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10.5194/essd-12-119-2020 | A taxonomically harmonized and temporally standardized fossil pollen dataset from Siberia covering the last 40 kyr | Abstract. Pollen records from Siberia are mostly absent in global or Northern
Hemisphere synthesis works. Here we present a taxonomically harmonized and
temporally standardized pollen dataset that was synthesized using 173
palynological records from Siberia and adjacent areas (northeastern Asia,
42–75∘ N, 50–180∘ E). Pollen data were taxonomically harmonized, i. e. the original 437 taxa
were assigned to 106 combined pollen taxa. Age–depth models for all records
were revised by applying a constant Bayesian age–depth modelling routine. The pollen dataset is available as count data and percentage data in a table
format (taxa vs. samples), with age information for each sample. The dataset
has relatively few sites covering the last glacial period between 40 and
11. 5 ka (calibrated thousands of years before 1950 CE)
particularly from the central and western part of the study area. In the
Holocene period, the dataset has many sites from most of the area, with the exception of the
central part of Siberia. Of the 173 pollen records, 81 % of pollen counts
were downloaded from open databases (GPD, EPD, PANGAEA) and 10 % were
contributions by the original data gatherers, while a few were digitized
from publications. Most of the pollen records originate from peatlands
(48 %) and lake sediments (33 %). Most of the records (83 %) have ≥3 dates, allowing the establishment of reliable chronologies. The dataset
can be used for various purposes, including pollen data mapping (example maps
for Larix at selected time slices are shown) as well as quantitative climate and
vegetation reconstructions. The datasets for pollen counts and pollen
percentages are available at https://doi. org/10. 1594/PANGAEA. 898616
(Cao et al. , 2019a), also including the site information, data source,
original publication, dating data, and the plant functional type for each
pollen taxa. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
10.1177/0040517519844209 | Capillary pressure–saturation curves of thin hydrophilic fibrous layers: effects of overburden pressure, number of layers, and multiple imbibition–drainage cycles | Unsaturated fluid flow in thin porous media depends on hydraulic properties, such as the capillary pressure, P c, as a function of saturation, S. We measured this relationship for two different types of compressible thin hydrophilic fibrous layers under varying conditions. Among other factors, we changed the number of layers and the overburden pressure (i. e. the confined solid pressure applied on top of the sample) imposed on one layer or a stack of layers. Applying an overburden pressure drastically affected the [Formula: see text] curves. However, increasing the number of fibrous layers had little impact on the capillary pressure–saturation curves. We also investigated the effect of multiple imbibition–drainage cycles on the [Formula: see text] data. Measured data points were used to find general expressions for the [Formula: see text] relationships of compressible thin porous media. Existing quasi-empirical correlations used in vadose zone hydrology, notably expressions by van Genuchten (Van Genuchten MTh. A closed-form equation for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 1980; 44: 892-898) and Durner (Durner W. Hydraulic conductivity estimation for soils with heterogeneous pore structure. Water Resour Res 1994; 32: 211–223) for single- and dual-porosity media, respectively, were employed to fit the measured data points. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
223406 | Industrial biotechnology innovation and synthetic biology accelerator | The overarching aim of IBISBA 1.0 is to support and accelerate the uptake of industrial biotechnology as a key enabling technology for advanced manufacturing. To do this, IBISBA 1.0 will provide a distributed network of research infrastructure facilities to promote R&D in bioprocess development and support this bioeconomy KET. The facilities cover a variety of experimental and in silico operations and disciplines, and together represent the R&D continuum in the range TRL2 to 6 needed to build quality biomanufacturing processes for industrialization. In addition to hardware, IBISBA 1.0 will operate an ICT platform, linking all project events occurring on facilities, and external data repositories, and provide users with end-to-end project management and access to a wide variety of research assets. Together, these developments create the basis for a future pan-European research infrastructure for industrial biotechnology, the feasibility of which will be established during the project. Through IBISBA 1.0, the participant facilities will be opened for transnational access, thus providing cutting edge technologies to a cross section of Europe’s researchers, including early career stage scientists. Users and facility operators will receive remote and on-site training, and immersion in the hallmark multidisciplinary environment of IBISBA 1.0. Transnational access will be facilitated by an ambition outreach plan that will provide users, including SMEs and other industry players, with complete information about service offers, but also insight into the potentiality of IPR held by IBISBA 1.0 partners and the opportunities for innovation. Interoperability will be a focus of considerable attention, with actions directed towards harmonization and the implementation of repeatable working practices that integrate experimentation with data analysis, and data management, thus providing the basis for the sharing and reuse of data assets in a framework of Open Science. | [
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering",
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1093/qje/qjv008 | Experimentation in federal systems | We develop a model of policy experimentation in federal systems in which heterogeneous districts choose both whether to experiment and the policies to experiment with. The prospect of informational spillovers implies that in the first best the districts converge in their policy choice. Strikingly, when authority is decentralized, the equilibrium predicts the opposite. The districts use their policy choice to discourage other districts from free-riding on them, thereby inefficiently minimizing informational spillovers. To address this failure, we introduce a dynamic form of federalism in which the central government harmonizes policy choices only after the districts have experimented. This progressive concentration of power induces a policy tournament that can increase the incentive to experiment and encourage policy convergence. We compare outcomes under the different systems and derive the optimal levels of district heterogeneity. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
]
|
309788 | Decoding the Mammalian transcriptional Regulatory code in development and stimulatory responses | Transcription factors (TF) regulate genome function by controlling gene expression. Comprehensive characterization of the in vivo binding of TF to the DNA in relevant primary models is a critical step towards a global understanding of the human genome. Recent advances in high-throughput genomic technologies provide an extraordinary opportunity to develop and apply systematic approaches to learn the underline principles and mechanisms of mammalian transcriptional networks. The premise of this proposal is that a tractable set of rules govern how cells commit to a specific cell type or respond to the environment, and that these rules are coded in regulatory elements in the genome. Currently our understanding of the mammalian regulatory code is hampered by the difficulty of directly measuring in vivo binding of large numbers of TFs to DNA across multiple primary cell types and their natural response to physiological stimuli.
Here, we overcome this bottleneck by systematically exploring the genomic binding network of 1. All relevant TFs of key hematopoietic cells in both steady state and under relevant stimuli. 2. Follow the changes in TF networks as cells differentiate 3. Use these models to engineer cell states and responses. To achieve these goals, we developed a new method for automated high throughput ChIP coupled to sequencing (HT-ChIP-Seq). We used this method to measure binding of 40 TFs in 4 time points following stimulation of dendritic cells with pathogen components. We find that TFs vary substantially in their binding dynamics, genomic localization, number of binding events, and degree of interaction with other TFs. The analysis of this data suggests that the TF network is hierarchically organized, and composed of different types of TFs, cell differentiation factors, factors that prime for gene induction, and factors that bind more specifically and dynamically. This proposal revisits and challenges the current understanding of the mammalian regulatory code. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
10.1117/12.2052296 | Influence Of The Generated Power Measurement Bandwidth And Noise Level On Intensity Statistics Of A Quasi Cw Raman Fiber Laser | In the present paper we numerically study instrumental impact on statistical properties of quasi-CW Raman fiber laser using a simple model of multimode laser radiation. Effects, that have the most influence, are limited electrical bandwidth of measurement equipment and noise. To check this influence, we developed a simple model of the multimode quasi- CW generation with exponential statistics (i. e. uncorrelated modes). We found that the area near zero intensity in probability density function (PDF) is strongly affected by both factors, for example both lead to formation of a negative wing of intensity distribution. But far wing slope of PDF is not affected by noise and, for moderate mismatch between optical and electrical bandwidth, is only slightly affected by bandwidth limitation. The generation spectrum often becomes broader at higher power in experiments, so the spectral/electrical bandwidth mismatch factor increases over the power that can lead to artificial dependence of the PDF slope over the power. It was also found that both effects influence the ACF background level: noise impact decreases it, while limited bandwidth leads to its increase. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
2730798 | Science and technology for the explanation of ai decision making | A wealthy friend of mine asks for a vacation credit card to his bank, to discover that the credit he is offered is very low. The bank teller cannot explain why. My stubborn friend continues his quest for explanation up to the bank executives, to discover that an algorithm lowered his credit score. Why? After a long investigation, it turns out that the reason is: bad credit by the former owner of my friend’s house.
Black box AI systems for automated decision making, often based on ML over (big) data, map a user’s features into a class or a score without explaining why. This is problematic for lack of transparency, but also for possible biases inherited by the algorithms from human prejudices and collection artefacts hidden in the training data, which may lead to unfair or wrong decisions.
I strive for solutions of the urgent challenge of how to construct meaningful explanations of opaque AI/ML systems, introducing the local-to-global framework for black box explanation, articulated along 3 lines: a) the language for explanations in terms of expressive logic rules, with statistical and causal interpretation; b) the inference of local explanations for revealing the decision rationale for a specific case; c), the bottom-up generalization of many local explanations into simple global ones. An intertwined line of research will investigate both causal explanations, i.e., models that capture the causal relationships among the features and the decision, and mechanistic/physical models of complex system physics, that capture the data generation mechanism behind specific deep learning models.
I will also develop: an infrastructure for benchmarking, for the users' assessment of the explanations and the crowdsensing of observational decision data; an ethical-legal framework, for compliance and impact of our results on legal standards and on the “right of explanation” provisions of the GDPR; case studies in explanation-by-design, with a priority in health and fraud detection. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Mathematics",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
]
|
10.1145/3242153.3242158 | Anomaly Detection And Explanation Discovery On Event Streams | As enterprise information systems are collecting event streams from various sources, the ability of a system to automatically detect anomalous events and further provide human readable explanations is of paramount importance. In this position paper, we argue for the need of a new type of data stream analytics that can address anomaly detection and explanation discovery in a single, integrated system, which not only offers increased business intelligence, but also opens up opportunities for improved solutions. In particular, we propose a two-pass approach to building such a system, highlight the challenges, and offer initial directions for solutions. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1039/c7cc00022g | Catalyst accessibility to chemical reductants in metal–organic frameworks | This study of catalyst accessibility inside metal–organic frameworks demonstrates that pore dimensions, catalyst loadings, concentration of reductant, and reaction times all influence the proportion of catalysts within MOFs that engage in redox chemistry. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
10.1039/c7sc00215g | Modulation of electrostatic interactions to reveal a reaction network unifying the aggregation behaviour of the Aβ42 peptide and its variants | The aggregation of the amyloid β peptide (Aβ42), which is linked to Alzheimer's disease, can be altered significantly by modulations of the peptide's intermolecular electrostatic interactions. Variations in sequence and solution conditions have been found to lead to highly variable aggregation behaviour. Here we modulate systematically the electrostatic interactions governing the aggregation kinetics by varying the ionic strength of the solution. We find that changes in the solution ionic strength induce a switch in the reaction pathway, altering the dominant mechanisms of aggregate multiplication. This strategy thereby allows us to continuously sample a large space of different reaction mechanisms and develop a minimal reaction network that unifies the experimental kinetics under a wide range of different conditions. More generally, this universal reaction network connects previously separate systems, such as charge mutants of the Aβ42 peptide, on a continuous mechanistic landscape, providing a unified picture of the aggregation mechanism of Aβ42. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
W2030455856 | Synthesis and structure of palladium complexes [Ph3PhCH2P]+[PdCl3(DMSO)]− · DMSO, [Ph4P]+[PdCl3(DMSO)]−, and [Ph4Sb(DMSO)]+[PdCl3(DMSO)]− | [Ph3PhCH2P]+[PdCl3(DMSO)]− · DMSO (I), [Ph4P]+[PdCl3(DMSO)]− (II), and [Ph4Sb(DMSO)]+[PdCl3(DMSO)]− (III) complexes have been synthesized via the reaction of palladium chloride with equimolar amounts of triphenylbenzylphosphonium chloride, tetraphenylphosphonium chloride, and tetraphenylstibonium chloride, respectively. According to X-ray diffraction data, the cations of complexes I (CPC = 104.90(8)°–111.61(9)°) and II (CPC = 105.12(10)°–111.46(10)°) have slightly distorted tetrahedral structures with P-C bond lengths of 1.786(2)–1.809(2) and 1.791(2)–1.799(2) A, respectively. The antimony atom in the [Ph4Sb(DMSO)]+ cation has a trigonal bipyramidal surrounding with the dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) oxygen atom in an axial position (Sb...O 2.567(2) A). The palladium atoms in the square mononuclear anions of complexes I, II, and III are tetracoordinate, and Pd-Cl distances are 2.3101(5)–2.3104(5) A, 2.2950(7)–2.2038(7) A, and 2.2986(9)–2.3073(9) A, respectively. The DMSO ligands are coordinated to the palladium atom through the sulfur atom (Pd-S, 2.2318(5) (I), 2.2383(6) (II), and 2.2410(9) A (III)). | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
W1990105194 | Heartbeat Detection based on Signal Reflected from Antenna in Mobile Device | In this paper, human heartbeat detection using signal reflected from the antenna which is varied reflection coefficient by near field variation of the antenna. For detection reflected signal from antenna, 20 dB directional coupler is used because of not affecting transmitting signal. Variance of reflection coefficient of dipole antenna is about 0.07 dB which is too small the distinction between heartbeat and noise. Sensitivity increasing method is applied and heartbeat is clearly detected. Due to phase and magnitude errors come from discrete value components, antenna is located some points in experiments ro find optimum sensitivity position. And providing verification of using communication signal, heartbeat detection when frequency modulated signal which have 4 MHz bandwidth is applied. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1103/PhysRevB.80.153403 | Tuning the surface chemistry of Fe-Cr by v doping | The reversal of the magnitudes of the bulk and surface chemical-potential differences induces the outburst of Cr on the otherwise pure Fe surface of Fe-Cr alloys. This threshold value for the Cr content is about 10at. %. It is found that vanadium addition to Fe-Cr shifts the Cr threshold to a substantially lower value suggesting V having a positive effect on the corrosion resistance of low Cr steels. The obtained shift in the Cr threshold is shown to be connected to the change in volume of the alloy. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
