphene Using Micropatterned Sin Membranes | We use micro-Raman spectroscopy to study strain in free-standing graphene monolayers anchored to SiN holes of non-circular geometry. We show that a uniform differential pressure load yields measurable deviations from hydrostatic strain, conventionally observed in radially symmetric microbubbles. A pressure load of 1 bar yields a top hydrostatic strain of ≈ 0. 7% and a G± splitting of 10 cm−1 in graphene clamped to elliptical boundaries with axes 40 and 20 μm, in good agreement with the calculated anisotropy Δe ≈ 0. 6% and consistently with recent reports on Gruneisen parameters. The implementation of arbitrary strain configurations by designing suitable boundary clamping conditions is discussed. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
694717 | Bile acid, immune-metabolism, lipid and glucose homeostasis | The role of chronic inflammation in obesity, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases is increasingly recognized. Bile acids (BA), synthesized in the liver and modified by the gut flora, facilitate lipid absorption in the intestine. BA modulate lipid and glucose homeostasis by activating the nuclear receptor FXR and the GPCR TGR5. Intriguingly, peripheral BA concentrations are elevated in type 2 diabetes (T2D) and FXR mediates the beneficial metabolic response to gastric bypass in mice. The immune system plays an important role in the cross-talk with metabolic tissues, such as liver, intestine and adipose tissues. However, whether BA modulate immune cell function is unknown. Our unpublished results identifying FXR and TGR5 expression in lymphoid cells, prompt us to study their role in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism through immune cell modulation. Using reporter mice and specific ligands, we will characterize the immune cells expressing active FXR and TGR5. We will determine their role in metabolism and inflammation by immune cell-specific gene inactivation in models of obesity, T2D and elevated peripheral blood BA concentrations. Mass cytometry, cell sorting and single cell transcriptomic analysis will allow the identification of gene networks regulated by BA and their receptors. As microbiota generate biologically active secondary BA, we will assess the impact of microbiota depletion and subsequent BA acid pool modifications on immune cell populations. Translational studies in humans with altered BA metabolism and pharmacological treatment with anti-diabetic BA sequestrants will allow assessment of alterations in immune functions. This project aims to identify an hitherto unexplored role of BA through modulation of the immune system on T2D, NAFLD and dyslipidemia. Success of the project critically depends on an integrative approach uniquely undertaken in my laboratory through its unique multidisciplinary expertise in basic and translational biology. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
643394 | The psychological microfoundations of knowledge production in international relations | This project aims to identify and explore the underlying psychological mechanisms (or microfoundations) of knowledge production in IR scholarly communities in the South. Recent research suggests that the attention to non-Western intellectual production can elicit misrecognition and produce and a self-effacing stance. Research has shown that geopolitical changes in world politics impact not only what scholars in those regions think about the world but also have psychological effects on how scholars see themselves and the knowledge they produce about their countries and international relations. Material, socio-political, and geopolitical dynamics affect the conditions for intellectual innovation and knowledge production. States, however, do not produce knowledge; scholars do. Scholarly communities educate, inform, and influence policymakers —impacting either directly and indirectly on foreign and defence policies, the country’s behaviour in international politics, and more broadly, how power transitions are shaped. Studying the underlying psychological mechanisms of knowledge production offers an innovative angle to understand how scholars in emerging powers think the world, how they frame and disseminate their knowledge about the international, how they perceive other cognate scholarly communities, and more broadly, allow us a window to predict how IR knowledge will frame the future of international politics. To date, little work has examined the structure or psychological correlates of the knowledge production about the international. I fill this gap by combining sociology of knowledge and behavioural science. Across three studies, I explore how individual differences (e.g., personality, morality, values, prejudice, and stereotyping) are associated with knowledge production in IR. I focus on these because they have been studied most widely in social and political psychology, as my departing point to establish interdisciplinary points and to allow replicability. | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
]
|
W258281629 | What We Can Learn from Looking at Profanity | AbstractProfanity is a common occurrence in online text. Recent studies found swearing words in over 7% of English tweets and 9% of Yahoo! Buzz messages. However, efforts in recognizing, understanding and dealing with profanity do not share resources, namely, their dataset, which imposes duplication of effort and non-comparable results.We here present a freely available dataset of 2500 messages from a popular Portuguese sports website. About 20% of the messages had profanity, thus we annotated 726 swear words, 510 of which were obfuscated by the authors. We also identified the most frequent profanities, and what methods, and combination of methods, people used to disguise their cursing. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
]
|
756489 | Computational Simulations of MOFs for Gas Separations | Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are recently considered as new fascinating nanoporous materials. MOFs have very large surface areas, high porosities, various pore sizes/shapes, chemical functionalities and good thermal/chemical stabilities. These properties make MOFs highly promising for gas separation applications. Thousands of MOFs have been synthesized in the last decade. The large number of available MOFs creates excellent opportunities to develop energy-efficient gas separation technologies. On the other hand, it is very challenging to identify the best materials for each gas separation of interest. Considering the continuous rapid increase in the number of synthesized materials, it is practically not possible to test each MOF using purely experimental manners. Highly accurate computational methods are required to identify the most promising MOFs to direct experimental efforts, time and resources to those materials. In this project, I will build a complete MOF library and use molecular simulations to assess adsorption and diffusion properties of gas mixtures in MOFs. Results of simulations will be used to predict adsorbent and membrane properties of MOFs for scientifically and technologically important gas separation processes such as CO2/CH4 (natural gas purification), CO2/N2 (flue gas separation), CO2/H2, CH4/H2 and N2/H2 (hydrogen recovery). I will obtain the fundamental, atomic-level insights into the common features of the top-performing MOFs and establish structure-performance relations. These relations will be used as guidelines to computationally design new MOFs with outstanding separation performances for CO2 capture and H2 recovery. These new MOFs will be finally synthesized in the lab scale and tested as adsorbents and membranes under practical operating conditions for each gas separation of interest. Combining a multi-stage computational approach with experiments, this project will lead to novel, efficient gas separation technologies based on MOFs. | [
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
10.1038/ncomms8452 | Conserved Omp85 lid-lock structure and substrate recognition in FhaC | Omp85 proteins mediate translocation of polypeptide substrates across and into cellular membranes. They share a common architecture comprising substrate-interacting POTRA domains, a C-terminal 16-stranded β-barrel pore and two signature motifs located on the inner barrel wall and at the tip of the extended L6 loop. The observation of two distinct conformations of the L6 loop in the available Omp85 structures previously suggested a functional role of conformational changes in L6 in the Omp85 mechanism. Here we present a 2. 5 Å resolution structure of a variant of the Omp85 secretion protein FhaC, in which the two signature motifs interact tightly and form the conserved 'lid lock'. Reanalysis of previous structural data shows that L6 adopts the same, conserved resting state position in all available Omp85 structures. The FhaC variant structure further reveals a competitive mechanism for the regulation of substrate binding mediated by the linker to the N-terminal plug helix H1. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
US 2006/0001193 W | ADJUSTING CURRENT LIMIT THRESHOLDS BASED ON OUTPUT VOLTAGE OF POWER SUPPLY DEVICE IN SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING POWER OVER COMMUNICATION LINK | A power supply system for providing power over a communication link has current limit circuitry for restricting an output current of the system based on a current limit threshold, and threshold circuitry for setting the current limit threshold in accordance with an output parameter of the system. In particular, the threshold circuitry may control the current limit threshold in accordance with an output voltage of the system so as to achieve a substantially constant output power of the system. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
2723739 | Manipulation enhancement through robotic guidance and intelligent novel grippers | MERGING will deliver a turnkey robotic solution to automate handling of flexible and fragile objects.
Our ambition is to provide manufacturers with an end-to-end solution to automate the handling of soft objects. The solution will consist of a multi-finger gripper equipped with an electro-adhesive skin that conforms to the objects to handle even delicate fabrics or components without any damage. Electro-adhesion increases the direct gripping forces and thus allows greatly reduced clamping forces. Our solution includes perception and supervision functions to adapt the system's behaviour in real time to the execution conditions and for robot system programming accessible to non-specialists.
Our main motivations are to build a versatile, easy-to-use and low-cost system. To demonstrate this and the possibilities of scaling up, we will design our system using proven laboratory technologies (TRL 4), then carry out proof of concept in realistic environments (TRL 6) in three different applications and sectors: fabric handling for lingerie manufacturing, technical fiber handling for composite bus panel manufacturing, plastic bag handling for the food industry.
