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10.1890/14-0106.1 | The Influence Of Birth Date Via Body Mass On Individual Fitness In A Long Lived Mammal | The timing of birth has marked impacts on early life and early development of newborns in many species. In seasonal environments, early-born offspring often survive and grow better than late-born offspring, but despite the long-lasting effects of early conditions on life history traits, the influence of birth date on fitness has rarely been investigated for long-lived species. In this study, we analyzed both the short- and long-term effects of birth date on individual life history traits and explored its subsequent impact on individual fitness in a population of roe deer. We considered both the direct effects, as well as the indirect effects of birth date mediated through the effects of body mass, on demographic parameters. We found that in addition to short-term effects on early body growth and survival, birth date generates “silver spoon” effects on adult life history traits of female roe deer. Birth date had long-lasting effects on female adult body mass such that early-born females were, on average, 3. . . | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
10.1016/j.rmed.2013.09.010 | Lymphocyte subsets in experimental rhinovirus infection in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | Background: COPD is associated with increased numbers of T cells in the lungs, particularly CD8+ T cells. The mechanisms of increased T cells are unknown but may be related to repeated virus infections in COPD patients. We analysed lymphocyte subsets in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage in smokers and COPD subjects during experimental rhinovirus infections. Methods: Lymphocytes were isolated from blood and bronchoalveolar lavage from COPD subjects and non-obstructed smokers prior to, and following experimental rhinovirus infection. Lymphocyte surface markers and intracellular cytokines were analysed using flow cytometry. Results: Following rhinovirus infection CD4+ and CD8+ T cell numbers in the COPD subjects were significantly reduced in blood and CD3+ and CD8+ T cells increased in bronchoalveolar lavage compared to baseline. T cells did not increase in BAL in the control subjects. CD3+ T cells correlated with virus load. Conclusions: Following rhinovirus infection T cells move from the circulation to the lung. Repeated virus infections may contribute to T cell accumulation in COPD patients. | [
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy"
]
|
10.1039/C004246C | Rapid Prototyping Of Microfluidic Devices For Integrating With Ft Ir Spectroscopic Imaging | A versatile approach for the rapid prototyping of microfluidic devices suitable for use with FT-IR spectroscopic imaging is introduced. Device manufacture is based on the direct printing of paraffin onto the surface of an infrared transparent substrate, followed by encapsulation. Key features of this approach are low running costs, rapid production times, simplicity of design modifications and suitability for integration with FT-IR spectroscopic measurements. In the current experiments, the minimum width of channel walls was found to be ∼120 μm and ∼200 when a 25 μm and 12 μm spacer is used, respectively. Water and poly(ethylene glycol) are used as model fluids in a laminar flow regime, and are imaged in both transmission and attenuated total reflection (ATR) modes. It is established that adoption of transmission mode measurements yields superior sensitivity whilst the ATR mode is more suitable for quantitative analysis using strong spectral absorption bands. Results indicate that devices manufactured using this approach are suitable for use with in situ FT-IR spectroscopic imaging. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
W392251796 | Heat transfer investigation in rotating smooth square U-duct with different wall-temperature ratios and channel orientations | Abstract Effect of wall-temperature ratios (TR) and channel orientations (β) on heat transfer in rotating smooth square U-duct is experimentally investigated. The inlet Reynolds number and rotation number (Ro) range from 10,000 to 30,000 and 0 to 2.0, respectively. Three TR cases (0.08, 0.12, and 0.16) and two channel angles (0°, 45°) are selected. The effect of TR on heat transfer distribution can be unified by considering the wall-to-bulk temperature ratio ((Tb/Tw)n) which the exponent n varies from stationary to rotation. Compared with TR = 0.16, smaller TR case has larger critical Ro on the leading surface of the first pass and larger exceed-Ro of the second pass. Compared with β = 0° channel, β = 45° channel shows negative effect on heat transfer as Ro increases over the critical Ro. The channel orientation also enlarges the critical Ro on the leading surface of the first pass. The correlations between the critical Ro (Roc) and the location (X/D), including wall-temperature ratios (TR) and channel orientations (β), are developed into simple expression. The correlations demonstrate that the minimum heat transfer in the whole channel can be determined by the specified rotational states. And thus the correlations for minimum Nu/Nus ratio as a function of Ro (0 | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
]
|
10.1145/3275519 | Feature Specific Profiling | While high-level languages come with significant readability and maintainability benefits, their performance remains difficult to predict. For example, programmers may unknowingly use language features inappropriately, which cause their programs to run slower than expected. To address this issue, we introduce feature-specific profiling, a technique that reports performance costs in terms of linguistic constructs. Feature-specific profilers help programmers find expensive uses of specific features of their language. We describe the architecture of a profiler that implements our approach, explain prototypes of the profiler for two languages with different characteristics and implementation strategies, and provide empirical evidence for the approach’s general usefulness as a performance debugging tool. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1093/cercor/bhy003 | The Temporal Dynamics of Brain Plasticity in Aging | Cognitive training has been suggested as a possible remediation of decline in brain structure with older age. However, it is unknown whether training effects are transient or enduring, as no studies have examined training-induced plasticity relative to decline in older adults across extended periods with multiple intervention phases. We investigated the temporal dynamics of brain plasticity across periods on and off memory training, hypothesizing that (1) a decline in white matter (WM) microstructure would be observed across the duration of the study and (2) that periods of memory training would moderate the WM microstructural decline. In total, 107 older adults followed a 40-week program, including 2 training periods separated by periods with no intervention. The general decline in WM microstructure observed across the duration of the study was moderated following the training periods, demonstrating that cognitive training may mitigate age-related brain deterioration. The training-related improvements were estimated to subside over time, indicating that continuous training may be a premise for the enduring attenuation of neural decline. Memory improvements were largely maintained after the initial training period, and may thus not rely on continuous training to the same degree as WM microstructure. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
10.1021/acs.est.0c00525 | No Evidence for a Significant Impact of Heterogeneous Chemistry on Radical Concentrations in the North China Plain in Summer 2014 | The oxidation of nitric oxide to nitrogen dioxide by hydroperoxy (HO2) and organic peroxy radicals (RO2) is responsible for the chemical net ozone production in the troposphere and for the regeneration of hydroxyl radicals, the most important oxidant in the atmosphere. In Summer 2014, a field campaign was conducted in the North China Plain, where increasingly severe ozone pollution has been experienced in the last years. Chemical conditions in the campaign were representative for this area. Radical and trace gas concentrations were measured, allowing for calculating the turnover rates of gas-phase radical reactions. Therefore, the importance of heterogeneous HO2 uptake on aerosol could be experimentally determined. HO2 uptake could have suppressed ozone formation at that time because of the competition with gas-phase reactions that produce ozone. The successful reduction of the aerosol load in the North China Plain in the last years could have led to a significant decrease of HO2 loss on particles, so that ozone-forming reactions could have gained importance in the last years. However, the analysis of the measured radical budget in this campaign shows that HO2 aerosol uptake did not impact radical chemistry for chemical conditions in 2014. Therefore, reduced HO2 uptake on aerosol since then is likely not the reason for the increasing number of ozone pollution events in the North China Plain, contradicting conclusions made from model calculations reported in the literature. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Earth System Science"
]
|
339760 | Non-Commutative Distributions in Free Probability | We intend to study new directions in free probability theory with high potential to lead to breakthroughs in our understanding of random matrix models and operator algebras. We will drive forward the study of ""free analysis"" which is intended to provide a whole new mathematical theory for variables with the highest degree of non-commutativity and which lies at the crossroad of many exciting mathematical subjects.
More specifically, the objective of the proposal is to extend our armory for dealing with non-commutative distributions and to attack some of the fundamental problems which are related to such distributions, like: the existence and properties of the limit of multi-matrix models; the isomorphism problem for free group factors, and more generally, properties of free entropy and free entropy dimension as invariants for von Neumann algebras.
The main directions are:
(i) classifying non-commutative symmetries and describing the effect of invariance under such quantum symmetries for non-commutative distributions; this will rely on our recent theory of easy quantum groups
(ii) proving regularity properties for non-commutative distributions; for this we will develop the theory of free Malliavin calculus
(iii) providing algorithms for calculating non-commutative distributions; this will rely on advances of the analytic theory of operator valued free convolutions and will in particular lead to a master algorithm for the computation of asymptotic eigenvalue distributions for general random matrix problems | [
"Mathematics"
]
|
EP 2022075812 W | COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED OBJECT VISIBILITY IMPROVEMENT BY INTERPOSING AN IMAGE IN A VIEWER'S LINE-OF-SIGHT | Object overlay for vehicle occupants includes determining that visibility of an object in a view of a vehicle occupant through a transparent surface of the vehicle is degraded, the object being in an environment in which the vehicle travels, selecting from an image repository a reference image of the object, extracting, from the reference image, an image portion comprising an image of a least a portion of the object, transforming the extracted image portion to correspond to the view of the vehicle occupant, the transforming producing a transformed image potion, and displaying the transformed image portion on the transparent surface and interposed in a line-of-sight of the vehicle occupant to the object in the environment such that the transformed image portion overlays at least a portion of the vehicle occupant's view through the transparent surface to the object in the environment. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
3743511 | A citizen science decade (2020-2030) in support to the sustainable development goals | The CS-SDG project will lead to the organization of a citizen science conference which will bring together and showcase impactful citizen science initiatives, provide policy input to ongoing European developments and inspire the upcoming ten years of citizen science initiatives. CS-SDG will address this challenge by focusing on citizen science as a relevant approach to contributing to Global Challenges and industrial competitiveness in Horizon Europe, to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to building upon ongoing initiatives in the Open Science strategy, the European Research Area (ERA) and Horizon 2020. The “A citizen science decade (2020-2030) in support to the Sustainable Development Goals” conference will represent a crucial opportunity to bring together lessons learnt from initiatives at global, national, regional and grassroots level, to scale up their impacts, address existing challenges and harness the potential of citizen science towards achieving the SDGs. One of the main conference outcomes will be a declaration and recommendations, gathering input in a collaborative way from conference participants and selected experts, focusing on the future of citizen science and its implementation in future funding programmes.