SG 2022050212 W | SYNTHESIS OF POLYNUCLEOTIDE BOTTLEBRUSH POLYMER | Provided is a method including extending a ssDNA by sequentially adding a plurality of modified nucleoside triphosphates to the ssDNA, wherein the base of the modified nucleoside triphosphates includes a primary modification selected from (i) a primary polynucleotide attached to the base of the modified nucleoside triphosphate, and (ii) a site on the base for covalent attachment of a primary polynucleotide to the base, further comprising covalently attaching a primary polynucleotide to the base after the polymerizing. | [
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1371/journal.pone.0173433 | FlyLimbTracker: An active contour based approach for leg segment tracking in unmarked, freely behaving Drosophila | Understanding the biological underpinnings of movement and action requires the development of tools for quantitative measurements of animal behavior. Drosophila melanogaster provides an ideal model for developing such tools: the fly has unparalleled genetic accessibility and depends on a relatively compact nervous system to generate sophisticated limbed behaviors including walking, reaching, grooming, courtship, and boxing. Here we describe a method that uses active contours to semi-automatically track body and leg segments from video image sequences of unmarked, freely behaving D. melanogaster. We show that this approach yields a more than 6-fold reduction in user intervention when compared with fully manual annotation and can be used to annotate videos with low spatial or temporal resolution for a variety of locomotor and grooming behaviors. FlyLimbTracker, the software implementation of this method, is open-source and our approach is generalizable. This opens up the possibility of tracking leg movements in other species by modifications of underlying active contour models. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
Q3277471 | Reestructuración Excel Internacional — COVID 19 | El objetivo del proyecto es diversificar las empresas, penetrar en el mercado con servicios de mayor valor añadido, modernizar la producción, mantener e incrementar los puestos de trabajo, relanzar la producción con nuevos productos. Los objetivos del proyecto son aumentar los ingresos procedentes de productos de mayor valor añadido, reducir los costes, digitalizar las operaciones, aumentar el número de empleados, reducir los residuos. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
10.5194/bg-16-3747-2019 | Reviews and syntheses: Turning the challenges of partitioning ecosystem evaporation and transpiration into opportunities | Abstract. Evaporation (E) and transpiration (T) respond differently
to ongoing changes in climate, atmospheric composition, and land use. It is
difficult to partition ecosystem-scale evapotranspiration (ET) measurements
into E and T, which makes it difficult to validate satellite data and land
surface models. Here, we review current progress in partitioning E and T and
provide a prospectus for how to improve theory and observations going
forward. Recent advancements in analytical techniques create new
opportunities for partitioning E and T at the ecosystem scale, but their
assumptions have yet to be fully tested. For example, many approaches to
partition E and T rely on the notion that plant canopy conductance and
ecosystem water use efficiency exhibit optimal responses to atmospheric
vapor pressure deficit (D). We use observations from 240 eddy covariance flux
towers to demonstrate that optimal ecosystem response to D is a reasonable
assumption, in agreement with recent studies, but more analysis is necessary
to determine the conditions for which this assumption holds. Another
critical assumption for many partitioning approaches is that ET can be
approximated as T during ideal transpiring conditions, which has been
challenged by observational studies. We demonstrate that T can exceed 95 %
of ET from certain ecosystems, but other ecosystems do not appear to reach
this value, which suggests that this assumption is ecosystem-dependent with
implications for partitioning. It is important to further improve approaches
for partitioning E and T, yet few multi-method comparisons have been
undertaken to date. Advances in our understanding of carbon–water coupling
at the stomatal, leaf, and canopy level open new perspectives on how to
quantify T via its strong coupling with photosynthesis. Photosynthesis can be
constrained at the ecosystem and global scales with emerging data sources
including solar-induced fluorescence, carbonyl sulfide flux measurements,
thermography, and more. Such comparisons would improve our mechanistic
understanding of ecosystem water fluxes and provide the observations
necessary to validate remote sensing algorithms and land surface models to
understand the changing global water cycle. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Earth System Science"
]
|
10.1016/j.electacta.2019.04.013 | Extracting the kinetic parameters of the hydrogen evolution reaction at Pt in acidic media by means of dynamic multi-frequency analysis | Herein, we use dynamic multi-frequency analysis (DMFA) to investigate the reaction kinetics of a paradigm electro-catalytic reaction, i. e. the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at polycrystalline Pt electrodes in acidic media. DMFA allows measuring dynamic impedance spectra under non-steady state conditions, as it is the case to avoid the formation of hydrogen bubbles. The extracted impedance spectra were fitted using electrical equivalent circuits (EECs) based on an analytical model, which took into account a Volmer-Tafel mechanism for hydrogen evolution. We found that the EECs based on this model can serve as suitable electrical analog in order to describe the physico-electrochemical processes that govern the different stages of the HER. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
]
|
10.1093/nar/gku568 | DNA topoisomerase VIII: A novel subfamily of type IIB topoisomerases encoded by free or integrated plasmids in Archaea and Bacteria | Type II DNA topoisomerases are divided into two families, IIA and IIB. Types IIA and IIB enzymes share homologous B subunits encompassing the ATP-binding site, but have non-homologous A subunits catalyzing DNA cleavage. Type IIA topoisomerases are ubiquitous in Bacteria and Eukarya, whereas members of the IIB family are mostly present in Archaea and plants. Here, we report the detection of genes encoding type IIB enzymes in which the A and B subunits are fused into a single polypeptide. These proteins are encoded in several bacterial genomes, two bacterial plasmids and one archaeal plasmid. They form a monophyletic group that is very divergent from archaeal and eukaryotic type IIB enzymes (DNA topoisomerase VI). We propose to classify them into a new subfamily, denoted DNA topoisomerase VIII. Bacterial genes encoding a topoisomerase VIII are present within integrated mobile elements, most likely derived from conjugative plasmids. Purified topoisomerase VIII encoded by the plasmid pPPM1a from Paenibacillus polymyxa M1 had ATP-dependent relaxation and decatenation activities. In contrast, the enzyme encoded by mobile elements integrated into the genome of Ammonifex degensii exhibited DNA cleavage activity producing a full-length linear plasmid and that from Microscilla marina exhibited ATP-independent relaxation activity. Topoisomerases VIII, the smallest known type IIB enzymes, could be new promising models for structural and mechanistic studies. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
EP 9301983 W | MODULE FOR A SOUND-DAMPING WALL AND A SOUND-DAMPING WALL MADE UP OF MODULES | A module (12) for a sound-damping wall made up of a plurality of modules (12) has hollow chambers (32, 33) between its upper (37) and lower (38) sides. The upper (37) and lower (38) sides are mutually matchingly shaped so that the modules (12) can be stacked. In the novel module (12), the hollow chambers (32, 33) can be filled with sound-damping material (41). | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1002/mds.26188 | The somatotopy of tic inhibition: Where and how much? | Background: Tics are the hallmark feature of Tourette syndrome. The basic phenomenological and neurophysiological characteristics of tics have been widely investigated. Interestingly, the spatial distribution of tics across different body parts has received little attention. No previous study has investigated whether the capacity for voluntary tic inhibition also varies across body parts. Methods: We analyzed video sequences of 26 adolescents with Tourette syndrome in a “tic freely” condition, and in a “voluntary tic inhibition” condition, to obtain absolute tic counts for different body parts. Two measures of the spatial distribution of tics were then analyzed. Linear regression analyses were employed to investigate the relation between the contribution of each body part to overall tic behavior and the ability to inhibit tics in that body part, averaged over our patient group. Results: Tic distribution across patients showed a characteristic somatotopic pattern, with the face most strongly represented. A significant negative relation was found between the ability to inhibit tics and pooled tic frequency across body parts. The body parts that exhibited the fewest tics were the ones for which tic inhibition was most effective. Conclusions: Our data are consistent with the idea that tic recruitment order reflects a “tic generator” spreading across a somatotopic map in the brain. Voluntary tic inhibition did not simply cause a proportional reduction of tics in each body part. Rather, the least affected body parts showed most effective voluntary tic inhibition. The results are discussed in terms of signal and noise within cortical-subcortical motor loops. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
10.1039/c7sc03918b | Peptide/Cas9 nanostructures for ribonucleoprotein cell membrane transport and gene edition | The hydrazone modulation of a penetrating peptide carrier is reported as a suitable and straightforward strategy for the delivery of Cas9 inside living cells. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1145/2141938.2141940 | Approximating Linear Threshold Predicates | We study constraint satisfaction problems on the domain {−1, 1}, where the given constraints are homogeneous linear threshold predicates, that is, predicates of the form sgn(w1x1 + c + wnxn) for some positive integer weights w1, . . . , wn. Despite their simplicity, current techniques fall short of providing a classification of these predicates in terms of approximability. In fact, it is not easy to guess whether there exists a homogeneous linear threshold predicate that is approximation resistant or not. The focus of this article is to identify and study the approximation curve of a class of threshold predicates that allow for nontrivial approximation. Arguably the simplest such predicate is the majority predicate sgn(x1 + c + xn), for which we obtain an almost complete understanding of the asymptotic approximation curve, assuming the Unique Games Conjecture. Our techniques extend to a more general class of “majority-like” predicates and we obtain parallel results for them. In order to classify these predicates, we introduce the notion of Chow-robustness that might be of independent interest. | [
"Mathematics",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1016/j.carbon.2014.07.040 | Structural reinforcement and failure analysis in composite nanofibers of graphene oxide and gelatin | In this work we study the mechanical properties and failure mechanism of nano-composites of graphene oxide sheets embedded in polymeric systems, namely films and electro-spun nanofibers. In this last system, contrary to conventional bulk composites, the size of the nano-reinforcement (GO sheets) is comparable to the size of the nanofibers to be reinforced (≈ 200 nm). As polymeric matrix we use gelatin. We demonstrate that the high chemical affinity of the two materials hinders the renaturation of gelatin into collagen and causes a nearly ideal mixing in the GO-gelatin composite. Adding just 1% of GO (wt of GO with respect to gelatin) we obtain an increase of Young's modulus >50% and an increase of fracture stress >60%. We use numerical simulations to study the failure mechanism of the fibers. Calculations well agree with experimental data and show that, even if cracks start at GO sheet edges due to stress concentrations, crack propagation is hindered by the nonlinear behaviour of the matrix. Moreover, the presence of the GO sheets in continuous gelatin films improves the material stability to phosphate buffer solutions from 2 days to 2 weeks, making it a better material than gelatin for applications in biological environments. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
230518 | Culturally Composite Elites, Regime Changes and Social Crises in Multi-Ethnic and Multi-Confessional Eastern Europe. (The Carpathian Basin and the Baltics in Comparison - cc. 1900-1950) | The project is multi-disciplinary by character. It focuses upon socio-historical processes of the transformation and 'circulation' of educated and ruling elites in several uniquely composite (both multi-ethnic and multi-confessional) East European regional or national societies, having experienced a number of radical changes of social and political regime as well as state souvereignty in the first half of the 20th century. The historical scope of the study extends from post-feudalism to communism. Societies involved comprise Hungary, Slovakia, Transylvania, Voivodina in the Carpathian Basin, Latvia and Estonia in the Baltics. The study draws upon sociological survey methods applied to historically successive elite brackets in form of exhaustive or quasi-exhaustive computerized prosopographical data banks, based on standardized individual biographies of elite members (as permitted by mostly archival sources to be exploited). The main targets would include secondary school graduates, students and graduates of higher education, the main intellectual professions (like doctors and lawyers.), the political power elites as well as 'reputational elites' - those cited in biographical dictionaries. The information fed into our data banks help to clarify thanks to various procedures of multi-variate statistical schemes the contrasting socio-cultural selection and recruitment of elite members, their educational path from primary to higher education, their professional career, intellectual creativity as well as socio-political standing and orientation. This is the first time that large region- or country-wide elite clusters are submitted to systematic socio-historical analyses, covering simultaneously all or most markets of activity and self-assertion of educated clusters in a vast international and comparative perspective related to culturally composite societal formations. | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"The Study of the Human Past"
]
|
10.1051/0004-6361/201936235 | Scattering Absorption And Thermal Emission By Large Cometary Dust Particles Synoptic Numerical Solution | Context: Remote light scattering and thermal infrared observations provide clues about the physical properties of cometary and interplanetary dust particles. Identifying these properties will lead to a better understanding of the formation and evolution of the Solar System. Aims: We present a numerical solution for the radiative and conductive heat transport in a random particulate medium enclosed by an arbitrarily shaped surface. The method will be applied to study thermal properties of cometary dust particles. Methods: The recently introduced incoherent Monte Carlo radiative transfer method developed for scattering, absorption, and propagation of electromagnetic waves in dense discrete random media is extended for radiative heat transfer and thermal emission. The solution is coupled with the conductive Fourier transport equation that is solved with the finite-element method. Results: The proposed method allows the synoptic analysis of light scattering and thermal emission by large cometary dust particles consisting of submicrometer-sized grains. In particular, we show that these particles can sustain significant temperature gradients resulting in the superheating factor phase function observed for the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. | [
"Universe Sciences",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
224749 | Gaussian entropic inequalities and uncertainty relations for communication and secure quantum key distribution | Information and communication technologies are essential to modern society as the internet is pervading all aspects of our lives. Quantum mechanics imposes a fundamental limit to the communication rates. Determining this limit is one of the two challenges addressed by GENIUS. Given the amount of sensitive information sent through the internet, secure communications are essential to our society. To fulfill this need, the EU is investing in quantum key distribution (QKD) with the 1G€ Quantum Technology Flagship. The other challenge addressed by GENIUS is determining the maximum rate for secure communication that can be achieved by the forthcoming generation of QKD devices and proving their perfect security.