MERGING is a three and a half year project involving the entire value chain of soft object gripping automation. The CEA leads the project and provides the robotic technologies in collaboration with EPFL (electrical adhesion), AIMEN (perception), LMS (supervision), and SHADOW (capture) and IPC (materials). CEA, EPFL, AIMEN and LMS will respectively use AI technologies for robotic demonstration programming, electro-adhesive skin control, perception and control of the complete system. SELMARK, VDL and THIMONNIER introduce cases of use of fabric, composite and polymer handling respectively. CASP and ACTEMIUM are respectively responsible for the software and hardware integration and the exploitation of the results. SHADOW will release the pliers with electro-adhesive skin after the end of the project. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
IB 2018057948 W | HIGHLY SECURE CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS, PIPES, AND CYLINDERS | The invention relates to the field of mechanical security, in particular a closure device for securely closing round, angular, and oval interiors. A closure device comprises a securing head (1) and a plurality of resistance elements (8) which protrude beyond the inner wall (23), wherein the securing head (1) has rotatably mounted securing locking elements (2) that have annular surfaces (2B), the respective section of which that faces the container is positioned below the retaining sides (8A) of the resistance elements (8) in the closure position, and the securing head (1) has recesses (9) which also pass through the securing locking elements (2) and which have a cross-section that corresponds to the paired resistance element (8). Furthermore, multiple locking surfaces (2C) which are distributed over the edge region and which have a cross-section that corresponds to the paired resistance element (8) are arranged on a respective annular surface (2B). | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.15252/embj.201488447 | Akirin2 is critical for inducing inflammatory genes by bridging IκB-ζ and the SWI/SNF complex | Transcription of inflammatory genes in innate immune cells is coordinately regulated by transcription factors, including NF-κB, and chromatin modifiers. However, it remains unclear how microbial sensing initiates chromatin remodeling. Here, we show that Akirin2, an evolutionarily conserved nuclear protein, bridges NF-κB and the chromatin remodeling SWI/SNF complex by interacting with BRG1-Associated Factor 60 (BAF60) proteins as well as IκB-ζ, which forms a complex with the NF-κB p50 subunit. These interactions are essential for Toll-like receptor-, RIG-I-, and Listeria-mediated expression of proinflammatory genes including Il6 and Il12b in macrophages. Consistently, effective clearance of Listeria infection required Akirin2. Furthermore, Akirin2 and IκB-ζ recruitment to the Il6 promoter depend upon the presence of IκB-ζ and Akirin2, respectively, for regulation of chromatin remodeling. BAF60 proteins were also essential for the induction of Il6 in response to LPS stimulation. Collectively, the IκB-ζ-Akirin2-BAF60 complex physically links the NF-κB and SWI/SNF complexes in innate immune cell activation. By recruiting SWI/SNF chromatin remodellers to IκB-ζ, transcriptional coactivator for NF-κB, the conserved nuclear protein Akirin2 stimulates pro-inflammatory gene promoters in mouse macrophages during innate immune responses to viral or bacterial infection. Synopsis By recruiting SWI/SNF chromatin remodellers to NF-κB, the conserved nuclear protein Akirin2 stimulates pro-inflammatory gene promoters in mouse macrophages during innate immune responses to viral or bacterial infection. Akirin2 is critical for Toll-like receptor- and RIG-I-like receptor-induced cytokine production in mouse macrophages Akirin2 is critical for the responses to Listeria monocytogenes infection in living mice Akirin2 enables LPS-induced chromatin remodelling in a SWI/SNF-dependent manner The NF-κBp50-IκB-ζ-Akirin2 cascade is critical for the recruitment of Brg1, the SWI/SNF core catalytic subunit, to the Il6 promoter. By recruiting SWI/SNF chromatin remodellers to NF-κB, the conserved nuclear protein Akirin2 stimulates pro-inflammatory gene promoters in mouse macrophages during innate immune responses to viral or bacterial infection. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1063/1.4809597 | Atomic Scale Investigation Of A Pbtio3 Srruo3 Dysco3 Heterostructure | An epitaxial PbTiO3 thin film grown on self-organized crystalline SrRuO3 nanowires deposited on a DyScO3 substrate with ordered DyO and ScO2 chemical terminations is investigated by transmission electron microscopy. In this PbTiO3/SrRuO3/DyScO3 heterostructure, the SrRuO3 nanowires are assumed to grow on only one type of substrate termination. Here, we report on the structure, morphology, and chemical composition analysis of this heterostructure. Electron energy loss spectroscopy reveals the exact termination sequence in this complex structure. The energy loss near-edge structure of the Ti–L2,3, Sc–L2,3, and O K edges shows intrinsic interfacial electronic reconstruction. Furthermore, PbTiO3 domain walls are observed to start at the end of the nanowires resulting in atomic steps on the film surface | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1016/j.lithos.2018.08.033 | Tracking plumbing system dynamics at the Campi Flegrei caldera, Italy: High-resolution trace element mapping of the Astroni crystal cargo | The Campi Flegrei caldera (southern Italy) is one of the most hazardous volcanic systems on Earth, having produced >60 eruptions in the past 15 ka. The caldera remains active and its potential for future eruptions is high, posing a danger to the dense population living nearby. Despite this, our understanding of pre-eruptive processes and the architecture of the sub-volcanic system are poorly constrained. Here, we combine established petrological techniques, geothermobarometric evaluation, and high-resolution trace element crystal mapping, to present a multifaceted, coherent reconstruction of the complex pre-eruptive dynamics and eruption timescales of Astroni volcano located in the eastern sector of Campi Flegrei caldera. The Astroni volcano is an important case study for investigating plumbing system processes and dynamics at Campi Flegrei caldera because it produced the most recent (ca. 4 ka ago) Plinian eruption within the caldera (Astroni 6); current long-term forecasting studies postulate that a similar sized event in this location is a probable future scenario. Geothermobarometric results indicate interaction between an evolved, shallow magma chamber, and a less evolved, deeper pocket of magma, in agreement with previous studies focused on the Astroni 6 eruption products. In addition, a range of textural and trace element zoning patterns point to a complex evolution of both magmas prior to their subsequent interaction. High-resolution trace element crystal maps reveal discrete zonations in compatible elements. These zonations, combined with knowledge of K-feldspar growth rates, highlight a recharge event in the shallow plumbing system a few hours to days before the Astroni 6 eruption. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
309634 | Identification of Host Determinants for Virus Entry using a Haploid Genetic Approach | The most powerful and direct way to get insight into complex biological systems is to remove individual components and observe the consequences. Cultured human cells are widely used to model and study aspects of human disease. Although human cells can be analyzed and manipulated in numerous ways, their genome has remained refractory to efficient mutagenesis-based analysis.
We have developed an insertional mutagenesis-based approach in haploid and near-haploid human cells. We have shown that this approach enables the generation of null alleles for most human genes and can be used to pinpoint genes that are involved in phenotypes of interest. We have made use of parallel sequencing approaches to generate high-density genetic overviews of genes that are required for phenotypic cell states. In a variety of genetic screens we have identified host factors required for infection of cells by influenza virus, the first entry receptor for a Clostridium Difficile toxin and a set of host factors that play a role in the entry of Ebola virus. Importantly, we can carry out and analyze a genetic screen in a period of weeks in a cost-effective manner.
This application outlines experiments aimed at identification and detailed characterization of host factors that play a role in Filovirus infection. Moreover, we propose a number of experiments to gain mechanistic insight in the role of the Niemann-Pick C1 cholesterol transporter in entry, tropism and the fusion process of Ebola virus. Furthermore we propose to develop refinements in our screening approach. Finally, we will apply our haploid screening platform to generate a “Host Factors Atlas’ for 50 diverse viruses that infect the human population. We foresee that the outlined experiments will provide an detailed and accurate overview of the unusual entry-route used by Filoviridae, will make our screening platform more powerful and will generate a much-needed overview of host factors used by a compendium of viruses. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.3389/fpls.2018.01071 | Terpenoid emissions of two mediterranean woody species in response to drought stress | Drought is a major environmental constrain affecting plant performance and survival, particularly in Mediterranean ecosystems. Terpenoids may play a protective role under these conditions, however, observations of drought effects on plant terpenoid emissions are controversial ranging from decreased emissions to unaffected or increased release of terpenoids. In the present study we investigated terpenoid emissions of cork oak (Quercus suber) and gum rockrose (Cistus ladanifer) in response to summer drought stress in 2017. Pre-dawn leaf water potential (ΨPD) decreased from −0. 64 to −1. 72 MPa in Q. suber and from −1. 69 to −4. 05 MPa in C. ladanifer, indicating a transition from mild to severe drought along summer. Total terpenoid emissions decreased with drought, but differed significantly between species (p < 0. 001) and in response to ΨPD, air temperature and assimilation rates. C. ladanifer emitted a large variety of >75 compounds comprising monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and even diterpenes, which strongly decreased from 1. 37 ± 0. 23 µg g−1 h−1 to 0. 40 ± 0. 08 µg g−1 h−1 (p < 0. 001) in response to drought. Total emission rates were positively correlated to air temperature (p < 0. 001). C. ladanifer behavior points toward terpenoid leaf storage depletion and reduced substrate availability for terpenoid synthesis with increasing drought, most likely accelerated by high air temperatures. Q. suber emitted mainly monoterpenes and emissions declined significantly from June (0. 50 ± 0. 08 µg g−1 h−1) to August (0. 29 ± 0. 02 µg g−1 h−1) (p < 0. 01). Emission rates were weakly correlated with net assimilation rates (R2 = 0. 19, p < 0. 001), but did not respond strongly to ΨPD and air temperature. Early onset of drought in 2017 most likely reduced plant metabolism in Q. suber, resulting in diminished, but stable terpenoid fluxes. Calculation of standard emission factors (at 30◦ C) revealed contrasting emission patterns of decreasing, unaffected, or increasing fluxes of single terpenoid compounds. Unaffected or drought-enhanced emissions of compounds such as α-pinene, camphene or manoyl oxide may point toward a specific role of these terpenoids in abiotic stress adaptation. In conclusion, these results suggest a strong negative, but species-and compound-specific effect of severe drought on terpenoid fluxes in Mediterranean ecosystems. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Earth System Science"
]
|
10.1016/j.molcel.2014.08.005 | Transcriptome Maps of mRNP Biogenesis Factors Define Pre-mRNA Recognition | Biogenesis of eukaryotic messenger ribonucleoprotein complexes (mRNPs) involves the synthesis, splicing, and 3' processing of pre-mRNA, and the assembly of mature mRNPs for nuclear export. We mapped 23 mRNP biogenesis factors onto the yeast transcriptome, providing 104-106 high-confidence RNA interaction sites per factor. The data reveal how mRNP biogenesis factors recognize pre-mRNA elements invivo. They define conserved interactions between splicing factors and pre-mRNA introns, including the recognition of intron-exon junctions and the branchpoint. They also identify a unified arrangement of 3' processing factors at pre-mRNA polyadenylation (pA) sites in yeast and human, which results from an A-U sequence bias at pA sites. Global data analysis indicates that 3' processing factors have roles in splicing and RNA surveillance, and that they couple mRNP biogenesis events to restrict nuclear export to mature mRNPs. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
interreg_1177 | Joint Actions for Energy Efficiency | ENERJ draws on challenges faced by partners in implementing and monitoring EE measures, projects, plans and policies at local level. Common factors that hinder the effectiveness of EE actions are linked to scarce policy integration, inadequacy of qualified human resources, ineffective financial strategies, untailored measures and incomplete information about EE performance of the public building stock. ENERJ increases and improves the efficacy of EE measures for public buildings by using innovative collaborative instruments to gather useful data, fostering cooperation among local authorities on wide-scale Joint actions, promoting public-private ventures. Main outputs will be:(i)integrated large-scale Joint Actions for EE, able to achieve economies of scale, significant impacts on energy consumptions and emissions, catalyze a wider range of investments and leverage Structural Funds through the ROPs;(ii)ENERJ web platform implementation, a geo-database of the EE measures adopted by the municipalities within SEAPs or other local energy plans;(iii)Enhancement of public and private stakeholders skills and delineation of the Joint Actions Coordinator to assess, define, adopt, implement and monitor EE actions and plans.The innovative approach of ENERJ lies in working collectively to propose exchange of experience and cooperation on joint projects, with the final aim to improve the operational aspects of the EE policies and programmes implementation in the Med area. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
]
|
