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10.1117/12.2186994 | Ambipolar Organic Permeable Base Transistors | Organic transistors with vertical current transport like the Permeable Base Transistor (PBT) show a high performance while allowing for an easy fabrication on the device level. For a simple implementation on a circuit level, ambipolar transistors, providing the functionality of n-type as well as p-type devices, have a benefit for complementary logic. This requires transistors where electrons and holes are present. Here, we investigate a potential concept of bipolar current transport in PBTs. In our device structure, we use the base electrode to control the current flow, but also to investigate the charge carrier transport. The ambipolar organic PBT achieves a charge carrier transmission of 88% and a current density above 200mA=cm 2 . Additionally, we show that recombination near the base is required in an ambipolar PBT for a good performance. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1109/JSSC.2017.2737549 | Cryo Cmos Circuits And Systems For Quantum Computing Applications | A fault-tolerant quantum computer with millions of quantum bits (qubits) requires massive yet very precise control electronics for the manipulation and readout of individual qubits. CMOS operating at cryogenic temperatures down to 4 K (cryo-CMOS) allows for closer system integration, thus promising a scalable solution to enable future quantum computers. In this paper, a cryogenic control system is proposed, along with the required specifications, for the interface of the classical electronics with the quantum processor. To prove the advantages of such a system, the functionality of key circuit blocks is experimentally demonstrated. The characteristic properties of cryo-CMOS are exploited to design a noise-canceling low-noise amplifier for spin-qubit RF-reflectometry readout and a class-F2,3 digitally controlled oscillator required to manipulate the state of qubits. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1007/s11295-018-1309-2 | Heritability and genetic architecture of reproduction-related traits in a temperate oak species | Reproduction, one of the main components of plant fitness, is highly variable in response to environmental cues, but little is known about the genetic determinism underlying reproduction-related traits in forest tree species. There is therefore an urgent need to characterize the genetic architecture of those traits if we are to predict the evolutionary trajectories of forest populations facing rapidly changing environment and mitigate their impacts. Using a full-sib family of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur), we investigated the within population variability of seed production and mean seed mass during four consecutive years. Reproductive traits were highly variable between trees and between years. The high narrow sense heritability and evolvability estimated underline the important genetic effect on the variability in seed production and mean seed mass. Despite a large variability over years, reproductive traits show significant genetic correlation between years. Furthermore, for the first time in forest tree species, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with seed production and mean mass of a seed have been identified. While it is commonly assumed and observed that fitness traits have low narrow sense heritabilities, our findings show that reproduction-related traits may undergo evolutionary changes under selective pressure and may be determinant for tree adaptation. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
10.7717/peerj.8734 | Testing the individual and social learning abilities of task-naïve captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes sp.) in a nut-cracking task | Nut-cracking is often cited as one of the most complex behaviours observed in wild chimpanzees. However, the cognitive mechanisms behind its acquisition are still debated. The current null hypothesis is that the form of nut-cracking behaviour relies on variants of social learning, with some researchers arguing, more precisely, that copying variants of social learning mechanisms are necessary. However, to date, very few experiments have directly investigated the potentially sufficient role of individual learning in explaining the behavioural form of nut-cracking. Despite this, the available data provides some evidence for the spontaneous acquisition of nut-cracking by chimpanzees; later group acquisition was then found to be at least facilitated by (unspecified) variants of social learning. The latter findings are in line with both suggested hypotheses, i. e. , that copying social learning is required and that other (non-copying) social learning mechanisms are at play. Here we present the first study which focused (initially) on the role of individual learning for the acquisition of the nut-cracking behavioural form in chimpanzees. We tested task-naïve chimpanzees (N = 13) with an extended baseline condition to examine whether the behaviour would emerge spontaneously. After the baseline condition (which was unsuccessful), we tested for the role of social learning by providing social information in a step-wise fashion, culminating in a full action demonstration of nut-cracking by a human demonstrator (this last condition made it possible for the observers to copy all actions underlying the behaviour). Despite the opportunities to individually and/or socially learn nut-cracking, none of the chimpanzees tested here cracked nuts using tools in any of the conditions in our study; thus, providing no conclusive evidence for either competing hypothesis. We conclude that this failure was the product of an interplay of factors, including behavioural conservatism and the existence of a potential sensitive learning period for nut-cracking in chimpanzees. The possibility remains that nut-cracking is a behaviour that chimpanzees can individually learn. However, this behaviour might only be acquired when chimpanzees are still inside their sensitive learning period, and when ecological and developmental conditions allow for it. The possibility remains that nut-cracking is an example of a culture dependent trait in non-human great apes. Recommendations for future research projects to address this question are considered. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
W4316468647 | A prospective study on the efficacy of dupilumab in chronic rhinosinusitis with type 2 inflammation | Treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) includes endoscopic sinus surgery and topic and/or systemic corticosteroids, which have only temporary effects. The development of biologic therapies has provided a new treatment paradigm for CRSwNP. Dupilumab is the only biological approved in Italy for CRSwNP, but its efficacy in a real-life context is still scarce.We carried out a monocentric prospective study at our institution with a 6-month follow-up on patients administered biweekly 300 mg dupilumab therapy for CRSwNP, prescribed according to EPOS 2020 criteria. Patients were evaluated at baseline and every 2 months.Median values at baseline and 6 months were, respectively, 3/12 and 8/12 for the Brief Smell Identification Test (p = 0.005), 5/8 and 2/8 for the Nasal Polyp Score (p < 0.001), 10/20 and 6/20 for the Lund-Kennedy score (p < 0.001), 65/110 and 14/110 for the Sinonasal Outcome Test (p < 0.001), and 15/25 and 23/25 for the Asthma Control Test score (p = 0.009). Adverse events were mild, consisting mainly in discomfort at the site of injection. Four patients developed asymptomatic hypereosinophilia. The treatment was not discontinued in any patient.Dupilumab was confirmed to be an effective and safe treatment for CRSwNP, as previously seen in registrational studies.Studio prospettico sull’efficacia di dupilumab per rinosinusite cronica con infiammazione di tipo 2.Il trattamento della rinosinusite cronica include la chirurgia nasosinusale endoscopica e la terapia steroidea locale e sistemica. I nuovi farmaci biologici hanno fornito un efficace strumento contro i sintomi della malattia. Dupilumab è l’unico biologico approvato in Italia, ma l’evidenza circa la sua efficacia nella pratica clinica è limitata.Questo articolo riporta uno studio prospettico monocentrico su pazienti in follow up per 6 mesi durante la terapia bisettimanale con dupilumab, secondo i criteri proposti da EPOS2020. I pazienti sono stati valutati prima della terapia e ogni due mesi.I valori mediani prima della terapia e a 6 mesi mostrano un miglioramento nell’olfatto, misurato mediante un test oggettivo (Brief Smell Identification Test), nella dimensione dei polipi, nell’infiammazione della mucosa nasale, nella qualità di vita dei pazienti e nel controllo dell’asma. Gli effetti collaterali sono stati di lieve entità: il più comune è stato il dolore in sede di iniezione. 4 pazienti hanno sviluppato un’ipereosinofilia asintomatica. Il trattamento non è stato interrotto in nessuno di questi casi.Nella nostra esperienza, il trattamento con dupilumab è stato efficace e sicuro in linea con i risultati degli studi di registrazione. | [
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy"
]
|
10.1002/bies.201800024 | Mammalian X Chromosome Dosage Compensation: Perspectives From the Germ Line | Sex chromosomes are advantageous to mammals, allowing them to adopt a genetic rather than environmental sex determination system. However, sex chromosome evolution also carries a burden, because it results in an imbalance in gene dosage between females (XX) and males (XY). This imbalance is resolved by X dosage compensation, which comprises both X chromosome inactivation and X chromosome upregulation. X dosage compensation has been well characterized in the soma, but not in the germ line. Germ cells face a special challenge, because genome wide reprogramming erases epigenetic marks responsible for maintaining the X dosage compensated state. Here we explain how evolution has influenced the gene content and germ line specialization of the mammalian sex chromosomes. We discuss new research uncovering unusual X dosage compensation states in germ cells, which we postulate influence sexual dimorphisms in germ line development and cause infertility in individuals with sex chromosome aneuploidy. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
10.1016/j.neuropharm.2009.03.007 | Ischaemia differentially regulates GABA<inf>B</inf> receptor subunits in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures | Reduced synaptic inhibition due to dysfunction of ionotropic GABAA receptors has been proposed as one factor in cerebral ischaemia-induced excitotoxic cell death. However, the participation of the inhibitory metabotropic GABAB receptors in these pathological processes has not been extensively investigated. We used oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) and NMDA-induced excitotoxicity as models to investigate whether ischaemia-like challenges alter the protein levels of GABAB1 and GABAB2 receptor subunits in rat organotypic hippocampal slice cultures. Twenty-four hours after the insult both OGD and NMDA produced a marked decrease in the total levels of GABAB2 (∼75%), while there was no significant change in the levels of GABAB1 after OGD, but an increase after NMDA treatment (∼100%). The GABAB receptor agonist baclofen (100 μM) was neuroprotective following OGD or NMDA treatment if added before or during the insult. GABAB receptors comprise heterodimers of GABAB1 and GABAB2 subunits and our results suggest that the separate subunits are independently regulated in response to extreme neuronal stress. However, because GABAB2 is required for functional surface expression, down-regulation of this subunit removes an important inhibitory feedback mechanism under pathological conditions. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b03303 | Refractory Plasmonics without Refractory Materials | Refractory plasmonics deals with metallic nanostructures that can withstand high temperatures and intense laser pulses. The common belief was that refractory materials such as TiN are necessary for this purpose. Here we show that refractory plasmonics is possible without refractory materials. We demonstrate that gold nanostructures which are overcoated with 4 and 40 nm Al2O3 (alumina) by an atomic layer deposition process or by thick IC1-200 resist can withstand temperatures of over 800 °C at ambient atmospheric conditions. Furthermore, the alumina-coated structures can withstand intense laser radiation of over 10 GW/cm2 at ambient conditions without damage. Thus, it is possible to combine the excellent linear and nonlinear plasmonic properties of gold with material properties that were believed to be only possible with the lossier and less nonlinear refractory materials. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1016/j.agrformet.2019.107818 | Contrasting microclimates among hedgerows and woodlands across temperate Europe | Hedgerows have the potential to facilitate the persistence and migration of species across landscapes, mostly due to benign microclimatic conditions. This thermal buffering function may become even more important in the future for species migration under climate change. Unfortunately, there is a lack of empirical studies quantifying the microclimate of hedgerows, particularly at broad geographical scales. Here we monitored sub-canopy temperatures using 168 miniature temperature sensors distributed along woodland-hedgerow transects, and spanning a 1600-km macroclimatic gradient across Europe. First, we assessed the variation in the temperature offset (that is, the difference between sub-canopy and corresponding macroclimate temperatures) for minimum, mean and maximum temperatures along the woodland-hedgerow transects. Next, we linked the observed patterns to macroclimate temperatures as well as canopy structure, overstorey composition and hedgerow characteristics. The sub-canopy versus macroclimate temperature offset was on average 0. 10 °C lower in hedgerows than in woodlands. Minimum winter temperatures were consistently lower by 0. 10 °C in hedgerows than in woodlands, while maximum summer temperatures were 0. 80 °C higher, albeit mainly around the woodland-hedgerow ecotone. The temperature offset was often negatively correlated with macroclimate temperatures. The slope of this relationship was lower for maximum temperatures in hedgerows than in woodlands. During summer, canopy cover, tree height and hedgerow width had strong cooling effects on maximum mid-day temperatures in hedgerows. The effects of shrub height, shrub cover and shade-casting ability, however, were not significant. To our knowledge, this is the first study to quantify hedgerow microclimates along a continental-scale environmental gradient. We show that hedgerows are less efficient thermal insulators than woodlands, especially at high ambient temperatures (e. g. on warm summer days). This knowledge will not only result in better predictions of species distribution across fragmented landscapes, but will also help to elaborate efficient strategies for biodiversity conservation and landscape planning. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Earth System Science"
]
|
10.1021/nn4045886 | Exploiting quantum interference in dye sensitized solar cells | A strategy to hinder the charge recombination process in dye sensitized solar cells is developed in analogy with similar approaches to modulate charge transport across nanostructures. The system studied is a TiO2 (anatase)-chromophore interface, with an unsaturated carbon bridge connecting the two subunits. A theory for nonadiabatic electron transfer is employed in order to take explicitly into account the contribution from the bridge states mediating the process. If a cross-conjugated fragment is present in the bridge, it is possible to suppress the charge recombination by negative interference of the possible tunnelling path. Calculations carried out on realistic molecules at the DFT level of theory show how the recombination lifetime can be modulated by changes in the electron-withdrawing (donating) character of the groups connected to the cross-conjugated bridge. Tight binding calculations are employed to support the interpretation of the atomistic simulations. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
]
|
219472 | Robotic manipulation planning for human-robot collaboration on forceful manufacturing tasks | This proposal addresses robotic manipulation planning for human-robot collaboration during manufacturing. My objective is to develop a planning framework which will enable a team of robots to grasp, move and position manufacturing parts (e.g. planks of wood) such that a human can execute sequential forceful manufacturing operations (e.g. drilling, cutting) to build a product (e.g. a wooden table).
The overall objective is divided into three components: First, I will develop a planning algorithm which, given the description of a manufacturing task, plans the actions of all robots in a human-robot team to perform the task. Second, I will develop probabilistic models of human interaction to be used by the planner. This model will include (i) an action model that assigns probabilities to different manufacturing operations (e.g. drilling a hole vs. cutting a piece off) as the next actions the human intends to do; (ii) a geometric model that assigns probabilities to human body postures; and (iii) a force model that assigns probabilities to force vectors as the predicted operational forces. Third, I will build a real robotic system to perform experiments and test my algorithm's capabilities. This system will consist of at least three robot manipulators.