To address the above challenges, I will firstly apply methods from functional analysis to prove new fundamental entropic inequalities for quantum Gaussian channels. Quantum Gaussian channels provide a mathematical model for the propagation of electromagnetic signals. Entropy is the core of information theory and quantifies the information content of a system. These inequalities will determine the maximum rates allowed by quantum mechanics for communication and QKD. Secondly, I aim to propose and prove a new fundamental entropic uncertainty relation for the heterodyne measurement. This uncertainty relation will prove the perfect security of the most promising QKD protocol. These new insights will have an enormous impact on both quantum communication and quantum cryptography and will stimulate what will be the first realization of quantum devices capable of communication and guaranteed perfectly secure QKD at the maximum possible rates. The experience of my supervisor Prof. Solovej in functional analysis and entropic inequalities combined with the experience of my co-supervisor Prof. Christandl in quantum cryptography make the QMATH group the ideal environment for carrying out this project and establishing myself as a leading independent multidisciplinary researcher. | [
"Mathematics",
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
Q4248881 | APOIO À LIQUIDEZ PARA MICROEMPRESAS AFETADAS PELA EMERGÊNCIA DA COVID-19 | APOIO À LIQUIDEZ DAS MICRO E PEQUENAS EMPRESAS NOS SETORES RETALHISTA, DE FORNECIMENTO E DE SERVIÇOS PESSOAIS CUJA ATIVIDADE TENHA SIDO SUSPENSA NA SEQUÊNCIA DO DECRETO DO PRIMEIRO-MINISTRO DE 11 DE MARÇO DE 2020 | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
]
|
175048 | Cosmological structure formation in the multiverse | This application proposes a programme of research directed at the outstanding puzzle of modern cosmology: the strangely small non-zero value of the vacuum density. This can be approached in three ways: (1) Evolution; (2) Revision of gravity;(3) Observer selection in the multiverse. The first two of these can be addressed by ongoing and future large galaxy surveys. Part of the research programme is directed at new ways of assuring robust measurements from these surveys of the main diagnostics of interest -- the effective equation of state of dark energy and the growth rate of density fluctuations. This will exploit and extend current work on systematics of galaxy properties as a function of large-scale environment in the cosmic web.
But so far such tests show no deviation from standard gravity and a cosmological constant. This fact drives interest in a multiverse solution, in which different causally disconnected domains may be able to possess different effective cosmological constants. This research will concentrate on the astrophysically interesting question of how galaxy formation would be affected by different levels of vacuum energy. This previously been addressed only by oversimplified analytic arguments, and it is possible that the exponential sensitivity of galaxy formation efficiency to the vacuum density could be very different to the simple estimates. Current claims that the multiverse approach predicts the right level for the cosmological constant would then be disproved. In any case, there is much of interest to be learned regarding the robustness of current theories of galaxy formation by 'stress-testing' them outside the rather restricted parameter regimes normally considered. The result will be a deeper understanding of the assembly of cosmic structure in our universe, as well as indications of how it might have proceeded in other members of an ensemble. | [
"Universe Sciences",
"Mathematics"
]
|
2718483 | New food for special medical purposes to nutritionally manage myotonic dystrophy type 1 | Myotonic Dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the most common and multisystemic neuromuscular rare disease affecting 1 million people worldwide, 100,000 EU citizens, who still have no cure or treatment available.
In the light of the ´Leave No-one Behind´ commitment behind Sustainable Development Goals and particularly, the dietary management approach may provide a unique option for rare disease patients through Foods for special medical purposes (FSMP), foods (not drugs) intended for the dietary management of individuals who suffer from certain diseases. The main goal of the present project is to compile in human evidences that MYODM’s food for special medical purposes is a unique approach to improve DM1 patients’ Quality of Life through a pilot clinical trial for foods and supplements sponsored by Myogem and leaded by Dr. Adolfo López de Munain, a worldwide neurologist specialized in DM1.
MYOGEM is the current licensee of the patents WO2016075288 A1 and WO2016075285 A1, which disclosed the effects of some methylxanthines on DM1. Owning the Intellectual Property Rights over the present solution is one of the main competitive advantages of MYOGEM. MYOGEM is the first and unique company worldwide who launched a food supplement for a rare disease in May 2017. However, as food supplement MYODM faces the problem that DM1 community, either neurologists and patient associations, claim for in human data in order to broadly prescribe and consume the product. To overcome this barrier, and gain market confidence, MYOGEM aims to perform a Feasibility pilot clinical trial to demonstrate MYODM’s effect on a small cohort of 10-15 DM1 patients in order to commercially upgrade our current product “food supplement” to “food for special medical purpose”, from now on referred as MYODM-FSMP, that will reach the market in less than one year after the present project ends.
By launching the new MYODM-FSMP product, a 5.5 M€ SOM is expected in 5 years after the project. Two SoE have been awarded. | [
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System"
]
|
W2030514350 | Error analysis of multipoint flux domain decomposition methods for evolutionary diffusion problems | Abstract We study space and time discretizations for mixed formulations of parabolic problems. The spatial approximation is based on the multipoint flux mixed finite element method, which reduces to an efficient cell-centered pressure system on general grids, including triangles, quadrilaterals, tetrahedra, and hexahedra. The time integration is performed by using a domain decomposition time-splitting technique combined with multiterm fractional step diagonally implicit Runge–Kutta methods. The resulting scheme is unconditionally stable and computationally efficient, as it reduces the global system to a collection of uncoupled subdomain problems that can be solved in parallel without the need for Schwarz-type iteration. Convergence analysis for both the semidiscrete and fully discrete schemes is presented. | [
"Mathematics",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1039/c7sc01965c | Scaling behaviour and rate-determining steps in filamentous self-assembly | The formation of filaments from naturally occurring protein molecules is a process at the core of a range of functional and aberrant biological phenomena, such as the assembly of the cytoskeleton or the appearance of aggregates in Alzheimer's disease. The macroscopic behaviour associated with such processes is remarkably diverse, ranging from simple nucleated growth to highly cooperative processes with a well-defined lagtime. Thus, conventionally, different molecular mechanisms have been used to explain the self-assembly of different proteins. Here we show that this range of behaviour can be quantitatively captured by a single unifying Petri net that describes filamentous growth in terms of aggregate number and aggregate mass concentrations. By considering general features associated with a particular network connectivity, we are able to establish directly the rate-determining steps of the overall aggregation reaction from the system's scaling behaviour. We illustrate the power of this framework on a range of different experimental and simulated aggregating systems. The approach is general and will be applicable to any future extensions of the reaction network of filamentous self-assembly. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1109/ICRA.2016.7487582 | A Coordinate Free Framework For Robotic Pizza Tossing And Catching | In this work, we demonstrate how autonomous pizza tossing and catching can be achieved. Under the assumption that the pizza dough is grasped by a number of fingers with soft contact, we formulate the grasp constraints and use them to derive the individual and combined Euler-Lagrange dynamic equations of motion of the robotic manipulator and the dough. In particular, the dynamics of the dough is a modified version of the rigid-body dynamics, taking into account the change of inertia due to its deformation. Armed with these mathematical models, we tackle the two control problems of tossing and catching. For the tossing phase, we derive an exponentially convergent controller that stabilizes a desired velocity of the dough as it is let go. On the other hand, so as to catch the dough, we generate an optimal trajectory for the end-effector of the robotic manipulator. Finally, we derive control laws to make the optimal trajectory exponentially attractive. We demonstrate the developed theory with an elaborate simulation of the tossing and catching phases. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
677423 | Structure-dependent microkinetic modelling of heterogeneous catalytic processes | Despite the fact that the catalyst structure has been an important factor in catalysis science since the discovery of structure sensitive reactions in single crystal studies, its effect on reactivity is neglected in state-of-the-art microkinetic modelling. In reality, the catalyst is dynamic by changing its structure, shape and size in response to the different conditions in the reactor. Thus, the inclusion of such effects within the framework of microkinetic modelling, albeit extremely complex, is of outmost importance in the quest of engineering the chemical transformation at the molecular level. This proposal aims to approach this grand challenge by developing a hierarchical multiscale methodology for the structure-dependent microkinetic modelling of catalytic processes in applied catalysis. In particular this challenging objective will be achieved by acting on two main fronts:
i. development of a hierarchical multiscale methodology for the prediction of the structural changes of the catalyst material as a function of the operating conditions in the reactor and the analysis of the structure-activity relations through the development of structure-dependent microkinetic models;
ii. show the applicability of the methodology by the assessment of the structure-activity relation in the context of relevant processes in energy applications such as the short-contact-time CH4 reforming with H2O and CO2 on supported-metal catalysts.
The inherent complexity of the problem will be tackled by hierarchically combining novel methods at different levels of accuracy in a dual feed-back loop between theory and experiments. This will require interdisciplinary efforts in bridging among surface science, physical-chemistry and chemical engineering. The fundamental nature and impact of the methodology will be unprecedented and will pave the way toward the detailed analysis and design of the structure-activity relation by tuning shape and size to tailoring activity and selectivity. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1016/j.ejca.2020.03.025 | Molecular mechanisms of resistance to BRAF and MEK inhibitors in BRAF<sup>V600E</sup> non–small cell lung cancer | Introduction: BRAF is a confirmed therapeutic target in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as the BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib, in combination with the MEK inhibitor trametinib, is approved for the treatment of NSCLC harbouring BRAF V600E mutation. Scant evidence is available concerning the mechanisms of resistance to BRAF/MEK inhibitors in BRAFV600E NSCLC. Patients and methods: Patients with BRAFV600E NSCLC with acquired resistance to BRAF/MEK inhibitors were included in the institutional, prospective MATCH-R (from “Matching Resistance”) trial and underwent tumour and liquid biopsies at the moment of radiological progression. Extensive molecular analyses were performed, including targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS), whole-exome sequencing (WES), RNA sequencing and comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH) array. Results: Of the 11 patients included, eight had progressed on dabrafenib-trametinib combination, two on dabrafenib monotherapy and one on vemurafenib (BRAF inhibitor). Complete molecular analyses were available for seven patients, whereas an additional case had only targeted NGS and CGH array data. Among these eight patients, acquired molecular events potentially responsible for resistance were detected in three who progressed on dabrafenib-trametinib combination, that is, MEK1 K57N, RAS viral (v-ras) oncogene homolog (NRAS) Q61R and rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) Q61R mutations. One patient progressing on dabrafenib monotherapy developed a PTEN frameshift mutation. No molecular hints addressing resistance emerged in the remaining four patients with analyses performed. Tumour mutational burden, evaluated by WES in seven patients, was low (median = 2. 06 mutations/megabase, range = 1. 57–3. 75 mut/Mb). Conclusions: Novel resistance mechanisms to BRAF/MEK inhibitors in BRAFV600E NSCLC were identified, pointing out the recurring involvement of the MAPK pathway and guiding the development of new treatment strategies. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
W817097194 | The Talking Cure: How Constitutional Argument Drives Constitutional Development | INTRODUCTIONLet's say that you believe that the American political system has become spectacularly dysfunctional - that it has grown a gargantuan national government that, in a fit of law and rulemaking, that has choked the economy and the business and private lives of citizens with generations of invasive, niggling, and expensive regulations. That governments at all levels have restricted liberty and violated basic principles of equality that were part of the society's foundational social contract. And let's say that you were convinced that the U.S. Constitution was in large part to blame for this dire and increasingly alarming state of affairs. Not the Constitution rightly understood, but the Constitution as understood for the better part of the last century, from the time of the revolution wrought by the Progressives, and institutionalized through the New Deal, the Warren Court, and the Great Society - a Constitution that fundamentally rewrote the meanings of federalism and the separation of powers, and of administration, the presidency, and the role of the federal courts. Might you view the situation as hopeless, counseling either mute despair and withdrawal, or pragmatic acceptance and accommodation? Might you seek formal Article V amendments to the Constitution to realign its functional meaning in the present to its true historical meaning? Or might you simply work, aggressively, angrily, defiantly, to use every means at your disposal to shift (back) society's general understandings of what the Constitution means, from the understandings of the past century to a whole new set of meanings that would effectively protect the nation's core principles of liberty and equality?Since World War II, American conservatives have availed themselves of all of the above constitutional options in response to what they took to be America's political dysfunction. While it would be worthwhile to study efforts by Republicans to push for a more conservative slant to public policies operating within a settled and accepted modern liberal constitutional order, or to study the many proposals that have emanated from the Right for formal Article V amendments to bring back elements (if not the entirety) of a presumably more functional time,1 I focus here on efforts by modern conservatives to shift the conventional wisdom of what the Constitution means and requires from Liberal-Left to hard Right.The topic is vast and space is short. A growing number of of originalism scholars are studying the history of modern conservatives to forge and activate an originalist discourse. Given the many successes of this Right- wing push for a cure for constitutional dysfunction, I would like to step back here and discuss the serviceability of talking cures generally for those seeking major, dysfunction-ending constitutional reform. I do so using modern conservative constitutionalism as an instance.I. PRELIMINARIES: CONSTITUTIONAL ARGUMENT AND CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGEOne of the lessons of studying constitutional development - as opposed to constitutional law - is that over the course of American history the foundational structures of the nation's governing order have been formed, reformed, and revised, at times in fundamental ways.2 As attorneys seeking to influence real-world decisionmakers (like judges), most law professors are preoccupied with constitutional law and not constitutional development.3 Only the most radical amongst them - for example, Critical Legal Studies Scholars (or Crits) long since out of fashion - argue that constitutional law is mostly (if not exclusively) politics, and that meanings are continually made and remade through (constitutional) politics, an argument that will not fly in most courts.4 But what is radical for law professors appealing to judges is work-a-day for political scientists and historians whose chief interest is in dispassionately describing and telling causal stories about actual, altering meanings and settlements. … | [