171027 | Identifying the building blocks of episodic memory: how the hippocampus parses boundless experience into discrete events | Life provides us with a continuous stream of information that ends up being organized in long-term memory as distinct events. How does this occur? Leading theories posit that surprising occurrences (when prediction of the immediate future fails) are interpreted by the system as event boundaries that segment ongoing experience. Will any type of surprise induce such segmentation? Moreover, how are these segments then laid down in memory as discrete units? The proposed research addresses these key issues in a two phase study, combining fMRI of healthy individuals with a neuropsychological study of amnesic patients, and using tailored film clips designed to dissociate between distinct forms of prediction error (PE) – low-level PE (salient perceptual changes) and high-level PE (explicit expectancy of an upcoming change). We hypothesize that the key region in this process may be the hippocampus, a region strongly linked to formation of episodic memory. Combining a 7T fMRI study (enabling distinction between hippocampal subfields) with a study of patients with focal hippocampal lesions will enable us to elucidate the nature and necessity of hippocampal involvement in segmentation. The significance of this study lays first in its potential to illuminate how real-life events are registered to memory, a process which is likely to differ significantly from the encoding of brief, simple stimuli that have been employed previously. The importance of studying encoding of complex events has recently received increasing recognition, yet this is still only at its infancy, with very few studies employing this approach. Combining the complementary expertise of the researcher and the host, the proposed research aims to identify what constitutes an event boundary in mnemonic processing. Through future collaborations, this has the potential to lead to applicable interventions for improving normal memory and ameliorating mnemonic disorders. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.140401 | Epidemic Dynamics in Open Quantum Spin Systems | We explore the nonequilibrium evolution and stationary states of an open many-body system that displays epidemic spreading dynamics in a classical and a quantum regime. Our study is motivated by recent experiments conducted in strongly interacting gases of highly excited Rydberg atoms where the facilitated excitation of Rydberg states competes with radiative decay. These systems approximately implement open quantum versions of models for population dynamics or disease spreading where species can be in a healthy, infected or immune state. We show that in a two-dimensional lattice, depending on the dominance of either classical or quantum effects, the system may display a different kind of nonequilibrium phase transition. We moreover discuss the observability of our findings in laser driven Rydberg gases with particular focus on the role of long-range interactions. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter"
]
|
10.1109/ICCV.2013.369 | Segmentation Driven Object Detection With Fisher Vectors | We present an object detection system based on the Fisher vector (FV) image representation computed over SIFT and color descriptors. For computational and storage efficiency, we use a recent segmentation-based method to generate class-independent object detection hypotheses, in combination with data compression techniques. Our main contribution is a method to produce tentative object segmentation masks to suppress background clutter in the features. Re-weighting the local image features based on these masks is shown to improve object detection significantly. We also exploit contextual features in the form of a full-image FV descriptor, and an inter-category rescoring mechanism. Our experiments on the VOC 2007 and 2010 datasets show that our detector improves over the current state-of-the-art detection results. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.15252/msb.20188266 | Single-cell mRNA profiling reveals the hierarchical response of miRNA targets to miRNA induction | miRNAs are small RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. By repressing the translation and promoting the degradation of target mRNAs, miRNAs may reduce the cell-to-cell variability in protein expression, induce correlations between target expression levels, and provide a layer through which targets can influence each other's expression as “competing RNAs” (ceRNAs). However, experimental evidence for these behaviors is limited. Combining mathematical modeling with RNA sequencing of individual human embryonic kidney cells in which the expression of two distinct miRNAs was induced over a wide range, we have inferred parameters describing the response of hundreds of miRNA targets to miRNA induction. Individual targets have widely different response dynamics, and only a small proportion of predicted targets exhibit high sensitivity to miRNA induction. Our data reveal for the first time the response parameters of the entire network of endogenous miRNA targets to miRNA induction, demonstrating that miRNAs correlate target expression and at the same time increase the variability in expression of individual targets across cells. The approach is generalizable to other miRNAs and post-transcriptional regulators to improve the understanding of gene expression dynamics in individual cell types. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
]
|
10.1074/mcp.M116.065094 | Some gram-negative lipoproteins keep their surface topology when transplanted from one species to another and deliver foreign polypeptides to the bacterial surface | In Gram-negative bacteria, outer membrane-associated lipoproteins can either face the periplasm or protrude out of the bacterial surface. The mechanisms involved in lipoprotein transport through the outer membrane are not fully elucidated. Some lipoproteins reach the surface by using species-specific transport machinery. By contrast, a still poorly characterized group of lipoproteins appears to always cross the outer membrane, even when transplanted from one organism to another. To investigate such lipoproteins, we tested the expression and compartmentalization in E. coli of three surface-exposed lipoproteins, two from Neisseria meningitidis (Nm-fHbp and NHBA) and one from Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa-fHbp). We found that all three lipoproteins were lipidated and compartmentalized in the E. coli outer membrane and in outer membrane vesicles. Furthermore, fluorescent antibody cell sorting analysis, proteolytic surface shaving, and confocal microscopy revealed that all three proteins were also exposed on the surface of the outer membrane. Removal or substitution of the first four amino acids following the lipidated cysteine residue and extensive deletions of the C-terminal regions in Nm-fHbp did not prevent the protein from reaching the surface of the outer membrane. Heterologous polypeptides, fused to the C termini of Nm-fHbp and NHBA, were efficiently transported to the E. coli cell surface and compartmentalized in outer membrane vesicles, demonstrating that these lipoproteins can be exploited in biotechnological applications requiring Gram-negative bacterial surface display of foreign polypeptides. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering"
]
|
W2135273458 | Rapid decision-making under risk | Impulsivity is often characterized by rapid decisions under risk, but most current tests of decision-making do not impose time pressures on participants' choices. Here we introduce a new traffic lights test which requires people to choose whether to program a risky, early eye movement before a traffic light turns green (earning them high rewards or a penalty) or wait for the green light before responding to obtain a small reward instead. Young participants demonstrated bimodal responses: an early, high-risk and a later, low-risk set of choices. By contrast, elderly people invariably waited for the green light and showed little risk-taking. Performance could be modeled as a race between two rise-to-threshold decision processes, one triggered by the green light and the other initiated before it. The test provides a useful measure of rapid decision-making under risk, with the potential to reveal how this process alters with aging or in patient groups. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
W2142489285 | The role of let-7 in cell differentiation and cancer | MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are small noncoding RNAs capable of regulating gene expression at the translational level. Current evidence suggests that a significant portion of the human genome is regulated by microRNAs, and many reports have demonstrated that microRNA expression is deregulated in human cancer. The let-7 family of microRNAs, first discovered in Caenorhabditis elegans , is functionally conserved from worms to humans. The human let-7 family contains 13 members located on nine different chromosomes, and many human cancers have deregulated let-7 expression. A growing body of evidence suggests that restoration of let-7 expression may be a useful therapeutic option in cancers, where its expression has been lost. In this review, we discuss the role of let-7 in normal development and differentiation, and provide an overview of the relationship between deregulated let-7 expression and tumorigenesis. The regulation of let-7 expression, cancer-relevant let-7 targets, and the relationship between let-7 and drug sensitivity are highlighted. | [
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
10.1007/978-3-319-06136-8_6 | A Particle Finite Element Method Pfem For Coupled Thermal Analysis Of Quasi And Fully Incompressible Flows And Fluid Structure Interaction Problems | We present a Lagrangian formulation for coupled thermal analysis of quasi and fully incompressible flows and fluid-structure interaction (FSI) problems that has excellent mass preservation features. The success of the formulation lays on a residual-based stabilized expression of the mass balance equation obtained using the Finite Calculus (FIC) method. The governing equations are discretized with the FEM using simplicial elements with equal linear interpolation for the velocities, the pressure and the temperature. The merits of the formulation in terms of reduced mass loss and overall accuracy are verified in the solution of 2D and 3D adiabatic and thermally-coupled quasi-incompressible free-surface flows and FSI problems using the Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM). Examples include the sloshing of water in a tank and the falling of a water sphere and a cylinder into a tank containing water. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Mathematics"
]
|
639755 | Direct temporal synthesis of terahertz light fields enabling novel computational imaging | The terahertz (THz) frequency range is widely considered as the most challenging and under-developed frequency range due to the lack of technologies to effectively bridge the transition region between microwaves (below 100 GHz) and optics (above 10,000 GHz). Although THz radiation would be perfect for material identification and as a safe alternative to X-rays for producing high resolution images of the interior of opaque objects, first a fundamentally new approach is needed to establish novel devices and techniques.
Rarely considered for its complexity, the so-called “light field” consists of all light rays in 3-D space, flowing through every point and in every direction. Thus a light field camera not only records color and brightness like a 2-D imaging sensor does, but also the direction/angle of all the light rays arriving at the sensor. The beauty of this spatio-directional information is that one can localize hidden objects and calculate their covered three-dimensional shape. So what’s the catch? For any practical means, the natural ambient THz radiation is by far too weak, and THz light-fields need to be created artificially.
Here I propose an innovative pathway empowered by massively scaled THz source and detector arrays, which will bring forth the science of computational light-fields to THz 3-D see-through imaging. Starting with newfangled THz source-arrays, I create the missing temporal modulated light-fields directly at the source and investigate a diffraction inclusive THz light-field system theory, architecture and algorithms. This is combined with innovative THz integrated circuits to research real-time THz light-field components. Although the far-reaching objectives incorporate a high risk due to the complexity of the approach connecting physical, computational, and optical sciences with engineering approaches, this is offset by the promise of major breakthroughs to create substantial value for both science and the global economy. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1088/2040-8986/aac8ed | Nonlinear optics in plasmonic nanostructures | Although a relatively new area of nanoscience, nonlinear plasmonics has become a fertile ground for the development and testing of new ideas pertaining to light-matter interaction under intense field conditions, ideas that have found a multitude of applications in surface science, active photonic nanodevices, near-field optical microscopy, and nonlinear integrated photonics. In this review, we survey the latest developments in nonlinear plasmonics in three-dimensional (metallic) and two-dimensional (graphene) nanostructures and offer an outlook on future developments in this field of research. In particular, we discuss the main theoretical concepts, experimental methods, and computational tools that are used together in modern nonlinear plasmonics to explore in an integrated manner nonlinear optical properties of metallic and graphene based nanostructures. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
]
|
10.1103/PhysRevB.91.045420 | Modeling Klein tunneling and caustics of electron waves in graphene | We employ the tight-binding propagation method to study Klein tunneling and quantum interference in large graphene systems. With this efficient numerical scheme, we model the propagation of a wave packet through a potential barrier and determine the tunneling probability for different incidence angles. We consider both sharp and smooth potential barriers in n-p-n and n-n′ junctions and find good agreement with analytical and semiclassical predictions. When we go outside the Dirac regime, we observe that sharp n-p junctions no longer show Klein tunneling because of intervalley scattering. However, this effect can be suppressed by considering a smooth potential. Klein tunneling holds for potentials changing on the scale much larger than the interatomic distance. When the energies of both the electrons and holes are above the Van Hove singularity, we observe total reflection for both sharp and smooth potential barriers. Furthermore, we consider caustic formation by a two-dimensional Gaussian potential. For sufficiently broad potentials we find a good agreement between the simulated wave density and the classical electron trajectories. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
W2108731757 | Seeing (and Doing) Conservation Through Cultural Lenses | In this paper, we first discuss various vantage points gained through the authors' experience of approaching conservation through a "cultural lens." We then draw out more general concerns that many anthropologists hold with respect to conservation, summarizing and commenting on the work of the Conservation and Community Working Group within the Anthropology and Environment Section of the American Anthropological Association. Here we focus on both critiques and contributions the discipline of anthropology makes with regard to conservation, and show how anthropologists are moving beyond conservation critiques to engage actively with conservation practice and policy. We conclude with reflections on the possibilities for enhancing transdisciplinary dialogue and practice through reflexive questioning, the adoption of disciplinary humility, and the realization that "cross-border" collaboration among conservation scholars and practitioners can strengthen the political will necessary to stem the growing commoditization and ensuing degradation of the earth's ecosystems. | [