This fellowship will enable me to add a completely new human dimension to my planning research. I will work with Prof. Tony Cohn (supervisor) who is a world-leading expert in human activity recognition and prediction - a critical skill for the human-robot collaboration problem I intend to solve. From him and his group, I will receive training on tracking/predicting human posture and recognizing/predicting human activities using vision and point-cloud data. I will then integrate these tracking and prediction methods into a robotic planning framework to enable human-robot collaborative operations.
This fellowship will help me to attain a permanent academic position and to become a leading researcher in robotic manipulation. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
W1580911780 | Discovering complexity: decomposition and localization as strategies in scientific research | In Discovering Complexity, William Bechtel and Robert Richardson examine two heuristics that guided the development of mechanistic models in the life sciences: decomposition and localization. Drawing on historical cases from disciplines including cell biology, cognitive neuroscience, and genetics, they identify a number of choice points that life scientists confront in developing mechanistic explanations and show how different choices result in divergent explanatory models. Describing decomposition as the attempt to differentiate functional and structural components of a system and localization as the assignment of responsibility for specific functions to specific structures, Bechtel and Richardson examine the usefulness of these heuristics as well as their fallibility -- the sometimes false assumption underlying them that nature is significantly decomposable and hierarchically organized. When Discovering Complexity was originally published in 1993, few philosophers of science perceived the centrality of seeking mechanisms to explain phenomena in biology, relying instead on the model of nomological explanation advanced by the logical positivists (a model Bechtel and Richardson found to be utterly inapplicable to the examples from the life sciences in their study). Since then, mechanism and mechanistic explanation have become widely discussed. In a substantive new introduction to this MIT Press edition of their book, Bechtel and Richardson examine both philosophical and scientific developments in research on mechanistic models since 1993. | [
"Texts and Concepts",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
10.1109/APEC.2015.7104397 | A Series Lc Filtered Active Damper For Ac Power Electronics Based Power Systems | This paper proposes an active damper with a series LC-filter for suppressing resonances in an ac power electronics based power system. The added filter capacitor helps to lower the voltage stress of the converter to be used for implementing the damper. Unlike active filters for the compensation of low-order harmonics, the proposed active damper deals with the resonances caused by the interactions among grid-connected converters and reactive elements of the system, which are higher-order and vary in a wide frequency range. To confirm the validity of the damper, a three-phase experimental system is built, where the damper is integrated into a grid-connected converter. The results obtained from the experiments demonstrate the stability enhancement of ac power electronics based power systems by the active damper. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
W2525368025 | Critical behavior of<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mi>k</mml:mi></mml:math>-core percolation: Numerical studies | $k$-Core percolation has served as a paradigmatic model of discontinuous percolation for a long time. Recently it was revealed that the order parameter of $k$-core percolation of random networks additionally exhibits critical behavior. Thus $k$-core percolation exhibits a hybrid phase transition. Unlike the critical behaviors of ordinary percolation that are well understood, those of hybrid percolation transitions have not been thoroughly understood yet. Here, we investigate the critical behavior of $k$-core percolation of Erd\H{o}s-R\'enyi networks. We find numerically that the fluctuations of the order parameter and the mean avalanche size diverge in different ways. Thus, we classify the critical exponents into two types: those associated with the order parameter and those with finite avalanches. The conventional scaling relations hold within each set, however, these two critical exponents are coupled. Finally we discuss some universal features of the critical behaviors of $k$-core percolation and the cascade failure model on multiplex networks. | [
"Mathematics",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
]
|
10.1007/JHEP06(2017)081 | Extraction Of Partonic Transverse Momentum Distributions From Semi Inclusive Deep Inelastic Scattering Drell Yan And Z Boson Production | We present an extraction of unpolarized partonic transverse momentum distributions (TMDs) from a simultaneous fit of available data measured in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering, Drell-Yan and Z-boson production. To connect data at different scales, we use TMD evolution at next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy. The analysis is restricted to the low-transverse-momentum region, with no matching to fixed-order calculations at high transverse momentum. We introduce specific choices to deal with TMD evolution at low scales, of the order of 1 GeV$^2$. This could be considered as a first attempt at a global fit of TMDs. | [
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter"
]
|
10.1016/j.radonc.2011.05.044 | E-Cadherin loss associated with EMT promotes radioresistance in human tumor cells | Background and purpose: Hypoxia is a hallmark of solid cancers and associated with metastases and treatment failure. During tumor progression epithelial cells often acquire mesenchymal features, a phenomenon known as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Intratumoral hypoxia has been linked to EMT induction. We hypothesized that signals from the tumor microenvironment such as growth factors and tumor oxygenation collaborate to promote EMT and thereby contribute to radioresistance. Materials and methods: Gene expression changes under hypoxia were analyzed using microarray and validated by qRT-PCR. Conversion of epithelial phenotype upon hypoxic exposure, TGFβ addition or oncogene activation was investigated by Western blot and immunofluorescence. Cell survival following ionizing radiation was assayed using clonogenic survival. Results: Upon hypoxia, TGFβ addition or EGFRvIII expression, MCF7, A549 and NMuMG epithelial cells acquired a spindle shape and lost cell-cell contacts. Expression of epithelial markers such as E-cadherin decreased, whereas mesenchymal markers such as vimentin and N-cadherin increased. Combining hypoxia with TGFβ or EGFRvIII expression, lead to more rapid and pronounced EMT-like phenotype. Interestingly, E-cadherin expression and the mesenchymal appearance were reversible upon reoxygenation. Mesenchymal conversion and E-cadherin loss were associated with radioresistance. Conclusions: Our findings describe a mechanism by which the tumor microenvironment may contribute to tumor radioresistance via E-cadherin loss and EMT. | [
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
10.1088/0004-637X/792/2/115 | Hubble Space Telescope Observations Of The Afterglow Supernova And Host Galaxy Associated With The Extremely Bright Grb 130427A | We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of the exceptionally bright and luminous Swift gamma-ray burst, GRB 130427A. At z=0. 34 this burst affords an excellent opportunity to study the supernova and host galaxy associated with an intrinsically extremely luminous burst ($E_{iso} >10^{54}$ erg): more luminous than any previous GRB with a spectroscopically associated supernova. We use the combination of the image quality, UV capability and and invariant PSF of HST to provide the best possible separation of the afterglow, host and supernova contributions to the observed light ~17 rest-frame days after the burst utilising a host subtraction spectrum obtained 1 year later. Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) grism observations show that the associated supernova, SN~2013cq, has an overall spectral shape and luminosity similar to SN 1998bw (with a photospheric velocity, v$_{ph}$ ~15,000 km/s). The positions of the bluer features are better matched by the higher velocity SN~2010bh (v$_{ph}$ ~ 30,000 km/s), but SN 2010bh is significantly fainter, and fails to reproduce the overall spectral shape, perhaps indicative of velocity structure in the ejecta. We find that the burst originated ~4 kpc from the nucleus of a moderately star forming (1 Msol/yr), possibly interacting disc galaxy. The absolute magnitude, physical size and morphology of this galaxy, as well as the location of the GRB within it are also strikingly similar to those of GRB980425/SN 1998bw. The similarity of supernovae and environment from both the most luminous and least luminous GRBs suggests broadly similar progenitor stars can create GRBs across six orders of magnitude in isotropic energy. | [
"Universe Sciences"
]
|
10.1088/0957-4484/25/39/395703 | Correction Of The Tip Convolution Effects In The Imaging Of Nanostructures Studied Through Scanning Force Microscopy | AFM images are always affected by artifacts arising from tip convolution effects, resulting in a decrease in the lateral resolution of this technique. The magnitude of such effects is described by means of geometrical considerations, thereby providing better understanding of the convolution phenomenon. We demonstrate that for a constant tip radius, the convolution error is increased with the object height, mainly for the narrowest motifs. Certain influence of the object shape is observed between rectangular and elliptical objects with the same height. Such moderate differences are essentially expected among elongated objects; in contrast they are reduced as the object aspect ratio is increased. Finally, we propose an algorithm to study the influence of the size, shape and aspect ratio of different nanometric motifs on a flat substrate. Indeed, with this algorithm, convolution artifacts can be extended to any kind of motif including real surface roughness. From the simulation results we demonstrate that in most cases the real motif's width can be estimated from AFM images without knowing its shape in detail. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00996 | Transition-State Interactions in a Promiscuous Enzyme: Sulfate and Phosphate Monoester Hydrolysis by Pseudomonas aeruginosa Arylsulfatase | Pseudomonas aeruginosa arylsulfatase (PAS) hydrolyzes sulfate and, promiscuously, phosphate monoesters. Enzyme-catalyzed sulfate transfer is crucial to a wide variety of biological processes, but detailed studies of the mechanistic contributions to its catalysis are lacking. We present linear free energy relationships (LFERs) and kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) of PAS and analyses of active site mutants that suggest a key role for leaving group (LG) stabilization. In LFERs PASWT has a much less negative Brønsted coefficient (βleaving groupobs-Enz = 0. 33) than the uncatalyzed reaction (βleaving groupobs = 1. 81). This situation is diminished when cationic active site groups are exchanged for alanine. The considerable degree of bond breaking during the transition state (TS) is evidenced by an 18Obridge KIE of 1. 0088. LFER and KIE data for several active site mutants point to leaving group stabilization by active site K375, in cooperation with H211. 15N KIEs and the increased sensitivity to leaving group ability of the sulfatase activity in neat D2O (βleaving groupH-D = +0. 06) suggest that the mechanism for S-Obridge bond fission shifts, with decreasing leaving group ability, from charge compensation via Lewis acid interactions toward direct proton donation. 18Ononbridge KIEs indicate that the TS for PAS-catalyzed sulfate monoester hydrolysis has a significantly more associative character compared to the uncatalyzed reaction, while PAS-catalyzed phosphate monoester hydrolysis does not show this shift. This difference in enzyme-catalyzed TSs appears to be the major factor favoring specificity toward sulfate over phosphate esters by this promiscuous hydrolase, since other features are either too similar (uncatalyzed TS) or inherently favor phosphate (charge). | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
889082 | A european training network to combat bone pain | In Europe 20 - 30% of adults are affected at any one time by musculoskeletal pain such as arthritic pain, lower back pain, pain from osteoporotic fractures and bone metastasis, and also most rare bone diseases are very painful. Despite a huge negative impact on the quality of life of the patients and on society as a whole, no specific treatment is yet available. Therefore, there is a strong need to train highly skilled researchers within bone pain and thereby make the foundation for improved therapies. In this proposal we bring together 3 industrial beneficiaries, 8 academic beneficiaries, and one industrial partner all committed to train a new generation of 15 creative, entrepreneurial and innovative early stages researchers in bone pain research and transferable skills. The early stages researchers will train with some of the foremost neuroscientists and bone researchers in academia and industry across Europe. The BonePainII training network will provide the early stage researchers with expertise that will enable them to gain high level employment both in academia and industry. In a multidisciplinary, intersectoral and integrated project we will develop advanced 3D microfluidic in vitro platforms and high throughput techniques to investigate bone-neuron interactions; validate and investigate novel in vivo models of bone pain including a rare bone disease; and using cutting-edge technologies to identify key mechanisms underlying bone pain in osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer-induced bone pain. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
W2183728767 | Traffic Congestion in Major Cities of Nigeria | This paper investigates traffic congestion which has become a common sight in most urban cities of Nigeria. A survey was conducted during the Annual National Conference of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) which held between 5 th and 9 th December 2011 at the Calabar Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort. 300 questionnaires were distributed among participants comprising experts in transportation planning and design as well as engineers of other disciplines, students, wives of engineers and other invited guests who constitute commuters, car owners/drivers, etc. 196 returns were made and these were analysed to ascertain the broad perspectives concerning the causes of traffic congestion in most urban cities in Nigeria. The results show that poor driving habits, poor road network, inadequate road capacity, and lack of parking facilities constitute the greatest causes of traffic congestion in Nigeria. Also, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja were identified as cities most affected by traffic congestion. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
]
|
10.1016/j.appet.2018.01.032 | Measurement of food-related approach–avoidance biases: Larger biases when food stimuli are task relevant | Strong implicit responses to food have evolved to avoid energy depletion but contribute to overeating in today's affluent environments. The Approach–Avoidance Task (AAT) supposedly assesses implicit biases in response to food stimuli: Participants push pictures on a monitor “away” or pull them “near” with a joystick that controls a corresponding image zoom. One version of the task couples movement direction with image content-independent features, for example, pulling blue-framed images and pushing green-framed images regardless of content (‘irrelevant feature version’). However, participants might selectively attend to this feature and ignore image content and, thus, such a task setup might underestimate existing biases. The present study tested this attention account by comparing two irrelevant feature versions of the task with either a more peripheral (image frame color: green vs. blue) or central (small circle vs. cross overlaid over the image content) image feature as response instruction to a ‘relevant feature version’ in which participants responded to the image content, thus making it impossible to ignore that content. Images of chocolate-containing foods and of objects were used, and several trait and state measures were acquired to validate the obtained biases. Results revealed a robust approach bias towards food only in the relevant feature condition. Interestingly, a positive correlation with state chocolate craving during the task was found when all three conditions were combined, indicative of criterion validity of all three versions. However, no correlations were found with trait chocolate craving. Results provide a strong case for the relevant feature version of the AAT for bias measurement. They also point to several methodological avenues for future research around selective attention in the irrelevant versions and task validity regarding trait vs. state variables. | [
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity",
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System"
]
|
10.1007/978-3-662-44145-9_4 | Logics With Copy And Remove | We propose a logic with the dynamic modal operators copy and remove. The copy operator replicates a given model, and the remove operator removes paths in a given model. We show that the product update by an action model with Boolean pre-conditions in dynamic epistemic logic decomposes in copy and remove operations. We also show that copy and remove operators of path of length 1 can be expressed by action models. We investigate the complexity of the satisfiability problem of syntactic fragments of the logic with copy and remove operations. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Mathematics"
]
|