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"Texts and Concepts"
]
|
W2531357463 | Implications of Micro-Tunnelling on Wastewater Pipeline Constructions : a case study from Muscat Wastewater System: Al Khuwair Project | Al Khuwair is a sub city located in Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman. It is presently growing rapidly with illustrious highways, modern housing complexes, commercial centres, hospitals, schools etc., being built. Even though the local population represents around 60% of the total population, developing infrastructure is an essential need in order to cater to the needs of both the local and foreign migrant population and also the tourists. The present trend of development of the city indicates that Al Khuwair would provide a considerable proportion of the Muscat's wealth. The yellow tankers roaming around the city are not uncommon in AlKhuwair even though it might surprise the visitors at their first glance. They enter every house and restaurant at least once a month in order to empty the septic tanks of those properties. It is also not uncommon to see overflowing septic tanks emitting in tolerable odours when tankers fail to arrive promptly to empty the overflowing septic tanks. The aim of the paper is to present the actual experience from Muscat Waste water Project that has been implemented in order to overcome the above mentioned most critical issue. It highlights the problems which surfaced with regard to pipe deviations, deflections and pipe cracking that occurred during the micro tunnelling of 1000mm diameter polycrete wastewater pipes. The attempts made to provide technical solutions for the deficiencies and possible alternatives to overcome the defective situations are comprehensively discussed in the paper. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
10.1021/acsearthspacechem.9b00082 | Quantum Mechanical Investigations on the Formation of Complex Organic Molecules on Interstellar Ice Mantles. Review and Perspectives | The interstellar medium (ISM) is rich in molecules, from simple diatomic to complex organic ones, some of which have a biotic potential. A notable example, in this respect, is represented by the so-called interstellar complex organic molecules (iCOMs). Interestingly, the various phases involved in the formation of Solar-type planetary systems lead to an increasing chemical complexity, in which, at each step, more complex molecules form. In dark molecular clouds, dust grains are covered by ice mantles, mainly made up of H2O but also of other volatiles species such as CO, NH3, CO2, CH4, and CH3OH. Although their mass is one hundred times lower than the gas-phase matter, these ice-covered grains play a fundamental role in the interstellar chemical complexity as some important reactions are exclusively catalyzed by their surfaces. For example, one of the current paradigms on the iCOMs formation assumes that iCOMs are synthesized on the ice mantle surfaces, in which reactants accrete and diffuse to finally react. As the usual approaches employed in astrochemistry (i. e. , spectroscopic astronomical observations, astrochemical modeling and laboratory experiments) cannot easily provide details on the iCOMs formation processes occurring on ice mantles at the atomic level, computational chemistry has recently become a complementary tool to fill in this gap. Indeed, it can provide an accurate description (i. e. , structures and reactive energy profiles) of these processes. Accordingly, several recent studies simulating the formation of iCOMs on icy surfaces by means of quantum mechanical methods have appeared in the literature. This Review aims to comprehensively analyze most of these works, focusing not only on standard iCOMs but also on simpler organic compounds as well as biomolecules. Perspectives on possible future directions of research using computational chemistry are also proposed. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Universe Sciences"
]
|
10.1371/journal.pone.0130227 | Multifactorial optimization of contrast-enhanced nanofocus computed tomography for quantitative analysis of neo-tissue formation in tissue engineering constructs | To progress the fields of tissue engineering (TE) and regenerative medicine, development of quantitative methods for non-invasive three dimensional characterization of engineered constructs (i. e. cells/tissue combined with scaffolds) becomes essential. In this study, we have defined the most optimal staining conditions for contrast-enhanced nanofocus computed tomography for three dimensional visualization and quantitative analysis of in vitro engineered neo-tissue (i. e. extracellular matrix containing cells) in perfusion bioreactor-developed Ti6Al4V constructs. A fractional factorial 'design of experiments' approach was used to elucidate the influence of the staining time and concentration of two contrast agents (Hexabrix and phosphotungstic acid) and the neo-tissue volume on the image contrast and dataset quality. Additionally, the neo-tissue shrinkage that was induced by phosphotungstic acid staining was quantified to determine the operating window within which this contrast agent can be accurately applied. For Hexabrix the staining concentration was the main parameter influencing image contrast and dataset quality. Using phosphotungstic acid the staining concentration had a significant influence on the image contrast while both staining concentration and neo-tissue volume had an influence on the dataset quality. The use of high concentrations of phosphotungstic acid did however introduce significant shrinkage of the neo-tissue indicating that, despite sub-optimal image contrast, low concentrations of this staining agent should be used to enable quantitative analysis. To conclude, design of experiments allowed us to define the most optimal staining conditions for contrast-enhanced nanofocus computed tomography to be used as a routine screening tool of neo-tissue formation in Ti6Al4V constructs, transforming it into a robust three dimensional quality control methodology. | [
"Materials Engineering",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
W2204205571 | A cloud service for COTS component-based architectures | Software architecture management, especially in component-based web user interfaces is important to enhance their run-time accessibility, dynamics and management. The cloud offers some excellent mechanisms for this kind of systems, since software can be managed remotely, easy availability of the resources is ensured and mass storage is possible. This article presents an infrastructure solution, based on the use of web services and cloud computing, for managing COTS-based architectures. Cloud services for deploying component-based architecturesComponent-based architectures for building user interfaces at run-timeComponents and interfaces, models, and COTSget-as-a-serviceAn infrastructure model based on a three-tier architecture to deploy user interfacesIntegration of CBSE, MDE and cloud computing technologies | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
W590886777 | Conversations with Toni Cade Bambara | Conversations with Toni Cade Bambara reveals an artist and activist whose work deftly negotiates boundaries of feminism, nationalism, and film. The intimacy of these collaborations or conversations between Bambara (1939-1995) and her interviewers provide an excellent and necessary resource for those interested in scholarly approaches to her fiction, especially her novels The Salt Eaters (1980) and the posthumously published Those Bones Are Not My Child (1999), and her acclaimed short story collection Gorilla, My Love. The collection reveals the passion, humor, and real-life experiences of the woman whoBthrough her editing of the groundbreaking anthology of black women=s writing The Black Woman (1970) and contributions to the documentary W.E.B. Du Bois: A Biography in Four VoicesBchanged perceptions of African American culture in the modern era. The interviews present woman that saw herself as a teacher who writes, social worker who writes, youth worker who writes, mother who writes. Bambara viewed herself as cultural worker for oppressed people whose job as an artist was making, in her words, revolution irresistible. Indeed, her fiction champions the working class and average folk, both of whom she felt were made invisible by mainstream American society. The volume also displays Bambara=s passionate criticism of radicalism and revolutionary philosophies that were structured by patriarchal, sexist, and heterosexual-centric paradigms. Her willingness to challenge her own ideals, as well as those that conflicted with them, marks her as one of the most forceful black writers of her era. | [
"Texts and Concepts",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
]
|
10.31234/osf.io/n2h9b | Do 3D face images capture cues of strength, weight, and height better than 2D face images do? | A large literature exists investigating the extent to which physical characteristics (e. g. , strength, weight, and height) can be accurately assessed from face images. While most of these studies have employed two dimensional (2D) face images as stimuli, some recent studies have used three dimensional (3D) face images because they may contain cues not visible in 2D face images. We know of no direct empirical tests of this claim and the equipment required for 3D face images is considerably more expensive than that required for 2D face images. Consequently, we will test whether 3D face images capture cues of strength, weight, and height better than 2D face images do by directly comparing the accuracy of strength, weight, and height ratings of 2D and 3D face images taken simultaneously. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
10.1038/nature19761 | Enhanced flexoelectric-like response in oxide semiconductors | Flexoelectricity is a property of all dielectric materials whereby they polarize in response to deformation gradients such as those produced by bending. Although it is generally thought of as a property of dielectric insulators, insulation is not a formal requirement: in principle, semiconductors can also redistribute their free charge in response to strain gradients. Here we show that bending a semiconductor not only generates a flexoelectric-like response, but that this response can in fact be much larger than in insulators. By doping single crystals of wide-bandgap oxides to increase their conductivity, their effective flexoelectric coefficient was increased by orders of magnitude. This large response can be explained by a barrier-layer mechanism that remains important even at the macroscale, where conventional (insulator) flexoelectricity otherwise tends to be small. Our results open up the possibility of using semiconductors as active ingredients in electromechanical transducer applications. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1021/ct5001507 | Excited-state geometries of solvated molecules: Going beyond the linear-response polarizable continuum model | The theoretical determination of excited-state structures remains an active field of research, as these data are hardly accessible by experimental approaches. In this contribution, we investigate excited-state geometries obtained with Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory, using both linear-response and, for the first time, corrected linear-response approaches of the Polarizable Continuum Model. Several chromophores representative of key dye families are used. In most cases, the corrected linear-response approach provides bond distances in between the gas and linear-response data, the latter model providing larger medium-induced structural changes than the corrected linear-response model. However, in a few cases, the solvation effects predicted by the two continuum approaches present opposite directions compared to the gas phase reference. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
interreg_2689 | PILGRIM TOURISM ROUTES IN IOANNINA AND LECCE | The project aims to preserve the cultural heritage of the two participating regions, exchange architectural and historic knowledge of churches and monasteries, promote thematic tourism and exploit traditional churches for the purpose of increasing the number of visitors. The main outputs of the project will be: • A cultural and touristic portal that will host an online museum, electronic library, e-learning platform. • Research workshops that will act as a center of knowledge and research for ancient monuments • Cross-border information centers • Cross-border networking activities such as conferences, exhibitions and educational conferences • A study regarding the touristic exploitation of Byzantine churches and the preservation of the cultural and heritage of the regions involved • An informational booklet regarding “Byzantine Churches in Epirus and Apulia” | [
"The Study of the Human Past",
"Studies of Cultures and Arts"
]
|
646048 | Paleovirology, the evolutionary dynamics of viral cross-species transmissions, and the consequences of virus-host gene exchange | Viruses are ubiquitous, obligate intracellular parasites that have had a pervasive influence on the evolutionary history of life. Despite being extensively studied due to their role in disease, very little is known about their long-term evolution, since they do not form a geological fossil record. The new field of paleovirology is the study of ancient viruses, which in the genomic age has been facilitated by discoveries of endogenous viral elements (EVEs). EVEs are the remnants of viruses that have heritably integrated into the genomes of their hosts and we were the first to discover that viruses of all genome types can endogenise. This genomic fossil record contains information about viral/host interactions that would be impossible to recover from contemporary viral sequences. We will develop novel methodologies to exploit this data source in order to quantify how viral transmission dynamics vary between organisms and over time, and to identify the factors that determine this. While most EVEs are non-functional relics, they are sometimes captured and repurposed by their hosts to serve a beneficial function as antiviral genes. These remarkable examples indicate an important role for virus to host gene flow in evolution, and we will determine the nature and extent of this phenomenon. This gene exchange is mirrored in viruses that capture host genes to evade immune responses. We will integrate bioinformatics, evolutionary, and experimental techniques, to elucidate the evolutionary processes underlying virus-host gene flow in both directions, and to determine the molecular features that impact host immunity and viral pathogenicity. Now is the time to pursue this research, given the unprecedented availability of genomic data and the emergence of paleovirology. Our results will greatly improve our understanding of viral cross-species transmission, as well as the role of gene flow on the evolutionary arms race between viruses and their hosts over geological timescales. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
10.1016/j.actbio.2020.07.044 | Multifunctional antibiotic- and zinc-containing mesoporous bioactive glass scaffolds to fight bone infection | Bone regeneration is a clinical challenge which requires multiple approaches. Sometimes, it also includes the development of osteogenic and antibacterial biomaterials to treat the emergence of possible infection processes arising from surgery. This study evaluates the antibacterial properties of gelatin-coated meso-macroporous scaffolds based on the bioactive glass 80%SiO2–15%CaO–5%P2O5 (mol-%) before (BL-GE) and after being doped with 4% of ZnO (4ZN-GE) and loaded with both saturated and the minimal inhibitory concentrations of one of the antibiotics: levofloxacin (LEVO), vancomycin (VANCO), rifampicin (RIFAM) or gentamicin (GENTA). After physical-chemical characterization of materials, release studies of inorganic ions and antibiotics from the scaffolds were carried out. Moreover, molecular modelling allowed determining the electrostatic potential density maps and the hydrogen bonds of antibiotics and the glass matrix. Antibacterial in vitro studies (in planktonic, inhibition halos and biofilm destruction) with S. aureus and E. coli as bacteria models showed a synergistic effect of zinc ions and antibiotics. The effect was especially noticeable in planktonic cultures of S. aureus with 4ZN-GE scaffolds loaded with VANCO, LEVO or RIFAM and in E. coli cultures with LEVO or GENTA. Moreover, S. aureus biofilms were completely destroyed by 4ZN-GE scaffolds loaded with VANCO, LEVO or RIFAM and the E. coli biofilm total destruction was accomplished with 4ZN-GE scaffolds loaded with GENTA or LEVO. This approach could be an important step in the fight against microbial resistance and provide needed options for bone infection treatment. Statement of Significance: Antibacterial capabilities of scaffolds based on mesoporous bioactive glasses before and after adding a 4% ZnO and loading with saturated and minimal inhibitory concentrations of levofloxacin, vancomycin, gentamicin or rifampicin were evaluated. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were the infection model strains for the performed assays of inhibition zone, planktonic growth and biofilm. Good inhibition results and a synergistic effect of zinc ions released from scaffolds and antibiotics were observed. Thus, the amount of antibiotic required to inhibit the bacterial planktonic growth was substantially reduced with the ZnO inclusion in the scaffold. This study shows that the ZnO-MBG osteogenic scaffolds are multifunctional tools in bone tissue engineering because they are able to fight bacterial infections with lower antibiotic dosage. | [