"Studies of Cultures and Arts",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
10.1134/S1061933X12050067 | The Problem Of Critical Damping In Nanofriction | The progress that has been made in describing atomic friction in terms of mechanical instabilities of the stick-slip type masks the role of damping and makes researchers ignore the true mechanisms of dissipation. This study shows that there is a necessary condition for the realization of regular stick-slips occurring with atomic periodicity, which are observed in friction force microscopy (a variant of atomic force microscopy) experiments. This condition lies in the existence of a direct relation between the rate of dissipation and the characteristic frequency of a measuring system, i. e. , its stiffness and mass (“critical damping”). The conclusion seems to be paradoxical; it indicates a nontrivial dissipation mechanism, which, according to the proposed explanation, essentially depends on memory effects. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
CA 280331 A | MELT-SPINNING FINE POLYESTER FILAMENTS WITH HIGH WITHDRAWAL SPEEDS | Poly(ethylene terephthalate) filaments of enhanced dyeability, low boil-off shrinkage (even in as-spun condition), good thermal stability over a large temperature range, and useful as texturing feed yarns and/or as hard yarns requiring no further drawing are prepared by spinning at a withdrawal speed (V in yards/minute) of at least about 5500 yards/minute and with a polymer temperature (Tp) measured (in .degree.C) in the filter pack at a point 50-100 mils above the center of the spinneret plate of wherein (L) and (D) are the length and diameter (in mils) of the spinneret capillary and (w) is the throughput (in pounds/ hour) per capillary. The filaments are characterized by a long period spacing above 300 .ANG. in their as-spun condition, and, whether in as-spun condition or after heat-treatment, by a low skin-core value as measured by a differential birefringence in relation to their stress measured at 20% extension which correlates approximately with the spinning speed), a large crystal size, and low amorphous orientation. The continuous filament yarns may be draw-textured to provide textured yarns which also show enhanced dyeability. The staple fiber yarns also have very useful properties as compared with conventional staple yarns. A preferred process of spinning at these extremely high speeds is characterized by the use of a spinneret with capillary-dimensions that produce high shear as the polyester is extruded and is applicable also to copolyesters, whose filaments show a similar low skin-core in relation to their stress at 20% extension, the precise values for copolymers being different from the relationship for poly(ethylene terephthalate). | [
"Materials Engineering",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
10.1128/mSphere.00445-18 | Transcriptional heterogeneity of Cryptococcus gattii VGII compared with non-VGII lineages underpins key pathogenicity pathways | Cryptococcus gattii is a pathogenic yeast of humans and other animals which causes disease predominantly in immunocompetent hosts. Infection begins when aerosolized yeast or spores enter the body, triggering an immune response, including engulfment by macrophages. To understand the early transcriptional signals in both the yeast and its mammalian host, we performed a time-course dualtranscriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) experiment for four lineages of C. gattii (lineages VGI to IV) interacting with mouse macrophages at 1, 3, and 6 h postinfection. Comparisons of in vitro to ex vivo gene expression levels indicated that lineage VGII is transcriptionally divergent from non-VGII lineages, including differential expression of genes involved in capsule synthesis, capsule attachment, and ergosterol production. Several paralogous genes demonstrated subfunctionalization between lineages, including upregulation of capsule biosynthesis-related gene CAP2 and downregulation of CAP1 in VGIII. Isolates also compensate for lineage-specific gene losses by overexpression of genetically similar paralogs, including overexpression of capsule gene CAS3 in VGIV, which have lost the CAS31 gene. Differential expression of one in five C. gattii genes was detected following coincubation with mouse macrophages; all isolates showed high induction of oxidative-reduction functions and downregulation of capsule attachment genes. We also found that VGII switches expression of two laccase paralogs (from LAC1 to LAC2) during coincubation of macrophages. Finally, we found that mouse macrophages respond to all four lineages of C. gattii by upregulating FosB/Jun/Egr1 regulatory proteins at early time points. This report highlights the evolutionary breadth of expression profiles among the lineages of C. gattii and the diversity of transcriptional responses at this host-pathogen interface. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
W2051681081 | Healthcare-Associated Bloodstream Infections Secondary to a Urinary Focus The Québec Provincial Surveillance Results | Objective. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are an important source of secondary healthcare-associated bloodstream infections (BSIs), where a potential for prevention exists. This study describes the epidemiology of BSIs secondary to a urinary source (U-BSIs) in the province of Québec and predictors of mortality. Design. Dynamic cohort of 9,377,830 patient-days followed through a provincial voluntary surveillance program targeting all episodes of healthcare-associated BSIs occurring in acute care hospitals. Setting. Sixty-one hospitals in Québec, followed between April 1, 2007, and March 31, 2010. Participants. Patients admitted to participating hospitals for 48 hours or longer. Methods. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize characteristics of U-BSIs and microorganisms involved. Wilcoxon and X 2 tests were used to compare U-BSI episodes with other BSIs. Negative binomial regression was used to identify hospital characteristics associated with higher rates. We explored determinants of mortality using logistic regression. Results. Of the 7,217 reported BSIs, 1,510 were U-BSIs (21%), with an annual rate of 1.4 U-BSIs per 10,000 patient-days. A urinary device was used in 71% of U-BSI episodes. Identified institutional risk factors were average length of stay, teaching status, and hospital size. Increasing hospital size was influential only in nonteaching hospitals. Age, nonhematogenous neoplasia, Staphylococcus aureus , and Foley catheters were associated with mortality at 30 days. Conclusion. U-BSI characteristics suggest that urinary catheters may remain in patients for ease of care or because practitioners forget to remove them. Ongoing surveillance will enable hospitals to monitor trends in U-BSIs and impacts of process surveillance that will be implemented shortly. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1093/ct/qtx013 | Emergence of (Hybrid) youth cultures | The article approaches the theories of communication in/from Latin America based on the work of the Mexican anthropologist Rossana Reguillo, in particular from her book Culturas juveniles [Youth cultures], originally published in 2000 and reprinted in 2012, which has had a great impact in cultural studies, on communication and youth studies. The author presents a theoretical-ethnographic journey organized in five stages: reading youth, mapping identity, interpreting biopolitics, ethnographing emerging cultures, and rethinking citizenship. From the body to technopolitics, Reguillo constructs a hermeneutic map as a travel guide to the emerging and insurgent landscapes of contemporaneity. | [
"Studies of Cultures and Arts",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
]
|
835133 | Ultra-Bright Thin-Film Light Emitting Devices and Lasers | Thin-film light sources such as OLEDs are extremely valuable, as, in contrast to III-V crystalline LEDs, they can be precisely designed and dimensioned, as single components or in massive arrays, into any target application without the need of hetero-assembly. Unfortunately, their light power density remains about 300 times smaller than that of III-V LEDs. Also, none of today’s thin-film light sources could ever be brought to lasing by electrical pumping.
It is the objective of this project to break through the barriers that limit the brightness of thin-film light sources and to achieve lasing by electrical pumping (“injection lasing”) in such sources.
Our first target is to create a high-brightness (30W/cm2) thin-film light-emitting device. For the emission layer, we propose a perovskite semiconductor with controlled quantum-confinement features (wells or dots). It will be integrated into a novel light-emitting device, in which electron and hole injection are separately controlled by gates, such that a perfect charge balance is achieved up to the highest current densities.
Our next target is to create a thin-film injection laser. We present several innovative strategies to lower the lasing threshold. The emission layer of our light-emitting device will be shaped as a ring resonator with ultra-low optical losses. The gates will be patterned to spatially modulate the carrier injection in the emission layer, which will efficiently restrict the pumping to few selected modes. Further elaborations of cavity designs can lead to mode-locking. Combined with the efficiency of the quantum-confined perovskite emission layer in producing optical gain, these features will reduce the lasing threshold current density to below 100 A/cm2, within reach of our thin-film device.
These novel devices will serve numerous applications in the fields of sensing and ICT, by enabling massive optical interconnects, augmented reality displays, on-chip sensing and more. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1016/j.cell.2015.10.067 | Establishment and Dysfunction of the Blood-Brain Barrier | Structural and functional brain connectivity, synaptic activity, and information processing require highly coordinated signal transduction between different cell types within the neurovascular unit and intact blood-brain barrier (BBB) functions. Here, we examine the mechanisms regulating the formation and maintenance of the BBB and functions of BBB-associated cell types. Furthermore, we discuss the growing evidence associating BBB breakdown with the pathogenesis of inherited monogenic neurological disorders and complex multifactorial diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is essential for synaptic activity and brain connectivity. Growing evidence suggests the association between BBB breakdown and the pathogenesis of both monogenic and multifactorial neurological disorders. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
10.1364/OE.26.025761 | Few Mode Fiber True Time Delay Lines For Distributed Radiofrequency Signal Processing | We report, for the first time to our knowledge, distributed radiofrequency signal processing built upon true time delay operation on a step-index few-mode fiber. Two 3-sample configurations with different time delay properties are implemented over the same 60-meter 4-LP-mode fiber link. The inscription of a long period grating at a specific fiber position converts part of the LP01 mode into the LP02, permitting sample time delay engineering. Delay line performance is experimentally demonstrated when applied to radiofrequency signal filtering, example of fiber-distributed processing functionality exhibiting one order or magnitude gain in terms of compactness. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1007/s11065-018-9383-7 | Distinct Activity Patterns of the Human Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis and Amygdala during Fear Learning | The amygdala and, more recently, also the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, have been widely implicated in fear and anxiety. Much of our current knowledge is derived from animal studies and suggests an intricate convergence and divergence in functions related to defensive responding. In a recent paper, Klumpers and colleagues set out to examine these functions in a human fear learning procedure using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Their main findings were a role for the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in threat anticipation, and for the amygdala in threat confrontation. Here, we provide a critical summary of this interesting study and point out some important issues that were not addressed by its authors. In particular, we first take a closer look at the striking differences between both samples that were combined for the study, and, secondly, we provide an in-depth discussion of their findings in relation to existing neurobehavioral models. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
W2035517823 | Main Factors Controlling Oil-Gas Enrichment Regularities and Accumulation Modes of Putaohua Oil Layer in Chaochang Region | In order to clarify some kinds of geological conditions on the hydrocarbon accumulation process, this paper analyses the main factors controlling oil-gas enrichment regularities of Putaohua oil layer in Chaochang region of Daqing city, which conclude tectonics, sedimentary characteristics, oil source condition and the mutual relationship between of them. The results show that the organic abundance of hydrocarbon source rocks of Qing1 section control oil and gas distribution range. The configuring relationships of oil-source fault and reservoir sand body control oil and gas migration. The configuring relationship of sedimentary micro-facies types and structures controls oil and gas distribution. On the basis of these studies, oil and gas accumulation mode in Putaohua reservoir are summarized in Chaochang region. There are two accumulation models: nearby accumulation mode in northwest and updip accumulation mode in southeast. | [
"Earth System Science"
]
|
978932 | The origen of gender inequality: nurture vs. nature and quantifying gender preference | Women continue to earn significantly less than men. This is true even in Scandinavia, a region long considered a forerunner in offering better opportunities for women to balance career and family. However, in recent decades progress towards gender equality has been slow. This has intrigued researchers and motivated public policies, such as gender quotas on corporate boards and parental leave earmarked to men, as in the recent EU proposal on work-life balance for parents and carers.
In the past, a significant part of the gender pay gap could be explained by differences in human capital and discriminatory wage policies, but the reduction of gender differences in education and the implementation of anti-discrimination policies have not removed the pay gap. This calls for further knowledge in order to aid attempts to close the gap. A recent literature highlights the influence of gender identity and norms in shaping the gender pay gap.
In ORIGENDER, I aim to advance our knowledge of the role of gender norms in shaping the gender pay gap by answering two key questions: 1) Why are gender roles on the labour market still so traditional, particularly in families with children? 2) Can we quantify how much individuals value traditional gender roles? The answers are both academically interesting and key to the design of public policy.