10.1016/j.cobeha.2017.05.002 | Integrating social ecology in explanations of wolf–dog behavioral differences | Whereas studies in comparative cognition normally invoke ecology and social organization to account for differences in social behaviour and cognition across species, dog–wolf differences have so far been explained mostly as a result of direct human selection for desirable traits (e. g. , tameness, attention to humans, sociability). Yet, as will be reviewed in this paper, dogs and wolves also differ considerably in both their feeding niche and social organization (which together we refer to as ‘social ecology’). We suggest that observed wolf–dog differences especially in their interaction with the environment (e. g. , neophobia, persistence, risk taking) and conspecifics (e. g. , tolerance, cooperation, communication) need to be considered also in regard to their social ecology. We propose that social ecology alongside human selection should be recognized as a potentially important factor affecting dogs’ behaviour, and suggest a number of potential avenues for future research, which can more directly test the relative importance of these selection forces. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
W6263027 | Wordnet and Ontology Based Query Expansion for Semantic Information Retrieval in Sports Domain | Semantic Search has been a major longing factor from the envisage state of Semantic Web. Information on the Web is growing at a very rapid pace and has become quite voluminous over the past few years. Semantics of the query is not considered in Traditional Search system since it is a mere Keyword based Search. To increase the number of relevant documents retrieved, queries need to be disambiguated by looking at their context. A query expansion algorithm for Semantic Information Retrieval in Sports Domain (SIRSD) is proposed to do Semantic Search to improve search over large document repositories. This algorithm reformulates user queries by using Word Net and domain ontology to improve the returned results. Our proposal is illustrated with sample experiments showing improvements with respect to Traditional Search and providing ground for further research and discussion. SIRSD reduces the issue of semantic interoperability during the user query search. It has been inferred that there will be a higher value of average precision and recall for the Semantic Search system when compared to Traditional Search. The results show its effectiveness in generating a suitable number of query search with an accuracy of 87.1% compared to other competitors of generic search engines. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.5194/tc-10-2779-2016 | Age of the Mt. Ortles ice cores, the Tyrolean Iceman and glaciation of the highest summit of South Tyrol since the Northern Hemisphere Climatic Optimum | Abstract. In 2011 four ice cores were extracted from the summit of Alto dell'Ortles (3859 m), the highest glacier of South Tyrol in the Italian Alps. This drilling site is located only 37 km southwest from where the Tyrolean Iceman, ∼ 5. 3 kyrs old, was discovered emerging from the ablating ice field of Tisenjoch (3210 m, near the Italian–Austrian border) in 1991. The excellent preservation of this mummy suggested that the Tyrolean Iceman was continuously embedded in prehistoric ice and that additional ancient ice was likely preserved elsewhere in South Tyrol. Dating of the ice cores from Alto dell'Ortles based on 210Pb, tritium, beta activity and 14C determinations, combined with an empirical model (COPRA), provides evidence for a chronologically ordered ice stratigraphy from the modern glacier surface down to the bottom ice layers with an age of ∼ 7 kyrs, which confirms the hypothesis. Our results indicate that the drilling site has continuously been glaciated on frozen bedrock since ∼ 7 kyrs BP. Absence of older ice on the highest glacier of South Tyrol is consistent with the removal of basal ice from bedrock during the Northern Hemisphere Climatic Optimum (6–9 kyrs BP), the warmest interval in the European Alps during the Holocene. Borehole inclinometric measurements of the current glacier flow combined with surface ground penetration radar (GPR) measurements indicate that, due to the sustained atmospheric warming since the 1980s, an acceleration of the glacier Alto dell'Ortles flow has just recently begun. Given the stratigraphic–chronological continuity of the Mt. Ortles cores over millennia, it can be argued that this behaviour has been unprecedented at this location since the Northern Hemisphere Climatic Optimum. | [
"Earth System Science",
"The Study of the Human Past"
]
|
10.1038/s41467-018-04839-9 | Go/No-Go task engagement enhances population representation of target stimuli in primary auditory cortex | Primary sensory cortices are classically considered to extract and represent stimulus features, while association and higher-order areas are thought to carry information about stimulus meaning. Here we show that this information can in fact be found in the neuronal population code of the primary auditory cortex (A1). A1 activity was recorded in awake ferrets while they either passively listened or actively discriminated stimuli in a range of Go/No-Go paradigms, with different sounds and reinforcements. Population-level dimensionality reduction techniques reveal that task engagement induces a shift in stimulus encoding from a sensory to a behaviorally driven representation that specifically enhances the target stimulus in all paradigms. This shift partly relies on task-engagement-induced changes in spontaneous activity. Altogether, we show that A1 population activity bears strong similarities to frontal cortex responses. These findings indicate that primary sensory cortices implement a crucial change in the structure of population activity to extract task-relevant information during behavior. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System"
]
|
DE 2011075093 W | LAYING PLATE FOR USEFUL SURFACES | The invention relates to a laying plate for useful surfaces, comprising a grille or honeycomb plate (2) made of plastic, having a perimetric outer frame (4) having frame walls (5), having coupling devices (8, 11) on the outside of the frame walls, and having inner support walls (13), which provide the plate interior with grille or honeycomb openings (14) and which form the grille or honeycomb structure. It is essential that a barrier layer (3) permeable to water yet impermeable to fine filling material is or can be fastened to the underside contact surface (12) of the grille plate (2) so as to completely cover said contact surface. Thus, fine material such as fine gravel or sand can no longer migrate or be drawn downward into the subsurface. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1021/jz5022526 | Time-resolved photodetachment anisotropy: Gas-phase rotational and vibrational dynamics of the fluorescein anion | The photoelectron signal of the singly deprotonated fluorescein anion is found to be highly dependent on the relative polarization between pump and probe pulses, and time-resolved photodetachment anisotropy (TR-PA) is developed as a probe of the rotational dynamics of the chromophore. The total photoelectron signal shows both rotational and vibrational wavepacket dynamics, and we demonstrate how TR-PA can readily disentangle these dynamical processes. TR-PA in fluorescein presents specific opportunities for its development as a probe for rotational dynamics in large biomolecules as fluorescein derivatives are commonly incorporated in complex biomolecules and have been used extensively in time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy measurements, to which TR-PA is a gas-phase analogue. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1109/TPAMI.2014.2368990 | A Framework For Efficient Structured Max Margin Learning Of High Order Mrf Models | We present a very general algorithm for structured prediction learning that is able to efficiently handle discrete MRFs/CRFs (including both pairwise and higher-order models) so long as they can admit a decomposition into tractable subproblems. At its core, it relies on a dual decomposition principle that has been recently employed in the task of MRF optimization. By properly combining such an approach with a max-margin learning method, the proposed framework manages to reduce the training of a complex high-order MRF to the parallel training of a series of simple slave MRFs that are much easier to handle. This leads to a very efficient and general learning scheme that relies on solid mathematical principles. We thoroughly analyze its theoretical properties, and also show that it can yield learning algorithms of increasing accuracy since it naturally allows a hierarchy of convex relaxations to be used for loss-augmented MAP-MRF inference within a max-margin learning approach. Furthermore, it can be easily adapted to take advantage of the special structure that may be present in a given class of MRFs. We demonstrate the generality and flexibility of our approach by testing it on a variety of scenarios, including training of pairwise and higher-order MRFs, training by using different types of regularizers and/or different types of dissimilarity loss functions, as well as by learning of appropriate models for a variety of vision tasks (including high-order models for compact pose-invariant shape priors, knowledge-based segmentation, image denoising, stereo matching as well as high-order Potts MRFs). | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Mathematics"
]
|
interreg_2376 | Make Creative Villages - Initiate Cooperation between CCI and Villages | Actors in rural areas often lack innovation competences and the methods to initiate cooperation with innovative enterprises. Thus, companies from the creative industries have only occasionally been seen as a potential cooperation partner for villages to develop their manifold local cultural resources and to find innovative ideas to preserve the attractiveness of the region.
Creative industry in rural areas is an untapped potential in Central Europe. Developing the creative sector in rural areas has the potential to generate sustainable and quality enterprises as well as employment opportunities and contribute to rural diversification.
This is where the project Mac Village starts. The main objective of the project is to develop an easy-to-apply methodology in an iterative process for the local and regional level to initiate innovations in cooperation with CCI enterprises. Basis is the Frugal Innovation concept which responds to limitations in resources, which are also found in rural areas. A range of innovation methods will be tested in three villages per partner region and further developed. The methods are easy to use and promote a rapid and joint development of competence and innovative networking. The project brings together people from different fields (local authorities and stakeholders, regions, business development agencies and organisations with specific competence in CCI and social entrepreneurship) and gathers them in a multi-level dialogue.
The project will implement 54 innovation workshops in six regions in DE, AT, IT, SI and HU promoting the cooperation among local actors and CCI. More than 200 stakeholders will be trained to enable them to implement the innovation methods developed in the project. By doing so local actors in the villages will be able to create favorable local conditions for CCI and innovative networks for new products and services exploiting their cultural resources and develop new businesses. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space",
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Studies of Cultures and Arts"
]
|
W4281828832 | New data on Oncopeltus (Erythrischius) unifasciatellus Slater, 1964 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeidae) in Argentina and Brazil | Seven plants belonging to Apocynaceae are recorded as new hosts of Oncopeltus (Erythrischius) unifasciatellus Slater, 1964 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeidae): Mandevilla laxa (Ruiz & Pav.) Woodson, Mandevilla pentlandiana (A.DC.) Woodson, Oxypetalum appendiculatum Mart., Oxypetalum balansae Malme, Oxypetalum pannosum Decne. and Oxypetalum teyucuarense Farinaccio & Keller-A. in Argentina, and Gomphocarpus physocarpa (E.Mey.) Schlechter in Brazil. Additionally, new geographical occurrences of O. unifasciatellus in the Argentinian provinces of Mendoza and Misiones are recorded. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
W2153847687 | Survival of Campylobacter jejuni in naturally and artificially contaminated laying hen feces | Infected laying hens regularly excrete large amounts of Campylobacter jejuni with their feces, which represent a reservoir of infection within the flock and for animals in the region. However, the knowledge about survival times of C. jejuni in these feces is still scarce. Therefore, orienting laboratory experiments were carried out under controlled conditions to estimate the survival times of C. jejuni both in artificially and naturally contaminated laying hen feces. In 6 different laying hen flocks (3 Campylobacter-free and 3 Campylobacter-positive flocks), fresh excreta were randomly collected and pooled in 20-g samples per flock. In the laboratory, each of the 3 pooled samples from the Campylobacter-free barns were homogenized and mixed with 10 mL of a freshly prepared C. jejuni suspension (3 × 10(8) cfu/mL). The other 3 samples were homogenized only. The 6 samples were stored at 20 ± 1°C and 40 to 60% RH in 2 different incubators. Specimens of 2 g were taken from all 6 samples 1 h after storage and daily at the same time during the next 10 consecutive days and investigated on culturable C. jejuni. The survival times of culturable C. jejuni ranged from 72 to 96 h in artificially inoculated feces and varied from 120 to 144 h in naturally colonized flocks. The flaA typing by RFLP confirmed that the isolates from the artificially contaminated feces were identical with the added strain. A total of 5 different flaA types were identified from the naturally contaminated feces, and survival of these isolates was dependent on flaA type. The demonstrated survival times indicate that contaminated fresh feces are an important reservoir of C. jejuni, representing a permanent source of infection over at least 6 d after excretion. It shows the considerable potential of fresh feces in transmitting the agent within and between flocks during that period. This 6-d span should be considered when poultry manure is applied to land as organic fertilizer. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
10.3758/s13428-016-0772-7 | One tamed at a time: A new approach for controlling continuous magnitudes in numerical comparison tasks | Non-symbolic stimuli (i. e. , dot arrays) are commonly used to study numerical cognition. However, in addition to numerosity, non-symbolic stimuli entail continuous magnitudes (e. g. , total surface area, convex-hull, etc. ) that correlate with numerosity. Several methods for controlling for continuous magnitudes have been suggested, all with the same underlying rationale: disassociating numerosity from continuous magnitudes. However, the different continuous magnitudes do not fully correlate; therefore, it is impossible to disassociate them completely from numerosity. Moreover, relying on a specific continuous magnitude in order to create this disassociation may end up in increasing or decreasing numerosity saliency, pushing subjects to rely on it more or less, respectively. Here, we put forward a taxonomy depicting the relations between the different continuous magnitudes. We use this taxonomy to introduce a new method with a complimentary Matlab toolbox that allows disassociating numerosity from continuous magnitudes and equating the ratio of the continuous magnitudes to the ratio of the numerosity in order to balance the saliency of numerosity and continuous magnitudes. A dot array comparison experiment in the subitizing range showed the utility of this method. Equating different continuous magnitudes yielded different results. Importantly, equating the convex hull ratio to the numerical ratio resulted in similar interference of numerical and continuous magnitudes. | [
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1038/NMAT2848 | Hybrid Nanoscale Inorganic Cages | The typical high-surface-area and voids of nanoscale cage structures make them attractive for catalysis, gas storage and drug delivery. Contrary to other metal–semiconductor particles, a ruthenium cage is now shown to grow selectively on the edges of a faceted copper sulphide nanocrystal. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1016/j.immuni.2016.09.012 | Leishmania Uses Mincle to Target an Inhibitory ITAM Signaling Pathway in Dendritic Cells that Dampens Adaptive Immunity to Infection | C-type lectin receptors sense a diversity of endogenous and exogenous ligands that may trigger differential responses. Here, we have found that human and mouse Mincle bind to a ligand released by Leishmania, a eukaryote parasite that evades an effective immune response. Mincle-deficient mice had milder dermal pathology and a tenth of the parasite burden compared to wild-type mice after Leishmania major intradermal ear infection. Mincle deficiency enhanced adaptive immunity against the parasite, correlating with increased activation, migration, and priming by Mincle-deficient dendritic cells (DCs). Leishmania triggered a Mincle-dependent inhibitory axis characterized by SHP1 coupling to the FcRγ chain. Selective loss of SHP1 in CD11c+ cells phenocopies enhanced adaptive immunity to Leishmania. In conclusion, Leishmania shifts Mincle to an inhibitory ITAM (ITAMi) configuration that impairs DC activation. Thus, ITAMi can be exploited for immune evasion by a pathogen and may represent a paradigm for ITAM-coupled receptors sensing self and non-self. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
852832 | RAtional design of canceR ImmunoTherapY: one size does not fit all | Checkpoint blockade immunotherapies have revolutionized cancer treatment. However, this immunotherapy only benefits a minority of patients (< 15%), mainly those diagnosed with cancers having many mutations. Furthermore, checkpoint blockade therapy does not selectively activate cancer-reactive T cells.