CS-SDG will organise a conference gathering policy-makers and citizen science projects – from all parts of the world, from local to global scales, and both community-led and academic-led – to build the future of citizen science policy-making. The conference will be an opportunity to showcase the diversity of citizen science projects, and a forum for reflection and perspective, with transversal sessions to define together the latest developments, impacts, benefits and challenges of citizen science, as well as a global Citizen Science Festival. Most importantly, collaborative sessions will draw recommendations to feed in strategic policy recommendations for the decade 2020-2030. | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
10.1016/j.cortex.2018.11.023 | Synaesthetes show advantages in savant skill acquisition: Training calendar calculation in sequence-space synaesthesia | Previous research has suggested that synaesthetic experiences may create the foundation for superior skills to emerge of the type found in savant syndrome (e. g. , Simner, Mayo, & Spiller, 2009). People with sequence-space synaesthesia experience units of time (e. g. , days, months, years) as a pattern in space, either within the mind's eye or as a 3d projection outside of the body. Our study investigates whether sequence-space synaesthesia facilitates the learning of the savant skill known as ‘calendar calculation’ where an individual can give the correct day of the week for any given date (e. g. , 18th September 1990 was a Tuesday). Using a novel experimental methodology, we trained a group of sequence-space synaesthetes as well as non-synaesthete controls how to calendar calculate over two weeks with a final calendar calculation test in the third week. We show for the first time that calendar calculation is relatively easy to acquire: following training sessions totalling 1 h participants could select a day, from a set of several thousand, within ∼10 sec and with ∼80% accuracy. Synaesthetes were not found to have improved abilities from the start, but they outperformed controls in our final calendar calculation test. We suggest that sequence-space synaesthesia may have provided an advantage in performing calendar calculation after the opportunity for initial learning had taken place. This supports the notion of synaesthesia as a foundation for superior, and perhaps sometimes savant-like, skills. | [
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity",
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System"
]
|
interreg_1360 | Monitoring, forcasting and best practices for FLOOD Mitigation and prevEntion in the CADSES region | Hydro-meteorological monitoring and flood forecasting are indispensable for preventing and mitigating hydrological hazards, such as floods, and for ensuring civil protection. Implementing a plan that acknowledges the principles of sustainability to combat floods requires further activities regarding agriculture, forestry and land-use management in flood risk areas. As most river catchments areas belong to more than one country or region, methodologies have to be developed within a transnational and a transregional context that go beyond local concepts. The project regions of FLOODMED are characterised by an increase in the number of people and economic assets located in flood risk zones, while at the same time the areas lack an integrated flood management plan. The project aims at developing effective flood risk management programs, incorporating the basic elements of flood prevention, protection, preparedness, emergency response and recovery. FLOODMED brings together scientists and public servants who will develop a scalable system of operational tools to support integrated water and sustainable flood risk management. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
]
|
949229 | Crystal Engineering the New Generation of Sustainable, Biocompatible and Stimuli Responsive Formulations for the Delivery of Active Ingredients | CryForm aims at progressing our fundamental knowledge in organic materials crystallization and crystal engineering by: (1) gleaning a mechanistic understanding of the relationship between crystal structure and surface properties; (2) uncovering the thermodynamic and kinetic mechanisms of crystal nucleation and growth at liquid/liquid and liquid/gas interfaces; (3) understanding the role of large biomolecules in the modification of crystal growth and nucleation kinetics. This knowledge will enable the design of novel sustainable, biocompatible and stimuli responsive multiphase formulations (e.g., emulsions, foams) for the encapsulation and controlled release of active ingredients. Developing formulations with enhanced dissolution rate and bioavailability is critical for many industrial sectors: about 40% of the active pharmaceutical ingredients on the market and 60% of the ones in development are poorly soluble or scarcely bioavailable. Agrochemicals and food nutraceuticals present similar problems. Currently, synthetic excipients, surfactants and specialty polymers are used to create formulations with enhanced properties. However, these compounds are derived from non-renewable resources through some of the most greenhouse gas-intensive manufacturing processes. The production and incineration of polymeric materials will produce, in 2019, more than 850 million metric tons of greenhouse gases. Furthermore, the chemical synthesis of many polymers involves highly toxic, flammable and polluting reagents such as ethylene oxide, responsible for the 2004 explosion at Sterigenics International in California. It is clearly necessary to move away from polymer-based formulations and find more sustainable and safer alternatives. CryForm proposes a unique approach whereby synthetic additives will be replaced with natural crystals specifically engineered to enable controlled release of active ingredients via a unique mechanism based on stimuli-triggered solid form transformations. | [
"Materials Engineering",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1080/13506285.2019.1582571 | Memory Based Attentional Biases Survive Spatial Suppression Driven By Selection History | Information in visual working memory that is only prospectively relevant can nevertheless guide attention towards memory matching visual input. Previous studies demonstrated that such memory-based . . . | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
10.1126/sciadv.aar6444 | Probing measurement-induced effects in quantum walks via recurrence | Measurements on a quantum particle unavoidably affect its state, since the otherwise unitary evolution of the system is interrupted by a nonunitary projection operation. To probe measurement-induced effects in the state dynamics using a quantum simulator, the challenge is to implement controlled measurements on a small subspace of the system and continue the evolution from the complementary subspace. A powerful platform for versatile quantum evolution is represented by photonic quantum walks because of their high control over all relevant parameters. However, measurement-induced dynamics in such a platform have not yet been realized. We implement controlled measurements in a discrete-time quantum walk based on time-multiplexing. This is achieved by adding a deterministic outcoupling of the optical signal to include measurements constrained to specific positions resulting in the projection of the walker’s state on the remaining ones. With this platform and coherent input light, we experimentally simulate measurement-induced single-particle quantum dynamics. We demonstrate the difference between dynamics with only a single measurement at the final step and those including measurements during the evolution. To this aim, we study recurrence as a figure of merit, that is, the return probability to the walker’s starting position, which is measured in the two cases. We track the development of the return probability over 36 time steps and observe the onset of both recurrent and transient evolution as an effect of the different measurement schemes, a signature which only emerges for quantum systems. Our simulation of the observed one-particle conditional quantum dynamics does not require a genuine quantum particle but is demonstrated with coherent light. | [
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1007/s11229-016-1062-8 | Malfunction defended | Historical accounts of biological are thought to have, as a point in their favour, their being able to accommodate malfunction. Recently, this has been brought into doubt by Paul Sheldon Davies’s argument for the claim that both selected malfunction (that of the selected functions account) and weak etiological malfunction (that of the weak etiological account), are impossible. In this paper I suggest that in light of Davies’s objection, historical accounts of biological function need to be adjusted to accommodate malfunction. I propose a historical account which places two conditions on membership of a functional kind. My claim is that it is in virtue of a trait’s meeting these conditions that it is a member of a functional kind, and can thus malfunction. I suggest that a version of my proposal can be adopted by both the selected effects and weak etiological theorists, and so conclude that such a proposal meets Davies’s objection. | [
"Texts and Concepts"
]
|
10.1007/JHEP09(2015)088 | Rigid 4D N 2 Supersymmetric Backgrounds And Actions | We classify all N=2 rigid supersymmetric backgrounds in four dimensions with both Lorentzian and Euclidean signature that preserve eight real supercharges, up to discrete identifications. Among the backgrounds we find specific warpings of S^3 x R and AdS_3 x R, AdS_2 x S^2 and H^2 x S^2 with generic radii, and some more exotic geometries. We provide the generic two-derivative rigid vector and hypermultiplet actions and analyze the conditions imposed on the special Kahler and hyperkahler target spaces. | [
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter",
"Mathematics"
]
|
340642 | Transgressive Inheritance in plant Breeding and Evolution | New varieties of plant and animal are produced by hybridisation of closely related varieties or species. This process generates ""transgressive"" traits that are outside the parental range. Transgressive phenotypes in hybrids may involve complementation of genetic differences between the two parents, heterozygous advantage, genetic rearrangements and, from our recent work, epigenetic effects associated with RNA silencing.
TRIBE will investigate these effects using tomato for which there is a recently published full genome sequences and for which there are well characterised genetic resources based on hybrids between cultivated tomato and its wild relatives. We propose to map the genome and epigenome of F2-F4 generation hybrids between S. lycopersicum and its wild relative S. pennelli and, in parallel, to find out the level of expression of all genes including those producing small silencing RNAs. These data will provide the first systematic analysis of genomes, their expression and epigenetic modifications in the four post hybridisation generations.
TRIBE will also explore details of epigenetic mechanisms associated with transgressive traits with a view to their enhancement or suppression to facilitate conventional plant breeding involving wide crosses between crops and their wild relatives. It will also explore the possibility that there is a legacy of epigenetic marks in tomato that have been induced by ancestral hybridisation events.
The final outcome of TRIBE will be a test of the hypothesis that hybridisation is important in evolution because it allows not only the formation of new combinations of genes: it is also a process that induces new heritable variation via epigenetic and RNA silencing based mechanisms. It will generate information that will be central to the the exploitation of hybrids in breeding of crops.It will also generate new information about evolutionary mechanisms that can be integrated into our understanding of the tree of life. | [
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering"
]
|
10.1007/JHEP08(2014)044 | The Gravity Dual Of Supersymmetric Gauge Theories On A Squashed S 1 S 3 | We present a new one-parameter family of supersymmetric solutions deform- ing AdS5. This is constructed as an asymptotically locally anti de Sitter (AlAdS) solution ofve-dimensional minimal gauged supergravity, with topology RR 4 and a non-trivial graviphotoneld, and can be uplifted to ten or eleven dimensional supergravities. An analytic continuation of this solution yields the gravity dual to a class of four-dimensional N = 1 supersymmetric gauge theories on a curved manifold with topology S 1 �S 3 , com- prising an SU(2)� U(1)-symmetric squashed three-sphere, with a non-trivial background gaugeeld coupling to the R-symmetry current. We compute the holographically renor- malised on-shell action and interpret it in terms of the Casimir energy of the dualeld theory. We also determine the holographic conserved charges of the solution and discuss relations between them. | [
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter",
"Mathematics"
]
|
268757 | The genomic blueprint of macrophages: dissecting players and mechanisms through an integrative approach | Macrophages are highly specialized cells widely distributed in tissues and active both as immune effectors and as housekeeping phagocytes responsible for maintenance of tissue integrity. Macrophages display a striking heterogeneity that reflects a complex interplay between different micro-environmental signals provided by various tissues (as well as by microbial and endogenous stress signals), and a robust differentiation program that determines macrophage identity.
Terminal differentiation depends on the implementation of cell type-specific gene expression programs driven by fate-determining transcription factors (TF). However, the intermediate events linking lineage-specific TFs to the acquisition of the 1- and 3-dimensional genomic organization characteristic of a given cell type (and essential to configure its specific properties and its ability to properly react to the environment) are largely unknown.
The objective of this project is to understand how macrophage identity, functional specialization and plasticity are controlled by their specialized genomic organization, which is encoded in mammalian genomes, controlled by specific TFs, and modulated by the microenvironment. By integrating cutting-edge biochemical and genomic techniques, genetics in the mouse, computational approaches and equilibrium thermodynamics, the project aims at describing, and mechanistically deciphering, the specific organization and usage of the genome that is characteristic of macrophages and underlies the acquisition of their functional properties. The output of the project will include concepts and paradigms widely exportable to other cellular systems. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
10.1088/1742-6596/200/1/012207 | Kinks Fingerprints Of Strong Electronic Correlations | The textbook knowledge of solid state physics is that the electronic specific heat shows a linear temperature dependence with the leading corrections being a cubic term due to phonons and a cubic-logarithmic term due to the interaction of electrons with bosons. We have shown that this longstanding conception needs to be supplemented since the generic behavior of the low-temperature electronic specific heat includes a kink if the electrons are sufficiently strongly correlated. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics"
]
|
US 2015/0027039 W | IMPROVED PERMEABILITY OF SUBTERRANEAN RESERVOIRS USING ACID DIVERSION | Methods for acid diversion in a hydrocarbon-containing subterranean formation are disclosed. The methods include injecting an acid diversion agent comprising a water-soluble or dispersible branched polyhydroxyetheramine and injecting an acidic solution into a well which is in contact with the hydrocarbon- containing subterranean formation. Preferably, the acid solution is diverted toward a zone of the formation that has a lower permeability to fluid than an adjacent zone. This process improves the permeability of the hydrocarbon-containing subterranean formation to hydrocarbons, while decreasing the permeability of the formation to water or brine. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1142/S0218301316300058 | Predictions For P Pb Collisions At Sqrt S_ Nn 5 Tev Comparison With Data | Predictions made in Albacete et al. [Int. J. Mod. Phys. E 22 (2013) 1330007] prior to the LHC p+Pb run at sNN = 5 TeV are compared to currently available data. Some predictions shown here have been updated by including the same experimental cuts as the data. Some additional predictions are also presented, especially for quarkonia, that were provided to the experiments before the data were made public but were too late for the original publication. | [
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter"
]
|
10.1162/jocn_a_00512 | Resting State Correlates of Subdimensions of Anxious Affect | Resting state fMRI may help identify markers of risk for affective disorder. Given the comorbidity of anxiety and depressive disorders and the heterogeneity of these disorders as defined by DSM, an important challenge is to identify alterations in resting state brain connectivity uniquely associated with distinct profiles of negative affect. The current study aimed to address this by identifying differences in brain connectivity specifically linked to cognitive and physiological profiles of anxiety, controlling for depressed affect. We adopted a two-stage multivariate approach. Hierarchical clustering was used to independently identify dimensions of negative affective style and resting state brain networks. Combining the clustering results, we examined individual differences in resting state connectivity uniquely associated with subdimensions of anxious affect, controlling for depressed affect. Physiological and cognitive subdimensions of anxious affect were identified. Physiological anxiety was associated with widespread alterations in insula connectivity, including decreased connectivity between insula subregions and between the insula and other medial frontal and subcortical networks. This is consistent with the insula facilitating communication between medial frontal and subcortical regions to enable control of physiological affective states. Meanwhile, increased connectivity within a frontoparietal–posterior cingulate cortex–precunous network was specifically associated with cognitive anxiety, potentially reflecting increased spontaneous negative cognition (e. g. , worry). These findings suggest that physiological and cognitive anxiety comprise subdimensions of anxiety-related affect and reveal associated alterations in brain connectivity. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
10.1038/mi.2012.69 | Natural and long-lasting cellular immune responses against influenza in the M2e-immune host | Influenza is a global health concern. Licensed influenza vaccines induce strain-specific virus-neutralizing antibodies but hamper the induction of possibly cross-protective T-cell responses upon subsequent infection. 1 In this study, we compared protection induced by a vaccine based on the conserved extracellular domain of matrix 2 protein (M2e) with that of a conventional whole inactivated virus (WIV) vaccine using single as well as consecutive homo- and heterosubtypic challenges. Both vaccines protected against a primary homologous (with respect to hemagglutinin and neuraminidase in WIV) challenge. Functional T-cell responses were induced after primary challenge of M2e-immune mice but were absent in WIV-vaccinated mice. M2e-immune mice displayed limited inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue, which was absent in WIV-immune animals. Importantly, M2e- but not WIV-immune mice were protected from a primary as well as a secondary, severe heterosubtypic challenge, including challenge with pandemic H1N1 2009 virus. Our findings advocate the use of infection-permissive influenza vaccines, such as those based on M2e, in immunologically naive individuals. The combined immune response induced by M2e-vaccine and by clinically controlled influenza virus replication results in strong and broad protection against pandemic influenza. We conclude that the challenge of the M2e-immune host induces strong and broadly reactive immunity against influenza virus infection. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1073/pnas.1910097116 | Sterile activation of invariant natural killer T cells by ER-stressed antigen-presenting cells | Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells have the unique ability to shape immunity during antitumor immune responses and other forms of sterile and nonsterile inflammation. Recent studies have highlighted a variety of classes of endogenous and pathogen-derived lipid antigens that can trigger iNKT cell activation under sterile and nonsterile conditions. However, the context and mechanisms that drive the presentation of self-lipid antigens in sterile inflammation remain unclear. Here we report that endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stressed myeloid cells, via signaling events modulated by the protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK) pathway, increase CD1d-mediated presentation of immunogenic endogenous lipid species, which results in enhanced iNKT cell activation both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we demonstrate that actin cytoskeletal reorganization during ER stress results in an altered distribution of CD1d on the cell surface, which contributes to enhanced iNKT cell activation. These results define a previously unidentified mechanism that controls iNKT cell activation during sterile inflammation. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
679355 | Bird Inspired Autonomous Flight | The agile and efficient flight of birds shows what flight performance is physically possible, and in theory could be achieved by unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) of the same size. The overall aim of this project is to enhance the performance of small scale UAVs by developing novel technologies inspired by understanding how birds are adapted to interact with airflows. Small UAVs have the potential to dramatically change current practices in many areas such as, search and rescue, surveillance, and environmental monitoring. Currently the utility of these systems is limited by their operational endurance and their inability to operate in strong turbulent winds, especially those that often occur in urban environments. Birds are adapted to be able to fly in these conditions and actually use them to their advantage to minimise their energy output.