A MSCA GF will give me the possibility to answer these questions by combining the skills and knowledge of two vibrant research environments: Prof. Henrik Kleven’s research group at Princeton University, and the Center of Economic Behavior and Inequality (CEBI) at the University of Copenhagen. Both institutions employ world-leading economists in the areas of public policy and causal identification using (big) data and, via CEBI, I will have a secure link to the unique Danish data infrastructure and population wide administrative data, enabling me to make significant leaps in our understanding compared to existing literature. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
]
|
10.2174/1381612811319310016 | Metabolic Engineering Of Plant Secondary Products Which Way Forward | Secondary products are small molecular weight compounds produced by secondary metabolic pathways in plants. They are regarded as non-essential for normal growth and development but often confer benefits such as defense against pathogens, pests and herbivores or the attraction of pollinators. Many secondary products affect the survival and/or behavior of microbes, insects and mammals and they often have useful pharmacological effects in humans. Most secondary products can only be obtained as extracts from medicinal plants, many of which grow slowly and are difficult to cultivate. Chemical synthesis, although possible in principle, is often impractical or uneconomical due to the complexity of their molecular structures. The large scale production of secondary products by metabolic engineering has therefore been investigated in a number of heterologous systems including microbes, plant cell/organ cultures, and intact plants. In this critical review of production platforms for plant secondary products, we discuss the advantages and constraints of different approaches and the impact of post-genomics technologies on gene discovery and metabolite analysis. We highlight bottlenecks that remain to be overcome before the routine exploitation of secondary products can be achieved for the benefit of mankind. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
10.1002/hep.26733 | Critical interaction between E1 and E2 glycoproteins determines binding and fusion properties of hepatitis C virus during cell entry | Hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope glycoproteins E1 and E2 are important mediators for productive cell entry. However, knowledge about their structure, intra- or intermolecular dialogs, and conformational changes is scarce, limiting the design of therapeutic strategies targeting E1E2. Here we sought to investigate how certain domains of E1 and E2 have coevolved to optimize their interactions to promote efficient HCV entry. For this purpose we generated chimeric E1E2 heterodimers derived from two HCV 1a strains to identify and characterize crosstalk between their domains. We found an E1E2 combination that drastically impaired the infectivity of cell culture-derived HCV particles, whereas the reciprocal E1E2 combination led to increased infectivity. Using HCV pseudoparticle assays, we confirmed the opposing entry phenotypes of these heterodimers. By mutagenesis analysis, we identified a particular crosstalk between three amino acids of E1 and the domain III of E2. Its modulation leads to either a full restoration of the functionality of the suboptimal heterodimer or a destabilization of the functional heterodimer. Interestingly, we found that this crosstalk modulates E1E2 binding to HCV entry receptors SR-BI and CD81. In addition, we found for the first time that E1E2 complexes can interact with the first extracellular loop of Claudin-1, whereas soluble E2 did not. These results highlight the critical role of E1 in the modulation of HCV binding to receptors. Finally, we demonstrated that this crosstalk is involved in membrane fusion. Conclusions: These results reveal a multifunctional and crucial interaction between E1 and E2 for HCV entry into cells. Our study highlights the role of E1 as a modulator of HCV binding to receptors and membrane fusion, underlining its potential as an antiviral target. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.5194/acp-14-979-2014 | Estimates of tropical bromoform emissions using an inversion method | Abstract. Bromine plays an important role in ozone chemistry in both the troposphere and stratosphere. When measured by mass, bromoform (CHBr3) is thought to be the largest organic source of bromine to the atmosphere. While seaweed and phytoplankton are known to be dominant sources, the size and the geographical distribution of CHBr3 emissions remains uncertain. Particularly little is known about emissions from the Maritime Continent, which have usually been assumed to be large, and which appear to be especially likely to reach the stratosphere. In this study we aim to reduce this uncertainty by combining the first multi-annual set of CHBr3 measurements from this region, and an inversion process, to investigate systematically the distribution and magnitude of CHBr3 emissions. The novelty of our approach lies in the application of the inversion method to CHBr3. We find that local measurements of a short-lived gas like CHBr3 can be used to constrain emissions from only a relatively small, sub-regional domain. We then obtain detailed estimates of CHBr3 emissions within this area, which appear to be relatively insensitive to the assumptions inherent in the inversion process. We extrapolate this information to produce estimated emissions for the entire tropics (defined as 20° S–20° N) of 225 Gg CHBr3 yr−1. The ocean in the area we base our extrapolations upon is typically somewhat shallower, and more biologically productive, than the tropical average. Despite this, our tropical estimate is lower than most other recent studies, and suggests that CHBr3 emissions in the coastline-rich Maritime Continent may not be stronger than emissions in other parts of the tropics. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Earth System Science"
]
|
10.1128/MCB.00430-15 | Adipocyte Specific Hypoxia Inducible Factor 2Α Deficiency Exacerbates Obesity Induced Brown Adipose Tissue Dysfunction And Metabolic Dysregulation | Angiogenesis is a central regulator for white (WAT) and brown (BAT) adipose tissue adaptation in the course of obesity. Here we show that deletion of hypoxia-inducible factor 2α (HIF2α) in adipocytes (by using Fabp4-Cre transgenic mice) but not in myeloid or endothelial cells negatively impacted WAT angiogenesis and promoted WAT inflammation, WAT dysfunction, hepatosteatosis, and systemic insulin resistance in obesity. Importantly, adipocyte HIF2α regulated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and angiogenesis of obese BAT as well as its thermogenic function. Consistently, obese adipocyte-specific HIF2α-deficient mice displayed BAT dysregulation, associated with reduced levels of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and a dysfunctional thermogenic response to cold exposure. VEGF administration reversed WAT and BAT inflammation and BAT dysfunction in adipocyte HIF2α-deficient mice. Together, our findings show that adipocyte HIF2α is protective against maladaptation to obesity and metabolic dysregulation by promoting angiogenesis in both WAT and BAT and by counteracting obesity-mediated BAT dysfunction. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
]
|
10.1038/ncomms9400 | Wall mechanics and exocytosis define the shape of growth domains in fission yeast | The amazing structural variety of cells is matched only by their functional diversity, and reflects the complex interplay between biochemical and mechanical regulation. How both regulatory layers generate specifically shaped cellular domains is not fully understood. Here, we report how cell growth domains are shaped in fission yeast. Based on quantitative analysis of cell wall expansion and elasticity, we develop a model for how mechanics and cell wall assembly interact and use it to look for factors underpinning growth domain morphogenesis. Surprisingly, we find that neither the global cell shape regulators Cdc42-Scd1-Scd2 nor the major cell wall synthesis regulators Bgs1-Bgs4-Rgf1 are reliable predictors of growth domain geometry. Instead, their geometry can be defined by cell wall mechanics and the cortical localization pattern of the exocytic factors Sec6-Syb1-Exo70. Forceful re-directioning of exocytic vesicle fusion to broader cortical areas induces proportional shape changes to growth domains, demonstrating that both features are causally linked. | [
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1016/j.chom.2019.02.002 | The Skin Commensal Yeast Malassezia Triggers a Type 17 Response that Coordinates Anti-fungal Immunity and Exacerbates Skin Inflammation | The skin commensal yeast Malassezia is associated with common skin disorders like atopic dermatitis, but how the mammalian host responds to Malassezia remains unclear. Using an epicutaneous infection model in mice, Sparber et al. demonstrate that the IL-23-IL-17 pathway controls fungal colonization and also drives Malassezia-induced inflammation in atopy-like skin. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.19272/201904601004 | Per Una Geografia Della Circolazione Letteraria In Egitto V Vii S Il Contributo Dei Testi Latini Su Papiro | A critical overview of the circulation of Latin literature in Late Antique Egypt (5th-7th cent. ) is offered through a survey of texts on papyrus and their contextualization, in order to highlight the role Latin played within such a multilingual and multicultural context and the forms of its relationship with Greek, which was the dominant language. Both the four canonical authors making up the so-called quadriga of the grammarian Arusianus Messius and iuniores authors like Lucan and Juvenal contributed to shaping a cultural milieu where the connection between grammar and law—and accordingly bureaucracy—was close and fundamental. | [
"The Study of the Human Past",
"Texts and Concepts"
]
|
10.1038/s41598-017-08866-2 | Human cytomegalovirus escapes immune recognition by NK cells through the downregulation of B7-H6 by the viral genes US18 and US20 | Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a major human pathogen, causing serious diseases in immunocompromised populations and congenially infected neonates. One of the main immune cells acting against the virus are Natural Killer (NK) cells. Killing by NK cells is mediated by a small family of activating receptors such as NKp30 that interact with the cellular ligand B7-H6. The outcome of B7-H6-NKp30 interaction was, so far, mainly studied with regard to NK recognition and killing of tumors. Here, we demonstrated that the expression of B7-H6 is upregulated following HCMV infection and that HCMV uses two of its genes: US18 and US20, to interfere with B7-H6 surface expression, in a mechanism involving endosomal degradation, in order to evade NK cell recognition. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
W4308295896 | 2022 American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) Indications for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery | MAJOR UPDATES TO 1991 NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH GUIDELINES FOR BARIATRIC SURGERY: Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is recommended for individuals with a body mass index (BMI) >35 kg/m2, regardless of presence, absence, or severity of co-morbidities.MBS should be considered for individuals with metabolic disease and BMI of 30-34.9 kg/m2.BMI thresholds should be adjusted in the Asian population such that a BMI >25 kg/m2 suggests clinical obesity, and individuals with BMI >27.5 kg/m2 should be offered MBS.Long-term results of MBS consistently demonstrate safety and efficacy.Appropriately selected children and adolescents should be considered for MBS.(Surg Obes Relat Dis 2022; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soard.2022.08.013 ) © 2022 American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. All rights reserved. | [
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
10.1038/s41559-019-1040-x | Phylogenomics provides robust support for a two-domains tree of life | Hypotheses about the origin of eukaryotic cells are classically framed within the context of a universal ‘tree of life’ based on conserved core genes. Vigorous ongoing debate about eukaryote origins is based on assertions that the topology of the tree of life depends on the taxa included and the choice and quality of genomic data analysed. Here we have reanalysed the evidence underpinning those claims and apply more data to the question by using supertree and coalescent methods to interrogate >3,000 gene families in archaea and eukaryotes. We find that eukaryotes consistently originate from within the archaea in a two-domains tree when due consideration is given to the fit between model and data. Our analyses support a close relationship between eukaryotes and Asgard archaea and identify the Heimdallarchaeota as the current best candidate for the closest archaeal relatives of the eukaryotic nuclear lineage. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
interreg_636 | Culture and Heritage Added value to Regional policies for Tourism Sustainability | BACKGROUND
The CHARTS project focuses on the role of culture and heritage in the formulation and delivery of added-value to regional strategies for sustainable tourism development and integration into local, regional, national and EU policies. Partners will share experience on how improved management of cultural tourism destinations contribute to protection and enhancement of cultural heritage & landscape, as well as sustainable regional development policies, especially in relation to challenges of climate change and the economic crisis.
Eight Good Practices are analysed and exchanged, drawn from two existing networks: the European Cultural Tourism Network (ECTN), legacy of INTERRREG IIIC operation, and CHIRON (Cultural, Heritage promotion of Identity of Regions Observatory and Networking for cultural tourism) IIIB CADSES, coming together to work jointly, with Place Marketing delivered by the IIIC CultMark operation and other Initiatives inc.Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe.
OBJECTIVES
The overall objective is to build on, capitalise and exploit the outputs, methods, results, policies and strategies of previous projects and initiatives in the field of culture, heritage and sustainable tourism development strategies and to transfer highly relevant Good Practices between participating regions and Europe-wide, as important added-value to effective regional policy formulation and implementation, as well as contributing to the Lisbon & Gothenburg Agendas
PARTNERSHIP
The 13 Partners are from 11 EU counties, covering North (SE, LV), South (EL, IT, ES, CY), East (RO, BG) & West (UK, IE, BE), while 4 partners are from New Member States (LV, CY, RO, BG), ensuring a widespread EU geographical coverage. The Partnership comprises 2 elected regional authorities (UK, IT), 4 elected local government bodies (EL, IE, SE, ES), 2 national agencies/institutes (EL, RO), 2 regional tourism boards (CY, LV), 1 Local Authorities Union (BG), 1 University (ES) & 1 EU Network (BE).