RARITY responds to these shortcomings, aiming to provide innovative solutions for the development of effective immunotherapies for patients who do not benefit from current treatments. The ground-breaking preliminary data included in this application demonstrates that cancer-reactive T cells can be naturally present in so-called non-immunogenic cancers and that they acquire distinctive phenotypes. RARITY will apply state-of-the-art technologies to fingerprint these phenotypes. This will allow the isolation of cancer-reactive T cells from tumour tissues and their employment as highly-effective therapies. Therapeutic vaccination with cancer antigens can also be used to induce T cell responses in patients where natural activation of cancer-specific T cells is not detectable. However, the applicability of vaccination is compromised by the lack of specific targets, particularly in malignancies with few mutations. RARITY will address this problem by deploying a novel class of cancer antigens. An unprecedented screening of non-exomic genomic regions will be done to detect unannotated proteins that arise from de novo transcription and translation events. These proteins can then be targeted by personalized immunotherapies. Finally, thought-provoking findings included in RARITY suggest that immune cell subsets other than T cells play a major role in anti-tumour immune responses. These subsets need to be fully inventoried and categorised so that complementary strategies to T cell immunotherapies can be developed. RARITY will do so by conducting multidimensional analysis of cancer microenvironments using imaging mass cytometry and ex vivo modulation of immune responses. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
US 2021/0056179 W | KNIT FORMWORK CASTING | A method of material casting includes knitting, by a computer-controlled knitting machine, a flexible formwork, where the flexible formwork defines a partially-closed shape having a plurality of topological features, filling the flexible formwork with a casting material, and deforming the flexible formwork with the casting material. In some cases, the method includes removing the casting material from the flexible formwork when the flexible formwork has imparted the shape on the casting material. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1039/C5QO00167F | Carboxylate Assisted Ruthenium Ii Catalyzed C H Activations Of Monodentate Amides With Conjugated Alkenes | Carboxylate assistance enabled efficient and chemoselective ruthenium(II)-catalyzed hydroarylations of α,β-unsaturated ketones via C–H activation on monodentate benzamides. Furthermore, the versatile ruthenium(II) catalyst set the stage for oxidative C–H functionalization on acetanilides, furnishing diversely decorated quinolines in a step-economical fashion. | [
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
W561285627 | 30 Years After: Issues and Representations of the Falklands War | Contents: Foreword, Mark Donnelly Introduction, Carine Berberi and Monia O'Brien Castro. Part I Representations: The Falklands conflict: media coverage, propaganda, jingoism or journalism?, Matthew Leggett Images of the Falklands War: between fact, fiction and affliction, Georges Fournier The Falklands War: readings over time, Maria Angelica Semilla Duran. Part II The Conflict and its Long-Term Effects: Still two bald men fighting for a comb?, Michael Parsons The Falkland Islands and the special relationship, Richard Davis France in the Falklands War: reactions and decisions from Mitterand's diplomacy in the war between Argentina and Great Britain from April to June, 1982, Georges Saunier. Part III Defence Issues: Defence policy and the Falklands War, Marc Fourches The Falkland Islands: military lessons learned, Charles Maisonneuve. Part IV Global Issues: All points of the compass: the global dimension of the Falklands/Malvinas conflict, Trevor Harris The Falklands conflict: the uncertainties of international law examined 30 years on, Alexis Chommeloux. Conclusion, Carine Berberi and Monia O'Brien Castro Index. | [
"Texts and Concepts",
"The Study of the Human Past",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
]
|
W1214838379 | Prevalence of persistent median artery in carpal tunnel syndrome: sonographic assessment | This study investigated the frequency of persistent median artery (PMA) in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and controls.A total of 84 CTS patient wrists, and 136 wrists of control subjects without CTS, were examined on ultrasonography (US) and color Doppler US (CDUS), and by electrophysiological evaluations. The frequency of PMA in CTS was evaluated.Of 84 CTS patient wrists, 2 (2.4 %) had a PMA (both on the right side). Of 136 control wrists, 12 (9 %) had a PMA, which was unilateral in eight (three right and five left), and bilateral in two, cases. There was no significant difference between the CTS patient and control groups with respect to the frequency of PMA (P > 0.05).There was no significant difference between the CTS patient and control groups in the frequency of PMA. We suggest that an ipsilateral PMA does not increase the risk of CTS. | [
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
10.1080/15384101.2015.1006549 | Fucci2A Mouse Upgrades Live Cell Cycle Imaging | Conventional studies of cell cycle often rely on the quantification of cellular DNA content, metabolic labeling of newly synthetized DNA to mark S phase cells, and the detection of cell cycle markers of various nature. However, these are all approaches that do not allow live monitoring of cell cycle progression. This limitation was recently overcome by the development of fluorescent reporter genes which allow the visual discrimination of specific cell cycle phases. 1
Prominent among such reporter systems is the Fucci (Fluorescence Ubiquitination-based Cell Cycle Indicator), which relies on the expression of 2 fusion proteins: mAG-hGem(1/110) (a portion of Geminin fused to a fluorescent protein in the green spectrum), and mKO2-hCdt1(30/120) (a portion of Cdt1 fused to a fluorescent protein in the orange/red spectrum). The stability of the resulting fluorescent proteins is regulated by different ubiquitination signals that are recognized by E3 ubiquitin-ligases APC and SCF, which are active respectively in late M/G1 and in S/G2. Therefore, these reporters mark cells in early G1 (non fluorescent), late G1 (red), G1/S (yellow) and S/G2/M phase (green). 2
The Fucci system or its more recent version Fucci2 (in which mAG and mKO2 are respectively replaced with mCherry and mVenus3) have been successfully used to monitor cell cycle progression in a variety of cell lines. 2,4,5 However, the use of Fucci in vivo, especially in mice, has been limited by the lack of conditional transgene expression, varying (and sometimes very low) expression of the fusion proteins in different tissues, and potential toxicity due to non-physiological level of overexpression. 2,6
In issue 13(17) of Cell Cycle, Richard Mort and colleagues report the generation of a novel mouse reporter named Fucci2a, which aims to address the limitations of previous Fucci mice. 7 Indeed, the Fucci2a mouse allows Cre-lox mediated conditional expression of a bicistronic transgene targeted to the Rosa26 locus in which the Fucci2 genes are joined by a T2A sequence and driven by the strong and ubiquitous CAG promoter (Fig. 1). This strategy results in a tissue (and potentially time) specific high and homogeneous expression of the Fucci2 reporters in virtually all cell types, while simplifying the maintenance of the mouse line. As proof of principles, the authors show that the Fucci2a mouse can be used to investigate the cell cycle dynamics in the developing lung and kidney. Moreover, they demonstrate the efficacy of the Fucci2a reporter system by monitoring cell cycle in 3T3 cells, mouse embryonic stem cells, and migratory neural crest-derived cells. Figure 1. Fucci2a mouse and its potential applications. The intercross of the Fucci2a mouse (top allele) with a line expressing the CRE recombinase under a tissue specific promoter (bottom allele) results in CRE-loxP-mediated removal of the Neo-pA cassette and . . . The improvements brought by the Fucci2a reporter system are remarkable and could results in a diversity of applications impossible so far. To name but some of the most intriguing, the Fucci2a mouse could be used to identify and isolate small subset of proliferating cells in adult organs where the presence of stem cells is still debatable. Similarly, the Fucci2a also offers the potential to investigate the cell cycle dynamics of stem cells and differentiating progenitors both during embryonic development, organ homeostasis and in tissue repair after injury or infections. Moreover, the Fucci2a mouse could be crossed with genetic models for developmental defects or adult diseases (including cancer), hence allowing one to both investigate the cell cycle dependent mechanisms involved in a diversity of disorders, and screen for potential novel drugs modulating cell proliferation. Of note, it is important to underline that the Fucci2a system does not solve the limitations intrinsic to the nature of the Fucci fusion proteins. Indeed, overexpression of hGem(1/110) and/or mCheery-hCdt1 (30/120) fusion proteins may be toxic in some tissues. Furthermore, this system does no allow one to discriminate between cells in G1 and G0 (both are labeled red) or cells in S, G2 and M phase (are all labeled green), or to visualize cells in early G1 due to their lack of fluorescence. However, the further development of new cell-cycle reporters in the near future will likely compensate for these drawbacks and the approach shown in the present paper highlights a way forward to use these developments to unlock even more of the potential of the Fucci system. | [
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
10.1190/geo2019-0674.1 | Comparison of monotonicity challenges encountered by the inverse scattering series and the Marchenko demultiple method for elastic waves | The reflection response of strongly scattering media often contains complicated interferences between primaries and (internal) multiples, which can lead to imaging artifacts unless handled correctly. Internal multiples can be kinematically predicted, for example by the Jakubowicz method or by the inverse scattering series (ISS), as long as monotonicity, that is, “correct” temporal event ordering, is obeyed. Alternatively, the (conventional) Marchenko method removes all overburden-related wavefield interactions by formulating an inverse problem that can be solved if the Green’s and the so-called focusing functions are separable in the time domain, except for an overlap that must be predicted. For acoustic waves, the assumptions of the aforementioned methods are often satisfied within the recording regimes used for seismic imaging. However, elastic media support wave propagation via coupled modes that travel with distinct velocities. Compared to the acoustic case, not only does the multiple issue become significantly more severe, but also violation of monotonicity becomes much more likely. By quantifying the assumptions of the conventional Marchenko method and the ISS, unexpected similarities as well as differences between the requirements of the two methods come to light. Our analysis demonstrates that the conventional Marchenko method relies on a weaker form of monotonicity. However, this advantage must be compensated by providing more prior information, which in the elastic case is an outstanding challenge. Rewriting, or remixing, the conventional Marchenko scheme removes the need for prior information but leads to a stricter monotonicity condition, which is now almost as strict as for the ISS. Finally, we introduce two strategies on how the remixed Marchenko solutions can be used for imperfect, but achievable, demultiple purposes. | [
"Mathematics",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
]
|
10.1103/PhysRevA.94.053628 | Estimating strong correlations in optical lattices | Ultracold atoms in optical lattices provide one of the most promising platforms for analog quantum simulations of complex quantum many-body systems. Large-size systems can now routinely be reached and are already used to probe a large variety of different physical situations, ranging from quantum phase transitions to artificial gauge theories. At the same time, measurement techniques are still limited and full tomography for these systems seems out of reach. Motivated by this observation, we present a method to directly detect and quantify to what extent a quantum state deviates from a local Gaussian description, based on available noise correlation measurements from in situ and time-of-flight measurements. This is an indicator of the significance of strong correlations in ground and thermal states, as Gaussian states are precisely the ground and thermal states of noninteracting models. We connect our findings, augmented by numerical tensor network simulations, to notions of equilibration, disordered systems, and the suppression of transport in Anderson insulators. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter"
]
|
W3029762173 | Hydrological Variability and Changes in the Arctic Circumpolar Tundra and the Three Largest Pan-Arctic River Basins from 2002 to 2016 | The Arctic freshwater budget is critical for understanding the climate in the northern regions. However, the hydrology of the Arctic circumpolar tundra region (ACTR) and the largest pan-Arctic rivers are still not well understood. In this paper, we analyze the spatiotemporal variations in the terrestrial water storage (TWS) of the ACTR and three of the largest pan-Arctic river basins (Lena, Mackenzie, Yukon). To do this, we utilize monthly Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data from 2002 to 2016. Together with global land reanalysis, and river runoff data, we identify declining TWS trends throughout the ACTR that we attribute largely to increasing evapotranspiration driven by increasing summer air temperatures. In terms of regional changes, large and significant negative trends in TWS are observed mainly over the North American continent. At basin scale, we show that, in the Lena River basin, the autumnal TWS signal persists until the spring of the following year, while in the Mackenzie River basin, the TWS level in the autumn and winter has no significant impact on the following year. As expected global warming is expected to be particularly significant in the northern regions, our results are important for understanding future TWS trends, with possible further decline. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
10.1038/s41568-019-0209-6 | The pro-tumorigenic host response to cancer therapies | Resistance to cancer therapy remains a major challenge in clinical oncology. Although the initial treatment phase is often successful, eventual resistance, characterized by tumour relapse or spread, is discouraging. The majority of studies devoted to investigating the basis of resistance have focused on tumour-related changes that contribute to therapy resistance and tumour aggressiveness. However, over the last decade, the diverse roles of various host cells in promoting therapy resistance have become more appreciated. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that cancer therapy can induce host-mediated local and systemic responses, many of which shift the delicate balance within the tumour microenvironment, ultimately facilitating or supporting tumour progression. In this Review, recent advances in understanding how the host response to different cancer therapies may promote therapy resistance are discussed, with a focus on therapy-induced immunological, angiogenic and metastatic effects. Also summarized is the potential of evaluating the host response to cancer therapy in an era of precision medicine in oncology. | [
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
interreg_3516 | Enchancing the Entrepreneurship of SMEs in Circular Economy of the Agri-Food Chain | Circular economy is a new approach of economic development models. It provides the potential to use one’s waste as resource input to others productive chain thus offering a longer life cycle of the products and a more environmentally friendly business approach. This regenerative system is of high priority in the EU. SinCE-AFC is being developed along with the on-going EU action plan for Circular Economy and the respective National Circular Economy Action Plans across the EU countries.
Although the principles of circular economy are already applied by many large industries, SMEs, which represent the 99% of the businesses sector, still remain uninvolved due to lack of motivation and support. Thus, the regional SMEs policies improvement towards a more regenerative economy is of high importance.
SinCE-AFC aims at involving SMEs of the Agri-Food chain in circular economy through the promotion of the appropriate managing and financial horizontal mechanisms. All the Agri-Food agents committed to production, processing, packaging, distribution and final consumption are expected to operate in a coordinated way to better adapt to circular economy.