This project is composed of three tracks which contain elements of technology development, as well as scientific investigation looking at bird flight behaviour and aerodynamics. The first track looks at developing path planning algorithms for UAVs in urban environments based on how birds fly in these areas, by using GPS tracking and computational fluid dynamics alongside trajectory optimization. The second track aims to develop artificial wings with improved gust tolerance inspired by the features of feathered wings. Here, high speed video measurements of birds flying through gusts will be used alongside wind tunnel testing of artificial wings to discover what features of a bird’s wing help to alleviate gusts. The third track develops novel force and flow sensor arrays for autonomous flight control based on the sensor arrays found in flying animals. These arrays will be used to make UAVs with increased agility and robustness. This unique bird inspired approach uses biology to show what is possible, and engineering to find the features that enable this performance and develop them into functional technologies. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1080/17445647.2016.1197613 | Late Glacial And Holocene European Pollen Data | The European Pollen Database (EPD) is a community effort to archive and make available pollen sequences from across the European continent. Pollen sequences provide records that may be used to infer past vegetation and vegetation change. We present here maps based on 828 sites from the EPD giving an overview of changes in postglacial pollen assemblages in Europe over the past 15,000 years. The maps show the distribution and abundance of 54 different pollen taxa at 500 year intervals, supported by new age-depth models and associated chronological uncertainty analysis. Results show the individualistic patterns of spread of different pollen taxa, and provide a standardized dataset for further analysis, defining a spatial context for the study of past plant and vegetation changes and other aspects of environmental history in Europe. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
W2012610289 | Novel and functional variants within the TBX18 gene promoter in ventricular septal defects | Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect in humans. Genetic causes for CHD remain largely unknown. T-box transcription factor 18 (TBX18) gene is expressed in the developing heart, including myocardium of the left ventricle and interventricular septum. Epicardial cells expressing TBX18 gene contribute to the cardiac fibroblast and smooth muscle cells. We speculated that the DNA sequence variants (DSVs) within TBX18 gene promoter may mediate CHD development by affecting TBX18 levels and the cardiac gene regulatory network. In this study, we genetically and functionally analyzed the TBX18 gene promoter in patients with ventricular septal defects (VSD) (n = 326) and ethnic-matched healthy controls (n = 327). Three novel heterozygous DSVs (g.85474435del, g.85474418C>T, and g.85473965C>G) and one single nucleotide polymorphism (g.85474871C>T, rs77693245) were identified in VSD patients, but none in the controls. Functional analysis revealed that the DSVs (g.85474871C>T, g.85474435del, and g.85473965C>G) significantly decreased the transcriptional activities of the TBX18 gene promoter. The effect of DSV (g.85474418C>T) on the TBX18 gene promoter was marginal, but not significant. Therefore, the DSVs within the TBX18 gene promoter identified in VSD patients may be involved in the VSD etiology. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
10.1186/gb-2013-14-4-r33 | Systematic biases in DNA copy number originate from isolation procedures | Background: The ability to accurately detect DNA copy number variation in both a sensitive and quantitative manner is important in many research areas. However, genome-wide DNA copy number analyses are complicated by variations in detection signal. Results: While GC content has been used to correct for this, here we show that coverage biases are tissue-specific and independent of the detection method as demonstrated by next-generation sequencing and array CGH. Moreover, we show that DNA isolation stringency affects the degree of equimolar coverage and that the observed biases coincide with chromatin characteristics like gene expression, genomic isochores, and replication timing. Conclusion: These results indicate that chromatin organization is a main determinant for differential DNA retrieval. These findings are highly relevant for germline and somatic DNA copy number variation analyses. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
W2011760939 | Influence of baseline ejection fraction on the prognostic value of paravalvular leak after transcatheter aortic valve implantation | Moderate or severe paravalvular leak (PVL ≥ moderate) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is associated with poor outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess whether the baseline ejection fraction (EF) affects the impact of PVL on mortality after TAVI.We analyzed 514 consecutive patients with native severe aortic stenosis who underwent TAVI. Patients were divided into two groups: EF < 40% group (n = 84) and EF ≥ 40% group (n = 430) according to baseline EF.The mean age was 79.5 years and 49% were male. Patients in the EF < 40% group were younger and with higher logistic EuroSCORE compared to patients in the EF ≥ 40% group. Diabetes, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation and renal insufficiency were more prevalent in the EF < 40% group. Patients in the EF <40% group had more mitral regurgitation. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in the EF < 40% group (8.3% vs. 0.9%, p < 0.0001). PVL ≥ moderate was significantly associated with increased 2-year estimated mortality only in the EF <40% group (65% vs. 20%, log-rank p < 0.0001) whereas no difference was seen in the EF ≥40% group (24% vs. 19%, log-rank p = 0.509). Interaction between PVL ≥ moderate and EF < 40% was statistically significant.The impact of PVL ≥ moderate on mortality after TAVI was significant in the EF <40% group but not in the EF ≥ 40% group in our study. Even though operators should aim to minimize PVL in all TAVI patients, special attention is required for patients with reduced baseline EF. | [
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
interreg_4045 | eGovernment for Regional Development and Interregional Cooperation | The European regional policy, as formulated in the programming period 2000 – 2006, has a clear priority on Information Society (IS). All regions are able to contribute to IS. The recent trend in governmental services and public administration is the amplification of decentralization; for this reason eGovernment and IS have a special gravity at the local level. The task to establish an IS socially equal and spatially balanced, however, includes much more than developing the technical capacity in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), although the latter is the backbone for IS. For a long time the "hard" aspects of IS (i.e. technical infrastructure) were the top priority of many national and EU programmes and initiatives; this fact may explain to an extent why so many ICT projects and especially those dealing with eGovernment, fail in practice. By focusing on eGovernment for local / regional authorities, eGOVREGIO aims to build on and integrate pan-European, invaluable know-how and experience in the "soft" aspects of eGovernment, i.e. strategic planning and benchmarking, organizational change and acquisition of new skills. Additionally, as a demonstration action, eGOVREGIO aims to involve all participating regions in the joint development of vivid, pilot eGovernment platforms built on the needs of each area, utilizing thus the synergies and knowledge curves stemming from an interregional cooperation in which members find themselves at different stages of eGovernment sophistication and adoption. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
279401 | Video and 3D Analysis for Visual Learning | Reliable recognition of thousands of object and action categories is today's key challenge in computer vision. Most contemporary approaches are based on supervised learning algorithms to train object classifiers. While manual annotation has become easier in recent years, it is still not scalable to a large set of categories. Moreover, as it is usually based on human language it does not reflect the visual characteristics of objects, but tries to establish high-level links that should actually be learned after appropriate visual features have been captured.
In this proposal, we aim at reducing the manual labeling effort by making use of the natural organization of visual data as it is provided by a video stream. In the same setting, we also aim at learning a more sophisticated structural representation of objects. Rather than manually specifying parts and attributes of objects that have a counterpart in language, we will seek correlated visual patterns by letting the data speak. Exploiting the natural arrangement of images in video and the inherent 3D scene structure is decisive, since weakly correlated images as obtained from photo collections might not contain rich enough relationship information.
We will also consider the active observer setting, i.e., where the camera can be moving. This allows extracting far more information, but also requires detailed control of the low-level and mid-level computer vision techniques involved, particularly motion estimation and tracking. The importance of these components is often underestimated in contemporary visual learning approaches.
Apart from the impact on the field of computer vision itself, the improved performance in visual recognition that we anticipate in this project has direct consequences for many important applications, particularly automotive systems and robotics, where the use of visual sensory input is more and more considered one of the most important components of future systems. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
10.3389/fimmu.2014.00383 | Post-translational modifications of exosomal proteins | Exosomes mediate intercellular communication and participate in many cell processes such as cancer progression, immune activation or evasion, and the spread of infection. Exosomes are small vesicles secreted to the extracellular environment through the release of intraluminal vesicles contained in multivesicular bodies (MVBs) upon the fusion of these MVBs with the plasma membrane. The composition of exosomes is not random, suggesting that the incorporation of cargo into them is a regulated process. However, the mechanisms that control the sorting of protein cargo into exosomes are currently elusive. Here, we review the post-translational modifications detected in exosomal proteins, and discuss their possible role in their specific sorting into exosomes. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy"
]
|
10.1145/3077981.3078032 | Datasets For The Analysis Of Expressive Musical Gestures | In this paper we present two datasets of instrumental gestures performed with expressive variations: five violinists performing standard pedagogical phrases with variation in dynamics and tempo; and two pianists performing a repertoire piece with variations in tempo, dynamics and articulation. We show the utility of these datasets by highlighting the different movement qualities embedded in both datasets. In addition, for the violin dataset, we report on gesture recognition tests using two state-of-the-art realtime gesture recognizers. We believe that these resources create opportunities for further research on the understanding of complex human movements through computational methods. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1063/1.4878836 | Phase Separation In Solutions With Specific And Nonspecific Interactions | Protein solutions, which tend to be thermodynamically stable under physiological conditions, can demix into protein-enriched and protein-depleted phases when stressed. Using a lattice-gas model of proteins with both isotropic and specific, directional interactions, we calculate the critical conditions for phase separation for model proteins with up to four patches via Monte Carlo simulations and statistical associating fluid theory. Given a fixed specific interaction strength, the critical value of the isotropic energy, which accounts for dispersion forces and nonspecific interactions, measures the stability of the solution with respect to nonspecific interactions. Phase separation is suppressed by the formation of protein complexes, which effectively passivate the strongly associating sites on the monomers. Nevertheless, we find that protein models with three or more patches can form extended aggregates that phase separate despite the assembly of passivated complexes, even in the absence of nonspecific interactions. We present a unified view of the critical behavior of model fluids with anisotropic interactions, and we discuss the implications of these results for the thermodynamic stability of protein solutions. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
]
|
W2541750647 | A soft damping function for dispersion corrections with less overfitting | The use of damping functions in empirical dispersion correction schemes is common and widespread. These damping functions contain scaling and damping parameters, and they are usually optimized for the best performance in practical systems. In this study, it is shown that the overfitting problem can be present in current damping functions, which can sometimes yield erroneous results for real applications beyond the nature of training sets. To this end, we present a damping function called linear soft damping (lsd) that suffers less from this overfitting. This linear damping function damps the asymptotic curve more softly than existing damping functions, attempting to minimize the usual overcorrection. The performance of the proposed damping function was tested with benchmark sets for thermochemistry, reaction energies, and intramolecular interactions, as well as intermolecular interactions including nonequilibrium geometries. For noncovalent interactions, all three damping schemes considered in this study (lsd, lg, and BJ) roughly perform comparably (approximately within 1 kcal/mol), but for atomization energies, lsd clearly exhibits a better performance (up to 2-6 kcal/mol) compared to other schemes due to an overfitting in lg and BJ. The number of unphysical parameters resulting from global optimization also supports the overfitting symptoms shown in the latter numerical tests. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
]
|
10.1172/JCI70355 | P53 Isoforms Regulate Aging And Tumor Associated Replicative Senescence In T Lymphocytes | Cellular senescence contributes to aging and decline in tissue function. p53 isoform switching regulates replicative senescence in cultured fibroblasts and is associated with tumor progression. Here, we found that the endogenous p53 isoforms Δ133p53 and p53β are physiological regulators of proliferation and senescence in human T lymphocytes in vivo. Peripheral blood CD8+ T lymphocytes collected from healthy donors displayed an age-dependent accumulation of senescent cells (CD28-CD57+) with decreased Δ133p53 and increased p53β expression. Human lung tumor-associated CD8+ T lymphocytes also harbored senescent cells. Cultured CD8+ blood T lymphocytes underwent replicative senescence that was associated with loss of CD28 and Δ133p53 protein. In poorly proliferative, Δ133p53-low CD8+CD28- cells, reconstituted expression of either Δ133p53 or CD28 upregulated endogenous expression of each other, which restored cell proliferation, extended replicative lifespan and rescued senescence phenotypes. Conversely, Δ133p53 knockdown or p53β overexpression in CD8+CD28+ cells inhibited cell proliferation and induced senescence. This study establishes a role for Δ133p53 and p53β in regulation of cellular proliferation and senescence in vivo. Furthermore, Δ133p53-induced restoration of cellular replicative potential may lead to a new therapeutic paradigm for treating immunosenescence disorders, including those associated with aging, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and HIV infection. | [
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