"Materials Engineering",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1002/cssc.201600473 | Extraction and esterification of low-titer short-chain volatile fatty acids from anaerobic fermentation with ionic liquids | Ionic liquids can both act as a solvent and mediate esterification to valorize low-titer volatile fatty acids and generate organic solvents from renewable carbon sources including biowaste and CO2. In this study, four phosphonium ionic liquids were tested for single-stage extraction of acetic acid from a dilute stream and esterification to ethyl acetate with added ethanol and heat. The esterification proceeded with a maximum conversion of 85. 9± 1. 3% after 30 min at 75°C at a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio of reactants. Extraction and esterification can be tailored using mixed-anion ionic liquids; this is demonstrated herein using a common trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium cation and a mixed chloride and bis(trifluoromethylsulfony-l)imide anion ionic liquid. As a further proof-of-concept, ethyl acetate was generated from an ionic liquid-driven esterification of an acetic acid extractant generated using CO2 as the only carbon source by microbial electrosynthesis. | [
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
10.1016/j.bulsci.2013.04.004 | A uniform estimate for rough paths | It is well known that for two p-rough paths, if their first ⌊. p⌋ levels of iterated integrals are close in p-variation sense, then all levels of their iterated integrals are close. In this paper, we prove that a similar result holds for the paths provided the first ⌊. p⌋ terms are close in a 'uniform' sense. The estimate is explicit, dimension free, and only involves the p-variation of two paths and the 'uniform' distance between the first ⌊. p⌋ terms. Applications include estimation of the difference of the signatures of two uniformly close paths (Lyons and Xu, 2011 [6]), and convergence rates for Gaussian rough paths (Riedel and Xu, 2012 [7]). | [
"Mathematics"
]
|
10.1089/ten.teb.2018.0383 | Enthesis Tissue Engineering: Biological Requirements Meet at the Interface | Tendon-to-bone interface (enthesis) exhibits a complex multiscale architectural and compositional organization maintained by a heterogeneous cellular environment. Orthopedic surgeons have been facing several challenges when treating tendon pullout or tear from the bony insertion due to unsatisfactory surgical outcomes and high retear rates. The limited understanding of enthesis hinders the development of new treatment options toward enhancing regeneration. Mimicking the natural tissue structure and composition is still a major challenge to be overcome. In this review, we critically assess current tendon-to-bone interface tissue engineering strategies through the use of biological, biochemical, or biophysical cues, which must be ultimately combined into sophisticated gradient systems. Cellular strategies are described, focusing on cell sources and cocultures to emulate a physiological heterotypic niche, as well as hypoxic environments, alongside with growth factor delivery and the use of platelet-rich hemoderivatives. Biomaterial design considerations are revisited, highlighting recent progresses in tendon-to-bone scaffolds. Mechanical loading is addressed to uncover prospective engineering advances. Finally, research challenges and translational aspects are considered. In summary, we highlight the importance of deeply investigating enthesis biology toward establishing foundational expertise and integrate cues from the native niche into novel biomaterial engineering, aiming at moving today's research advances into tomorrow's regenerative therapies. . | [
"Materials Engineering",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
W2028124264 | An energetic and kinetic perspective of the grain-boundary role in healing radiation damage in tungsten | Radiation-induced damage in tungsten (W) and W alloys has been considered as one of the most important issues in fusion research, because radiation-produced defects not only degrade the mechanical property but also change the behaviours of H and He in W significantly, such as the retention of H. Nano-structured W has been developed to reduce accumulation of defects within grains and further mitigate radiation-induced damage. However, the fundamental role of a grain boundary (GB) in healing radiation damage in W is not yet well understood. Using molecular dynamics and statics, we evaluate energetically and kinetically the role of a GB in defect evolution (vacancy and interstitial segregation and their annihilation) near the GB in W, by calculating the vacancy (interstitial) formation energy, segregation energy, diffusion barrier, vacancy?interstitial annihilation barrier near the GB and the corresponding influence range of the GB. We find that, as reported and expected, interstitials are preferentially trapped into GBs over vacancies during irradiation, with vacancies dominant near the GB and interstitials highly localized at the GB. On the one hand, the GB serves as a sink both for vacancies and interstitials near itself by reducing their formation energy and diffusion barrier. The formation energy of the vacancy decreases only by ?0.86?eV, but 7.5?eV is reduced for the formation energy of the interstitial in the GB core, indicating that the sink is unexpectedly stronger for interstitials than vacancies. The average barrier of vacancy diffusion is 0.98?eV much less than 1.8?eV in the bulk; the interstitial migrates into the GB via a barrier-free process. On the other hand, the GB acts as a catalyst for the vacancy?interstitial recombination at the GB by lowering the annihilation barrier. The annihilation with the average barrier as low as 0.31?eV works even at a low temperature of 121?K; besides, the annihilation of a close vacancy?interstitial pair is spontaneous. Meanwhile, the annihilation mechanism near the GB is modified due to the exceptionally large reduction in the interstitial formation energy. The influence range of the GB is small (1?1.5?nm), leading to a small volume fraction of the GB region working as the sink and the catalyst. This indicates that GBs in fine W grains may play a limited role in improving radiation performance. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1109/TCOMM.2013.043013.130100 | Weighted Sum Rate Maximization For Mimo Broadcast Channels Using Dirty Paper Coding And Zero Forcing Methods | We consider precoder design for maximizing the weighted sum rate (WSR) of successive zero-forcing dirty paper coding (SZF-DPC). For this problem, the existing precoder designs often assume a sum power constraint (SPC) and rely on the singular value decomposition (SVD). The SVD-based designs are known to be optimal but require high complexity. We first propose a low-complexity optimal precoder design for SZF-DPC under SPC, using the QR decomposition. Then, we propose an efficient numerical algorithm to find the optimal precoders subject to per-antenna power constraints (PAPCs). To this end, the precoder design for PAPCs is formulated as an optimization problem with a rank constraint on the covariance matrices. A well-known approach to solve this problem is to relax the rank constraints and solve the relaxed problem. Interestingly, for SZF-DPC, we are able to prove that the rank relaxation is tight. Consequently, the optimal precoder design for PAPCs is computed by solving the relaxed problem, for which we propose a customized interior-point method that exhibits a superlinear convergence rate. Two suboptimal precoder designs are also presented and compared to the optimal ones. We also show that the proposed numerical method is applicable for finding the optimal precoders for block diagonalization scheme. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1525/elementa.275 | Sniffle: a step forward to measure in situ CO2 fluxes with the floating chamber technique | Understanding how the ocean absorbs anthropogenic CO2 is critical for predicting climate change. We designed Sniffle, a new autonomous drifting buoy with a floating chamber, to measure gas transfer velocities and air–sea CO2 fluxes with high spatiotemporal resolution. Currently, insufficient in situ data exist to verify gas transfer parameterizations at low wind speeds (<4 m s–1), which leads to underestimation of gas transfer velocities and, therefore, of air–sea CO2 fluxes. The Sniffle is equipped with a sensor to consecutively measure aqueous and atmospheric pCO2 and to monitor increases or decreases of CO2 inside the chamber. During autonomous operation, a complete cycle lasts 40 minutes, with a new cycle initiated after flushing the chamber. The Sniffle can be deployed for up to 15 hours at wind speeds up to 10 m s–1. Floating chambers often overestimate fluxes because they create additional turbulence at the water surface. We correct fluxes by measuring turbulence with two acoustic Doppler velocimeters, one positioned directly under the floating chamber and the other positioned sideways, to compare artificial disturbance caused by the chamber and natural turbulence. The first results of deployment in the North Sea during the summer of 2016 demonstrate that the new drifting buoy is a useful tool that can improve our understanding of gas transfer velocity with in situ measurements. At low and moderate wind speeds and different conditions, the results obtained indicate that the observed tidal basin was acting as a source of atmospheric CO2. Wind speed and turbulence alone could not fully explain the variance in gas transfer velocity. We suggest that other factors like surfactants, rain or tidal current will have an impact on gas transfer parameterizations. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Earth System Science"
]
|
10.7566/JPSCP.14.020903 | Impacts Of Nuclear Physics Uncertainty In Stellar Temperatures On The S Process Nucleosynthesis | N. Nishimura, G. Cescutti, R. Hirschi, T. Rauscher, J. Den Hartogh, and A. St J. Murphy, 'Impacts of nuclear-physics uncertainty in stellar temperatures on the s-process nucleosynthesis', in Proceedings of the 14th International Symposium on Nuclei in the Cosmos (NIC2016). Niigata, Japan. June 19-24, 2016. ISBN: 978-4-89027-118-4. DOI: http://dx. doi. org/10. 7566/JPSCP. 14. | [
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter",
"Universe Sciences"
]
|
10.1182/blood-2012-02-408179 | Subcapsular sinus macrophages promote NK cell accumulation and activation in response to lymph-borne viral particles | Natural killer (NK) cells become activated during viral infection in response to cytokines or to engagement of NK cell activating receptors. However, the identity of cells sensing viral particles and mediating NK cell activation has not been defined. Here, we show that local administration of a modified vaccinia virus Ankara vaccine in mice results in the accumulation of NK cells in the subcapsular area of the draining lymph node and their activation, a process that is strictly dependent on type I IFN signaling. NK cells located in the subcapsular area exhibited reduced motility and were found associated with CD169+-positive subcapsular sinus (SCS) macrophages and collagen fibers. Moreover, depletion of SCS macrophages using clodronate liposomes abolished NK cell accumulation and activation. Our results identify SCS macrophages as primary mediators of NK cell activation in response to lymph-borne viral particles suggesting that they act as early sensors of local infection or delivery of viral-based vaccines. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
]
|
10.1016/j.watres.2013.10.058 | Diaromatic sulphur-containing 'naphthenic' acids in process waters | Polar organic compounds found in industrial process waters, particularly those originating from biodegraded petroleum residues, include 'naphthenic acids' (NA). Some NA have been shown to have acute toxicity to fish and also to produce sub-lethal effects. Whilst some of these toxic effects are produced by identifiable carboxylic acids, acids such as sulphur-containing acids, which have been detected, but not yet identified, may produce others. Therefore, in the present study, the sulphur-containing acids in oil sands process water were studied. A fraction (ca 12% by weight of the total NA containing ca 1. 5% weight sulphur) was obtained by elution of methylated NA through an argentation solid phase extraction column with diethyl ether. This was examined by multidimensional comprehensive gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCxGC-MS) in both nominal and high resolution mass accuracy modes and by GCxGC-sulphur chemiluminescence detection (GCxGC-SCD). Interpretation of the mass spectra and retention behaviour of methyl esters of several synthesised sulphur acids and the unknowns allowed delimitation of the structures, but not complete identification. Diaromatic sulphur-containing alkanoic acids were suggested. Computer modelling of the toxicities of some of the possible acids suggested they would have similar toxicities to one another and to dehydroabietic acid. However, the sulphur-rich fraction was not toxic or estrogenic to trout hepatocytes, suggesting the concentrations of sulphur acids in this sample were too low to produce any such effects invitro. Further samples should probably be examined for these compounds. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
3729209 | Understanding and modelling the earth system with machine learning | Earth system models are fundamental to understand climate change. Although they have improved significantly, considerable biases and uncertainties in their projections remain. Process parameterisations limit the models’ ability to simulate both global and regional Earth system responses, which are key for assessing climate change and its impacts on ecosystems and society. In recent years, the volume of data from high-resolution models and observations has substantially increased to petabyte scales. Concomitantly, the field of machine learning (ML) has quickly developed, promising breakthroughs in detecting and analysing non-linear relationships and patterns in large multivariate datasets. Yet, traditionally, physical modelling and ML have been often treated as two different worlds with opposite scientific paradigms (theory-driven versus data-driven). Thus, despite its great potential, ML has not yet been widely adopted for addressing the urgent need of improved understanding and modelling of the Earth system. USMILE will combine multi-disciplinary expertise in ML and process-based atmosphere and land modelling to completely rethink model development and evaluation. ML will further allow us to define novel observational constraints on Earth system feedbacks and climate projections. We will (1) develop ML algorithms to enhance Earth observation datasets accounting for spatio-temporal covariations, (2) deploy ML-based parameterisations and sub-models for clouds and land-surface processes that have hindered progress in climate modelling for decades, and (3) detect and understand modes of climate variability, multivariate extremes and uncover dynamical aspects of the Earth system with novel deep learning and causal inference techniques. USMILE will drive a paradigm shift in the current modelling of the Earth system towards a new data-driven physics-aware science and to an unprecedented reduction of uncertainties in projections. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Earth System Science"
]
|
W2003089185 | A technique for early prediction of software reliability based on design metrics | In the early stages of development, it is difficult to quantitatively assess the reliability of a software product. In this context, we propose a bottom-up approach to predict the reliability of an object-oriented software from its product metrics gathered during the architectural design stage. A fault model is constructed to categorize different kinds of faults that can occur in the components making up the software product. Subsequently, the product metrics collected during the software design phase are used to estimate the expected number of different kinds of faults that may occur in a component. Eventually, these estimated values of the different kinds of faults are used to predict the expected values of the total number of faults present in the component. We use the estimated fault content of the component and the number of tests that will be performed over the component, to predict reliability of the component. We adopt a probabilistic approach, Bayesian Belief Network, for reliability prediction of the components from product metrics. Based on predicted reliabilities and usage frequencies of the components, the reliability of a system is predicted. The applicability of our proposed model is illustrated through a case study. Moreover, we performed a set of experiments and also compared our approach with an established approach reported in the literature to investigate the accuracy of our approach. Analysis of the results from our experiments suggests that our approach yields reasonably accurate result. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