This objective will be achieved via the intense collaboration and interregional exchange of experience of 9 partners representing 7 Regions from 7 EU countries. The partnership’s tasks will focus on the investigation of efficient practices via interregional learning events, study visits, import workshops, stakeholders’ meetings and consultation processes, of how the relevant policy instruments can be improved in order to assist SMEs to enter circular economy. The regulatory framework and good practices at regional and EU level will be reflected on the Agri-Food circular economy e-Book on the project website.
The project will promote innovation, derive knowledge and develop close collaboration with the Interreg Europe Learning Platform as well as with the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform and the RIS3 Platform Group. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
10.1016/j.engstruct.2017.11.044 | Progressive instability in circular masonry columns | The instability behaviour of eccentrically loaded circular masonry columns is investigated. Two approaches are considered for the analysis. One is based on a semi-analytical formulation of the relevant boundary-value problem for a no-tension material response; the other employs a plastic-damage-contact constitutive model, the CraftS model, to capture the complex microstructural behaviour of the material. The latter has been implemented in the finite element program LUSAS and has been already successfully employed to describe progressive instability in eccentrically loaded brickwork wallettes of rectangular cross section. Equilibrium paths and limit load estimates are computed for both analysis approaches for a range of column aspect ratios and load eccentricities. It is shown that the type of material response becomes less important for specimens with height-to-diameter aspect ratios greater than 7. 5 and for loads applied to points in the kernel of the cross section, while for higher eccentricities the presence of a tensile strength increases considerably the limit load. The damage evolution predicted by the models is also investigated for selected cases, showing that the formulation based on the no-tension material is able to capture with good agreement the damaged zone of the column for loads with low eccentricities. For the same type of loading, a useful design formula is provided. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
W2527099075 | Russia's Interest in Trading with the "Axis of Evil" | The puzzle is why a Russia that has improved its relations with the United States and Western Europe, that has supported the United States in the fight against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Central Asia, and that seeks membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and to attract foreign investment would maintain and even deepen trade with North Korea, Iran, and Iraq— countries with regimes that reject market economics and democracy. Furthermore, Russian trade with Iran and Iraq, in particular, appears to support those regimes in their pursuit of what the United States believes to be policies to acquire weapons of mass destruction and the means for their use. This apparent contradiction suggests that Russia does not hold as a priority economic transformation, international integration, and fundamental cooperation with the United States and its Western allies. It suggests, some have argued, that Russia’s true purpose is a new round of competition with the United States, determined by great power ambitions rather than Soviet ideology. | [
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
W2978881566 | Fuel sensitivity effects on dual-mode dual-fuel combustion operation for different octane numbers | Abstract The dual-mode dual-fuel combustion is a promising combustion concept to achieve the required emissions and carbon dioxide reductions imposed by the next emissions standards. Nonetheless, since the combustion concept relies on the reactivity of two different fuels (diesel and gasoline), the fuel formulation requirements are stricter. This work investigates the effects of the low reactivity fuel sensitivity for different octane numbers at different operating conditions representative of the combustion regimes found inside the dual-mode dual-fuel engine map. For this, experimental evaluations were performed using fuels with research octane number 92.5 and 80 and different sensitivities (0, 5 and the maximum one achievable for each fuel). The combustion development was assessed by means of the heat release rate characterization. Moreover, numerical simulations in a constant volume homogeneous reactor were used to explore and understand the impact of the different fuels on the ignition delay time. The results suggest that the sensitivity increase affects the different research octane number fuels in a different way. For the fuel with research octane number 92.5, the sensitivity variation increases the experimental ignition delay, impairing the combustion process and increasing the fuel consumption. In the case of the fuel with research octane number 80, the sensitivity increase does not affect the combustion development. This was justified by the numerical investigation, which points to a wider temperature range where the sensitivity does not affect the final ignition delay for research octane number 80. Moreover, generally, the ignition delay times for research octane number 80 considering the experimental gasoline fraction used are half than those of research octane number 92.5. At full load conditions, the trend is inverted, where the experimental ignition delay for research octane number 80 is affected by the sensitivity whilst research octane number 92.5 presents only modifications after the combustion start. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
819314 | A novel physiological role for IRE1 and RIDD..., maintaining the balance between tolerance and immunity? | Dendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role as gatekeepers of the immune system, coordinating the balance between protective immunity and tolerance to self antigens. What determines the switch between immunogenic versus tolerogenic antigen presentation remains one of the most puzzling questions in immunology. My team recently discovered an unanticipated link between a conserved stress response in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and tolerogenic DC maturation, thereby setting the stage for new insights in this fundamental branch in immunology.
Specifically, we found that one of the branches of the unfolded protein response (UPR), the IRE1/XBP1 signaling axis, is constitutively active in murine dendritic cells (cDC1s), without any signs of an overt UPR gene signature. Based on preliminary data we hypothesize that IRE1 is activated by apoptotic cell uptake, orchestrating a metabolic response from the ER to ensure tolerogenic antigen presentation. This entirely novel physiological function for IRE1 entails a paradigm shift in the UPR field, as it reveals that IRE1’s functions might stretch far from its well-established function induced by chronic ER stress. The aim of my research program is to establish whether IRE1 in DCs is the hitherto illusive switch between tolerogenic and immunogenic maturation. To this end, we will dissect its function in vivo both in steady-state conditions and in conditions of danger (viral infection models). In line with our data, IRE1 has recently been identified as a candidate gene for autoimmune disease based on Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Therefore, I envisage that my research program will not only have a large impact on the field of DC biology and apoptotic cell clearance, but will also yield new insights in diseases like autoimmunity, graft versus host disease or tumor immunology, all associated with disturbed balances between tolerogenic and immunogenic responses. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
]
|
W1976311233 | Population dynamics of the harvested clam <i>Anomalocardia brasiliana</i> (Bivalvia: Veneridae) in Cidade Beach, south-east Brazil | Knowledge of the population dynamics and productivity of exploited species is essential to achieve the sustainable development of fisheries, and to ensure sustainable, long-term use of these resources. The venerid clam Anomalocardia brasiliana is harvested as a fishery resource from the French West Indies to Brazil. Yet, the exploitation of this species is not backed by management or regulations based on scientific knowledge. This can result in reduced (or even depleted) A. brasiliana density and biomass. Here, we examined the population dynamics of A. brasiliana over the course of 1 year at Cidade Beach, a sheltered sandy beach located in south-eastern Brazil. Sampling was done monthly from March 2007 to February 2008. The sampled population was predominantly juvenile. Growth and recruitment were continuous, indicating no major fluctuation in limiting factors, such as temperature, salinity and food. Nevertheless, the abundance and the turnover rate (P/B ratio) of A. brasiliana at Cidade were much smaller than the values observed in other areas of occurrence. The mortality was more intense in young individuals, and the peak of individual production occurred in individuals with a 25 mm shell length, suggesting that individuals smaller than this size should not be exploited. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Earth System Science"
]
|
10.1039/C7RA11912G | Influence Of Crystallinity On The Thermoelectric Power Factor Of P3Ht Vapour Doped With F4Tcnq | Doping of the conjugated polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) with the p-dopant 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4TCNQ) is a widely used model system for organic thermoelectrics. We here study how the crystalline order influences the Seebeck coefficient of P3HT films doped with F4TCNQ from the vapour phase, which leads to a similar number of F4TCNQ anions and hence (bound + mobile) charge carriers of about 2 × 10−4 mol cm−3. We find that the Seebeck coefficient first slightly increases with the degree of order, but then again decreases for the most crystalline P3HT films. We assign this behaviour to the introduction of new states in the bandgap due to planarisation of polymer chains, and an increase in the number of mobile charge carriers, respectively. Overall, the Seebeck coefficient varies between about 40 to 60 μV K−1. In contrast, the electrical conductivity steadily increases with the degree of order, reaching a value of more than 10 S cm−1, which we explain with the pronounced influence of the semi-crystalline nanostructure on the charge-carrier mobility. Overall, the thermoelectric power factor of F4TCNQ vapour-doped P3HT increases by one order of magnitude, and adopts a value of about 3 μW m−1 K−2 in the case of the highest degree of crystalline order. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
222052 | Understanding the role of intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of loss in species niches, to inform conservation planning under climate change | The extinction of species is the most alarming consequence of global biodiversity decline, with potential dramatic effects on our economy and well-being. The current rate of climate change is predicted to further increase extinction risk, hence there is urgent need to anticipate species decline rather than reacting to it. The breadth of a species’ niche - the set of environmental conditions in which the species can persist - is the key ecological trait that allows adaptation to environmental change, but is largely ignored in conservation planning applications. The goal of the PROTECTNICHE project is to disentangle the impacts of humans, climate change, and life history on the climatic niches of terrestrial mammals to inform a conservation strategy for preventing future species declines. This goal incorporates 3 objectives: i) Attribute the global change in past species climatic niches to intrinsic and extrinsic drivers; ii) Based on the models developed in Obj. 1, define a measure of adaptability to climate change for each species; iii) Based on the outcome of Obj. 2, develop a global conservation strategy to maximise the protection of species climatic niches while minimising their exposure to climate change. The project focuses on the world's terrestrial mammals, a data-rich group currently facing significant extinction rates, to develop and theoretically ground a conservation planning approach that can be also transfered to other taxa. Building on my expertise on extinction risk analysis and conservation planning, and the habitat and climatic modelling capabilities of Dr Rondinini and the Global Mammal Assessment lab, this project will define a proactive conservation plan where actions are prioritised to preserve species adaptive potential under global change. This is a research area of primary interest in Europe, given the EC has recognised that business opportunities from investing in biodiversity conservation could be worth US$ 2-6 trillion by 2050. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Earth System Science"
]
|
W1964907018 | Identification of Ancylostoma ceylanicum in children from a tribal community in Tamil Nadu, India using a semi-nested PCR-RFLP tool | It is generally assumed that hookworm infections in humans are caused by Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale. However, previous studies have also reported the presence of the animal hookworm A. ceylanicum in human stools.We determined hookworm infections in children in a tribal community in Tamil Nadu, India, using a semi-nested PCR-RFLP approach.The results indicate that human species account for a majority of the hookworm infections (N. americanus 39/41 [95%]; A. duodenale 6/41 [15%]), whereas the animal hookworm A. ceylanicum only accounts for a minority of the infections (5%; 2/41).The results emphasize the need to consider zoonotic ancylostomiasis while developing strategies to control hookworm infections. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
101001638 | Metabolic Mechanical Materials: Adaptation, Learning & Interactivity | The central objective of M3ALI is to introduce concepts for adaptation, simplistic learning by training (physical exercise, not teaching), and interactivity in mechanically stimulated polymer materials by developing metabolic modules for mechanical memories (that can also be forgotten), for down-stream chemical processes and for active communication. The key experimental methodology is based on two classes of molecularly engineered mechanoprobes (MPs) that are capable of defined downstream reactivity up to the level of chemical reaction networks (CRNs). We build on our recent concept of DNA-based mechanofluorescent folding motifs in hydrogels, and extend it to cyclic disulfide MPs, and embed them into hydrogels and elastomers of controlled topology. DNA-based MPs will engage in DNA-based downstream reactions, while disulfide MPs will engage in complementary radical chemistry. The key concept is to code mechanical deformation into chemical signals that can be processed ultimately in CRNs to enable a behavioral evolution of the materials systems by installing memories, as well as by signal amplification, processing, translation and transport, and where the processed chemical information is fed back into the material to develop a full mechano-chemo-mechano signal processing language. We will break new ground in proof-of-concept applications in mechanical training and forgetting (physical exercise similar to muscle training), adaptive and interactive soft robotics, adaptive mechanical metamaterials, as well as interactive mechanical synchronization and interactive cell/material systems. Our approach to metabolic mechanical materials that use systems chemistry concepts to empower mechanical materials with the capacity to adapt, learn and interact profoundly contrast present research on responsive materials. In long term such concepts will provide the basis for more life-like materials systems capable of true adaptivity, interactivity and co-evolution in open systems. | [
"Materials Engineering",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111693 | On the socio-technical potential for onshore wind in Europe: A response to Enevoldsen et al. (2019), Energy Policy, 132, 1092-1100 | A recent article in this journal claimed to assess the socio-technical potential for onshore wind energy in Europe. We find the article to be severely flawed and raise concerns in five general areas. Firstly, the term socio-technical is not precisely defined, and is used by the authors to refer to a potential that others term as merely technical. Secondly, the study fails to account for over a decade of research in wind energy resource assessments. Thirdly, there are multiple issues with the use of input data and, because the study is opaque about many details, the effect of these errors cannot be reproduced. Fourthly, the method assumes a very high wind turbine capacity density of 10. 73 MW/km2 across 40% of the land area in Europe with a generic 30% capacity factor. Fifthly, the authors find an implausibly high onshore wind potential, with 120% more capacity and 70% more generation than the highest results given elsewhere in the literature. Overall, we conclude that new research at higher spatial resolutions can make a valuable contribution to wind resource potential assessments. However, due to the missing literature review, the lack of transparency and the overly simplistic methodology, Enevoldsen et al. (2019) potentially mislead fellow scientists, policy makers and the general public. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
EP 2021064951 W | COMPRESSION GARMENT | The present invention relates to compression garments comprising a pants section with a rear side, wherein the rear side comprises an insert, a first side section and a second side section, the first side section being connected to a first side of the insert, the second side section being connected to a second side of the insert, wherein the insert is adapted to extend over at least part of both buttocks of a wearer, and wherein the insert consists of a seamless knitted fabric. The present invention, further, relates to related methods for determining measurement information and methods for manufacturing compression garments. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1038/NNANO.2016.87 | Flexible Non Volatile Optical Memory Thin Film Transistor Device With Over 256 Distinct Levels Based On An Organic Bicomponent Blend | A non-volatile, flexible, three-terminal memory device with an unprecedented number of distinct levels is fabricated using photoswitchable diarylethenes blended with polymeric semiconductors. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
EP 08252928 A | Motherboard with additional voltage regulator module slot area and associated electronic module | A motherboard includes a central processing unit (CPU) slot, a voltage regulator module (VRM), a VRM slot area, and a control unit. The VRM is electrically connected to the CPU slot and used for supplying a CPU installed inside the CPU slot with a first power. When a VRM card is inserted into the VRM slot area, the control unit electrically conducts the VRM slot area with the CPU slot so as to make the VRM card and the VRM together supply the CPU installed in the CPU slot with a second power. The second power is greater than the first power. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
US 2016/0048161 W | POLYURETHANE SOLUTION AND USE THEREOF | Disclosed herein is a polyurethane solution comprising a polyurethane solute dissolved in a trialkyl phosphate solvent. The polyurethane solution, in certain aspects of the invention, is used to coat a substrate, e.g., a textile substrate, to form a polyurethane coated substrate. A method of preparing the polyurethane solution is also provided. Finally, there is also provided herein a method of preparing a thermoplastic polyurethane coated substrate. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
GB 2020050709 W | AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM | An aerosol provision system comprising: a substrate comprising aerosol generating medium, the substrate including a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface; a source of energy for heating arranged to face the second surface of the substrate, wherein the source of energy for heating is configured to cause heating of the aerosol generating medium to form an aerosol; and a movement mechanism arranged to enable movement of the aerosol generating medium relative to the source of energy for heating, wherein the aerosol generating medium is rotationally movable relative to the source of energy for heating such that portions of the aerosol generating medium are presented to the source of energy for heating, and wherein the aerosol generating medium is rotated around an axis at an angle to the first surface. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1016/j.conb.2017.02.003 | Interactions between synaptic homeostatic mechanisms: an attempt to reconcile BCM theory, synaptic scaling, and changing excitation/inhibition balance | Homeostatic plasticity is proposed to be mediated by synaptic changes, such as synaptic scaling and shifts in the excitation/inhibition balance. These mechanisms are thought to be separate from the Bienenstock, Cooper, Munro (BCM) learning rule, where the threshold for the induction of long-term potentiation and long-term depression slides in response to changes in activity levels. Yet, both sets of mechanisms produce a homeostatic response of a relative increase (or decrease) in strength of excitatory synapses in response to overall activity-level changes. Here we review recent studies, with a focus on in vivo experiments, to re-examine the overlap and differences between these two mechanisms and we suggest how they may interact to facilitate firing-rate homeostasis, while maintaining functional properties of neurons. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System"
]
|
10.1088/0004-6256/142/6/193 | The Rave Catalog Of Stellar Elemental Abundances First Data Release | We present chemical elemental abundances for 36,561 stars observed by the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE), an ambitious spectroscopic survey of our Galaxy at Galactic latitudes vertical bar b vertical bar > 25 degrees and with magnitudes in the range 9 <I(DENIS) <13. RAVE spectra cover the Ca-triplet region at 8410-8795 angstrom with resolving power R similar to 7500. This first data release of the RAVE chemical catalog is complementary to the third RAVE data release of radial velocities and stellar parameters, and it contains chemical abundances for the elements Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Ti, Fe, and Ni, with a mean error of similar to 0. 2 dex, as judged from accuracy tests performed on synthetic and real spectra. Abundances are estimated through a dedicated processing pipeline in which the curve of growth of individual lines is obtained from a library of absorption line equivalent widths to construct a model spectrum that is then matched to the observed spectrum via a chi(2) minimization technique. We plan to extend this pipeline to include estimates for other elements, such as oxygen and sulfur, in future data releases. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Universe Sciences"
]
|
770765 | Reining in the upper bound on Earth’s Climate Sensitivities | One of the greatest recent advances in climate science is that it is now beyond reasonable doubt that human activity is warming the Earth. The next natural question is by how much the Earth will warm for a given emission – a quantity that will be essential to regulating global warming. Yet, the likely range of 1.5-4.5 K for equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) for a doubling of the atmospheric CO2 concentration has not been reduced for decades. In particular the risk of ECS being high is concerning, but also represents a scientifically intriguing challenge.