10.1364/OL.36.001833 | High Sensitivity Compact Ultrasonic Detector Based On A Pi Phase Shifted Fiber Bragg Grating | A highly sensitive compact hydrophone, based on a pi-phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating, has been developed for the measurement of wideband ultrasonic fields. The grating exhibits a sharp resonance, whose centroid wavelength is pressure sensitive. The resonance is monitored by a continuous-wave (CW) laser to measure ultrasound-induced pressure variations within the grating. In contrast to standard fiber sensors, the high finesse of the resonance--which is the reason for the sensor's high sensitivity--is not associated with a long propagation length. Light localization around the phase shift reduces the effective size of the sensor below that of the grating and is scaled inversely with the resonance spectral width. In our system, an effective sensor length of 270 μm, pressure sensitivity of 440 Pa, and effective bandwidth of 10 MHz were achieved. This performance makes our design attractive for medical imaging applications, such as optoacoustic tomography, in which compact, sensitive, and wideband acoustic detectors are required. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1042/BCJ20160107 | When Fast Is Better Protein Folding Fundamentals And Mechanisms From Ultrafast Approaches | Protein folding research stalled for decades because conventional experiments indicated that proteins fold slowly and in single strokes, whereas theory predicted a complex interplay between dynamics and energetics resulting in myriad microscopic pathways. Ultrafast kinetic methods turned the field upside down by providing the means to probe fundamental aspects of folding, test theoretical predictions and benchmark simulations. Accordingly, experimentalists could measure the timescales for all relevant folding motions, determine the folding speed limit and confirm that folding barriers are entropic bottlenecks. Moreover, a catalogue of proteins that fold extremely fast (microseconds) could be identified. Such fast-folding proteins cross shallow free energy barriers or fold downhill, and thus unfold with minimal co-operativity (gradually). A new generation of thermodynamic methods has exploited this property to map folding landscapes, interaction networks and mechanisms at nearly atomic resolution. In parallel, modern molecular dynamics simulations have finally reached the timescales required to watch fast-folding proteins fold and unfold in silico . All of these findings have buttressed the fundamentals of protein folding predicted by theory, and are now offering the first glimpses at the underlying mechanisms. Fast folding appears to also have functional implications as recent results connect downhill folding with intrinsically disordered proteins, their complex binding modes and ability to moonlight. These connections suggest that the coupling between downhill (un)folding and binding enables such protein domains to operate analogically as conformational rheostats. * DSC, : differential scanning calorimetry; IDP, : intrinsically disordered protein; NCBD, : nuclear co-activator-binding domain; PSBD, : peripheral subunit-binding domain; RD-NMR, : relaxation dispersion NMR | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1007/978-3-030-35888-4_9 | Robots Improve Judgments On Self Generated Actions An Intentional Binding Study | In near future, robots will become a fundamental part of our daily life; therefore, it appears crucial to investigate how they can successfully interact with humans. Since several studies already pointed out that a robotic agent can influence human’s cognitive mechanisms such as decision-making and joint attention, we focus on Sense of Agency (SoA). To this aim, we employed the Intentional Binding (IB) task to implicitly assess SoA in human-robot interaction (HRI). Participants were asked to perform an IB task alone (Individual condition) or with the Cozmo robot (Social condition). In the Social condition, participants were free to decide whether they wanted to let Cozmo press. Results showed that participants performed the action significantly more often than Cozmo. Moreover, participants were more precise in reporting the occurrence of a self-made action when Cozmo was also in charge of performing the task. However, this improvement in evaluating self-performance corresponded to a reduction in SoA. In conclusion, the present study highlights the double effect of robots as social companions. Indeed, the social presence of the robot leads to a better evaluation of self-generated actions and, at the same time, to a reduction of SoA. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
US 201313751430 A | LARGE-CURRENT MICRO-WIRE PATTERN | A pattern of micro-wires forming an electrical conductor includes a plurality of spaced-apart first micro-wires extending in a first direction. A plurality of spaced-apart second micro-wires extends in a second direction different from the first direction. Each second micro-wire is electrically connected to at least two first micro-wires and at least one second micro-wire has a width less than at least one of the widths of the first micro-wires. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.3390/rs12040602 | Mapping the Land Cover of Africa at 10 m Resolution from Multi-Source Remote Sensing Data with Google Earth Engine | The remote sensing based mapping of land cover at extensive scales, e. g. , of whole continents, is still a challenging task because of the need for sophisticated pipelines that combine every step from data acquisition to land cover classification. Utilizing the Google Earth Engine (GEE), which provides a catalog of multi-source data and a cloud-based environment, this research generates a land cover map of the whole African continent at 10 m resolution. This land cover map could provide a large-scale base layer for a more detailed local climate zone mapping of urban areas, which lie in the focus of interest of many studies. In this regard, we provide a free download link for our land cover maps of African cities at the end of this paper. It is shown that our product has achieved an overall accuracy of 81% for five classes, which is superior to the existing 10 m land cover product FROM-GLC10 in detecting urban class in city areas and identifying the boundaries between trees and low plants in rural areas. The best data input configurations are carefully selected based on a comparison of results from different input sources, which include Sentinel-2, Landsat-8, Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL), Night Time Light (NTL) Data, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), and MODIS Land Surface Temperature (LST). We provide a further investigation of the importance of individual features derived from a Random Forest (RF) classifier. In order to study the influence of sampling strategies on the land cover mapping performance, we have designed a transferability analysis experiment, which has not been adequately addressed in the current literature. In this experiment, we test whether trained models from several cities contain valuable information to classify a different city. It was found that samples of the urban class have better reusability than those of other natural land cover classes, i. e. , trees, low plants, bare soil or sand, and water. After experimental evaluation of different land cover classes across different cities, we conclude that continental land cover mapping results can be considerably improved when training samples of natural land cover classes are collected and combined from areas covering each Köppen climate zone. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Earth System Science"
]
|
US 61740509 A | Downhole progressive pressurization actuated tool and method of using the same | A method of servicing a subterranean formation comprising positioning a wellbore servicing tool comprising an axial flowbore within a wellbore, making a first application of pressure to the axial flowbore of the wellbore servicing tool; wherein the pressure within the wellbore servicing tool is at least a first upper threshold during the first application of pressure, allowing the pressure within the axial flowbore following the first application of pressure to fall below a first lower threshold, making a second application of pressure to the axial flowbore of the wellbore servicing tool, wherein the pressure within the wellbore servicing tool is at least a second upper threshold during the second application of pressure, allowing a second subsiding of pressure within the axial flowbore following the second application of pressure to fall a second lower threshold, and communicating a fluid to the wellbore, the subterranean formation, or both via one or more ports of the wellbore servicing tool. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
616732 | Holographic Quantum Cosmology | The current theory of cosmic inflation is largely based on classical physics. This undermines its predictivity in a world that is fundamentally quantum mechanical. With this project we will develop a novel approach towards a quantum theory of inflation. We will do this by introducing holographic techniques in cosmology. The notion of holography is the most profound conceptual breakthrough that has emerged form fundamental high-energy physics in recent years. It postulates that (quantum) gravitational systems such as the universe as a whole have a precise `holographic’ description in terms of quantum field theories defined on their boundary. Our aim is to develop a holographic framework for quantum cosmology. We will then apply this to three areas of theoretical cosmology where a quantum approach is of critical importance. First, we will put forward a holographic description of inflation that clarifies its microphysical origin and is rigorously predictive. Using this we will derive the distinct observational signatures of novel, truly holographic models of the early universe where inflation has no description in terms of classical cosmic evolution. Second, we will apply holographic cosmology to improve our understanding of eternal inflation. This is a phase deep into inflation where quantum effects dominate the evolution and affect the universe’s global structure. Finally we will work towards generalizing our holographic models of the primordial universe to include the radiation, matter and vacuum eras. The resulting unification of cosmic history in terms of a single holographic boundary theory may lead to intriguing predictions of correlations between early and late time observables, tying together the universe’s origin with its ultimate fate. Our project has the potential to revolutionize our perspective on cosmology and to further deepen the fruitful interaction between cosmology and high-energy physics. | [
"Universe Sciences",
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter"
]
|
10.3389/fmicb.2019.01355 | Staphylococcus aureus uses the bacilliredoxin (BrxAB)/bacillithiol disulfide reductase (YpdA) redox pathway to defend against oxidative stress under infections | Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen and has to cope with reactive oxygen and chlorine species (ROS, RCS) during infections. The low molecular weight thiol bacillithiol (BSH) is an important defense mechanism of S. aureus for detoxification of ROS and HOCl stress to maintain the reduced state of the cytoplasm. Under HOCl stress, BSH forms mixed disulfides with proteins, termed as S-bacillithiolations, which are reduced by bacilliredoxins (BrxA and BrxB). The NADPH-dependent flavin disulfide reductase YpdA is phylogenetically associated with the BSH synthesis and BrxA/B enzymes and was recently suggested to function as BSSB reductase (Mikheyeva et al. , 2019). Here, we investigated the role of the complete bacilliredoxin BrxAB/BSH/YpdA pathway in S. aureus COL under oxidative stress and macrophage infection conditions in vivo and in biochemical assays in vitro. Using HPLC thiol metabolomics, a strongly enhanced BSSB level and a decreased BSH/BSSB ratio were measured in the S. aureus COL δypdA deletion mutant under control and NaOCl stress. Monitoring the oxidation degree (OxD) of the Brx-roGFP2 biosensor revealed that YpdA is required for regeneration of the reduced BSH redox potential (EBSH) upon recovery from oxidative stress. In addition, the δypdA mutant was impaired in H2O2 detoxification as measured with the novel H2O2-specific Tpx-roGFP2 biosensor. Phenotype analyses further showed that BrxA and YpdA are required for survival under NaOCl and H2O2 stress in vitro and inside murine J-774A. 1 macrophages in infection assays in vivo. Finally, NADPH-coupled electron transfer assays provide evidence for the function of YpdA in BSSB reduction, which depends on the conserved Cys14 residue. YpdA acts together with BrxA and BSH in de-bacillithiolation of S-bacillithiolated GapDH. In conclusion, our results point to a major role of the BrxA/BSH/YpdA pathway in BSH redox homeostasis in S. aureus during recovery from oxidative stress and under infections. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
169478 | Effect of land use induced shifts in soil microbial diversity and function on carbon cycling in soil | The need for improved food production for the growing population has led to increase in planet’s arable land cover. Many studies suggest that such practices lead to loss of soil organic carbon (C) – a relatively large C pool with a fast response time. Thus there is a need to manage soils sustainably in order to mitigate atmospheric CO2 levels while maintaining agricultural productivity. Soil microorganisms act as gatekeepers for soil-atmosphere C exchange by regulating the storage and release of organic C in soil. However, there is a lack of understanding on how land use induced shifts in soil microbial diversity affects this regulation; necessitating detailed research on the underpinning microbial mechanisms. The project objective is to discern the effects of land use on microbial diversity in differing soil types and to investigate whether this shift has implications for C cycling (do certain microbial groups have a greater capacity for soil C accumulation?). To address these objectives an interdisciplinary approach merging molecular biology and isotope chemistry will be employed. Soil from long-term grassland-arable paired sites will be used to assess differences in microbial biodiversity and functional gene abundance through DNA next-generation sequencing. In addition, a field incubation experiment with 13C labelled substrates will be performed to investigate the variable tracer incorporation into different microbial functional groups. This will be measured using novel magnetic bead capture hybridization of RNA from specific groups followed by its 13C analysis using liquid chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The novelty of this project is that it aims to provide direct evidence to prove diversity-function linkages and gain mechanistic understanding of the physiological responses of soil microbial communities to land use change. The resulting knowledge will help better predict changes in soil C and thus improve prognosis of climate change feedbacks. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Earth System Science"
]
|
221226 | Castor edc: unlocking the potential of data in biomedical research | A large part of the data collected during the biomedical research is wasted, because there is no affordable and easy-to-use Electronic Data Capture (EDC) tool for clinical trials. As a result, 85% of the research investment in the biomedical research domain – equating to $200 billion – is dissipated. Castor is a disruptive EDC that solves this problem. It has been successfully commercialized to 5,000 users in the Netherlands, especially in the academic sector. In terms of price and functionalities, Castor EDC is tailored to the needs SMEs performing medical research (e.g., Commercial Research Organizations working on drug development and SMEs manufacturing medical devices/wearables) and academic institutions; these segments are neglected by the existing commercial EDC platforms, which mainly target the needs of pharmaceutical corporations. This market is enormous (over €1.7B globally) and growing quickly due to the recent EU regulations on sensitive data protection. Castor EDC is also the first EDC complying with the FAIR guidelines for data collection, which will become the standard de facto within a couple of years.
Thanks to these characteristics, data sets can now be easily shared across researchers and reused, thus unlocking the potential of data of biomedical studies. This will help to overcome the current fragmentation of the European databases that has led to lost opportunities when making sense of big data in health research.