W2025157537 | Quantifying the potential effects of high-volume water extractions on water resources during natural gas development: Marcellus Shale, NY | Abstract Study region The Marcellus Shale, New York State, USA. Study focus Development of natural gas resources within the Marcellus Shale will require large volumes of water if high-volume hydraulic fracturing expands into New York State. Although this region has ample fresh water resources, it is necessary to explore the response of hydraulically connected groundwater and surface water systems to large withdrawals. Because such effects would not be apparent from a typical water budget approach, this study applied groundwater flow modelling under scenarios of high-volume water withdrawals. Emphasis on water quantity, in contrast with other lines of research concerning water quality, introduced an important perspective to this controversial topic. New hydrological insights for the region The potential effects of the withdrawal scenarios on both the water table and stream discharge were quantified. Based on these impact results, locations in the aquifer and stream networks were identified, which demonstrate particular vulnerability to increased withdrawals and their distribution. These are the locations of importance for planners and regulators who oversee water permitting, to reach a sustainable management of the water resources under changing conditions of energy and corresponding water demand. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
10.1038/s41467-018-03438-y | Activation of serotonin neurons promotes active persistence in a probabilistic foraging task | The neuromodulator serotonin (5-HT) has been implicated in a variety of functions that involve patience or impulse control. Many of these effects are consistent with a long-standing theory that 5-HT promotes behavioral inhibition, a motivational bias favoring passive over active behaviors. To further test this idea, we studied the impact of 5-HT in a probabilistic foraging task, in which mice must learn the statistics of the environment and infer when to leave a depleted foraging site for the next. Critically, mice were required to actively nose-poke in order to exploit a given site. We show that optogenetic activation of 5-HT neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus increases the willingness of mice to actively attempt to exploit a reward site before giving up. These results indicate that behavioral inhibition is not an adequate description of 5-HT function and suggest that a unified account must be based on a higher-order function. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1051/0004-6361/201935783 | Disk Kinematics And Stability In High Mass Star Formation Linking Simulations And Observations | In the disk-mediated accretion scenario for the formation of the most massive stars, gravitational instabilities in the disk can force it to fragment. We investigate the effects of inclination and spatial resolution on observable kinematics and stability of disks in high-mass star formation. We study a high-resolution 3D radiation-hydrodynamic simulation that leads to the fragmentation of a massive disk. Using RADMC-3D we produce 1. 3 mm continuum and CH3CN line cubes at different inclinations. The model is set to different distances and synthetic observations are created for ALMA at ~80 mas resolution and NOEMA at ~0. 3''. The synthetic ALMA observations resolve all fragments and their kinematics well. The synthetic NOEMA observations at 800 pc (~300 au resolution) are able to resolve the fragments, while at 2000 pc (~800 au resolution) only a single slightly elongated structure is observed. The position-velocity (PV) plots show the differential rotation of material best in the edge-on views. As the observations become less resolved, the inner high-velocity components of the disk become blended with the envelope and the PV plots resemble rigid-body-like rotation. Protostellar mass estimates from PV plots of poorly resolved observations are therefore overestimated. We fit the emission of CH3CN lines and produce maps of gas temperature with values in the range of 100-300 K. Studying the Toomre stability of the disks in the resolved observations, we find Q values below the critical value for stability against gravitational collapse at the positions of the fragments and the arms connecting the fragments. For the poorly resolved observations we find low Q values in the outskirts of the disk. Therefore we are able to predict that the disk is unstable and fragmenting even in poorly resolved observations. This conclusion is true regardless of knowledge about the inclination of the disk. | [
"Universe Sciences",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1016/j.cub.2015.07.030 | Functional Divergence of Two Secreted Immune Proteases of Tomato | Rcr3 and Pip1 are paralogous secreted papain-like proteases of tomato. Both proteases are inhibited by Avr2 from the fungal pathogen Cladosporium fulvum, but only Rcr3 acts as a co-receptor for Avr2 recognition by the tomato Cf-2 immune receptor [1-4]. Here, we show that Pip1-depleted tomato plants are hyper-susceptible to fungal, bacterial, and oomycete plant pathogens, demonstrating that Pip1 is an important broad-range immune protease. By contrast, in the absence of Cf-2, Rcr3 depletion does not affect fungal and bacterial infection levels but causes increased susceptibility only to the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans. Rcr3 and Pip1 reside on a genetic locus that evolved over 36 million years ago. These proteins differ in surface-exposed residues outside the substrate-binding groove, and Pip1 is 5- to 10-fold more abundant than Rcr3. We propose a model in which Rcr3 and Pip1 diverged functionally upon gene duplication, possibly driven by an arms race with pathogen-derived inhibitors or by coevolution with the Cf-2 immune receptor detecting inhibitors of Rcr3, but not of Pip1. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1242/jcs.201350 | Sequential activities of Dynein, Mud and Asp in centrosome-spindle coupling maintain centrosome number upon mitosis | Centrosomes nucleate microtubules and are tightly coupled to the bipolar spindle to ensure genome integrity, cell division orientation and centrosome segregation. While the mechanisms of centrosome-dependent microtubule nucleation and bipolar spindle assembly have been the focus of numerous works, less is known on the mechanisms ensuring the centrosome-spindle coupling. The conserved NuMA protein (Mud in Drosophila) is best known for its role in spindle orientation. Here we analyzed the role of Mud and two of its interactors, Asp and Dynein, in the regulation of centrosome numbers in Drosophila epithelial cells. We found that Dynein and Mud mainly initiate centrosome-spindle coupling prior to nuclear envelope breakdown (NEB) by promoting correct centrosome positioning or separation, while Asp acts largely independently of Dynein and Mud to maintain centrosome-spindle coupling. Failure in the centrosome-spindle coupling leads to mis-segregation of the two centrosomes into one daughter cell resulting in cells with supernumerary centrosomes during subsequent divisions. Together, we propose that Dynein, Mud and Asp sequentially operate during the cell cycle to ensure efficient centrosome-spindle coupling in mitosis preventing centrosome mis-segregation to maintain centrosome number. | [
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
W2125161896 | Bifurcations of piecewise smooth flows: Perspectives, methodologies and open problems | Abstract In this paper, the theory of bifurcations in piecewise smooth flows is critically surveyed. The focus is on results that hold in arbitrarily (but finitely) many dimensions, highlighting significant areas where a detailed understanding is presently lacking. The clearest results to date concern equilibria undergoing bifurcations at switching boundaries, and limit cycles undergoing grazing and sliding bifurcations. After discussing fundamental concepts, such as topological equivalence of two piecewise smooth systems, discontinuity-induced bifurcations are defined for equilibria and limit cycles. Conditions for equilibria to exist in n -dimensions are given, followed by the conditions under which they generically undergo codimension-one bifurcations. The extent of knowledge of their unfoldings is also summarized. Codimension-one bifurcations of limit cycles and boundary-intersection crossing are described together with techniques for their classification. Codimension-two bifurcations are discussed with suggestions for further study. | [
"Mathematics"
]
|
10.1111/pala.12458 | Variable preservation potential and richness in the fossil record of vertebrates | Variation in preservation and sampling probability clouds our estimates of past biodiversity. The most extreme examples are Lagerstätten faunas and floras. Although such deposits provide a wealth of information and represent true richness better than other deposits, they can create misleading diversity peaks because of their species richness. Here, we investigate how Lagerstätten formations add to time series of vertebrate richness in the UK, Germany and China. The first two nations are associated with well-studied fossil records and the last is a country where palaeontology has a much shorter history; all three nations include noted Lagerstätten in their fossil records. Lagerstätten provide a larger proportion of China's sampled richness than in Germany or the UK, despite comprising a smaller proportion of its fossiliferous deposits. The proportions of taxa that are unique to Lagerstätten vary through time and between countries. Further, in all regions, we find little overlap between the taxa occurring in Lagerstätten and in ‘ordinary’ formations within the same time bin, indicating that Lagerstätten preserve unusual faunas. As expected, fragile taxa make up a greater proportion of richness in Lagerstätten than the remainder of the fossil record. Surprisingly, we find that Lagerstätten account for a minority of peaks in the palaeodiversity curves of all vertebrates (18% in the UK; 36% in Germany and China), and Lagerstätten count is generally not a good overall predictor of the palaeodiversity signal. Vastly different sampling probabilities through taxa, locations and time require serious consideration when analysing palaeodiversity curves. | [
"The Study of the Human Past",
"Earth System Science"
]
|
10.1016/j.gde.2015.04.002 | X-chromosome inactivation: New insights into cis and trans regulation | X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) is a developmentally associated process that evolved in mammals to enable gene dosage compensation between XX and XY individuals. In placental mammals, it is triggered by the long noncoding RNA Xist, which is produced from a complex regulatory locus, the X-inactivation centre (. Xic). Recent insights into the regulatory landscape of the Xic, including its partitioning into topological associating domains (TADs) and its genetic dissection, have important implications for the monoallelic regulation of Xist. Here, we present some of the latest studies on X inactivation with a special focus on the regulation of Xist, its various functions and the putative role of chromosome conformation in regulating the dynamics of this locus during development and differentiation. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
10.1016/j.trb.2013.08.004 | Serial private infrastructures | This paper investigates private supply of two congestible infrastructures that are serial, where the consumer has to use both in order to consume. Four market structures are analysed: a monopoly and 3 duopolies that differ in how firms interact. It is well known that private supply leads too high usage fees, and that a serial duopoly leads to even higher fees than a monopoly, as firms are monopolists on their sections. But, as this paper finds, a duopoly can also lead to a different capacity rule than the first-best one, and this distortion differs from with two parallel facilities. Finally, four auction formats for the right to build and operate facilities are investigated. With a bid auction, the competition is on how much to pay the government. This auction leads to the same outcome as no auction. An auction on the facility's capacity leads to an even lower welfare than no auction, as firms set overly large high capacities. Conversely, an auction on the generalised price or number of users leads to the first-best outcome, which they do when the facilities go to one or two winners and both with serial as with parallel facilities. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
10.1161/circulationaha.117.029349 | Cardiac Imaging in Patients With Ventricular Tachycardia | Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a major cause of sudden cardiac death. The majority of malignant VTs occur in patients with structural heart disease. Multimodality imaging techniques play an integral role in determining the underlying etiology and prognostic significance of VT. In recent years, advances in imaging technology have enabled characterization of the structural arrhythmogenic substrate in patients with VT with increasing precision. In parallel with these advances, the role of cardiac imaging has expanded from a largely diagnostic tool to an adjunctive tool to guide interventional approaches for treatment of VT. Invasive and noninvasive imaging techniques, often used in combination, have made it possible to integrate structural and electrophysiological information during VT ablation procedures. An important area of current development is the use of noninvasive imaging techniques based on body surface electrocardiographic mapping to elucidate the mechanisms of VT. In the future, these techniques may provide a priori information on mechanisms of VT in patients undergoing interventional procedures. This review provides an overview of the role of cardiac imaging in patients with VT. | [
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
W1508199803 | Experiment on Sand Incubator: An Alternative Mini-Hatchery Technique for Smallholder Poultry Farmers | The experiment was conducted to compare and evaluate the hatchability and survival rate of a sand incubator and natural hen incubation technique and to estimate the profitability of the two different incubation techniques. The results of this study indicated that fertility, hatchability and dead in shell there were no significant difference (P>0.05) among the treatments. Embryonic mortality, normal DOC, abnormal DOC and chick weight showed significant differences (P<0.05) among the treatments. Higher embryonic mortality (17%) in broody hen than (9.2%) in sand incubator was observed. On the first batch, the net return per 100 eggs in sand incubation was 177.83 ETB ($9.3) which is higher net return/ profit from that of the broody hen incubation (-441.05 ETB) or ($-23.0) which were not profitable for the first batch at 70.80% hatchability. On the 1st year run the net return was estimated and can incurred by sand incubator which make it sustainable in profitability for the smallholder farmers by making high income for the next seven years of production period. Finally in order to improve the performance of the hatchery traits before the technology adopt to the farmers intensive adoptive research should be conduct and also training of smallholder poultry producers in the hatchery management of sand incubator is very crucial. Keywords: Sand incubator, broody hen, hatchability, net return | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering"
]
|
891069 | Conect4Children (collaborative network for european clinical trials for children) | Paediatric medicines development is embedded in the European policy, legislation and in the work of the pharmaceutical industry but currently the potential of this effort is not realised.
The conect4children (c4c) project will address the critical problems with the design, implementation and operational conduct of paediatric clinical trials, for example the fragmented and redundant efforts between sponsors, sites and countries.
This project will generate a sustainable infrastructure that optimises the delivery of clinical trials in children through: a) a single point of contact for all sponsors, sites and investigators; b) efficient implementation of trials adopting consistent approaches, aligned quality standards and coordination of sites at national and international level; c) collaboration with specialist networks; d) high quality input to study design and preparation through rigorous strategic and operational feasibility assessment and e) the promotion of innovative methodologies.
The project will be managed according to IMI2 best practice with a dedicated communications effort. The clinical trials infrastructure will be setup, implemented and tested by implementing 3-4 industry and at least 1 non-industry proof-of-viability studies. Expert advice groups will promote innovative methodologies and engagement with regulators. The business model for a sustainable infrastructure will be based on the European landscape of paediatric networks and available trial sites, the evaluation of services needs of sponsors of all kinds, and will be informed by the proof-of-viability studies. Supporting activities will include: data management (data about the trials and the network, including performance metrics for network management and promotion; handling trial data for non-industry sponsors; support for common data dictionaries); education and training.