MAIN ACTIVITIES
Identification, analysis, exchange & transfer of good practices on climate change, accessibility to heritage, effective partnerships, host communities, quality criteria, visitor information, place marketing and cultural routes, for sustainable tourism. Policy integration & added value. Charter. Award. Events. Exhibitions. Workshops. Conference.
EXPECTED OUTPUTS & RESULTS
Enhanced regional policies on Culture, Heritage & Sustainable Tourism; Added-value to past and existing initiatives
Increased knowledge in less developed regions of the EU (inc. new MS)
Creation of opportunities for employment in the Cultural and Tourism industries
Protection and preservation of culture and heritage sites and landscapes
Protection and preservation of the environment through the introduction and promotion of sustainable tourism strategies (Responsible tourism)
Better use of EU funds in the mainstream operational programmes with already proven successful best practices and policies. | [
"Studies of Cultures and Arts",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
]
|
10.3389/fncir.2018.00059 | The Mouse Superior Colliculus as a Model System for Investigating Cell Type-Based Mechanisms of Visual Motor Transformation | The mouse superior colliculus (SC) is a laminar midbrain structure involved in processing and transforming multimodal sensory stimuli into ethologically relevant behaviors such as escape, defense, and orienting movements. The SC is unique in that the sensory (visual, auditory, and somatosensory) and motor maps are overlaid. In the mouse, the SC receives inputs from more retinal ganglion cells than any other visual area. This makes the mouse SC an ideal model system for understanding how visual signals processed by retinal circuits are used to mediate visually guided behaviors. This Perspective provides an overview of the current understanding of visual motor transformations operated by the mouse SC and discusses the challenges to be overcome when investigating the input–output relationships in single collicular cell types. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
]
|
10.1093/molbev/msv159 | Ecological and lineage-specific factors drive the molecular evolution of rhodopsin in cichlid fishes | The visual system in the colorful cichlid fishes from the African great lakes is believed to be important for their adaptive radiations. However, few studies have attempted to compare the visual system of radiating cichlid lineages with that of cichlids that have not undergone recent radiations. One such study published in this journal (Schott RK, Refvik SP, Hauser FE, López-Fernández H, Chang BSW. 2014. Divergent positive selection in rhodopsin from lake and riverine cichlid fishes. Mol Biol Evol. 31:1149-1165) found divergent selection on rhodopsin between African lacustrine and riverine cichlid species and riverine Neotropical cichlids, concluding that ecology drives the molecular evolution of this opsin. Here, we expand this analysis by incorporating rhodopsin sequences from Neotropical lacustrine cichlids and show that both ecology and phylogeny are important drivers of the molecular evolution of rhodopsin in cichlids. We found little overlap of sites under selection between African and Neotropical lineages and a faster rate of molecular evolution in African compared with Neotropical cichlids. These results support the notion that genetic or population genetic features particular to African cichlids contributed to their radiations. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1039/c4cc09730k | Organocatalytic one-pot 1,4-/1,6-/1,2-addition sequence for the stereocontrolled formation of six consecutive stereocenters | An unprecedented stereoselective organocatalytic one-pot 1,4-/1,6-/1,2-addition sequence between β-dicarbonyl compounds, β-nitroalkenes and 4-nitro-5-styrylisoxazoles sequentially catalyzed by low loading of a squaramide catalyst and an achiral base has been developed. The protocol opens an efficient entry to isoxazole bearing cyclohexanes with six consecutive stereogenic centers including one tetrasubstituted carbon in good yields and excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities. | [
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
W1974649909 | Fracture and mechanical properties of friction stir spot welds in 6063-T6 aluminum alloy | The influence of the tool dimensions and of the welding parameters on the fracture and lap shear properties of friction stir spot welds is investigated. Interrupted lap shear tests allow to follow the mechanisms leading to weld fracture. A triangular cavity opens at the hook during lap shear testing. The distance between this triangular cavity and the hole left by the pin is the main parameter controlling the type of fracture. A too short distance favors a fracture through the weld nugget and hence should be avoided. In particular, this happens when the tool pin diameter is too small and when the plunge rate is too large. Fracture initiating at the triangular cavity and following the thermomechanically affected zone, i.e., by the pullout of the weld nugget, is preferred. This fracture type leads to significant plastic deformation and generally favors a large ultimate force during lap shear testing. Large ultimate forces are observed when the welds are cooler (large plunge rates and low rotation speeds), but the welding conditions should be chosen so as not to lead to fracture trough the weld nugget. | [
"Materials Engineering",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
773264 | Lewis acid promoted copper catalysis to functionalise and dearomatise arenes | Aromatic compounds are cheap and readily available, making them ideal starting materials for the synthesis of chiral alicyclic compounds, important synthetic building blocks for both natural product synthesis and drug discovery. However, general strategies for efficient, catalytic dearomatisation of aromatics are lacking.
This proposal aims to fill this gap by developing general asymmetric methods for dearomatisation reactions of both electron-rich and electron-deficient aromatics. It relies on an innovative approach based on LA activation of the arenes, followed by copper catalyzed carbon-carbon bond forming reactions, with a special focus on environmentally benign and cost-effective processes.
To achieve the overall aim of the proposed project, the research program is composed of four distinct but complementary research lines aiming at catalytic asymmetric dearomatisation/carbon-carbon bond forming reactions using:
- Electron-deficient carbonyl substituted arenes
- Pyridines and other N-containing heteroarenes
- Phenols and anilines and fused analogues
- Benzylic aromatic systems
The remarkable and novel feature of this strategy is that it enables for the first time selective catalytic asymmetric dearomatisations of various classes of aromatic substrates following a general, unified concept. Furthermore, since sequential bond constructions take place in a single synthetic operation, a rapid increase of molecular complexity can be achieved at greatly reduced cost and increased atom-efficiency, thereby contributing to a more sustainable future. Consequently, there is huge potential for this strategy to become an invaluable instrument to access a wide variety of chiral carbocyclic compounds and I anticipate it will have a significant impact in the field of organic synthesis. | [
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1002/aenm.201600890 | Probing the Diameter Limit of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes in SWCNT: Fullerene Solar Cells | In this work, for the first time, the diameter limit of surfactant wrapped single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in SWCNT:C60 solar cells is determined through preparation of monochiral small and large diameter nanotube devices as well as those from polychiral mixtures. Through assignment of the different nanotube chiralities by photoluminescence and optical density measurements a diameter limit yielding 0% internal quantum efficiency (IQE) is determined. This work provides insights into the required net driving energy for SWCNT exciton dissociation onto C60 and establishes a family of (n,m) species which can efficiently be utilized in polymer-free SWCNT:C60 solar cells. Using this approach the largest diameter nanotube with an IQE > 0% is found to be (8,6) with a diameter of 0. 95 nm. Possible strategies to extend this diameter limit are then discussed. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
883845 | Minapath: a novel and unique method to diagnose and prevent diseases that are caused by exposure and accumulation of inorganic mineral dusts. | Today healthcare faces critical challenges coming from an ageing population and the rise of chronic diseases. With a population expected to reach 9 billion people by 2050, healthcare expenditure is at risk of becoming unsustainable. Sustainability requires diagnostic methods to become more efficient, fast and accurate, to facilitate the use of adequate therapy. Despite the effort being made, there are still many diseases that get categorized as idiopathic (unknown cause). Specially in the lung, many inflammatory conditions fall under idiopathic category and stay undiagnosed, while slowly progressing, deteriorating the patient’s quality of life. However, many idiopathic conditions do have a common factor: exposure to mineral dusts such as asbestos, silica or metals (nickel, cadmium & cobalt). We are all at risk of exposure to these minerals, from the environment and workplace, being an occupational hazard in industrial settings and construction sites. Importantly, many of these mineral dusts are carcinogenic, contributing to the increasing prevalence of cancer globally. Despite their impact, today there are no dedicated diagnostic tests to assess mineral exposure, and diagnosis is mostly based on exclusion. In response, we at Minapath have developed a unique method that combines qualitative & quantitative analysis to diagnose the patient’s mineral exposome, serving to identify the underlying cause behind many cases of inflammatory & cancer conditions. After demonstrating the diagnostic relationship between mineral deposits and idiopathic pulmonary diseases, our goal with this project is to finalise the development of our technology and reach market maturity. To achieve these goals, in Phase 1 we aim to carry a Feasibility Study that help us prepare for the main technical, commercial and financial aspects influencing the project. Once completed, our technology will bring significant impacts to society and healthcare, contributing to its efficiency and sustainability. | [
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Materials Engineering",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
W1889549750 | Financial development and financial openness nexus: the precondition of banking competition | ABSTRACTWe examine the dynamic relationship between financial development and financial openness using the pooled mean group estimator developed by Pesaran et al. (1999). Our results show that financial openness has a positive effect on financial development in the long run, but may have a negative effect in the short run. Using estimates of country-specific short-run coefficients, we also find that the adverse short-run effects of financial openness are associated with a lower degree of banking competition. The system GMM estimator also supports these findings, suggesting that the financial development and financial openness nexus is contingent on the degree of banking competition. A key policy implication is that a higher degree of banking competition is a precondition for financial openness to promote financial development. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
US 83658992 A | Curable fluorosilicone rubber composition | A room temperature-curable fluorosilicone rubber composition is disclosed, which is capable of giving a cured silicone rubber having excellent resistance against organic solvents and petroleums withhigh curability despite the high fluorine content which may cause steric hindfrance against the curing reaction due to the bulkiness of the fluorine-containing substituent groups. Different from conventional fluorine-containing diorganopolysiloxanes, in which the fluorine-containing substituent groups are bonded to the silicon atoms at random positions throughout the molecule, several silicon atoms from each of the molecular chain ends of the diorganopolysiloxane as the principal ingredient of the inventive composition are free from fluorine-containing substituent groups so that the crosslinking reaction with the silanolic hydroxy groups bonded to the terminal silicon atoms is not disturbed by the fluorine-containing groups in the vicinity of the terminal silanol groups. | [
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
W2761166394 | Peripheral Visual Fields in ABCA4 Stargardt Disease and Correlation With Disease Extent on Ultra-widefield Fundus Autofluorescence | To evaluate the disease extent on ultra-widefield fundus autofluorescence (UWF-FAF) in patients with ABCA4 Stargardt disease (STGD) and correlate these data with functional outcome measures.Retrospective cross-sectional study.Setting: Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan.Sixty-five patients with clinical diagnosis and proven pathogenic variants in the ABCA4 gene. Observational Procedures: The UWF-FAF images were obtained using Optos (200 degrees) and classified into 3 types. Functional testing included kinetic widefield perimetry, full-field electroretinogram (ffERG), and visual acuity (VA). All results were evaluated with respect to UWF-FAF classification.Classification of UWF-FAF; area comprising the I4e, III4e, and IV4e isopters; ffERG patterns; and VA.For UWF-FAF, 27 subjects (41.5%) were classified as type I, 17 (26.2%) as type II, and 21 (32.4%) as type III. The area of each isopter correlated inversely with the extent of the disease and all isopters were able to detect differences among UWF-FAF types (IV4e, P = .0013; III4e, P = .0003; I4e, P < .0001 = 3.93e-8). ffERG patterns and VA were also different among the 3 UWF-FAF types (P < .001 = 6.61e-6 and P < .001 = 7.3e-5, respectively).Patients with widespread disease presented with more constriction of peripheral visual fields and had more dysfunction on ffERG and worse VA compared to patients with disease confined to the macula. UWF-FAF images may provide information for estimating peripheral and central visual function in STGD. | [
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1073/pnas.1417803112 | Ancestral duplications and highly dynamic opsin gene evolution in percomorph fishes | Single-gene and whole-genome duplications are important evolutionary mechanisms that contribute to biological diversification by launching new genetic raw material. For example, the evolution of animal vision is tightly linked to the expansion of the opsin gene family encoding light-absorbing visual pigments. In teleost fishes, the most species-rich vertebrate group, opsins are particularly diverse and key to the successful colonization of habitats ranging from the bioluminescence-biased but basically dark deep sea to clear mountain streams. In this study, we report a previously unnoticed duplication of the violet-blue short wavelength-sensitive 2 (SWS2) opsin, which coincides with the radiation of highly diverse percomorph fishes, permitting us to reinterpret the evolution of this gene family. The inspection of close to 100 fish genomes revealed that, triggered by frequent gene conversion between duplicates, the evolutionary history of SWS2 is rather complex and difficult to predict. Coincidentally, we also report potential cases of gene resurrection in vertebrate opsins, whereby pseudogenized genes were found to convert with their functional paralogs. We then identify multiple novel amino acid substitutions that are likely to have contributed to the adaptive differentiation between SWS2 copies. Finally, using the dusky dottyback Pseudochromis fuscus, we show that the newly discovered SWS2A duplicates can contribute to visual adaptation in two ways: by gaining sensitivities to different wavelengths of light and by being differentially expressed between ontogenetic stages. Thus, our study highlights the importance of comparative approaches in gaining a comprehensive view of the dynamics underlying gene family evolution and ultimately, animal diversification. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