In this project I will conduct unconventional and innovative research designed to limit the upper bound of ECS: I will confront leading hypotheses of extreme cloud feedbacks – the primary potential source of a high ECS – with observations from the full instrumental- and satellite records, and proxies from warm- and cold past climates. I will investigate how ocean- and atmospheric circulations impact cloud feedbacks, and seek the limits for how much past greenhouse warming could have been masked by aerosol cooling.
The highECS project builds on my developments of climate modeling, diagnostics and statistical methods, the strengths of the host institution and developments in national and international projects. The effort is timely in that the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) has identified uncertainty in ECS as one of the grand challenges of climate science, while the capacity to observe ongoing climate change, key cloud processes, extracting new proxy evidence of past change and computing power is greater than ever before.
If successful in my objective of reining in the upper bound on climate sensitivity this will be a major breakthrough upon a nearly 40-year scientific deadlock and reduce the risk of catastrophic climate change – if not, it will indicate that extreme policy measures may be needed to curb future global warming. Either way, the economic value of knowing is tremendous. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Mathematics"
]
|
W2008418006 | A novel concept of QUADRISO particles. Part II: Utilization for excess reactivity control | In high temperature reactors, burnable absorbers are utilized to manage the excess reactivity at the early stage of the fuel cycle. In this paper QUADRISO particles are proposed to manage the initial excess reactivity of high temperature reactors. The QUADRISO concept synergistically couples the decrease of the burnable poison with the decrease of the fissile materials at the fuel particle level. This mechanism is set up by introducing a burnable poison layer around the fuel kernel in ordinary TRISO particles or by mixing the burnable poison with any of the TRISO coated layers. At the beginning of life, the initial excess reactivity is small because some neutrons are absorbed in the burnable poison and they are prevented from entering the fuel kernel. At the end of life, when the absorber is almost depleted, more neutrons stream into the fuel kernel of QUADRISO particles causing fission reactions. The mechanism has been applied to a prismatic high temperature reactor with europium or erbium burnable absorbers, showing a significant reduction in the initial excess reactivity of the core. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Materials Engineering",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
10.1146/annurev-biophys-070816-034034 | The Jigsaw Puzzle of mRNA Translation Initiation in Eukaryotes: A Decade of Structures Unraveling the Mechanics of the Process | Translation initiation in eukaryotes is a highly regulated and rate-limiting process. It results in the assembly and disassembly of numerous transient and intermediate complexes involving over a dozen eukaryotic initiation factors (eIFs). This process culminates in the accommodation of a start codon marking the beginning of an open reading frame at the appropriate ribosomal site. Although this process has been extensively studied by hundreds of groups for nearly half a century, it has been only recently, especially during the last decade, that we have gained deeper insight into the mechanics of the eukaryotic translation initiation process. This advance in knowledge is due in part to the contributions of structural biology, which have shed light on the molecular mechanics underlying the different functions of various eukaryotic initiation factors. In this review, we focus exclusively on the contribution of structural biology to the understanding of the eukaryotic initiation process, a long-standing jigsaw puzzle that is just starting to yield the bigger picture. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1038/nature18610 | Ki-67 acts as a biological surfactant to disperse mitotic chromosomes | Eukaryotic genomes are partitioned into chromosomes that form compact and spatially well-separated mechanical bodies during mitosis. This enables chromosomes to move independently of each other for segregation of precisely one copy of the genome to each of the nascent daughter cells. Despite insights into the spatial organization of mitotic chromosomes and the discovery of proteins at the chromosome surface, the molecular and biophysical bases of mitotic chromosome structural individuality have remained unclear. Here we report that the proliferation marker protein Ki-67 (encoded by the MKI67 gene), a component of the mitotic chromosome periphery, prevents chromosomes from collapsing into a single chromatin mass after nuclear envelope disassembly, thus enabling independent chromosome motility and efficient interactions with the mitotic spindle. The chromosome separation function of human Ki-67 is not confined within a specific protein domain, but correlates with size and net charge of truncation mutants that apparently lack secondary structure. This suggests that Ki-67 forms a steric and electrostatic charge barrier, similar to surface-active agents (surfactants) that disperse particles or phase-separated liquid droplets in solvents. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy showed a high surface density of Ki-67 and dual-colour labelling of both protein termini revealed an extended molecular conformation, indicating brush-like arrangements that are characteristic of polymeric surfactants. Our study thus elucidates a biomechanical role of the mitotic chromosome periphery in mammalian cells and suggests that natural proteins can function as surfactants in intracellular compartmentalization. | [
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.3934/dcds.2015.35.5869 | Symmetry of components, Liouville-type theorems and classification results for some nonlinear elliptic systems | We prove the symmetry of components and some Liouville-type theorems for, possibly sign changing, entire distributional solutions to a family of nonlinear elliptic systems encompassing models arising in Bose-Einstein condensation and in nonlinear optics. For these models we also provide precise classification results for non-negative solutions. The sharpness of our results is also discussed. | [
"Mathematics"
]
|
DE 102015223718 A | Passives Haubenscharnier für ein Fahrzeug | Ein passives Haubenscharnier für ein Fahrzeug umfasst eine Scharnierhalterung, die fest an einer Karosserie des Fahrzeuges angebracht ist, einen Scharnierarm, der mit einer Haube verbunden ist und drehbar ist, wenn die Haube geöffnet oder geschlossen wird, einen Absenkgliedbolzen, der in einen an einem hinteren Ende der Scharnierhalterung ausgebildeten Führungsschlitz eingefügt ist, ein Absenkglied mit einem Mittelabschnitt, der an dem Absenkgliedbolzen angelenkt ist, und mit einem hinteren Ende, das an dem hinteren Ende des Scharnierarms angelenkt ist, ein Übertragungsglied mit vorderen/hinteren Enden, die jeweils an einem vorderen Ende der Scharnierhalterung und einem hinteren Ende des Scharnierarms angelenkt sind, und Verriegelungsmittel, die den Absenkgliedbolzen beschränken, so dass er in einem oberen Bereich des Führungsschlitzes während normaler Betriebszustände angeordnet ist, und ermöglichen, dass der Absenkgliedbolzen hin zu einem unteren Bereich des Führungsschlitzes abgesenkt wird, wenn ein Haubenelement durch eine Kollision deformiert wird. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
US 2016/0045917 W | ANTIBODY FRAGMENTS AGAINST THE INSULIN RECEPTOR AND USES THEREOF TO TREAT HYPOGLYCEMIA | The present disclosure relates, in general, to methods of treating or preventing hypoglycemia using a negative modulator antibody fragment that binds to the insulin receptor and modulates the action of insulin at the insulin receptor. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1515/zpch-2015-0635 | Investigation of the ν
2 + 2ν
3 Subband in the Overtone Icosad of 13CH4 by Pulsed Supersonic Jet and Diode Laser Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy: Partial Rovibrational Analysis and Nuclear Spin Symmetry Conservation | Abstract
We have investigated the ν
2 + 2ν
3 combination band of methane 13CH4 centered at
7493. 15918 cm
–1 within the icosad of the overtone absorption. The jet-CRD setup combining supersonic jet
expansions and cavity ring-down spectroscopy which was already used for the reinvestigation of the same spectral region for the
main isotope of methane (12CH4) has been used to record spectra of the Q and R branches at room temperature as
well as at very low temperatures (down to 4 K). Based on our previous temperature-dependent investigations and the
present results, we provide a careful analysis and the assignment for lines involving angular momentum quantum numbers up to
J = 4. The analysis of the relative intensities in spectra taken at various rotational and effective translational temperatures
demonstrate conservation of nuclear spin symmetry for 13CH4 under the conditions of a supersonic jet expansion,
similar to our previous results regarding 12CH4 and also to further results using other techniques and covering
other spectral ranges. This is in agreement with theoretical expectation regarding very slow nuclear spin symmetry relaxation
under these conditions in supersonic jet expansions. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter"
]
|
10.1007/s00125-016-3908-5 | Variants in the FTO and CDKAL1 loci have recessive effects on risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, respectively | Aims/hypothesis: Genome-wide association (GWA) studies have identified hundreds of common genetic variants associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. These studies have usually focused on additive association tests. Identifying deviations from additivity may provide new biological insights and explain some of the missing heritability for these diseases. Methods: We performed a GWA study using a dominance deviation model for BMI, obesity (29,925 cases) and type 2 diabetes (4,040 cases) in 120,286 individuals of British ancestry from the UK Biobank study. We also investigated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms previously shown to be associated with these traits showed any enrichment for departures from additivity. Results: Known obesity-associated variants in FTO showed strong evidence of deviation from additivity (pDOMDEV = 3 × 10−5) through a recessive effect of the allele associated with higher BMI. The average BMI of individuals carrying zero, one or two BMI-raising alleles was 27. 27 (95% CI 27. 22, 27. 31) kg/m2, 27. 54 (95% CI 27. 50, 27. 58) kg/m2 and 28. 07 (95% CI 28. 00, 28. 14) kg/m2, respectively. A similar effect was observed in 105,643 individuals from the GIANT Consortium (pDOMDEV = 0. 003; meta-analysis pDOMDEV = 1 × 10−7). For type 2 diabetes, we detected a recessive effect (pDOMDEV = 5 × 10−4) at CDKAL1. Relative to homozygous non-risk allele carriers, homozygous risk allele carriers had an OR of 1. 48 (95% CI 1. 32, 1. 65), while the heterozygous group had an OR of 1. 06 (95% CI 0. 99, 1. 14), a result consistent with that of a previous study. We did not identify any novel associations at genome-wide significance. Conclusions/interpretation: Although we found no evidence of widespread non-additive genetic effects contributing to obesity and type 2 diabetes risk, we did find robust examples of recessive effects at the FTO and CDKAL1 loci. Access to research materials: Summary statistics are available at www. t2diabetesgenes. org and by request (a. r. wood@exeter. ac. uk). All underlying data are available on application from the UK Biobank. | [
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
2725785 | Development of all thin-film perovskite on cis tandem photovoltaics | A realistic approach to increase the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) devices above the Shockley-Queisser single-junction limit is the construction of tandem devices. PERCISTAND focuses on the development of advanced materials and processes for all thin film perovskite on chalcogenide tandem devices. This tandem configuration is at an early stage of development today. The PERCISTAND emphasis is on 4-terminal tandem solar cell and module prototype demonstration on glass substrates, but also current- and voltage-matched 2-terminal proof-of-concept device structures are envisaged. Key research activities are the development and optimization of top wide band gap perovskite and bottom low band gap CuInSe2 devices, suitable transparent conductive oxides, and integration into tandem configurations. The focus is on obtaining high efficiency, stability and large-area manufacturability, at low production cost and environmental footprint. Efficiency target is 30 % at cell level, and 25 % at module level. Reliability and stability, tested in line with International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, must be similar as commercially available PV technologies. High manufacturability means that all technologies applied are scalable to 20×20 cm2, using sustainable and low-cost materials and processes. The cost and environmental impact will be assessed in line with International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and must be competitive with existing commercial PV technologies. Such a tandem device significantly outperforms not only the stand-alone perovskite and chalcogenide devices, but also best single-junction silicon devices. The development will be primarily on glass substrates, but also applicable to flexible substrates and thus interesting for building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) solutions, an important market for thin film PV. Hence, the outcome has high potential to strengthen and regain the EU leadership in thin film PV research and manufacturing. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1038/srep19253 | Levels of maternal care in dogs affect adult offspring temperament | Dog puppies are born in a state of large neural immaturity; therefore, the nervous system is sensitive to environmental influences early in life. In primates and rodents, early experiences, such as maternal care, have been shown to have profound and lasting effects on the later behaviour and physiology of offspring. We hypothesised that this would also be the case for dogs with important implications for the breeding of working dogs. In the present study, variation in the mother-offspring interactions of German Shepherd dogs within the Swedish breeding program for military working dogs was studied by video recording 22 mothers with their litters during the first three weeks postpartum. The aim was to classify mothers with respect to their level of maternal care and to investigate the effect of this care on pup behaviour in a standardised temperament test carried out at approximately 18 months of age. The results show that females differed consistently in their level of maternal care, which significantly affected the adult behaviour of the offspring, mainly with respect to behaviours classified as Physical and Social Engagement, as well as Aggression. Taking maternal quality into account in breeding programs may therefore improve the process of selecting working dogs. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
W1990041238 | RMediation: An R package for mediation analysis confidence intervals | This article describes the RMediation package,which offers various methods for building confidence intervals (CIs) for mediated effects. The mediated effect is the product of two regression coefficients. The distribution-of-the-product method has the best statistical performance of existing methods for building CIs for the mediated effect. RMediation produces CIs using methods based on the distribution of product, Monte Carlo simulations, and an asymptotic normal distribution. Furthermore, RMediation generates percentiles, quantiles, and the plot of the distribution and CI for the mediated effect. An existing program, called PRODCLIN, published in Behavior Research Methods, has been widely cited and used by researchers to build accurate CIs. PRODCLIN has several limitations: The program is somewhat cumbersome to access and yields no result for several cases. RMediation described herein is based on the widely available R software, includes several capabilities not available in PRODCLIN, and provides accurate results that PRODCLIN could not. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Mathematics"
]
|
10.1039/C5CC02908B | Aminomaleimide Fluorophores A Simple Functional Group With Bright Solvent Dependent Emission | Amino-substituted maleimides form a new class of highly emissive compounds, with large Stokes shifts (>100 nm) and high quantum yields (up to ∼60%). Emission is responsive to the maleimide's environment with both a red-shift, and quenching, observed in protic polar solvents. Aminomaleimides are easily functionalised, providing a versatile fluorescent probe. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