The voices of children, young people and their families will be central to the network. | [
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
]
|
10.1111/mec.14084 | Divergence of annual and perennial species in the Brassicaceae and the contribution of cis-acting variation at FLC orthologues | Variation in life history contributes to reproductive success in different environments. Divergence of annual and perennial angiosperm species is an extreme example that has occurred frequently. Perennials survive for several years and restrict the duration of reproduction by cycling between vegetative growth and flowering, whereas annuals live for 1 year and flower once. We used the tribe Arabideae (Brassicaceae) to study the divergence of seasonal flowering behaviour among annual and perennial species. In perennial Brassicaceae, orthologues of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), a floral inhibitor in Arabidopsis thaliana, are repressed by winter cold and reactivated in spring conferring seasonal flowering patterns, whereas in annuals, they are stably repressed by cold. We isolated FLC orthologues from three annual and two perennial Arabis species and found that the duplicated structure of the A. alpina locus is not required for perenniality. The expression patterns of the genes differed between annuals and perennials, as observed among Arabidopsis species, suggesting a broad relevance of these patterns within the Brassicaceae. Also analysis of plants derived from an interspecies cross of A. alpina and annual A. montbretiana demonstrated that cis-regulatory changes in FLC orthologues contribute to their different transcriptional patterns. Sequence comparisons of FLC orthologues from annuals and perennials in the tribes Arabideae and Camelineae identified two regulatory regions in the first intron whose sequence variation correlates with divergence of the annual and perennial expression patterns. Thus, we propose that related cis-acting changes in FLC orthologues occur independently in different tribes of the Brassicaceae during life history evolution. | [
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
678698 | Mathematical aspects of three-dimensional water waves with vorticity | The goal of this project is to develop a mathematical theory for steady three-dimensional water waves with vorticity. The mathematical model consists of the incompressible Euler equations with a free surface, and vorticity is important for modelling the interaction of surface waves with non-uniform currents. In the two-dimensional case, there has been a lot of progress on water waves with vorticity in the last decade. This progress has mainly been based on the stream function formulation, in which the problem is reformulated as a nonlinear elliptic free boundary problem. An analogue of this formulation is not available in three dimensions, and the theory has therefore so far been restricted to irrotational flow. In this project we seek to go beyond this restriction using two different approaches. In the first approach we will adapt methods which have been used to construct three-dimensional ideal flows with vorticity in domains with a fixed boundary to the free boundary context (for example Beltrami flows). In the second approach we will develop methods which are new even in the case of a fixed boundary, by performing a detailed study of the structure of the equations close to a given shear flow using ideas from infinite-dimensional bifurcation theory. This involves handling infinitely many resonances. | [
"Mathematics",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
W2062616979 | Internal tides around the Hawaiian Ridge estimated from multisatellite altimetry | [1] Satellite altimetric sea surface height anomaly (SSHA) data from Geosat Follow-on (GFO) and European Remote Sensing (ERS), as well as TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P), are merged to estimate M2 internal tides around the Hawaiian Ridge, with higher spatial resolution than possible with single-satellite altimetry. The new estimates are compared with numerical model runs. Along-track analyses show that M2 internal tides can be resolved from both 8 years of GFO and 15.5 years of ERS SSHA data. Comparisons at crossover points reveal that the M2 estimates from T/P, GFO, and ERS agree well. Multisatellite altimetry improves spatial resolution due to its denser ground tracks. Thus M2 internal tides can be plane wave fitted in 120 km × 120 km regions, compared to previous single-satellite estimates in 4° lon × 3° lat or 250 km × 250 km regions. In such small fitting regions the weaker and smaller-scale mode 2 M2 internal tides can also be estimated. The higher spatial resolution leads to a clearer view of the M2 internal tide field around the Hawaiian Ridge. Discrete generation sites and internal tidal beams are clearly distinguishable, and consistent with the numerical model runs. More importantly, multisatellite altimetry produces larger M2 internal tidal energy fluxes, which agree better with model results, than previous single-satellite estimates. This study confirms that previous altimetric underestimates are partly due to the more widely spaced ground tracks and consequently larger fitting region. Multisatellite altimetry largely overcomes this limitation. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.3390/en12010003 | Incremental State-Space Model Predictive Control of a Fresnel Solar Collector Field | Model predictive control has been demonstrated to be one of the most efficient control techniques for solar power systems. An incremental offset-free state-space Model Predictive Controller (MPC) is developed for the Fresnel collector field located at the solar cooling plant installed on the roof of the Engineering School of Sevilla. A robust Luenberger observer is used for estimating the states of the plant which cannot be measured. The proposed strategy is tested on a nonlinear distributed parameter model of the Fresnel collector field. Its performance is compared to that obtained with a gain-scheduling generalized predictive controller. A real test carried out at the real plant is presented, showing that the proposed strategy achieves a very good performance. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
10.1088/1742-6596/388/1/012023 | High Resolution Optical Spectroscopy Of Os With A View To Laser Cooling Of Atomic Anions | Atomic anions are generally not amenable to optical spectroscopy because they are loosely bound systems and rarely have bound excited states. Until recently, there was only one known negative ion with a strong bound–bound electronic transition, the osmium anion Os−. The electric-dipole transition between the 4Fe9/2 ground and 6DoJ excited state of this ion provides unique insight into the structure of atomic anions. In addition, it may enable the preparation of ultracold ensembles of negative ions. Laser excitation of the electric-dipole transition in Os− ions could be used to laser-cool them to microkelvin temperatures. If demonstrated to be successful, the technique would allow the cooling of any species of negatively charged ions - from subatomic particles to molecular anions - to ultracold temperatures by sympathetic cooling. We have been investigating the bound-bound electric-dipole transition in Os− by high-resolution laser spectroscopy with a view to using it for the first laser cooling of negative ions. The principle of the method, its potential applications, as well as experimental results are presented. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter"
]
|
10.1007/s11468-013-9490-5 | Modification of Emission Properties of ZnO Layers due to Plasmonic Near-Field Coupling to Ag Nanoislands | A simple fabrication method of silver (Ag) nanoislands on ZnO films is presented. Continuous wave and time-resolved photoluminescence and transmission are employed to investigate modifications of visible and UV emissions of ZnO brought about by coupling to localized surface plasmons residing on Ag nanoislands. The size of the nanoislands, determining their absorption and scattering efficiencies, is found to be an important factor governing plasmonic modification of optical response of ZnO films. The presence of the Ag nanoislands of appropriate dimensions causes a strong (threefold) increase in emission intensity and up to 1. 5 times faster recombination. The experimental results are successfully described by model calculations within the Mie theory. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
10.1021/acscatal.5b01427 | Descriptor Analysis in Methanol Conversion on Doped CeO<inf>2</inf>(111): Guidelines for Selectivity Tuning | Descriptors are crucial to systematize and optimize the activity, selectivity, and stability of catalysts. Adsorption energies have usually been taken as the main representative parameters that can summarize reaction energies and activation barriers for simple reactions on relatively simple reaction sites. However, more chemically sound terms, which can be directly mapped to experiments, would be more desirable. In addition, larger molecules with more than one potentially active position and complex sites, such as the acid-base pairs present in oxides, are typically beyond the scope provided by common linear-scaling methods. In the present work, we have analyzed the selectivity of the conversion of a polyfunctional molecule on a complex oxide that presents both acid-base and redox chemistry. The conversion of methanol to formaldehyde or CO on isovalently doped ceria(111) has been taken as an example. The selectivity toward CO is triggered by the competition between formaldehyde desorption and C-H cleavage. Our results show that, by introduction of dopant cations, the activation energy of the first H stripping of formaldehyde can be decreased so that its conversion becomes favorable over desorption for Zr- and Hf-doped systems and expanded lattice ceria. More importantly, desorption is controlled by geometric and acid-base factors, whereas C-H cleavage is exclusively electronically governed through acid-base and redox factors. Thus, both geometric and electronic structure parameters are needed to optimize the performance of ceria to attain the desired selectivity. Selectivity is then estimated by a collective descriptor of the surface that incorporates the ensemble size, acid-base, and redox contributions that can be directly compared to experimental values. In addition, this scaling relationship reduces the error associated with more traditional energy-based descriptors. We anticipate that the present scheme can be extended to metal oxides and other polyfunctionalized catalysts. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
Q4578884 | Development of VIK R & D center One3D | The subject of the proposed project is the expansion of the VIK R & D centre of One3D s.r.o. The reason for further expansion of VIK is the expansion of the additive approach technology in the field of metals and metal alloys and directly related activities. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1038/srep21414 | Electron-phonon interaction and pairing mechanism in superconducting Ca-intercalated bilayer graphene | Using the ab initio anisotropic Eliashberg theory including Coulomb interactions, we investigate the electron-phonon interaction and the pairing mechanism in the recently-reported superconducting Ca-intercalated bilayer graphene. We find that C6 CaC6 can support phonon-mediated superconductivity with a critical temperature Tc = 6. 8-8. 1 K, in good agreement with experimental data. Our calculations indicate that the low-energy Caxy vibrations are critical to the pairing, and that it should be possible to resolve two distinct superconducting gaps on the electron and hole Fermi surface pockets. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1152/physiol.00040.2015 | Principles of Motor Unit Physiology Evolve With Advances in Technology | Movements are generated by the coordinated activation of motor units. Recent technological advances have made it possible to identify the concurrent activity of several tens of motor units, in contrast with much smaller samples available in classic studies. We discuss how these advances in technology have enabled the development of a population perspective of how the central nervous system controls motor unit activity and thereby the forces exerted by muscles. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
641110 | The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation and its Slaves | The proposed project analyses slavery in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation in the long 18th century. | [
"The Study of the Human Past",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
]
|
W1549814571 | Uso eficiente y sustentable del agua | Water is not a natural resource more, is a vital resource that can fully explain the cycles of nature and the interactions between species and the environment they live under water cycle. But water resists man, so its use requires rational actions that should serve the welfare of society, in order to achieve what today is called quality of life in a healthy environment. To do this, water requires that the Water Policy determines the purposes; that the Water Plannins is reflected in Planning Plans, Stages and Programs; That the Water Legislation provide an appropriate regulatory framework, that the Water Administration take Policy into practice and that the Management is the central place that is linked to water use efficiency. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
]
|
10.1183/16000617.0019-2016 | Malignant Pleural Effusion From Bench To Bedside | Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a common but serious condition that is related with poor quality of life, morbidity and mortality. Its incidence and associated healthcare costs are rising and its management remains palliative, with median survival ranging from 3 to 12 months. During the last decade there has been significant progress in unravelling the pathophysiology of MPE, as well as its diagnostics, imaging, and management. Nowadays, formerly bed-ridden patients are genotyped, phenotyped, and treated on an ambulatory basis. This article attempts to provide a comprehensive overview of current advances in MPE from bench to bedside. In addition, it highlights unanswered questions in current clinical practice and suggests future directions for basic and clinical research in the field. | [
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
interreg_158 | Animation League for Increased Cooperation in Europe | ALICE intends to seize the opportunity presented by the current boom in the animation sector in a bid to build up its capacity to contribute to growth and job creation in Europe. This fits in perfectly with the Animation Plan for Europe published by the European Commission in September 2017 as part of preparations for the next Creative Europe Media programme.
While some European films such as ‘Ma vie de courgette’ and ‘Tortue rouge’, supported by regional funds, were nominated for Oscars, others like ‘Sammy’s Adventures 1 & 2’, Paddington’ and ‘Tarzan’ have each been seen by over 5 million people. TV series like Mouk, Peppa Pig, spin-off series from films like Shaun the Sheep have not been left out of the picture either – over the last 5 years we have witnessed the emergence of animation studios capable of providing stiff competition on the world stage. Thanks to digitisation and changing consumption habits (tablets, smartphones, internet, applications), their product catalogues are today being consumed on the many different platforms available by a young audience and one that is always looking for something new. We are seeing the emergence of European SMEs holding high added-value intellectual rights.
Given this opportunity, ALICE plans to make the partner regions drivers of this growth.
To achieve this objective, ALICE will study options available in order to:
- Adapt the current policy instruments so as to enable the development or creation of financial instruments capable of generating scale-up change in the activities of SMEs in the sector.
- Discuss ways to both train (through public/private partnerships) and retain talented animators by changing the eligibility rules of existing or soon to be created support fund rules.
- Identify innovative methods for distributing animated content.