10.1093/femsyr/fov106 | What makes Cryptococcus gattii a pathogen? | Cryptococcosis is an invasive fungal infection of humans and other animals, typically caused by the species Cryptococcus neoformans in patients with impaired immunity. However, there is growing recognition of the importance of the related species C. gattii in causing infections in apparently immunocompetent individuals. In particular, an ongoing outbreak of cryptococcal disease in the Pacific Northwest region, which started in 1999, has driven an intense research effort into this previously neglected pathogen. Here, we discuss some of the recent discoveries in this organism from the Pacific Northwest region and highlight areas for future investigation. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
627824 | Rethinking peace-building: women, revolution, exile and conflict resolution in yemen | This project proposes an analysis of the role of Yemeni female activists and refugees in conflict resolution and peace-building. The research objectives are: 1) to explore Yemeni female refugees’ and activists’ efforts and actions in conflict management and peace-building between 2015-2021 to rethink women’s role in peace processes; 2) to document their experiences to understand how the post-revolutionary violence and conflict situation in the country affected and re-shaped their political participation, and how Yemeni women resisted their marginalization and dealt with their disadvantaged position in and outside the country; 3) to contribute to the conceptual development of women and revolution theory by articulating an intricate interplay of revolution, forced migration, conflict and peace-building; 4) to analyse possible contributions from Yemeni female activists and refugees with the objective to identify practical ways to develop peace-building and conflict prevention strategies; 5) to link research findings to relevant policy makers and put forward gender-sensitive policy recommendations on the Yemeni peace-building. The methodology is based on a literature review and empirical research associated with anthropology, political science, migration, gender and peace studies. Ethnographic fieldwork will be carried out with Yemeni activists and refugees in the Netherlands, Germany and Jordan. The results will be put in a broader perspective which links warfare and state formation with the previous research on women and revolution in Yemen. It will be the first full-length and multi-site study of women, revolution, forced migration and peace-building in Yemen and beyond. The project will make a significative contribution not only to theory but also to practice and policy development on women, conflict and peace-building. Moreover, the experience gained from the host and secondment institution will enable the fellow to achieve the academic position of high quality. | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"Studies of Cultures and Arts"
]
|
10.1016/j.jebo.2020.02.015 | Requiem for a Nudge: Framing effects in nudging honesty | We examine framing effects in nudging honesty, in the spirit of the growing norm-nudge literature, by utilizing a high-powered and pre-registered study. Across four treatments, participants received one random truthful norm-nudge that emphasized ‘moral suasion based on either what other participants previously did (empirical message) or approved of doing (normative message) and varied in the framing (positive or negative) in which it was presented. Subsequently, participants repeatedly played the ‘mind game’ in which they were first asked to think of a number, then rolled a digital die, and then reported whether the two numbers coincide, in which case a bonus was paid. Hence, whether or not the report was truthful remained unobservable to the experimenters. We find compelling null effects with tight confidence intervals showing that none of the norm-nudge interventions worked. A follow-up experiment reveals the reason for these convincing null-effects: the information norm-nudges did not actually change norms. Notably, our secondary results suggest that a substantial portion of individuals misremembered norm-nudges such that they conveniently supported deviant behavior. This subset of participants indeed displayed significantly higher deviance levels, a behavior pattern in line with literature on motivated misremembering and belief distortion. We discuss the importance of this high-powered null finding for the flourishing norm-nudge literature and derive policy implications. | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
10.1186/1866-1955-5-28 | Eye Tracking In Early Autism Research | Eye tracking has the potential to characterize autism at a unique intermediate level, with links ‘down’ to underlying neurocognitive networks, as well as ‘up’ to everyday function and dysfunction. Because it is non-invasive and does not require advanced motor responses or language, eye tracking is particularly important for the study of young children and infants. In this article, we review eye tracking studies of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and children at risk for ASD. Reduced looking time at people and faces, as well as problems with disengagement of attention, appear to be among the earliest signs of ASD, emerging during the first year of life. In toddlers with ASD, altered looking patterns across facial parts such as the eyes and mouth have been found, together with limited orienting to biological motion. We provide a detailed discussion of these and other key findings and highlight methodological opportunities and challenges for eye tracking research of young children with ASD. We conclude that eye tracking can reveal important features of the complex picture of autism. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
10.1038/s41467-020-19306-7 | Auditory information enhances post-sensory visual evidence during rapid multisensory decision-making | Abstract
Despite recent progress in understanding multisensory decision-making, a conclusive mechanistic account of how the brain translates the relevant evidence into a decision is lacking. Specifically, it remains unclear whether perceptual improvements during rapid multisensory decisions are best explained by sensory (i. e. , ‘Early’) processing benefits or post-sensory (i. e. , ‘Late’) changes in decision dynamics. Here, we employ a well-established visual object categorisation task in which early sensory and post-sensory decision evidence can be dissociated using multivariate pattern analysis of the electroencephalogram (EEG). We capitalize on these distinct neural components to identify when and how complementary auditory information influences the encoding of decision-relevant visual evidence in a multisensory context. We show that it is primarily the post-sensory, rather than the early sensory, EEG component amplitudes that are being amplified during rapid audiovisual decision-making. Using a neurally informed drift diffusion model we demonstrate that a multisensory behavioral improvement in accuracy arises from an enhanced quality of the relevant decision evidence, as captured by the post-sensory EEG component, consistent with the emergence of multisensory evidence in higher-order brain areas. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
336845 | LEarning from our collective visual memory to Analyze its trends and Predict future events | People constantly draw on past visual experiences to anticipate future events and better understand, navigate, and interact with their environment, for example, when seeing an angry dog or a quickly approaching car. Currently there is no artificial system with a similar level of visual analysis and prediction capabilities. LEAP is a first step in that direction, leveraging the emerging collective visual memory formed by the unprecedented amount of visual data available in public archives, on the Internet and from surveillance or personal cameras - a complex evolving net of dynamic scenes, distributed across many different data sources, and equipped with plentiful but noisy and incomplete metadata. The goal of this project is to analyze dynamic patterns in this shared visual experience in order (i) to find and quantify their trends; and (ii) learn to predict future events in dynamic scenes.
With ever expanding computational resources and this extraordinary data, the main scientific challenge is now to invent new and powerful models adapted to its scale and its spatio-temporal, distributed and dynamic nature. To address this challenge, we will first design new models that generalize across different data sources, where scenes are captured under vastly different imaging conditions. Next, we will develop a framework for finding, describing and quantifying trends that involve measuring long-term changes in many related scenes. Finally, we will develop a methodology and tools for synthesizing complex future predictions from aligned past visual experiences.
Breakthrough progress on these problems would have profound implications on our everyday lives as well as science and commerce, with safer cars that anticipate the behavior of pedestrians on streets; tools that help doctors monitor, diagnose and predict patients’ health; and smart glasses that help people react in unfamiliar situations enabled by the advances from this project. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
Q4756998 | CREAZIONE DI ISOLA ROBOTICA 4.0 DI SALDATURA IN GUAZZI 2.0 SRL | DOPO ATTENTA VALUTAZIONE DEI COSTI E DELLE PROSPETTIVE DI MERCATO GUAZZI 2.0 HA DECISO DI EFFETTUARE UN IMPORTANTE INVESTIMENTO IN UN PRESTAZIONALE ROBOT DI SALDATURA CHE ANDRA AD INTERNALIZZARE UNA LAVORAZIONE FINO AD ORA GESTITA NELLA PRESSOCHE TOTALITA | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1371/journal.pbio.1002455 | Neuropeptides Modulate Female Chemosensory Processing upon Mating in Drosophila | A female’s reproductive state influences her perception of odors and tastes along with her changed behavioral state and physiological needs. The mechanism that modulates chemosensory processing, however, remains largely elusive. Using Drosophila, we have identified a behavioral, neuronal, and genetic mechanism that adapts the senses of smell and taste, the major modalities for food quality perception, to the physiological needs of a gravid female. Pungent smelling polyamines, such as putrescine and spermidine, are essential for cell proliferation, reproduction, and embryonic development in all animals. A polyamine-rich diet increases reproductive success in many species, including flies. Using a combination of behavioral analysis and in vivo physiology, we show that polyamine attraction is modulated in gravid females through a G-protein coupled receptor, the sex peptide receptor (SPR), and its neuropeptide ligands, MIPs (myoinhibitory peptides), which act directly in the polyamine-detecting olfactory and taste neurons. This modulation is triggered by an increase of SPR expression in chemosensory neurons, which is sufficient to convert virgin to mated female olfactory choice behavior. Together, our data show that neuropeptide-mediated modulation of peripheral chemosensory neurons increases a gravid female’s preference for important nutrients, thereby ensuring optimal conditions for her growing progeny. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
W1132519258 | Optical Simulation and Analysis of Iso-textured Silicon Solar Cells and Modules Including Light Trapping | Abstract Solar cells made from multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) wafers play an important role in photovoltaics. Nevertheless, tools for the optical simulation of these devices are scarce. In the present work, the reflectance and charge carrier generation of mc-Si cells and modules are for the first time simulated successfully in the complete spectral range including light trapping and escape light, as the comparison with measured reflectance of the finished cells and mini-modules shows. The “spherical caps” geometry is used to model the front surface reflection of iso-textured silicon solar cells. The characteristic angles of the spherical caps are determined from the reflectance of iso-textured wafers for three different texture strengths. Based on this calibration, the reflectance and charge carrier generation rates of cells encapsulated with EVA and glass are simulated and analysed. Iso-textured cells with full-area aluminium back surface field (Al-BSF) and with passivated emitter and rear (PERC) are quantitatively compared regarding the photo-generated current density jPh. The simulations demonstrate that the direct cell-to-module loss of iso-textured mc-Si cells with Al-BSF (0.7 mA/cm2) is smaller than for PERC cells (1.2 mA/cm2). | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1038/ncomms2972 | Engineering three-dimensional topological insulators in Rashba-type spin-orbit coupled heterostructures | Topological insulators represent a new class of quantum phase defined by invariant symmetries and spin-orbit coupling that guarantees metallic Dirac excitations at its surface. The discoveries of these states have sparked the hope of realizing non-trivial excitations and novel effects such as a magnetoelectric effect and topological Majorana excitations. Here we develop a theoretical formalism to show that a three-dimensional topological insulator can be designed artificially via stacking bilayers of two-dimensional Fermi gases with opposite Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling on adjacent layers, and with interlayer quantum tunneling. We demonstrate that in the stack of bilayers grown along a (001)-direction, a non-trivial topological phase transition occurs above a critical number of Rashba bilayers. In the topological phase, we find the formation of a single spin-polarized Dirac cone at the G-point. This approach offers an accessible way to design artificial topological insulators in a set up that takes full advantage of the atomic layer deposition approach. This design principle is tunable and also allows us to bypass limitations imposed by bulk crystal geometry. & 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
950248 | The Sensuous Appeal of the Holy. Sensory Agency of Sacred Art and Somatised Spiritual Experiences in Medieval Europe (12th-15th century) | Is sight the only sense actively involved in the perception of art? This is a crucial question for Western culture, dominated today by the hegemony of vision and the suppression of the other senses. By challenging the current ocularcentric paradigm, and assimilating notions on the cultural values of sensation, SenSArt provides the first examination of medieval sacred art from the unconventional lens of its sensory agency.