This innovation project has two main objectives. First, upgrading the existing tool to TRL 9, by enhancing with advanced functionalities the Electronic Data Capture tool and integrate it with i) a platform that facilitates researchers in sharing and reusing their datasets and ii) a marketplace where 3rd party developers can offer additional services to work on those datasets. Second, carry out the planned exploitation activities to establish Castor EDC as a EU-28 market leader in the market within 3 years from the end of the project. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
IB 2019060558 W | APPARATUS FOR THE WEEDING OF SOILS | The apparatus (1) for the weeding of soils comprises: - an irradiation assembly (2) adapted to generate microwaves and to convey them onto a soil to be weeded; - a management and control unit (3) of the apparatus (1); - a power supply unit (4) connected to the irradiation assembly (2) and to the management and control unit (3) and adapted to generate supply energy of the apparatus (1); Wherein the irradiation assembly (2) comprises: - a plurality of emission units (5) of microwaves comprising each at least one emitter element (6) adapted to generate microwaves; - a diffuser body (7) of the microwaves associated with the emission units (5) and provided with a diffusion port (8) oriented towards the soil to be weeded, the diffuser body (7) being adapted to convey the microwaves towards the diffusion port (8). | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
W2341229356 | Pelagic seascape ecology for operational fisheries oceanography: modelling and predicting spawning distribution of Atlantic bluefin tuna in Western Mediterranean | Abstract The ecology of highly migratory marine species is tightly linked to dynamic oceanographic processes occurring in the pelagic environment. Developing and applying techniques to characterize the spatio-temporal variability of these processes using operational oceanographic data is a challenge for management and conservation. Here we evaluate the possibility of modelling and predicting spawning habitats of Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Western Mediterranean, using pelagic seascape metrics specifically designed to capture the dynamic processes affecting the spawning ecology this species. The different seascape metrics applied were processed from operational oceanographic data products providing information about the temporal and spatial variability of sea surface temperature, kinetic energy and chlorophyll a. Spawning locations were identified using larval abundances sampled in the Balearic Sea, one of the main reproductive areas for this species in the Mediterranean Sea. Results confirm the high dependence of bluefin tuna spawning ecology on mesoscale oceanographic processes while providing spawning habitat maps as a tool for bluefin tuna assessment and management, based on operational oceanographic data. Finally, we discuss the coming challenges that operational fisheries oceanography and pelagic seascape ecology face to become fully implemented as predictive tools. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
10.1038/s41596-019-0225-8 | Decellularization and antibody staining of mouse tissues to map native extracellular matrix structures in 3D | The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a major regulator of homeostasis and disease, yet the 3D structure of the ECM remains poorly understood because of limitations in ECM visualization. We recently developed an ECM-specialized method termed in situ decellularization of tissues (ISDoT) to isolate native 3D ECM scaffolds from whole organs in which ECM structure and composition are preserved. Here, we present detailed surgical instructions to facilitate decellularization of 33 different mouse tissues and details of validated antibodies that enable the visualization of 35 mouse ECM proteins. Through mapping of these ECM proteins, the structure of the ECM can be determined and tissue structures visualized in detail. In this study, perfusion decellularization is presented for bones, skeletal muscle, tongue, salivary glands, stomach, duodenum, jejunum/ileum, large intestines, mesentery, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, trachea, bronchi, lungs, kidneys, urinary bladder, ovaries, uterine horn, cervix, adrenal gland, heart, arteries, veins, capillaries, lymph nodes, spleen, peripheral nerves, eye, outer ear, mammary glands, skin, and subcutaneous tissue. Decellularization, immunostaining, and imaging take 4–5 d. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering"
]
|
223193 | Paradoxes and metaphors of time in early universe(s) | PROTEUS studies main strategies devised by Western philosophy in representing time in cosmology. It aims at modifying current metaphysics and its relationship with cosmology in the light of recent scientific debates in quantum gravity and quantum cosmology, thereby boosting a new research field in history and philosophy of cosmology. The project is based on two hypotheses: 1) the history of philosophy reveals a guideline that can be traced back to Plato and that characterizes physical and metaphysical approaches to the question of the beginning of the universe in terms of a tension between fundamentality and non-fundamentality of time; 2) there is a conceptual problematic assumption in Western culture and it consists in shaping the problem of the origin of the world as a problem of thinking about the very same conditions of possibility of the origin of a process that is not in time. The project spells out the conceptual roots of current representations of time in quantum gravity and quantum cosmology and highlights the conceptual break that they provide with respect to philosophical concepts of time portrayed in previous systems. PROTEUS explores in detail the notions of time and the paradoxes emerging in the philosophy and cosmology of Plato and Kant and identifies the fundamental characters of emergent time in current quantum gravity theories. In identifying these fundamental features, PROTEUS produces conceptual innovation in metaphysics in such a way that philosophical investigation is complementary to the development of current theories. PROTEUS elaborates alternative argument(s) to anthropic principle, as well as new categories accounting for the notion of ‘contingent necessity’ of the world. The research team includes members from different backgrounds (philosophy, mathematics and physics) and will promote the application of a new methodology emphasizing the relevance of the history of philosophy and the actual interaction between philosophers and scientists. | [
"Universe Sciences",
"Texts and Concepts"
]
|
2719721 | Hybrid electric small commuter aircraft conceptual design | This thematic topic focuses on the design of a 19 passenger commuter aircraft based on alternative propulsion concepts (hybrid/electric) targeting near-zero CO2 emissions. A full design loop is required, evaluating a range of design options, resulting in a mature conceptual design for the selected design. The design should be compliant with the new level 4 FAR23 / CS23 regulation. HECARRUS employs methods suitable for analyzing advanced technologies implemented for propulsion and power generation, and takes full advantage of the latest advances in aerospace, electrification and autonomous technologies in a hybrid-electric propulsion strategy to couple the most efficient turbines with generators providing electric power and recharging batteries in several competent technologies, to cover a broad spectrum of these applications. The ultimate idea of the project will be to design a hybrid-electric system with a power output in the range of 1 MW utilizing two engines (two thermal cores) as the propulsive units of a 19-passenger short haul aircraft. With a focus on the key propulsion sub-systems, aircraft structure and performance that interfaces with existing conceptual design frameworks, this project will aim at full design space exploration of the various hybrid-electric concepts at low TRL level. It is underlined that the technologies described and investigated in view of this proposal are complementary to engine core technologies currently under investigation in other EU projects. In other words, the potential fuel efficiency benefits from HECARRUS can be stackedup to efficiency benefits from other projects as all the technologies gradually mature for entry into service by 2030. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1093/texcom/tgaa062 | Automatic Segmentation of the Dorsal Claustrum in Humans Using in vivo High-Resolution MRI | Abstract
The claustrum is a thin sheet of neurons enclosed by white matter and situated between the insula and the putamen. It is highly interconnected with sensory, frontal, and subcortical regions. The deep location of the claustrum, with its fine structure, has limited the degree to which it could be studied in vivo. Particularly in humans, identifying the claustrum using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is extremely challenging, even manually. Therefore, automatic segmentation of the claustrum is an invaluable step toward enabling extensive and reproducible research of the anatomy and function of the human claustrum. In this study, we developed an automatic algorithm for segmenting the human dorsal claustrum in vivo using high-resolution MRI. Using this algorithm, we segmented the dorsal claustrum bilaterally in 1068 subjects of the Human Connectome Project Young Adult dataset, a publicly available high-resolution MRI dataset. We found good agreement between the automatic and manual segmentations performed by 2 observers in 10 subjects. We demonstrate the use of the segmentation in analyzing the covariation of the dorsal claustrum with other brain regions, in terms of macro- and microstructure. We identified several covariance networks associated with the dorsal claustrum. We provide an online repository of 1068 bilateral dorsal claustrum segmentations. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1364/OE.22.007711 | Stray Light Suppression In Spectroscopy Using Periodic Shadowing | It is well known that spectroscopic measurements suffer from an interference known as stray light, causing spectral distortion that reduces measurement accuracy. In severe situations, stray light may even obscure the existence of spectral lines. Here a novel general method is presented, named Periodic Shadowing, that enables effective stray light elimination in spectroscopy and experimental results are provided to demonstrate its capabilities and versatility. Besides its efficiency, implementing it in a spectroscopic arrangement comes at virtually no added experimental complexity. | [
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
10.1038/gene.2010.41 | PTX3 genetic variations affect the risk of Pseudomonas aeruginosa airway colonization in cystic fibrosis patients | Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a common life-threatening autosomal recessive disorder in the Caucasian population, and the gene responsible is the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Patients with CF have repeated bacterial infection of the airways caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), which is one of the predominant pathogen, and endobronchial chronic infection represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a gene that encodes the antimicrobial protein, PTX3, which is believed to have an important role in innate immunity of lung. To address the role of PTX3 in the risk of PA lung colonization, we investigated five single nucleotide polymorphisms of PTX3 gene in 172 Caucasian CF patients who were homozygous for the F508del mutation. We observed that PTX3 haplotype frequencies were significantly different between patients with PA colonization, as compared with noncolonized patients. Moreover, a protective effect was found in association with a specific haplotype (odds ratio 0. 524). Our data suggest that variations within PTX3 affect lung colonization of Pseudomonas in patients with CF. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
10.1088/0004-637X/780/2/123 | Moa 2008 Blg 379Lb A Massive Planet From A High Magnification Event With A Faint Source | We report on the analysis of the high microlensing event MOA-2008-BLG-379, which has a strong microlensing anomaly at its peak due to a massive planet with a mass ratio of q = 6. 9 × 10–3. Because the faint source star crosses the large resonant caustic, the planetary signal dominates the light curve. This is unusual for planetary microlensing events, and as a result, the planetary nature of this light curve was not immediately noticed. The planetary nature of the event was found when the Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA) Collaboration conducted a systematic study of binary microlensing events previously identified by the MOA alert system. We have conducted a Bayesian analysis based on a standard Galactic model to estimate the physical parameters of the lens system. This yields a host star mass of orbited by a planet of mass at an orbital separation of AU at a distance of kpc. The faint source magnitude of I S = 21. 30 and relatively high lens-source relative proper motion of μrel = 7. 6 ± 1. 6 mas yr–1 imply that high angular resolution adaptive optics or Hubble Space Telescope observations are likely to be able to detect the source star, which would determine the masses and distance of the planet and its host star. | [
"Universe Sciences"
]
|
10.1093/toxsci/kfy058 | Prediction of drug-induced hepatotoxicity using long-term stable primary hepatic 3D spheroid cultures in chemically defined conditions | High failure rates of drug candidates in the clinics, restricted-use warnings as well as withdrawals of drugs in postmarketing stages are of substantial concern for the pharmaceutical industry and drug-induced liver injury (DILI) constitutes one of the most frequent reasons for such safety failures. Importantly, as DILI cannot be accurately predicted using animalmodels, animal safety tests are commonly complemented with assessments in human in vitro systems. 3D spheroid cultures of primary human hepatocytes in chemically defined conditions, hereafter termed CD-spheroids, have recently emerged as a microphysiologicalmodel systemin which hepatocytes retain theirmolecular phenotypes and hepatic functions formultiple weeks in culture. However, their predictive power for the detection of hepatotoxic liabilities has not been systematically assessed. Therefore, we here evaluated the hepatotoxicity of 123 drugs with or without direct implication in clinical DILI events. Importantly, using ATP quantifications as the single endpoint, the model accurately distinguished between hepatotoxic and nontoxic structural analogues and exceeded both sensitivity and specificity of all previously published in vitro assays at substantially lower exposure levels, successfully detecting 69% of all hepatotoxic compounds without producing any false positive results (100% specificity). Furthermore, the platform supports the culture of spheroids of primary hepatocytes from preclinical animalmodels, thereby allowing the identification of animal-specific toxicity events. We anticipate that CDspheroids represent a powerful and versatile tool in drug discovery and preclinical drug development that can reliably flag hepatotoxic drug candidates and provide guidance for the selection of themost suitable animalmodels. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
]
|
10.1016/j.jet.2011.10.009 | Pre-sale information | In markets as diverse as that for specialized industrial equipment or that for retail financial services, sellers or intermediaries may earn profits both from the sale of products and from the provision of pre-sale consultation services. We study how a seller optimally chooses the costly quality of pre-sale information, next to the price of information and the product price, and obtain clear-cut predictions on when information is over- and when it is underprovided, even though we find that information quality does not satisfy a standard single-crossing property. Buyers who are a priori more optimistic about their valuation end up paying a higher margin for information but a lower margin for the product when they subsequently exercise their option to purchase at a pre-specified price. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
GB 173725 A | Improvements in or relating to means for locking doors | 247,720. Imber, J. Jan. 20, 1925. Latches, sliding; striking-plates for locks and latches.-A sliding bolt is formed with a recessed end g adapted to engage, under spring pressure, a fixed socket p having a central projection q. The edges of the bolt and socket projection are rounded and the surfaces inclined to the axis of the bolt. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1091/mbc.E12-09-0642 | CD81 regulates cell migration through its association with Rac GTPase | CD81 is a member of the tetraspanin family that has been described to have a key role in cell migration of tumor and immune cells. To unravel the mechanisms of CD81-regulated cell migration, we performed proteomic analyses that revealed an interaction of the tetraspanin C-terminal domain with the small GTPase Rac. Direct interaction was confirmed biochemically. Moreover, microscopy cross-correlation analysis demonstrated the in situ integration of both molecules into the same molecular complex. Pull-down experiments revealed that CD81-Rac interaction was direct and independent of Rac activation status. Knockdown of CD81 resulted in enhanced protrusion rate, altered focal adhesion formation, and decreased cell migration, correlating with increased active Rac. Reexpression of wild-type CD81, but not its truncated form lacking the C-terminal cytoplasmic domain, rescued these effects. The phenotype of CD81 knockdown cells was mimicked by treatment with a soluble peptide with the C-terminal sequence of the tetraspanin. Our data show that the interaction of Rac with the C-terminal cytoplasmic domain of CD81 is a novel regulatory mechanism of the GTPase activity turnover. Furthermore, they provide a novel mechanism for tetraspanin-dependent regulation of cell motility and open new avenues for tetraspanin-targeted reagents by the use of cell-permeable peptides. | [
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
W2372379898 | Difference of Regional Economic Cycle of Large Country:Taking Chinese Provincial Data as an Example | Exploring the development of large country economy has become one of the hot issues in academic research nowadays. Taking typical large country―China as the research object, the paper studies the difference of regional economic cycle of large country in the light of 6 indexes in three aspects of cycle length, depth, and shape. The result shows that there are significant differences in cycle length, depth, and shape in regional economic cycle of China. In order to further understand regional economic cycle, the paper categorizes them by using Hierarchical Clustering Method, and the result shows that 28 areas of China are divided into 5 categories according to the 6 indexes measured. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
10.1177/0950017015598283 | Work Interruptions And Young Women S Career Prospects In Germany Sweden And The Us | This article assesses the impact of discontinuous work histories on young women’s occupational mobility in Germany, Sweden and the US. Women with continuous work histories are compared with those w. . . | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
]
|
10.1038/nature22899 | Linking the influence and dependence of people on biodiversity across scales | Biodiversity enhances many of nature's benefits to people, including the regulation of climate and the production of wood in forests, livestock forage in grasslands and fish in aquatic ecosystems. Yet people are now driving the sixth mass extinction event in Earth's history. Human dependence and influence on biodiversity have mainly been studied separately and at contrasting scales of space and time, but new multiscale knowledge is beginning to link these relationships. Biodiversity loss substantially diminishes several ecosystem services by altering ecosystem functioning and stability, especially at the large temporal and spatial scales that are most relevant for policy and conservation. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Earth System Science"
]
|
220618 | Measures for behaving safely in traffic | Navigating traffic is mostly habitual; Our behaviour neither requires a lot of elaborate conscious decision-making, nor is it purely automatic/reflexive. However, most current measures intended to get traffic users to behave safer appeal to our deliberate self (awareness campaigns, speed signs), act autonomously on our behalf (autonomous braking, traffic lights), or seek to “assist” us by presenting feedback/information (Forward Collision Warning, roadside speed displays). However, the latter category of measures is often not effective as users either switch them off or do not act on the information provided.