10.3765/salt.v26i0.3811 | Lifting conditionals to inquisitive semantics | This paper describes how any theory which assigns propositions to conditional sentences can be lifted to the setting of inquisitive semantics, where antecedents and consequents may be associated with multiple propositions. We show that the lifted account improves on the original account in two ways: first, it leads to a better analysis of disjunctive antecedents, which are treated as introducing multiple assumptions; second, it extends the original account to cover two further classes of conditional constructions, namely, unconditionals and conditional questions. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
10.1063/1.4948584 | Single Shot X Ray Phase Contrast Imaging Using A Direct Conversion Microstrip Detector With Single Photon Sensitivity | X-ray phase contrast imaging enables the measurement of the electron density of a sample with high sensitivity compared to the conventional absorption contrast. This is advantageous for the study of dose-sensitive samples, in particular, for biological and medical investigations. Recent developments relaxed the requirement for the beam coherence, such that conventional X-ray sources can be used for phase contrast imaging and thus clinical applications become possible. One of the prominent phase contrast imaging methods, Talbot-Lau grating interferometry, is limited by the manufacturing, alignment, and photon absorption of the analyzer grating, which is placed in the beam path in front of the detector. We propose an alternative improved method based on direct conversion charge integrating detectors, which enables a grating interferometer to be operated without an analyzer grating. Algorithms are introduced, which resolve interference fringes with a periodicity of 4. 7 μm recorded with a 25 μm pitch Si micro. . . | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
627785 | High power and voltage operation of electric motors in aeronautics | The present proposal tries to answer in the best way the call JTI-CS2-2020-CfP11-THT-12. After the analysis of the call, our understanding of the objectives requested by the call is the following:
The main objective of the project is to investigate solutions for the scientific and technical challenges regarding the use of high voltage high power electric drives at high altitude conditions. Both short and long term timeframes are contemplated, so research into the implications of high voltage and altitude in the reliability and safety of actual systems and its technical solution, but also investigation into new HTS based electric drives for these conditions are proposed.
For this purpose, this main objective splits into the following technical objectives:
• Investigation on modelling of high voltage electrical systems at high altitude for fundamental understanding of the technical issues related to inverter-fed HV insulation and arcing effects in electrical machines.
• Research into insulation approaches and assessment of their reliability and safety at high altitude conditions.
• Electromagnetic, electrical, thermal and mechanical design of actual topologies of electrical machines in order to evaluate the limits of each technology for high power and high voltage operation in aircraft applications.
• Comparison of available and foreseen HTS materials for their use in electric machines for high volumetric and mass power density.
• Investigation on thermal management systems for cryo-cooled HTS windings for electric machines in aircraft environment.
• Preliminary design and comparison of different HTS based electric machine topologies for aircraft applications at high voltage and high altitude in terms of power density, reliability and safety.
• Full design of a HTS electric motor concept and development of a lab-scale validator, applying the most suitable techniques investigated during the project for HV and high altitude operation, including the thermal management. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
interreg_1605 | Housing and Home-care for the Elderly and vulnerable people and Local Partnership Strategies in Central European cities | Europe is witnessing deep socio-demographic changes, namely the progressive ageing of its population. Elderly and vulnerable persons are increasingly at risk of social exclusion in urban areas due to the impoverishment of family and social linkages and significant infrastructure constraints. At present, the institutionalization of elderly and persons with disabilities presents some critical aspects, such as the homologation of care solutions, in spite of different needs, and the isolation from the social life of the community. Total ageing-related spending is projected to increase in the European Union by 4.75% of GDP by 2060 (DG SANCO).This trend represents a threat to the sustainability and efficiency of healthcare systems, with consequences on the rights of the most vulnerable persons, and on the social cohesion. The general objective of the project HELPS is to promote development strategies and practices to improve the quality of life of vulnerable groups with a strategic focus on elderly and people with disabilities in urban areas in central Europe. | [
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space",
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
216211 | Paptic – the good conscience alternative | Non-degradable, poorly recyclable, easily littered and long-lasting plastic products cause extensive accumulation of problems and endanger complete ecosystems. About 1 trillion plastic bags are used every year, with 89% of them only once. Despite the urgency of the problem, no viable alternative has been found up to now.
Paptic addresses this global challenge and satisfies the needs of consumers, retailers and brand owners for sustainable carrier bags. The company has developed the novel wood fibre based material PAPTIC® that combines the renewability of paper with the resource efficiency and functionality of plastics. Once fully developed, PAPTIC bags will be 100% biodegradable and recyclable, with at least 85% renewable content.
The patented PAPTIC® bags are the World’s first economically sound and environment-friendly alternative to plastics bags. Although market entry is achieved through carrier bags, PAPTIC® will revolutionise the whole flexible packaging market expected to be worth > €200 billion by 2018. The production logistics of Paptic is based on utilising existing paper mills, enabling rapid scale-up with low CAPEX investments.
Paptic has already built a sales pipeline worth more than €150 million, representing some of the best-known brands and retailers in the World. With some of them, Paptic is conducting tests with extremely favourable feedback from brand owners, and has launched its first marketing campaigns. Also feedback from consumers has been thoroughly positive.
The PAPTIC project is the next logical step in the company’s strategy. The focus is on scaling up production capacity from the already operational pilot line to a commercial prototype production line, and improving the performance of the PAPTIC | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1212/WNL.0000000000001991 | Detailed Comparison Of Amyloid Pet And Csf Biomarkers For Identifying Early Alzheimer Disease | Objective:To compare the diagnostic accuracy of CSF biomarkers and amyloid PET for diagnosing early-stage Alzheimer disease (AD). Methods:From the prospective, longitudinal BioFINDER study, we included 122 healthy elderly and 34 patients with mild cognitive impairment who developed AD dementia within 3 years (MCI-AD). -Amyloid (A) deposition in 9 brain regions was examined with [F-18]-flutemetamol PET. CSF was analyzed with INNOTEST and EUROIMMUN ELISAs. The results were replicated in 146 controls and 64 patients with MCI-AD from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative study. Results:The best CSF measures for identifying MCI-AD were A42/total tau (t-tau) and A42/hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) (area under the curve [AUC] 0. 93-0. 94). The best PET measures performed similarly (AUC 0. 92-0. 93; anterior cingulate, posterior cingulate/precuneus, and global neocortical uptake). CSF A42/t-tau and A42/p-tau performed better than CSF A42 and A42/40 (AUC difference 0. 03-0. 12, p < 0. 05). Using nonoptimized cutoffs, CSF A42/t-tau had the highest accuracy of all CSF/PET biomarkers (sensitivity 97%, specificity 83%). The combination of CSF and PET was not better than using either biomarker separately. Conclusions:Amyloid PET and CSF biomarkers can identify early AD with high accuracy. There were no differences between the best CSF and PET measures and no improvement when combining them. Regional PET measures were not better than assessing the global A deposition. The results were replicated in an independent cohort using another CSF assay and PET tracer. The choice between CSF and amyloid PET biomarkers for identifying early AD can be based on availability, costs, and doctor/patient preferences since both have equally high diagnostic accuracy. Classification of evidence:This study provides Class III evidence that amyloid PET and CSF biomarkers identify early-stage AD equally accurately. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1080/13607863.2017.1348479 | Associations Between The Dimensions Of Perceived Togetherness Loneliness And Depressive Symptoms Among Older Finnish People | ABSTRACTObjectives: We studied the associations between perceived togetherness, depressive symptoms, and loneliness over a six-month period among 222 people aged 75–79 who reported loneliness or depressive mood at baseline. Method: The present cross-lagged models utilized baseline and six-month follow-up data of a randomized controlled trial that examined the effects of a social intervention on loneliness and depression (ISRCTN78426775). Dimensions of perceived togetherness, i. e. attachment, social integration, guidance, alliance, nurturance, and reassurance of worth, were measured with the Social Provisions Scale, depressive symptoms with a short form of the Geriatric Depression Scale, and loneliness with a single item. Results: After controlling for baseline loneliness and depressive symptoms, baseline higher attachment in all participants and baseline higher opportunity for nurturance in the social intervention group predicted lower depressive mood at follow-up. No cross-lagged associations between the d. . . | [
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
10.1088/2041-8205/784/1/L16 | Old Puzzle New Insights A Lithium Rich Giant Quietly Burning Helium In Its Core | About 1% of giant stars have been shown to have large surface Li abundances, which is unexpected according to standard stellar evolution models. Several scenarios for lithium production have been proposed, but it is still unclear why these Li-rich giants exist. A missing piece in this puzzle is the knowledge of the exact stage of evolution of these stars. Using low-and-high-resolution spectroscopic observations, we have undertaken a survey of lithium-rich giants in the Kepler field. In this letter, we report the finding of the first confirmed Li-rich core-helium-burning giant, as revealed by asteroseismic analysis. The evolutionary timescales constrained by its mass suggest that Li-production most likely took place through non-canonical mixing at the RGB-tip, possibly during the helium flash. | [
"Universe Sciences",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1039/c6ra02274j | Synthesis of single layer graphene on Cu(111) by C60 supersonic molecular beam epitaxy | High kinetic energy impacts between inorganic surfaces and molecular beams seeded by organics represent a fundamental tool in materials science, particularly when they activate chemical–physical processes leading to nanocrystals' growth. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
10.1137/16M1097626 | Guaranteed Locally Space Time Efficient And Polynomial Degree Robust A Posteriori Error Estimates For High Order Discretizations Of Parabolic Problems | We consider the a posteriori error analysis of approximations of parabolic problems based on arbitrarily high-order conforming Galerkin spatial discretizations and arbitrarily high-order discontinuous Galerkin temporal discretizations. Using equilibrated flux reconstructions, we present a posteriori error estimates for a norm composed of the $L^2(H^1)\cap H^1(H^{-1})$-norm of the error and the temporal jumps of the numerical solution. The estimators provide guaranteed upper bounds for this norm, without unknown constants. Furthermore, the efficiency of the estimators with respect to this norm is local in both space and time, with constants that are robust with respect to the mesh-size, time-step size, and the spatial and temporal polynomial degrees. We further show that this norm, which is key for local space-time efficiency, is globally equivalent to the $L^2(H^1)\cap H^1(H^{-1})$-norm of the error, with polynomial-degree robust constants. The proposed estimators also have the practical advantage of allowing for very general refinement and coarsening between the timesteps. | [
"Mathematics",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
W2025783486 | Medical Rapid Response in Psychiatry: Reasons for Activation and Immediate Outcome | Rapid response teams are used to improve the recognition of acute deteriorations in medical and surgical settings. They are activated by abnormal physiological parameters, symptoms or clinical concern, and are believed to decrease hospital mortality rates. We evaluated the reasons for activation and the outcome of rapid response interventions in a 222-bed psychiatric hospital in New York City using data obtained at the time of all activations from January through November, 2012. The primary outcome was the admission rate to a medical or surgical unit for each of the main reasons for activation. The 169 activations were initiated by nursing staff (78.7 %) and psychiatrists (13 %) for acute changes in condition (64.5 %), abnormal physiological parameters (27.2 %) and non-specified concern (8.3 %). The most common reasons for activation were chest pain (14.2 %), fluctuating level of consciousness (9.5 %), hypertension (9.5 %), syncope or fall (8.9 %), hypotension (8.3 %), dyspnea (7.7 %) and seizures (5.9 %). The rapid response team transferred 127 (75.2 %) patients to the Emergency Department and 46 (27.2 %) were admitted to a medical or surgical unit. The admission rates were statistically similar for acute changes in condition, abnormal physiological parameters, and clinicians' concern. In conclusion, a majority of rapid response activations in a self-standing psychiatric hospital were initiated by nursing staff for changes in condition, rather than for policy-specified abnormal physiological parameters. The findings suggest that a rapid response system may empower psychiatric nurses to use their clinical skills to identify patients requiring urgent transfer to a general hospital. | [
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
10.1021/jacs.6b11851 | Catalytic Enantioselective [2,3]-Rearrangements of Allylic Ammonium Ylides: A Mechanistic and Computational Study | A mechanistic study of the isothiourea-catalyzed enantioselective [2,3]-rearrangement of allylic ammonium ylides is described. Reaction kinetic analyses using 19F NMR and density functional theory computations have elucidated a reaction profile and allowed identification of the catalyst resting state and turnover-rate limiting step. A catalytically relevant catalyst-substrate adduct has been observed, and its constitution elucidated unambiguously by 13C and 15N isotopic labeling. Isotopic entrainment has shown the observed catalyst-substrate adduct to be a genuine intermediate on the productive cycle toward catalysis. The influence of HOBt as an additive upon the reaction, catalyst resting state, and turnover-rate limiting step has been examined. Crossover experiments have probed the reversibility of each of the proposed steps of the catalytic cycle. Computations were also used to elucidate the origins of stereocontrol, with a 1,5-S⋯O interaction and the catalyst stereodirecting group providing transition structure rigidification and enantioselectivity, while preference for cation-π interactions over C-H⋯π is responsible for diastereoselectivity. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
]
|
639123 | SCENT: Hybrid Gels for Rapid Microbial Detection | Antimicrobial resistant bacteria are a global threat spreading at an alarming pace. They cause over 25,000 annual deaths in the EU, and represent an economic burden exceeding €1.5 billion a year. Current methods for microbial detection in clinical settings take about 24-36 h, but for slow-growing bacteria, as those causing tuberculosis, it can take more than a week. Early-detection and confinement of the infected individuals are the only ways to provide adequate therapy and control infection spread. Thus, tools for rapid identification of bacterial infections are greatly needed.