Between the 12th and the 15th century Europe underwent an extraordinary artistic evolution and an impressive cultural revitalization, which sparked a reassessment of the role of sensory perception in systems of knowledge and spiritual enlightenment. SenSArt explores and compares different social environments in six selected regions, pursuing three groundbreaking objectives: A) it will analyse quantitatively and qualitatively the perceptual schemes that orientated the reception of sacred art, scrutinizing how art solicited its beholders through multiple sensory inputs; B) it will develop and investigate the new notion of ‘sensory agency’ of art, establishing sacred art as a primary actor capable of exerting, through sensorial stimulation or deprivation, a social agency on its audience; C) it will provide an overall phenomenology of experiences on a European scale, by comparing the diverse patterns that different social groups lived on a local, regional and supranational scale.
SenSArt will achieve its goals by developing a new combined approach at the crossroad of Art History, Philosophy and Text Studies; it will establish a multidisciplinary team of scholars to delve into a comparative set of materials, including normative texts on the senses and works of art.
The project promises to bring about a paradigm shift in our understanding of Medieval Europe. It will shed new light on wide historical, devotional and cultural phenomena, outlining complex networks of social interactions where humans, art and the senses interplayed with each other. | [
"The Study of the Human Past",
"Texts and Concepts"
]
|
W2774690424 | Multimodal Measurements of Single-Molecule Dynamics Using FluoRBT | Single-molecule methods provide direct measurements of macromolecular dynamics, but are limited by the number of degrees of freedom that can be followed at one time. High-resolution rotor bead tracking (RBT) measures DNA torque, twist, and extension, and can be used to characterize the structural dynamics of DNA and diverse nucleoprotein complexes. Here, we extend RBT to enable simultaneous monitoring of additional degrees of freedom. Fluorescence-RBT (FluoRBT) combines magnetic tweezers, infrared evanescent scattering, and single-molecule FRET imaging, providing real-time multiparameter measurements of complex molecular processes. We demonstrate the capabilities of FluoRBT by conducting simultaneous measurements of extension and FRET during opening and closing of a DNA hairpin under tension, and by observing simultaneous changes in FRET and torque during a transition between right-handed B-form and left-handed Z-form DNA under controlled supercoiling. We discover unanticipated continuous changes in FRET with applied torque, and also show how FluoRBT can facilitate high-resolution FRET measurements of molecular states, by using a mechanical signal as an independent temporal reference for aligning and averaging noisy fluorescence data. By combining mechanical measurements of global DNA deformations with FRET measurements of local conformational changes, FluoRBT will enable multidimensional investigations of systems ranging from DNA structures to large macromolecular machines. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1039/C5TB00841G | Metallic Nanoparticles As Synthetic Building Blocks For Cancer Diagnostics From Materials Design To Molecular Imaging Applications | Metallic nanoparticles have been a matter of intense exploration within the last decade due to their potential to change the face of the medical world through their role as ‘nanotheranostics’. Their envisaged capacity to act as synthetic platforms for a multimodal imaging approach to diagnosis and treatment of degenerative diseases, including cancer, remains a matter of lively debate. Certain synthetic metal-based nanomaterials, e. g. gold and iron oxide nanoparticles, are already in clinical use or under advanced preclinical investigations following in vitro and in vivo preclinical imaging success. We surveyed the recent publications landscape including those reported metallic nanoparticles having established applications in vivo, as well as some of the new metallic nanoparticles which, despite their potential as cancer nanodiagnostics, are currently awaiting in vivo evaluation. The objective of this review is to highlight the current metallic nanoparticles and/or alloys as well as their derivatives with multimodal imaging potential, focusing on their chemistry as a springboard to discussing their role in the future of nanomedicines design. We also highlight here some of the fundamentals of molecular and nano-imaging techniques of relevance to the metal-based colloids, alloys and metallic nanoparticles discerning their future prospects as cancer nanodiagnostics. The current approaches for metallic and alloy surface derivatisation, aiming to achieve functional and biocompatible materials for multimodal bioimaging applications, are discussed in order to bring about some new perspectives on the efficiency of metallic nanoparticles as synthetic scaffolds for imaging probe design and forecast their future use in medical imaging techniques (optical, CT, PET, SPECT and MRI). | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1007/978-3-319-15404-6 | Supramolecular Polymer Networks And Gels | Supramolecular Polymer Networks: Preparation, Properties, Potential. - Hydrogels Formed via Hydrophobic Interactions. - Donor-Acceptor pi-pi Stacking Interactions: From Simple Complexes to Supramolecular Polymer Networks. - Dynamics of Supramolecular Polymer Networks: Glasses, Melts, and Elastomers. - Nanofibrillar Supramolecular Hydrogels. - Cellulose Gels and Microgels. - Supramolecular Hydrogels in the Field of Regenerative Medicine - Property-Application Relationships. - Stimulus-Responsive Polymer Materials for Biomedical Applications. | [
"Materials Engineering",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1016/j.tsf.2016.10.029 | Ellipsometric and magneto-optical study of nanosized ferromagnetic metal-dielectric structures [Co/TiO<inf>2</inf>]<inf>n</inf>/Si | Ferromagnetic metal-dielectric multilayer structures [Co/TiO2]n with layer thicknesses of 2–4 nm were fabricated on the (001)-surface of Si substrates by the ion-beam deposition technique. The complex dielectric function was studied in the spectral range of 0. 6–5. 6 eV using the optical ellipsometry and analyzed using the optical matrix technique for reflection response of lossy isotropic multilayer dielectric structures and an anisotropic effective medium approximation. Magnetic characteristics of the structures were determined by using the magneto-optical Kerr effect. Obtained results allow us to conclude that these nanosized ferromagnetic metal-dielectric structures may be regarded as artificial uniaxial media exhibiting a strong optical and magnetic anisotropy at room temperature. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
10.1152/physrev.00037.2017 | Endosomal and Phagosomal SNAREs | The soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) protein family is of vital importance for organelle communication. The complexing of cognate SNARE members present in both the donor and target organellar membranes drives the membrane fusion required for intracellular transport. In the endocytic route, SNARE proteins mediate trafficking between endosomes and phagosomes with other endosomes, lysosomes, the Golgi apparatus, the plasma membrane, and the endoplasmic reticulum. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of the SNAREs involved in endosomal and phagosomal trafficking. Of the 38 SNAREs present in humans, 30 have been identified at endosomes and/or phagosomes. Many of these SNAREs are targeted by viruses and intracellular pathogens, which thereby reroute intracellular transport for gaining access to nutrients, preventing their degradation, and avoiding their detection by the immune system. A fascinating picture is emerging of a complex transport network with multiple SNAREs being involved in consecutive trafficking routes. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy"
]
|
10.1016/j.nanoen.2016.02.029 | Unbiased solar energy storage: Photoelectrochemical redox flow battery | Electricity from renewable energy sources is craving for efficient storage technologies, in particular solar industry, to enable practical small-scale solutions for residential and offices use. The best stationary technology is probably the redox flow batteries. This article proposes the direct conversion of sunlight into electrochemical energy stored in a redox flow battery. A photoelectrochemical cell is used to charge a vanadium redox flow cell (CdS(s)|V3+, VO2+||V3+, V2+|Carbon Felt(s), E0=0. 6 VNHE). A CdS thin film photoelectrode is prepared to directly charge the cell, pairs V3+/VO2+. CdS photoanode exhibits competitive photocurrents, when compared to other photoelectrochemical devices, and yields enough photovoltage to charge the vanadium battery up to 75% with no external bias. An overlayer of CdSe improves the performance of CdS with current densities up to ca. 1. 4 mA cm-2. Finally, a tandem configuration is tested using a dye-sensitized solar cell and a CdS photoanoade creating ~1. 3 V of photovoltage. This tandem arrangement proves to charge conventional all vanadium redox cell (DSC/CdS(s)|VO2+, VO2+||V3+, V2+|Carbon Felt(s), E0=1. 2 VNHE) without external bias. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
W2015804292 | Preparation of LaPO<sub>4</sub> with Different Morphologies and Fluorescence Properties by Sol-Gel Spin-Coating Method | Lanthanum Phosphate (LaPO 4 ) nanostructures thin films have been successfully synthesized by sol-gel spin coating technique from lanthanum nitrate and ammonium phosphate in ammonia solution. The procedure starting with formation of homogenous and transparent solution followed with annealing to form the LaPO 4 nanostructures thin films. The films were annealed at different temperature to study its effect to the surface morphology and optical properties of the films. The phosphate particles are having near-spherical to rod-like nanostructures with an average size about 15 nm. The morphology is retained even the annealing temperature is increased. Furthermore, photoluminescence (PL) characterization of LaPO 4 also was reported. The effect of annealing temperature was discussing detail. The intensity as well as optical brightness is highly dependent on anneal temperature. Fourier transform infra red spectra of films obtained are similar to the previous synthesis of phosphate. Thus, confirmed the formation of LaPO 4 on the glass substrate. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1109/CDC.2017.8264177 | On Coordinated Primal Dual Interior Point Methods For Multi Agent Optimization | This paper presents a coordinated primal-dual interior point (PDIP) method for solving structured convex linear and quadratic programs (LP-QP) in a distributed manner. The considered class of problems represents a multi-agent setting, where the aggregated cost is to be minimized while respecting coupling constraints as well as local constraints of the agents. Unlike fully distributed methods, a central agent is utilized, which coordinates the Newton steps taken within the interior-point algorithm. In practical PDIP implementations, predictor-corrector variants are widely used, due to their very fast convergence. We show that in the coordinated case, a naive implementation of a PDIP with predictor-corrector scheme introduces extra communication steps between local and central agents. We propose a decentralized predictor-corrector scheme that uses a non-uniform perturbation on the complementary slackness condition, which is able to reduce the number of communication steps while preserving fast convergence of the original methods. The proposed coordinated PDIP method with decentralized predictor-corrector scheme can be analysed in the general framework of PDIP methods with non-uniform complementarity perturbations, for which convergence and complexity results are provided. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
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