MeBeSafe is looking to directly change our habitual traffic behaviour using “nudging”. This concept from behavioural economics relates to subconsciously stimulating us to make a desired choice, without forcing us if we want to go a different way. Nudging measures are less invasive, give the user choice (but predispose him to make a desired choice) and can be provided earlier in the chain of events leading to a critical situation.
We plan to implement nudging feedback both for in-vehicle Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS, existing or close-to-market), and through roadside infrastructure (e.g. measures directed at cyclists). Currently no roadside equivalent of ADAS exists, and we will prototype and demonstrate one version.
We will prospectively analyse the effectiveness of suggested nudging measures first by modelling, followed by controlled experiments. We will furthermore conduct a field trial to evaluate the long-term learning effect for one proposed nudging measure.
Our consortium includes automotive OEMs and suppliers, road infrastructure and fleet owners, SME’s involved in traffic data analysis, and leading organisations in traffic safety research and modelling. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
216804 | Gn4-2 research and education networking - géant | GN4-2 is the proposed project for the second Specific Grant Agreement under the 68-month Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) established between the GÉANT Consortium and the European Commission in April 2015.This second phase of implementing the FPA will raise European research to the next level by promoting scientific excellence, access and re-use of research data. It will also drive European-wide cost efficiencies in scientific infrastructure by promoting interoperability with other e-infrastructures on an unprecedented scale.
The FPA objective for the GÉANT Partnership is to contribute to effective European research by making Europe the best-connected region in the world. GÉANT must offer European researchers the network, communications facilities and application access that ensure the digital continuum necessary to conduct world-class research in collaboration with their peers, regardless of geographical location.
GÉANT will maintain the operational excellence of the established GÉANT services, while achieving economies on the costs of the backbone network. The reliable, secure and state-of-the-art network services offered to researchers and other network users across Europe will remain exceptional. Massive data-transfer capacities required by extreme-scale instruments and by the penetration of big data in many areas of science will be prototyped with due consideration to the specific security and deployment challenges.
Trust and identity is also prioritised with the introduction of a scalable operational model and with user requirements addressed in close concertation with the AARC and proposed AARC2 projects.
GN4-2 developments are also guided by the vision of a future where a set of coherent and integrated European e-infrastructure services will offer convenient, seamless access for end-users through a common service catalogue, and facilitating the adoption of services offered by new e-infrastructure developments, such as the European Open Science Cloud. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
894553 | Climate positive drying system for coffee industries using a highly disruptive pyrolysis technology | PYROTECH is based on a highly disruptive pyrolysis technology as a heating source for drying coffee cherries and makes it possible to produce biochar (a fertilizer used in coffee agriculture). It will displace the market’s “dry methods” for processing coffee, which involves sun drying or the use of heat coming from a conventional burner, which produces heavy smoke, environmental pollution, and lung diseases as well as negatively affecting the quality of coffee cherries quality and resulting in black colouring. PYROTECH is four to ten times cheaper than other pyrolysis systems. It will generate more than 6,5 million euros of additional income for European coffee companies and will eliminate more than 18.000 tonnes of C02 emissions in the first three years due to the carbon sequestration potential of coffee husk used and biochar produced. Currently, more than 9,5 million tonnes of green coffee beans are processed annually, from which 4,8 million tonnes are produced using the dry method. Taking into account the market size, market distribution and current interest of our potential clients, PYROTECH will cover after five years of commercialization, 18% of the total amount of pyrolysis machines needed to dry the coffee cherries.
Coffee buyers will require farmers to use PYROTECH as a result of the increased quality of the product, the decrease in the selling price and the improved health and safety conditions. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
10.18632/oncotarget.11719 | The mitochondrial translation machinery as a therapeutic target in Myc-driven lymphomas | The oncogenic transcription factor Myc is required for the progression and maintenance of diverse tumors. This has led to the concept that Myc itself, Myc-activated gene products, or associated biological processes might constitute prime targets for cancer therapy. Here, we present an in vivo reverse-genetic screen targeting a set of 241 Myc-activated mRNAs in mouse B-cell lymphomas, unraveling a critical role for the mitochondrial ribosomal protein (MRP) Ptcd3 in tumor maintenance. Other MRP-coding genes were also up regulated in Myc-induced lymphoma, pointing to a coordinate activation of the mitochondrial translation machinery. Inhibition of mitochondrial translation with the antibiotic Tigecycline was synthetic-lethal with Myc activation, impaired respiratory activity and tumor cell survival in vitro, and significantly extended lifespan in lymphoma-bearing mice. We have thus identified a novel Myc-induced metabolic dependency that can be targeted by common antibiotics, opening new therapeutic perspectives in Myc-overexpressing tumors. | [
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
10.1515/sagmb-2013-0077 | Bayesian modelling of compositional heterogeneity in molecular phylogenetics | In molecular phylogenetics, standard models of sequence evolution generally assume that sequence composition remains constant over evolutionary time. However, this assumption is violated in many datasets which show substantial heterogeneity in sequence composition across taxa. We propose a model which allows compositional heterogeneity across branches, and formulate the model in a Bayesian framework. Specifically, the root and each branch of the tree is associated with its own composition vector whilst a global matrix of exchangeability parameters applies everywhere on the tree. We encourage borrowing of strength between branches by developing two possible priors for the composition vectors: one in which information can be exchanged equally amongst all branches of the tree and another in which more information is exchanged between neighbouring branches than between distant branches. We also propose a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm for posterior inference which uses data augmentation of substitutional histories to yield a simple complete data likelihood function that factorises over branches and allows Gibbs updates for most parameters. Standard phylogenetic models are not informative about the root position. Therefore a significant advantage of the proposed model is that it allows inference about rooted trees. The position of the root is fundamental to the biological interpretation of trees, both for polarising trait evolution and for establishing the order of divergence among lineages. Furthermore, unlike some other related models from the literature, inference in the model we propose can be carried out through a simple MCMC scheme which does not require problematic dimension-changing moves. We investigate the performance of the model and priors in analyses of two alignments for which there is strong biological opinion about the tree topology and root position. | [
"Mathematics",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1007/978-3-319-94676-4_8 | Reduced Basis Approximation And A Posteriori Error Estimation Applications To Elasticity Problems In Several Parametric Settings | In this work we consider (hierarchical, Lagrange) reduced basis approximation and a posteriori error estimation for elasticity problems in affinely parametrized geometries. The essential ingredients of the methodology are: a Galerkin projection onto a low-dimensional space associated with a smooth “parametric manifold”—dimension reduction; an efficient and effective greedy sampling methods for identification of optimal and numerically stable approximations—rapid convergence; an a posteriori error estimation procedures—rigorous and sharp bounds for the functional outputs related with the underlying solution or related quantities of interest, like stress intensity factor; and Offline-Online computational decomposition strategies—minimum marginal cost for high performance in the real-time and many-query (e. g. , design and optimization) contexts. We present several illustrative results for linear elasticity problem in parametrized geometries representing 2D Cartesian or 3D axisymmetric configurations like an arc-cantilever beam, a center crack problem, a composite unit cell or a woven composite beam, a multi-material plate, and a closed vessel. We consider different parametrization for the systems: either physical quantities—to model the materials and loads—and geometrical parameters—to model different geometrical configurations—with isotropic and orthotropic materials working in plane stress and plane strain approximation. We would like to underline the versatility of the methodology in very different problems. As last example we provide a nonlinear setting with increased complexity. | [
"Mathematics",
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
10.1155/2017/5985031 | Modeling Of Tumor Growth Incorporating The Effects Of Necrosis And The Effect Of Bevacizumab | Tumor growth models are important to create an engineering background for cancer treatment either by using the models for simulations and evaluation of treatment protocols or, if combined with control engineering, by designing treatment protocols. A well-defined tumor growth model must describe the physiological processes and the measurements as well. Growing tumors are composed of dead tumor cells (forming the necrotic part) and living, proliferating tumor cells (forming the proliferating part); when tumor volume is measured, these parts are measured together. Most of the known tumor growth models do not consider the modeling of the necrotic part. Starting from a minimal model of the tumor growth under bevacizumab treatment, the aim of the current research is to extend it incorporating the volume and dynamics of the necrotic part and the pharmacodynamics and mixed-order pharmacokinetics of the applied drug. The extended model is validated using measurements with mice as hosts, colon adenocarcinoma as tumor, and bevacizumab as the drug used for treatment. The results show that the extended model can describe the important physiological phenomena and shows a good fit to the average of the measurements. | [
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
W2494322674 | Sealing One's Online Wall Off From Outsiders | Pieces of personal information (e.g. contact details, photos, thoughts and opinions on issues and things) on online social network sites are susceptible to third-party surveillance. While users are provided with the possibility to prevent unwarranted access using available privacy settings, such settings may not often be adequately used. This research investigated the factors influencing the use of Facebook's privacy settings among young Dutch users based on the premises of Protection Motivation Theory and Technology Acceptance Model. A paper-based survey was implemented with 295 students in a vocational school in the eastern part of the Netherlands. Results of hierarchical regression analysis indicate that privacy valuation, self-efficacy, and respondents' age positively influenced the use of Facebook's privacy settings. Furthermore, the size of Facebook users' network negatively influences the use of those settings. Important results and points for future research are discussed in the paper. | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
648509 | Large Discrete Structures | The proposed project seeks to introduce novel methods to analyze and approximate large graphs and other discrete structures and to apply the developed methods to solve specific open problems. A need for such methods comes from computer science where the sizes of input structures are often enormous. Specifically, the project will advance the recently emerged theory of combinatorial limits by developing new insights in the structure of limit objects and by proposing a robust theory bridging the sparse and dense cases. The analytic methods from the theory of combinatorial limits will be used to analyze possible asymptotic behavior of large graphs and they will be applied in conjunction with structural arguments to provide solutions to specific problems in extremal combinatorics. The obtained insights will also be combined with methods from discrete optimization and logic to provide new algorithmic frameworks. | [
"Mathematics",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1016/j.gde.2020.05.008 | African population history: an ancient DNA perspective | The history of human populations in Africa is complex and includes various demographic events that influenced patterns of genetic variation across the continent. Through genetic studies of modern-day, and most recently, ancient African genetic variation, it became evident that deep African history is captured by the relationships among hunter-gatherers. Furthermore, it was shown that agriculture had a large influence on the distribution of current-day Africans. These later population movements changed the demographic face of the continent and descendants of farming groups today form the majority populations across Africa. Ancient DNA methods are continually evolving, and we see evidence of this in how research has advanced in the last decade. With the increased availability of full genomic data from diverse sets of modern-day and prehistoric Africans we now have more power to infer human demography. Future ancient DNA research promises to reveal more detailed stories of human prehistory in Africa. | [
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"The Study of the Human Past"
]
|
10.18632/oncotarget.3680 | uPAR-targeted multimodal tracer for pre- and intraoperative imaging in cancer surgery | Pre- and intraoperative diagnostic techniques facilitating tumor staging are of paramount importance in colorectal cancer surgery. The urokinase receptor (uPAR) plays an important role in the development of cancer, tumor invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis and over-expression is found in the majority of carcinomas. This study aims to develop the first clinically relevant anti-uPAR antibody-based imaging agent that combines nuclear (111In) and real-time near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent imaging (ZW800-1). Conjugation and binding capacities were investigated and validated in vitro using spectrophotometry and cell-based assays. In vivo, three human colorectal xenograft models were used including an orthotopic peritoneal carcinomatosis model to image small tumors. Nuclear and NIR fluorescent signals showed clear tumor delineation between 24h and 72h post-injection, with highest tumor-to-background ratios of 5. 0 ± 1. 3 at 72h using fluorescence and 4. 2 ± 0. 1 at 24h with radioactivity. 1-2 mm sized tumors could be clearly recognized by their fluorescent rim. This study showed the feasibility of an uPAR-recognizing multimodal agent to visualize tumors during image-guided resections using NIR fluorescence, whereas its nuclear component assisted in the pre-operative non-invasive recognition of tumors using SPECT imaging. This strategy can assist in surgical planning and subsequent precision surgery to reduce the number of incomplete resections. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
]
|
W2059235919 | Rap and Revolt in the Arab World | This essay approaches the phenomenon of Arab rap music as an emergent form of cultural and communal intelligibility and solidarity; its simultaneous influence on and indebtedness to global hip-hop and youth cultural movements has transformed it into an increasingly transnational collaborative project, bringing together a heterogeneous array of artists despite their dispersed geopolitical locations. The essay sheds light on the preoccupations of the diverse national rap movements across the Arab world and also investigates the role that rap music played in the Arab uprisings. It examines in particular the Tunisian rap scene and the crucial role that El Général’s song “Rais Lebled” played in capturing and articulating the mass discontent Tunisians had with Ben Ali’s authoritarian regime. This essay concludes that rap music (along with other forms of artistic creativity) helped to foster a culture of dissidence and defiance termed collaborative revolutionism on which hinged the popular uprising that has shaken Tunisia and the entire region since 17 December 2010. | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Studies of Cultures and Arts"
]
|
886047 | Vaccines as a remedy for antimicrobial resistant bacterial infections | Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is perhaps the most emerging alarm in health. It already causes 700,000 deaths per year and the forecast for 2050 is 10 million deaths, more than cancer today. WHO, UN General Assembly, World Bank, G20, EU, UK and USA governments call for new antibiotics, but the pipeline for new antibiotics is not very promising. Here we propose to use new technologies to develop human monoclonal antibodies and vaccines against three AMR bacteria such as gonococcus, pneumococcus and E.coli. The technology defined as reverse vaccinology 2.0, already successful for viral infections, will be used for bacterial vaccines. Taking advantage of the recent possibility of high throughput cloning of human B cells from convalescent or vaccinated people we aim to find targets difficult or impossible to be discovered using conventional technologies. B cells will be cloned from people convalescent from target infections and from people vaccinated with Men B vaccine which confers some protection against gonococcus. The antibodies produced by the clones will be screened for their ability to bind, intoxicate or kill bacteria using a novel high-throughput microscopy platform that rapidly captures digital images and also with conventional, lower throughput technologies such as bactericidal, opsono-phagocytosis and FACS assays. The selected antibodies, will be expressed as full length and used for passive immunization in animal models and tested for protection in vivo. Finally, those antibodies that will provide the best protection in the above assays, will be used to identify the recognized antigens. Selected antigens will be expressed and tested in vaccine formulations. Fab fragments can be used to make co-crystals with the antigen and determine the crystal structure of the new antigens, for the development of structure-based antigen design. In conclusion we expect to enable development of human monoclonal antibodies and vaccines against AMR. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