The analysis of microbial volatile metabolites is an area of increasing interest in diagnostics. Recent works demonstrate that fast microbial identification is possible with chemical nose sensors. These sensors usually present limited stability and selectivity, and require aggressive conditions during processing and operation. Bioinspired nose sensors employing biological olfactory receptors are an alternative. Unfortunately, their complexity and low stability are a limitation. My group recently discovered a new class of stimulus-responsive gels which tackle these key challenges. Our gels are customisable and have a low environmental footprint associated. I intend to further explore their potential to advance the field of odour detection, while providing new tools for the scientific community. I will focus specifically in fast microbial detection. To accomplish this, I propose to 1) build libraries of hybrid gels with semi-selective and selective properties, 2) generate odorant specific peptides mimicking olfactory receptors, 3) fully characterise the gels, 4) assemble artificial noses for analysis of microbial volatiles, 5) create databases with organism-specific signal signatures, 6) identify pathogenic bacteria, including those with acquired antimicrobial-resistances. This project is a timely approach which will place Europe in the forefront of infectious disease control. | [
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Materials Engineering",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1038/emboj.2013.86 | Species-specific detection of the antiviral small-molecule compound CMA by STING | Extensive research on antiviral small molecules starting in the early 1970s has led to the identification of 10-carboxymethyl-9-acridanone (CMA) as a potent type I interferon (IFN) inducer. Up to date, the mode of action of this antiviral molecule has remained elusive. Here we demonstrate that CMA mediates a cell-intrinsic type I IFN response, depending on the ER-resident protein STING. CMA directly binds to STING and triggers a strong antiviral response through the TBK1/IRF3 route. Interestingly, while CMA displays extraordinary activity in phosphorylating IRF3 in the murine system, CMA fails to activate human cells that are otherwise responsive to STING ligands. This failure to activate human STING can be ascribed to its inability to bind to the C-terminal ligand-binding domain of human STING. Crystallographic studies show that two CMA molecules bind to the central Cyclic diguanylate (c-diGMP)-binding pocket of the STING dimer and fold the lid region in a fashion similar, but partially distinct, to c-diGMP. Altogether, these results provide novel insight into ligand-sensing properties of STING and, furthermore, unravel unexpected species-specific differences of this innate sensor. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
222634 | Tilt rotor heat exchanger | The overall objective of the project is to design, develop; manufacture and flight qualify a novel heat exchanger for oil cooling in the transmission system of a civil Tilt Rotor aircraft. The proposed solution will outperform a conventional plate-fin heat exchanger in terms of efficiency, volume, weight, robustness, reliability and will fully integrate into the transmission systems architecture.
The concept underpinning this project is to build upon Marston Aerospace’s long history of innovation within heat transfer and fluids management systems by forming an integrated project team. The team will consist of thermal modellers, mechanical design, manufacturing, experimentalists and R&D experts in order to propose three initial air cooled oil cooler designs based on different manufacturing technologies. These will be conventional plate and fin corrugated heat exchanger; chemically etched plate and pin and an additive layer manufacturing solution utilising a novel architecture. An assumption would be that the material which would be most appropriate, in terms of technology readiness and for each proposed manufacturing process the suitability would be aluminium and that the new designs will be directly compared to each other in order to select the most viable design to take forward through to prototype manufacture towards flight demonstration testing. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1534/g3.115.016808 | Tools for Anopheles gambiae Transgenesis | Transgenesis is an essential tool to investigate gene function and to introduce desired characters in laboratory organisms. Setting-up transgenesis in non-model organisms is challenging due to the diversity of biological life traits and due to knowledge gaps in genomic information. Some procedures will be broadly applicable to many organisms, and others have to be specifically developed for the target species. Transgenesis in disease vector mosquitoes has existed since the 2000s but has remained limited by the delicate biology of these insects. Here, we report a compilation of the transgenesis tools that we have designed for the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, including new docking strains, convenient transgenesis plasmids, a puromycin resistance selection marker, mosquitoes expressing cre recombinase, and various reporter lines defining the activity of cloned promoters. This toolbox contributed to rendering transgenesis routine in this species and is now enabling the development of increasingly refined genetic manipulations such as targeted mutagenesis. Some of the reagents and procedures reported here are easily transferable to other nonmodel species, including other disease vector or agricultural pest insects. | [
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1016/j.devcel.2013.06.025 | Spatial coordination between stem cell activity and cell differentiation in the root meristem | A critical issue in development is the coordination of the activity of stem cell niches with differentiation of their progeny to ensure coherent organ growth. In the plant root, these processes take place at opposite ends of the meristem and must be coordinated with each other at a distance. Here, we show that in Arabidopsis, the gene SCR presides over this spatial coordination. In the organizing center of the root stem cell niche, SCR directly represses the expression of the cytokinin-response transcription factor ARR1, which promotes cell differentiation, controlling auxin production via the ASB1 gene and sustaining stem cell activity. This allows SCR to regulate, via auxin, the level of ARR1 expression in the transition zone where the stem cell progeny leaves the meristem, thus controlling the rate of differentiation. In this way, SCR simultaneously controls stem cell division and differentiation, ensuring coherent root growth. | [
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
216077 | Logistics emission accounting and reduction network | Addressing emissions from transport is becoming increasingly important due to its increasing contribution to total greenhouse gas emissions and the link to high levels of toxic pollutants in places with a high concentration of transport activity. The contribution of freight transport to these issues is already significant, and will become more so due to continued globalisation of supply chains and further global economic growth.
Efforts to address these issues are already underway. Transport companies have for a long time focused on their own activities because it is good business sense.
More recently, collaborative green freight programs have been developed. Several well-established industry-led green freight programs (Green Freight Europe, Lean & Green, ECO Stars etc.) developed to meet differing needs – operational data sharing to support benchmarking & reporting, efficiency improvement, reduction of toxic emissions in urban areas etc.
Public authorities are also taking a greater interest because of targets to reduce transport CO2 emissions and improve air quality. They are investigating a wide range of mechanisms, from incentives to access restrictions, and from vehicle-level certification of emissions to legislation requiring reporting.
There is much activity ongoing in this area; however, much of it takes place in isolation. This creates problems – for example, confusion over the role of different programs, disagreement over the most effective mechanisms that can be used to calculate and report emissions, where support is most needed to encourage certain behaviours, or ignorance of practical measures under development.
The overall goal of LEARN is to establish co-ordinated networks of industry, government and civil society stakeholders and build on existing initiatives to drive consistent and transparent emissions measurement and reporting across the global logistics supply chain. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
]
|
W1548020939 | Toward Food System Sustainability through School Food System Change: Think&EatGreen@School and the Making of a Community-University Research Alliance | This paper describes the theoretical and conceptual framework and the research and practice model of Think&EatGreen@School, a community-based action research project aiming to foster food citizenship in the City of Vancouver and to develop a model of sustainable institutional food systems in public schools. The authors argue that educational and policy interventions at the school and school board level can drive the goals of food system sustainability, food security, and food sovereignty. The complex relationship between food systems, climate change and environmental degradation require that international initiatives promoting sustainability be vigorously complemented by local multi-stakeholder efforts to preserve or restore the capacity to produce food in a durable manner. As a step towards making the City of Vancouver green, we are currently involved in attempts to transform the food system of the local schools by mobilizing the energy of a transdisciplinary research team of twelve university researchers, over 300 undergraduate and graduate students, and twenty community-based researchers and organizations working on food, public health, environmental and sustainability education. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
]
|
2721149 | Development and commercialisation of a complete compostable film packaging system | In the light of the recently published ‘A European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy’ document, all stakeholders involved in the life cycle of plastic packaging are striving towards achieving a solution which could curb plastic pollution and its adverse impact on our lives and the environment. Consumers and retailers demand a packaging film which can be 100% recycled or can be completely biologically decomposed. Compostable plastics have the ability to break down, safely and relatively quickly, by biological means, into the raw materials of nature and disappear into the environment (soil). There is a need of a totally compostable wrapping packaging solution (film, label and tray) along with an easy-to-use (and maintain) cost effective packaging machines. 2. 3. In a response to this market need, the project consortium led by Fabbri Group is developing a platform technology ‘Nature Fresh’ which is a complete compostable film packaging solution targeted specifically at the fresh food packaging markets (meat, fish, dairy, fruit and vegetables). Nature Fresh delivers retailers. food processors, and the common public direct environmental benefits and addresses a current opportunity to reduce the use of plastic. At the same time the product will assist in meeting sustainability initiatives. Through this 30 months FTI project, the consortium aims to carry out activities such as commercial scale manufacturing of the compostable films, design and development of the automatic wrapping machines, design and development compostable label, gain regulatory approvals and conduct end-user trials to gain market acceptance and a swift market entry by Q2- 2022. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1145/2899004 | Getting Closer To The Essence Of Music The Con Espressione Manifesto | This text offers a personal and very subjective view on the current situation of Music Information Research (MIR). Motivated by the desire to build systems with a somewhat deeper understanding of music than the ones we currently have, I try to sketch a number of challenges for the next decade of MIR research, grouped around six simple truths about music that are probably generally agreed on, but often ignored in everyday research. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
W1488379204 | The Design Argument | This Element analyzes the various forms that design arguments for the existence of God can take, but the main focus is on two such arguments. The first concerns the complex adaptive features that organisms have. Creationists who advance this argument contend that evolution by natural selection cannot be the right explanation. The second design argument - the argument from fine-tuning - begins with the fact that life could not exist in our universe if the constants found in the laws of physics had values that differed more than a little from their actual values. Since probability is the main analytical tool used, the Element provides a primer on probability theory. | [
"Texts and Concepts",
"Mathematics"
]
|
10.1186/s12934-014-0159-3 | Pseudomonas 2.0: Genetic upgrading of P. putida KT2440 as an enhanced host for heterologous gene expression | Background: Because of its adaptability to sites polluted with toxic chemicals, the model soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida is naturally endowed with a number of metabolic and stress-endurance qualities which have considerable value for hosting energy-demanding and redox reactions thereof. The growing body of knowledge on P. putida strain KT2440 has been exploited for the rational design of a derivative strain in which the genome has been heavily edited in order to construct a robust microbial cell factory. Results: Eleven non-adjacent genomic deletions, which span 300 genes (i. e. , 4. 3% of the entire P. putida KT2440 genome), were eliminated; thereby enhancing desirable traits and eliminating attributes which are detrimental in an expression host. Since ATP and NAD(P)H availability - as well as genetic instability, are generally considered to be major bottlenecks for the performance of platform strains, a suite of functions that drain high-energy phosphate from the cells and/or consume NAD(P)H were targeted in particular, the whole flagellar machinery. Four prophages, two transposons, and three components of DNA restriction-modification systems were eliminated as well. The resulting strain (P. putida EM383) displayed growth properties (i. e. , lag times, biomass yield, and specific growth rates) clearly superior to the precursor wild-type strain KT2440. Furthermore, it tolerated endogenous oxidative stress, acquired and replicated exogenous DNA, and survived better in stationary phase. The performance of a bi-cistronic GFP-LuxCDABE reporter system as a proxy of combined metabolic vitality, revealed that the deletions in P. putida strain EM383 brought about an increase of > 50% in the overall physiological vigour. Conclusion: The rationally modified P. putida strain allowed for the better functional expression of implanted genes by directly improving the metabolic currency that sustains the gene expression flow, instead of resorting to the classical genetic approaches (e. g. , increasing the promoter strength in the DNA constructs of interest). | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering"
]
|
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