- Examine the possibility of grouping together into clusters in order to help internationalise the SMEs concerned. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
]
|
10.1039/C4NR06874B | High Quality Large Area Mose2 And Mose2 Bi2Se3 Heterostructures On Aln 0001 Si 111 Substrates By Molecular Beam Epitaxy | Atomically-thin, inherently 2D semiconductors offer thickness scaling of nanoelectronic devices and excellent response to light for low-power versatile applications. Using small exfoliated flakes, advanced devices and integrated circuits have already been realized, showing great potential to impact nanoelectronics. Here, high-quality single-crystal MoSe2 is grown by molecular beam epitaxy on AlN(0001)/Si(111), showing the potential for scaling up growth to low-cost, large-area substrates for mass production. The MoSe2 layers are epitaxially aligned with the aluminum nitride (AlN) lattice, showing a uniform, smooth surface and interfaces with no reaction or intermixing, and with sufficiently high band offsets. High-quality single-layer MoSe2 is obtained, with a direct gap evidenced by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and further confirmed by Raman and intense room temperature photoluminescence. The successful growth of high-quality MoSe2/Bi2Se3 multilayers on AlN shows promise for novel devices exploiting the non-trivial topological properties of Bi2Se3. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
10.1145/2615569.2615655 | Analysing The Duration Of Trending Topics In Twitter Using Wikipedia | The analysis of trending topics in Twitter is a goldmine for a variety of studies and applications. However, the contents of topics vary greatly from daily routines to major public events, enduring from a few hours to weeks or months. It is thus helpful to distinguish trending topics related to real-world events with those originated within virtual communities. In this paper, we analyse trending topics in Twitter using Wikipedia as reference for studying the provenance of trending topics. We show that among different factors, the duration of a trending topic characterizes exogenous Twitter trending topics better than endogenous ones. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
W624358109 | Drugs, Addiction, and the Brain | Drugs, Addiction, and the Brain explores the molecular, cellular, and neurocircuitry systems in the brain that are responsible for drug addiction. Common neurobiological elements are emphasized that provide novel insights into how the brain mediates the acute rewarding effects of drugs of abuse and how it changes during the transition from initial drug use to compulsive drug use and addiction. The book provides a detailed overview of the pathophysiology of the disease. The information provided will be useful for neuroscientists in the field of addiction, drug abuse treatment providers, and undergraduate and postgraduate students who are interested in learning the diverse effects of drugs of abuse on the brain. * Full-color circuitry diagrams of brain regions implicated in each stage of the addiction cycle* Actual data figures from original sources illustrating key concepts and findings* Introduction to basic neuropharmacology terms and concepts* Introduction to numerous animal models used to study diverse aspects of drug use.* Thorough review of extant work on the neurobiology of addiction | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
W3112241207 | Fingerprints of heavy scales in electroweak effective Lagrangians | The couplings of the electroweak effective theory contain information on the heavy-mass scales which are no-longer present in the low-energy Lagrangian. We build a general effective Lagrangian, implementing the electroweak chiral symmetry breaking $SU(2)_L\otimes SU(2)_R\to SU(2)_{L+R}$, which couples the known particle fields to heavier states with bosonic quantum numbers $J^P=0^\pm$ and $1^\pm$. We consider colour-singlet heavy fields that are in singlet or triplet representations of the electroweak group. Integrating out these heavy scales, we analyze the pattern of low-energy couplings among the light fields which are generated by the massive states. We adopt a generic non-linear realization of the electroweak symmetry breaking with a singlet Higgs, without making any assumption about its possible doublet structure. Special attention is given to the different possible descriptions of massive spin-1 fields and the differences arising from naive implementations of these formalisms, showing their full equivalence once a proper short-distance behaviour is required. | [
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter",
"Mathematics"
]
|
10.1177/0021998316677333 | Assessment Of The Effect Of Microstructural Uncertainty On The Macroscopic Properties Of Random Composite Materials | The linking of microstructural uncertainty with the random variation in the response of heterogeneous structures at the macroscale is particularly important in the framework of the stochastic finite element method. In this work, the effect of uncertainty in the constituent material properties and the geometry of the microstructure, on the macroscopic properties of composite materials is assessed through computational homogenization. Based on Hill–Mandel homogeneity condition, the homogenization procedure utilizes the excellent synergy of the extended finite element method and the Monte Carlo simulation. In this way, the computation of the statistical characteristics of the homogenized elasticity tensor of random composite materials reinforced with arbitrarily shaped inclusions is performed in a computationally efficient manner. The effect of stochastic variation in the elastic properties of the constituents as well as the effect of inclusion shape on the statistical characteristics of the homogenized elas. . . | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
W2119721363 | Preparation and characterization of anticancer drug-loaded implantable PLGA microparticles | This article describes the preparation and characterization of anticancer drug-loaded poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microparticles. PLGA microparticles loaded with doxorubicin HCl (DOX) were prepared via o/w emulsion solvent evaporation. The release characteristics, encapsulation efficiency, size, and morphology of the PLGA microparticles were also determined. A cytotoxicity test was performed by using Glioma RG2 cancer cells to investigate the cytotoxicity of DOX-loaded PLGA microparticles. The DOX-loaded PLGA microparticles had an average diameter of 500 \pm 9 nm. The DOX encapsulation efficiency and drug loading were 22.75% and 0.78%, respectively. DOX-loaded PLGA microparticles displayed a significant cytotoxicity toward the RG2 cells as compared to the unloaded PLGA | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1063/1.3431971 | Bihamiltonian Structure Of The Two Component Kadomtsev Petviashvili Hierarchy Of Type B | We employ a Lax pair representation of the two-component BKP hierarchy and construct its bihamiltonian structure with R-matrix techniques. | [
"Mathematics"
]
|
223650 | Innovative technology solutions to explore effects of the microbiome on intestine and brain pathophysiology | The human gut is host to over 100 trillion bacteria that are known to be essential for human health. Intestinal microbes can affect the function of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, via immunity, nutrient absorption, energy metabolism and intestinal barrier function. Alterations in the microbiome have been linked with many disease phenotypes including colorectal cancer, Crohn’s disease, obesity, diabetes as well as neuropathologies such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), stress and anxiety. Animal studies remain one of the sole means of assessing the importance of microbiota on development and well-being, however the use of animals to study human systems is increasingly questioned due to ethics, cost and relevance concerns. In vitro models have developed at an accelerated pace in the past decade, benefitting from advances in cell culture (in particular 3D cell culture and use of human cell types), increasing the viability of these systems as alternatives to traditional cell culture methods. This in turn will allow refinement and replacement of animal use. In particular in basic science, or high throughput approaches where animal models are under significant pressure to be replaced, in vitro human models can be singularly appropriate. The development of in vitro models with microbiota has not yet been demonstrated even though the transformative role of the microbiota appears unquestionable. The IMBIBE project will focus on using engineering and materials science approaches to develop complete (i.e. human and microbe) in vitro models to truly capture the human situation. IMBIBE will benefit from cutting edge organic electronic technology which will allow real-time monitoring thus enabling iterative improvements in the models employed. The result from this project will be a platform to study host-microbiome interactions and consequences for pathophysiology, in particular, of the GI tract and brain. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering",
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System"
]
|
EP 2015001120 W | CONSTRUCTION PROTECTION | Shown and described is a studded membrane (1) made of plastic for use as a drainage and/or sealing membrane. According to the invention there is provided, on at least one long edge (3) of the studded membrane (1), more particularly on both opposite long edges (3), at least one sealing element, more particularly a sealing strip (5, 6). | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
222496 | Smart photovoltaic façades for self-powered buildings | Buildings are responsible for 40% of energy consumption and 36 % of CO2 emissions and are an important field of action in the EU. Europe counts with a vast potential volume of 600000 non-residential buildings and more than 70% of the global photovoltaic market, forecasted to reach more than 2.05 billion € annually. PowerBrise comes as a smart solution both to significantly improve the energy self-consumption of large non-residential buildings and to increase their energy efficiency. Synthesis s.r.l. goes a step further in the current state of the art by developing an novel photovoltaic solution for building Façades which integrates for the first time the benefits of : (1) Brise soleil (or louver system), (2) Photovoltaic power and (3) Building Automation Systems (BAS). PowerBrise uses sun radiation to generate power but at the same time lets in some sun light through the semi-transparent cells.
Brise soleil by its own increases the comfort inside the building and reduces up to 25% its energy consumption; the integration of photovoltaic cells inside the glass of brise soleil and the smart motorization to automatically follow the sun direction, makes PowerBrise is able to save up 40% of the building energy costs, supplying by means of renewable energy, up to 25% of the energy consumed by the building. We expect that the deployment of PowerBrise in the EU and international markets will allow Synthesis for the exploitation of a business opportunity in new and retrofit installations that will bring cumulative revenues of 30 M€ by 2025, with a ROI of 4.7 and the creation of 37 direct jobs by 2025. This Phase 1 will allow us to ensure that PowerBrise is feasible from a technical and economic point of view, and that its implementation will be a commercial success | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
W2923833659 | Going Farther Together: The Impact of Social Capital on Sustained Participation in Open Source | Sustained participation by contributors in open-source software is critical to the survival of open-source projects and can provide career advancement benefits to individual contributors. However, not all contributors reap the benefits of open-source participation fully, with prior work showing that women are particularly underrepresented and at higher risk of disengagement. While many barriers to participation in open-source have been documented in the literature, relatively little is known about how the social networks that open-source contributors form impact their chances of long-term engagement. In this paper we report on a mixed-methods empirical study of the role of social capital (i.e., the resources people can gain from their social connections) for sustained participation by women and men in open-source GitHub projects. After combining survival analysis on a large, longitudinal data set with insights derived from a user survey, we confirm that while social capital is beneficial for prolonged engagement for both genders, women are at disadvantage in teams lacking diversity in expertise. | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
DE 102017114767 A | Dosiereinrichtung und Verfahren zum Betreiben einer Dosiereinrichtung | Die Erfindung betrifft unter anderem eine Dosiereinrichtung (10), umfassend wenigstens einen Einlass (34a, 34b, 34c), wenigstens einen Auslass (35), und wenigstens eine von einer Steuerung (21) ansprechbare Pumpe (14), wobei der Einlass mit einem Behältnis (11a, 11b, 11c) verbindbar ist, in dem sich ein zu dosierendes Medium (31a, 31b, 31c) befindet, und wobei mittels der Pumpe (14) das Medium von dem Einlass zu dem Auslass förderbar ist. Die Besonderheit besteht unter anderem darin, dass der Steuerung eine Detektionseinrichtung (25a, 25b, 25c) zugeordnet ist, mit dera) eine Farbe des Behältnisses (11a, 11b, 11c) und/oderb) eine Farbe eines Deckels (24a, 24b, 24c) des Behältnisses (11 a, 11b, 11c) und/oderc) eine Farbe einer Verbindungsleitung (13a, 13b, 13c) zwischen dem Behältnis und dem Einlass und/oderd) eine Farbe des Mediums (31a, 31b, 31c) ermittelbar, und als Farbinformation an die Steuerung übermittelbar ist. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.7554/eLife.07432 | Structural basis for recognition and remodeling of the TBP:DNA:NC2 complex by Mot1 | Swi2/Snf2 ATPases remodel substrates such as nucleosomes and transcription complexes to control a wide range of DNA-associated processes, but detailed structural information on the ATP-dependent remodeling reactions is largely absent. The single subunit remodeler Mot1 (modifier of transcription 1) dissociates TATA box-binding protein (TBP):DNA complexes, offering a useful system to address the structural mechanisms of Swi2/Snf2 ATPases. Here, we report the crystal structure of the N-terminal domain of Mot1 in complex with TBP, DNA, and the transcription regulator negative cofactor 2 (NC2). Our data show that Mot1 reduces DNA:NC2 interactions and unbends DNA as compared to the TBP:DNA:NC2 state, suggesting that Mot1 primes TBP:NC2 displacement in an ATP-independent manner. Electron microscopy and cross-linking data suggest that the Swi2/Snf2 domain of Mot1 associates with the upstream DNA and the histone fold of NC2, thereby revealing parallels to some nucleosome remodelers. This study provides a structural framework for how a Swi2/Snf2 ATPase interacts with its substrate DNA:protein complex. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1016/j.cortex.2019.10.001 | The enfacement illusion boosts facial mimicry | Facial mimicry, the automatic imitation of another person's emotion, is a mechanism underlying emotion recognition and emotional contagion, a phylogenetically conserved form of empathy that precedes later developing empathic skills. We tested the possibility to increase facial mimicry by blurring self-other distinction via the enfacement illusion. To do so we delivered synchronous, versus asynchronous, visuo-tactile interpersonal multisensory stimulation on the observer and expresser's faces and then recorded surface facial EMG while participants observed videos of happy and sad facial expressions displayed by the expresser. Our results show that synchronous visuo-tactile stimulation can indeed enhance facial mimicry and that this depends on participants' baseline tendency to mimic. Our findings could set the basis for developing novel interventions for conditions characterized by reduced empathic and emotion recognition skills, including autism and schizophrenia. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
W2031293469 | Dramatic Reduction of IR Vibrational Cross Sections of Molecules Encapsulated in Carbon Nanotubes | Combined temperature-programmed desorption and IR studies suggest that absorption cross sections of IR-active vibrations of molecules "strongly" bound to single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are reduced at least by a factor of 10. Quantum chemical simulations show that IR intensities of endohedrally encapsulated molecules are dramatically reduced, and identify dielectric screening by highly polarizable SWCNT sidewalls as the origin of such "screening". The observed intensity reduction originates from a sizable cancellation of adsorbate dipole moments by mirror charges dynamically induced on the nanotube sidewalls. For exohedrally adsorbed molecules, the dielectric screening is found to be orientation-dependent with a smaller magnitude for adsorption in groove and interstitial sites. The presented results clearly demonstrate and quantify the screening effect of SWCNTs and unequivocally show that IR spectroscopy cannot be applied in a straightforward manner to the study of peapod systems. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
]
|
W2902034569 | Multi-objective optimization approach toward conceptual design of gas turbine combustor | Abstract This paper focused on the conceptual design of a conventional gas turbine combustor via the multi-objective optimization approach. The suggested method integrated the design and estimation of the performance of the combustion chamber. The geometry and performance parameters could be found by applying the design tool. According to the level of available information in the primary phases of the design process, a chemical reactor network approach for modeling the combustion was chosen; thus, the droplet evaporation of the liquid fuel and unmixedness of the fuel-air mixture in the primary zone was modeled. The results obtained from the design tool for the two annular combustors were compared with the empirical data and showed an acceptable convergence between the dimensions and exhaust pollutants emission. The targets in the optimization process were the amount of the emission indices for two important pollutants (NOx and CO) produced by engines. Also, the parameters of the mass fractions of the primary zone, secondary zone, dilution zone, and the length of the primary and secondary zone were considered as the optimization variables. The results of the optimization process showed that minor changes in the combustor design could minimize the specified objectives to an acceptable level. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
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