]
|
10.1109/MMUL.2017.33 | Multisensory Experiences In Hci | For decades, the use of vision and audition for interaction dominated the field of human-computer interaction (HCI), despite the fact that nature has provided many more senses for perceiving and interacting with the world. Recently, HCI researchers have started trying to capitalize on touch, taste, and smell when designing interactive tasks, especially in gaming, multimedia, and art environments. Here, the authors provide a snapshot of their research into touch, taste, and smell, carried out at the Sussex Computer Human Interaction (SCHI) Lab at the University of Sussex in Brighton, UK. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
W2117584985 | Canvassing conversations: obstinate issues in studies of elites and elite education | Studies of elites and elite education have largely not involved rigorous debate, either with regard to the conceptual resources deployed or methodologies adopted. Even the concepts elite and elite schools have not been problematized much. Further, there is a tendency for people to cite, rather than engage or dispute each other. So while the number of published studies increases and the field grows in size, and expands in focus, it is not necessarily growing through spirited dialog and critique. The first part of this paper considers the ways in which the methodological scope in the study of elites and elite education has been restrained and limited through the repetition of particular methodological frameworks and practices. Drawing on the work included in this special issue and other recent research, we then suggest some methodological possibilities for expanding this scope. In the second main part, we offer some provocations about the theoretical resources that are conventionally deployed. We argue that... | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Texts and Concepts"
]
|
10.1002/adma.201703612 | Nanomorphology Effects in Semiconductors with Native Ferromagnetism: Hierarchical Europium (II) Oxide Tubes Prepared via a Topotactic Nanostructure Transition | Semiconductors with native ferromagnetism barely exist and defined nanostructures are almost unknown. This lack impedes the exploration of a new class of materials characterized by a direct combination of effects on the electronic system caused by quantum confinement effects with magnetism. A good example is EuO for which currently no reliable routes for nanoparticle synthesis can be established. Bottom-up approaches applicable to other oxides fail because of the labile oxidation state +II. Instead of targeting a direct synthesis, the two steps—“structure control” and “chemical transformation”—are separated. The generation of a transitional, hybrid nanophase is followed by its conversion into EuO under full conservation of all morphological features. Hierarchical EuO materials are now accessible in the shape of oriented nanodisks stacked to tubular particles. Magnetically, the coupling of either vortex or onion states has been found. An unexpected temperature dependence is governed by thermally activated transitions between these states. | [
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
101002163 | Managing Identities in Diverse Societies: A Developmental Intergroup Perspective with Adolescents | Ethnic and cultural diversity has sharply increased in modern societies due to migration processes. However, the implication of this for adolescents facing the core task of developing their identities are still mostly unknown. For both adolescents without and with a migrant background (e.g., recent refugees, second-generation immigrants) growing up in societies with increasing levels of diversity can be challenging, as they have to manage their identities acknowledging that how they address the core question “who am I?” could be the result of a dynamic process based on multiple and diverse social interactions.
The IDENTITIES project adopts a cross-fertilization approach, integrating developmental and social-psychological models, to provide a ground-breaking knowledge on the processes leading to the well-being of adolescents with and without a migrant background. By proposing a multidimensional ecological developmental intergroup perspective, the project aims to examine:
(1) how intergroup experiences in ecological contexts (from parents, friends, school, and leisure microsystems to cultural macrosystems) influence the development of adolescents’ (personal, social, and human) identities;
(2) how the interplay of identities affects adolescents’ (physical, psychological, and social) well-being;
(3) how intergroup experiences in multiple ecological contexts influence adolescents’ well-being disentangling direct and indirect effects (mediated by identities).
To achieve these aims, a longitudinal study with 2,250 adolescents from two cohorts will be conducted, including multiple annual, monthly, and daily assessments and applying a multi-informant design (with quantitative data collected from adolescents, parents, teachers, school principals, municipal administrators, archives, and non-invasive medical devices) and it will be complemented by a case study with a narrative approach conducted with 50 adolescents who have lived abroad for at least three months. | [
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
FR 2006002718 W | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A PROCESS INVOLVING THE DEWAXING OF HYDROCARBON OILS | The invention relates to a method for controlling the dewaxing of an oil phase comprising a hydrocarbon oil which has been optionally diluted in at least one organic solvent. The inventive method includes the following steps namely: a step (a) comprising the formation of wax crystals in the above-mentioned phase, and a step (b) comprising the separation of the wax crystals thus formed from the dewaxed oil phase. An additional step is performed between step (a) and step (b), consisting in measuring the number of wax crystals in the flux conveying a suspension of crystals from step (a) using a particle-size analysis probe, comprising the reflection of light on the crystals. According to the invention, an alarm procedure and/or an intervention procedure is triggered if the number of measured particles falls suddenly by a pre-determined value. The invention also relates to the use of one such particle-size analysis probe in order to detect at least one continuous liquid phase demixing phenomenon in a solid/liquid suspension or liquid/liquid dispersion flux. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
]
|
10.1038/nri.2016.144 | T cell responses in the central nervous system | T cells are required for immune surveillance of the central nervous system (CNS); however, they can also induce severe immunopathology in the context of both viral infections and autoimmunity. The mechanisms that are involved in the priming and recruitment of T cells to the CNS are only partially understood, but there has been renewed interest in this topic since the 'rediscovery' of lymphatic drainage from the CNS. Moreover, tissue-resident memory T cells have been detected in the CNS and are increasingly recognized as an autonomous line of host defence. In this Review, we highlight the main mechanisms that are involved in the priming and CNS recruitment of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells and regulatory T cells. We also consider the plasticity of T cell responses in the CNS, with a focus on viral infection and autoimmunity. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy"
]
|
10.1145/1935826.1935923 | Stochastic Query Covering | In this paper we introduce the problem of query covering as a means to efficiently cache query results. The general idea is to populate the cache with documents that contribute to the result pages of a large number of queries, as opposed to caching the top documents for each query. It turns out that the problem is hard and solving it requires knowledge of the structure of the queries and the results space, as well as knowledge of the input query distribution. We formulate the problem under the framework of stochastic optimization; theoretically it can be seen as a stochastic universal version of set multicover. While the problem is NP-hard to be solved exactly, we show that for any distribution it can be approximated using a simple greedy approach. Our theoretical findings are complemented by experimental activity on real datasets, showing the feasibility and potential interest of query-covering approaches in practice. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
10.1073/pnas.1707845114 | Physical proximity of chromatin to nuclear pores prevents harmful R loop accumulation contributing to maintain genome stability | During transcription, the mRNA may hybridize with DNA, forming an R loop, which can be physiological or pathological, constituting in this case a source of genomic instability. To understand the mechanism by which eukaryotic cells prevent harmful R loops, we used human activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) to identify genes preventing R loops. A screening of 400 Saccharomyces cerevisiae selected strains deleted in nuclear genes revealed that cells lacking the Mlp1/2 nuclear basket proteins show AID-dependent genomic instability and replication defects that were suppressed by RNase H1 overexpression. Importantly, DNA–RNA hybrids accumulated at transcribed genes in mlp1/2 mutants, indicating that Mlp1/2 prevents R loops. Consistent with the Mlp1/2 role in gene gating to nuclear pores, artificial tethering to the nuclear periphery of a transcribed locus suppressed R loops in mlp1Δ cells. The same occurred in THO-deficient hpr1Δ cells. We conclude that proximity of transcribed chromatin to the nuclear pore helps restrain pathological R loops. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
]
|
10.3390/tropicalmed4010021 | A Call for Systems Epidemiology to Tackle the Complexity of Schistosomiasis, Its Control, and Its Elimination | Ever since the first known written report of schistosomiasis in the mid-19th century, researchers have aimed to increase knowledge of the parasites, their hosts, and the mechanisms contributing to infection and disease. This knowledge generation has been paramount for the development of improved intervention strategies. Yet, despite a broad knowledge base of direct risk factors for schistosomiasis, there remains a paucity of information related to more complex, interconnected, and often hidden drivers of transmission that hamper intervention successes and sustainability. Such complex, multidirectional, non-linear, and synergistic interdependencies are best understood by looking at the integrated system as a whole. A research approach able to address this complexity and find previously neglected causal mechanisms for transmission, which include a wide variety of influencing factors, is needed. Systems epidemiology, as a holistic research approach, can integrate knowledge from classical epidemiology, with that of biology, ecology, social sciences, and other disciplines, and link this with informal, tacit knowledge from experts and affected populations. It can help to uncover wider-reaching but difficult-to-identify processes that directly or indirectly influence exposure, infection, transmission, and disease development, as well as how these interrelate and impact one another. Drawing on systems epidemiology to address persisting disease hotspots, failed intervention programmes, and systematically neglected population groups in mass drug administration programmes and research studies, can help overcome barriers in the progress towards schistosomiasis elimination. Generating a comprehensive view of the schistosomiasis system as a whole should thus be a priority research agenda towards the strategic goal of morbidity control and transmission elimination. | [
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
W2073342895 | Measures of Entropy and Change Point Analysis as Predictors of Post-Surgical Adverse Outcomes | A variety of adverse outcomes, such as kidney injury, death, cardiac injury, and respiratory failure affect a significant number of patients after surgery. Previous research has investigated possible predictors for these outcomes including features extracted from physiologic time series. This study builds upon this previous work by exploring entropy, long-term memory, and change point analysis as different and possibly predictive measures of volatility. To do this, we use both random forest models and the robust method of L1 regularized logistic regression as modeling frameworks for the prediction. Predictive results from these models are evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and their area under the curve (AUC) values. While the developed models did not show improvements in predictive accuracy, they did show that change point analysis and measures of entropy and long-term memory can be useful tools in predicting postsurgical adverse outcomes. | [
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Mathematics",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
]
|
10.1371/journal.pone.0142014 | Resting-state fMRI functional connectivity is associated with sleepiness, imagery, and discontinuity of mind | Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) is widely used to investigate the functional architecture of the healthy human brain and how it is affected by learning, lifelong development, brain disorders or pharmacological intervention. Non-sensory experiences are prevalent during rest and must arise from ongoing brain activity, yet little is known about this relationship. Here, we used two runs of rs-fMRI both immediately followed by the Amsterdam Resting-State Questionnaire (ARSQ) to investigate the relationship between functional connectivity within ten large-scale functional brain networks and ten dimensions of thoughts and feelings experienced during the scan in 106 healthy participants. We identified 11 positive associations between brain-network functional connectivity and ARSQ dimensions. 'Sleepiness' exhibited significant associations with functional connectivity within Visual, Sensorimotor and Default Mode networks. Similar associations were observed for 'Visual Thought' and 'Discontinuity of Mind', which may relate to variation in imagery and thought control mediated by arousal fluctuations. Our findings show that selfreports of thoughts and feelings experienced during a rs-fMRI scan help understand the functional significance of variations in functional connectivity, which should be of special relevance to clinical studies. | [
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
]
|
US 202016952930 A | Filtering return points in a point cloud based on radial velocity measurement | Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure relate to filtering of return points from a point cloud based on radial velocity measurements. An example method includes: receiving, by a sensing system of an autonomous vehicle (AV), data representative of a point cloud comprising a plurality of return points, each return point comprising a radial velocity value and position coordinates representative of a reflecting region that reflects a transmission signal emitted by the sensing system; applying, to each of the plurality of return points, at least one threshold condition related to the radial velocity value of a given return point to identify a subset of return points within the plurality of return points; removing the subset of return points from the point cloud to generate a filtered point cloud; and identifying objects represented by the remaining return points in the filtered point cloud. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
W1915731335 | A Study on Exports of Fish and Fish Products and their Role in Economic Growth of Pakistan | The objective of this study is to evaluate exports of fish and fisheries products and their importance in the ground of Pakistan's economy. Pakistani seafood has a significant export potential. A widespreaddiversity of commercially valued products are available. The results showed exports of Fish and fisheries products tend to increase in most years but fluctuated during the past years. In 2011 exports of Pakistani fisheries products grew significantly in volume about 131,000 tonnes and USD226m in value. Study has suggested that Government and experienced authority of Pakistan should give serious attention in food safety of imported and exported fishery productsand to manage export of Fisheries products into real economic resources. It is expected that in the near future a number of processing establishments will be re-approved to gain better position in the international sea food exports market. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
]
|
W2028377739 | Evaluation of supply chain performance using delivery-time performance analysis chart approach | Abstract Variability reduction and business synchronization are acknowledged as keys to achieving timely deliveries in supply chain networks. The evaluation of delivery performance is a crucial component in the overall management and time control of a supply chain. This study uses lead time, delivery window and delivery performance chart (DPC) to measure the delivery performance of every stage in a serial supply chain. Lead time is an important delivery performance metric for organizations. DPC, which is integrated by the process capability indices (PCIs) and the concept of Motorola Six-Sigma, is proposed to provide several simultaneously visualized important features of delivery performance in a supply chain. We also consider the uncertainty of the estimated PCIs caused by sampling data and plot their lower confidence bounds (LCBs) in the DPC to measure the minimum delivery capability of each stage in the supply chain. Finally, a case study related to a supply chain of notebook industry is presented to d... | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
2721507 | Global gravity-based groundwater product | Groundwater is one of the most important freshwater resources for mankind and for ecosystems. Assessing groundwater resources and developing sustainable water management plans based on this resource is a major field of activity for science, water authorities and consultancies worldwide. Due to its fundamental role in the Earth’s water and energy cycles, groundwater has been declared as an Essential Climate Variable (ECV) by GCOS, the Global Climate Observing System. The Copernicus Services, however, do not yet deliver data on this fundamental resource, nor is there any other data source worldwide that operationally provides information on changing groundwater resources in a consistent way, observation-based, and with global coverage. This gap will be closed by G3P, the Global Gravity-based Groundwater Product.
The G3P consortium combines key expertise from science and industry across Europe that optimally allows to (1) capitalize from the unique capability of GRACE and GRACE-FO satellite gravimetry as the only remote sensing technology to monitor subsurface mass variations and thus groundwater storage change for large areas, (2) incorporate and advance a wealth of products on storage compartments of the water cycle that are part of the Copernicus portfolio, and (3) disseminate unprecedented information on changing groundwater storage to the global and European user communities, including a European use case as a demonstrator for industry potential in the water sector. In combination, the G3P development is a novel and cross-cutting extension of the Copernicus portfolio towards essential information on the changing state of water resources at European and global scales. G3P is timely given the recent launch of GRACE-FO that opens up the chance for gravity-based time series with sufficient length to monitor climate-induced and human-induced processes over more than 20 years, and to boost European space technology on board these satellites. | [
"Earth System Science",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
]
|
US 201213535107 A | IMPACT RESISTANT CLOSURE | A closure including a top panel and a transition section extending from a peripheral edge of the top panel is provided. The closure includes a skirt extending from a peripheral edge of the transition section such that the skirt extends away from the top panel. The skirt includes a plurality of projections extending outwardly and away from an outer surface of the transition section. | [
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
]
|
Q4767835 | PROF. LUCIANO DI GIANDOMENICO | LA MIA ATTIVITA' PREVEDE LA PRODUZIONE MUSICALE COME COMPOSITORE, PIANISTA E DIRETTORE D'ORCHESTRA: BRANI MUSICALI ORIGINALI PER PUBBLICI CONCERTI, ARRANGIAMENTI MUSICALI, BASI MUSICALI, PRODUZIONI DI REGISTRAZIONI AUDIO E VIDEO MUSICALI, REALIZZAZIONI DI PARTITURE E SPARTITI MUSICALI PER EDITORIA E ESECUZIONE MUSICALE TRAMITE LA LETTURA DI SPARTITI. PER REALIZZARE TALI ATTIVITA' E' FONDAMENTALE AVERE A DISPOSIZIONE UN SUPPORTO TECNICO DIGITALE HARDWARE E SOFTWARE (COMPUTER ABBASTANZA POTENTE DA POTER SUPPORTARE AUDIO E VIDEO) E PROGRAMMI PER LA GESTIONE DEI DATI E LA CREAZIONE DI MUSICA SOTTO FORMA DI AUDIO, VIDEO E SCRITTURA MUSICALE. | [
"Texts and Concepts",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
]
|
994548 | Ngos, transnational networks and the transformation of muslim communities in cambodia | Since the 1993 reinstallment of the monarchy after the devastating rule of the Khmer Rouge and the subsequent Vietnamese occupation, foreign NGOs have been mushrooming in Cambodia. Several among these are charities that are based in Malaysia and the Arabian Gulf, and which have become the core of Muslim transnational networks that intersect in the country. These charities invested vast resources in order to reconstruct the Cambodian Muslim religious infrastructure and leadership, that had been almost completely wiped out during the Khmer Rouge. At the same time, they spread their own religious ideas and discourses among the country’s Muslim minorities. This research will inquire into how transnational Muslim networks and charities based in the Middle East and Malaysia have transformed the religious identity, leadership and infrastructure of Cambodia’s Muslim minorities. I will look into the evolution of the Gulf and Malaysian charities in the country, the patterns of the existing competition between them, and how the transnational flows and the transformation of the Islamic field altered the structure of gender relations among Cambodian Muslims. The chief method of data collection will be ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Cambodia, Malaysia and Kuwait. | [
"Studies of Cultures and Arts",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
]
|
169966 | Genetic and molecular priming approaches to increase crop strength and stress tolerance | The project provides advanced systems biology training for 5 ESRs who will develop novel methods for increasing crop strength and resistance to stress by alternative genetic and genomic, non-GMO, technologies: (1) Selecting allelic variants of a novel gene identified by members of the consortium which regulates oxidative and abiotic stress tolerance and (2) Molecular priming by biostimulants or low doses of H2O2 to induce stress-protective mechanisms in crops. This dual approach will meet the growing EU push towards secure, sustainable and safe means of food production (Dir.2009/128/EC & EU Reg. EC/178/2002). The genetic approaches are combined with high-throughput technologies for transcriptome, metabolome, and phenotypic analyses, combined with advanced bioinformatics. Both approaches to increasing crop yield are growing in importance, with the biostimulants industry expected to reach $2.2B globally by 2018. Equipping ESRs with these skills will enable them to develop their research careers in academia or industry. Training will be conducted at the University of Potsdam (UP, Coordinator), Germany, and two companies: BioAtlantis (BA), Ireland, and Enza Zaden (EZ), The Netherlands. Prof. B. Mueller-Roeber (UP) has extensive research management and teaching experience and will supervise the ESRs as PhD students. BA is internationally recognized for producing innovative biostimulants and has 3 patents filed, while EZ is among the top ten in vegetable breeding worldwide. All partners have experience in coordination and participation in EU FP7 projects. The expected results will increase our understanding of the molecular basis of stress tolerance and provide two alternative strategies for crop improvement and increasing food production. BA and EZ will ensure rapid dissemination of applied research to end users. | [
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering"
]
|
W1999323575 | Entrepreneurship education and boys' and girls' perceptions of entrepreneurs | There are many studies on the impacts of entrepreneurship education in higher education, but few studies have assessed how secondary schools can contribute to create a more dynamic enterprise culture. This paper assesses whether a European entrepreneurship programme directed at upper secondary school promote positive attitudes towards entrepreneurs. The programme investigated is called the company programme (CP), and the study is done in Norway where the programme CP reaches approximately 15% of all pupils. There is a particular focus on girls within entrepreneurship education in Norway, and we will present our results on the impact of CP for girls and boys separately. Results from multilevel models indicate that both boy and girl participants in CP are more likely than non-participants to think that an entrepreneur is “someone who wants to use his/her creativity” and less likely to think that an entrepreneur “is someone who cannot find another job”. However, attitudes about entrepreneurs also vary among ... | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
]
|
10.1111/mec.13681 | Genomic analysis reveals depression due to both individual and maternal inbreeding in a free-living mammal population | There is ample evidence for inbreeding depression manifested as a reduction in fitness or fitness-related traits in the focal individual. In many organisms, fitness is not only affected by genes carried by the individual, but also by genes carried by their parents, for example if receiving parental care. While maternal effects have been described in many systems, the extent to which inbreeding affects fitness directly through the focal individual, or indirectly through the inbreeding coefficients of its parents, has rarely been examined jointly. The Soay sheep study population is an excellent system in which to test for both effects, as lambs receive extended maternal care. Here, we tested for both maternal and individual inbreeding depression in three fitness-related traits (birthweight and weight and hindleg length at 4 months of age) and three fitness components (first-year survival, adult annual survival and annual breeding success), using either pedigree-derived inbreeding or genomic estimators calculated using ~37 000 SNP markers. We found evidence for inbreeding depression in 4-month hindleg and weight, first-year survival in males, and annual survival and breeding success in adults. Maternal inbreeding was found to depress both birthweight and 4-month weight. We detected more instances of significant inbreeding depression using genomic estimators than the pedigree, which is partly explained through the increased sample sizes available. In conclusion, our results highlight that cross-generational inbreeding effects warrant further exploration in species with parental care and that modern genomic tools can be used successfully instead of, or alongside, pedigrees in natural populations. | [
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
]
|
10.1089/hs.2016.0118 | Pricing Externalities to Balance Public Risks and Benefits of Research | How should scientific funders evaluate research with public health risks? Some risky work is valuable, but accepting too much risk may be ethically neglectful. Recent controversy over H5N1 influenza experiments has highlighted the difficulty of this problem. Advocates of the research claim the work is needed to understand pandemics, while opponents claim that accidents or misuse could release the very pandemic the work is meant to prevent. In an attempt to resolve the debate, the US government sponsored an independent evaluation that successfully produced a quantitative estimate of the risks involved, but only a qualitative estimate of the benefits. Given the difficulties of this "apples-to-oranges" risk-benefit analysis, what is the best way forward? Here we outline a general approach for balancing risks and benefits of research with public risks. Instead of directly comparing risks and benefits, our approach requires only an estimate of risk, which is then translated into a financial price. This estimate can be obtained either through a centrally commissioned risk assessment or by mandating liability insurance, which allows private markets to estimate the financial burden of risky research. The resulting price can then be included in the cost of the research, enabling funders to evaluate grants as usual - comparing the scientific merits of a project against its full cost to society. This approach has the advantage of aligning incentives by assigning costs to those responsible for risks. It also keeps scientific funding decisions in the hands of scientists, while involving the public on questions of values and risk experts on risk evaluation. | [
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
]
|
10.1109/TCSII.2011.2158165 | A Subhertz Nanopower Low Pass Filter | This brief presents a first-order low-pass filter topology capable of providing cutoff frequencies down to 2 mHz with power consumption of 5 nW. The circuit is intended for signal conditioning applications, particularly for use with very low frequency physiological signals in low-power portable medical equipment. To achieve a low-frequency cutoff, the filter is based around the use of a clocked transconductor, which provides low transconductance while using a relatively high bias current level. The circuit is implemented in a 0. 35-μm technology with a 1-V supply and has 32- μVRMS measured noise and a 64-dB dynamic range. In terms of power consumption and cutoff frequency the reported filter outperforms previous filters from the literature. | [
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
]
|
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