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10.1190/GEO2011-0075.1
|
Fracture Mapping Using Seismic Amplitude Variation With Offset And Azimuth Analysis At The Weyburn Co2 Storage Site
|
ABSTRACTCap rock integrity is an essential characteristic of any reservoir to be used for long-term CO2 storage. Seismic AVOA (amplitude variation with offset and azimuth) techniques have been applied to map HTI anisotropy near the cap rock of the Weyburn field in southeast Saskatchewan, Canada, with the purpose of identifying potential fracture zones that may compromise seal integrity. This analysis, supported by modeling, observes the top of the regional seal (Watrous Formation) to have low levels of HTI anisotropy, whereas the reservoir cap rock (composite Midale Evaporite and Ratcliffe Beds) contains isolated areas of high intensity anisotropy, which may be fracture-related. Properties of the fracture fill and hydraulic conductivity within the inferred fracture zones are not constrained using this technique. The predominant orientations of the observed anisotropy are parallel and normal to the direction of maximum horizontal stress (northeast–southwest) and agree closely with previous fracture studies. . .
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Earth System Science"
] |
10.1007/978-3-030-00928-1_24
|
Nonparametric Density Flows For Mri Intensity Normalisation
|
With the adoption of powerful machine learning methods in medical image analysis, it is becoming increasingly desirable to aggregate data that is acquired across multiple sites. However, the underlying assumption of many analysis techniques that corresponding tissues have consistent intensities in all images is often violated in multi-centre databases. We introduce a novel intensity normalisation scheme based on density matching, wherein the histograms are modelled as Dirichlet process Gaussian mixtures. The source mixture model is transformed to minimise its \(L^2\) divergence towards a target model, then the voxel intensities are transported through a mass-conserving flow to maintain agreement with the moving density. In a multi-centre study with brain MRI data, we show that the proposed technique produces excellent correspondence between the matched densities and histograms. We further demonstrate that our method makes tissue intensity statistics substantially more compatible between images than a baseline affine transformation and is comparable to state-of-the-art while providing considerably smoother transformations. Finally, we validate that nonlinear intensity normalisation is a step toward effective imaging data harmonisation.
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Mathematics"
] |
10.1093/nar/gkv326
|
Cosmetics-triggered percutaneous remote control of transgene expression in mice
|
Synthetic biology has significantly advanced the rational design of trigger-inducible gene switches that program cellular behavior in a reliable and predictable manner. Capitalizing on genetic componentry, including the repressor PmeR and its cognate operator OPmeR, that has evolved in Pseudomonas syringae pathovar tomato DC3000 to sense and resist plant-defence metabolites of the paraben class, we have designed a set of inducible and repressible mammalian transcription-control devices that could dose-dependently fine-tune transgene expression in mammalian cells and mice in response to paraben derivatives. With an over 60-years track record as licensed preservatives in the cosmetics industry, paraben derivatives have become a commonplace ingredient of most skin-care products including shower gels, cleansing toners and hand creams. As parabens can rapidly reach the bloodstream of mice following topical application, we used this feature to percutaneously program transgene expression of subcutaneous designer cell implants using off-the-shelf commercial paraben-containing skincare cosmetics. The combination of non-invasive, transdermal and orthogonal trigger-inducible remote control of transgene expression may provide novel opportunities for dynamic interventions in future gene and cell-based therapies.
|
[
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering"
] |
10.1016/j.virusres.2017.01.013
|
Structural insights into RNA synthesis by the influenza virus transcription-replication machine
|
Influenza virus is a segmented, negative strand RNA virus with each genome segment being packaged in a distinct ribonucleoprotein particle (RNP). The RNP consists of the heterotrimeric viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase bound to the conserved 5′ and 3′ ends of the genome segment (the viral promoter) with the rest of the viral RNA (vRNA) being covered by multiple copies of nucleoprotein. This review focusses on the new insights that recent crystal structures have given into the detailed molecular mechanisms by which the polymerase performs both transcription and replication of the vRNA genome. Promoter binding, in particular that of 5′ end, is essential to allosterically activate all polymerase functions. Transcription is initiated by the hijacking of nascent, capped host transcripts by the process of ‘cap-snatching’, for which the viral polymerase makes an essential interaction with the C-terminal domain (CTD) of cellular RNA polymerase II. The structures allow a coherent mechanistic model of the subsequent cap-snatching, cap-dependent priming, elongation and self-polyadenylation steps of viral mRNA synthesis. During replication, the vRNA is copied without modification into complementary RNA (cRNA) which is packaged into cRNPs. A priming loop located in the polymerase active site is required for the unprimed synthesis of cRNA from vRNA, but is not required for cRNA to vRNA replication due to differences in the mode of initiation of RNA synthesis. Overall a picture emerges of influenza polymerase being a highly complex, flexible and dynamic machine. The challenge remains to understand in more detail how it functions within the RNP and how interacting host factors modulate its activity in the cellular context. Finally, these detailed insights have opened up new opportunities for structure-based antiviral drug design targeting multiple aspects of polymerase function.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy"
] |
10.1364/OL.41.004328
|
Free Space Spectro Temporal And Spatio Temporal Conversion For Pulsed Light
|
We present a new apparatus for converting between spectral and temporal representation of optical information, designed for operating with pulsed light sources. Every input pulse is converted into a pulse train in which the pulse intensities represent the spatial or temporal frequency spectrum of the original pulse. This method enables spectral measurements to be performed by following the temporal response of a single detector and, thus, is useful for real-time spectroscopy and imaging, and for spectral correlation measurements. The apparatus is based on multiple round-trips inside a 2f-cavity-like mirror arrangement in which the spectrum is spread on the back focal plane, and a small section of it is allowed to escape after each round-trip. Unlike existing methods, it relies neither on fibers nor on interference effects. It offers easy wavelength range tunability, and a prototype built achieves over 10% average efficiency in the near infrared (NIR). We demonstrate the application of the prototype for an efficient measurement of the joint spectrum of a non-degenerate bi-photon source in which one of the photons is in the NIR.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter"
] |
W2021785309
|
A progressive transmission strategy for GIS vector data under the precondition of pixel losslessness
|
It is well known that the final results of geographic information system (GIS) mapping are composed of rasterized pixels in most display devices. Based on this, pixel equivalence is proposed as two vector data that can produce the same raster image on a device under the same mapping processes and parameters. Moreover, if between the two data, one is considered the original data and the other is its reduced-quantity version, then the latter can be regarded as pixel losslessness relative to the former. In this case, the reduced-quantity version can be used instead of the original data to produce the same result from the perspective of visualization. The aim of this article is to explore how to produce the transmitted data, including an initial code and a series of increments that are used for progressive transmission, to retain pixel losslessness. By illustrating that the vector data can be represented by a vertex or ordered sequence of vertices, this article introduces the detailed concepts of pixel equivalence and pixel losslessness of vector data. Then, the requirements for pixel equivalence between two vertices are deduced by analyzing the coordinate transform processes under specific assumptions. The method to generate an initial code and a series of increments related to a single vertex is proposed to produce vertices that are pixel equivalence to the original vertex under different coordinate transform processes. By discussing the traversing mode of the ordered sequence of vertices based on quadtree cells, a coding algorithm is proposed to develop the progressive transmission related to the multi-vertex and to generate reduced-quantity versions to retain pixel losslessness. Finally, experiments are designed to demonstrate that, under the precondition of pixel losslessness, the proposed progressive transmission method can significantly reduce the amount of transmitted data in the network environment.
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
10.1126/science.aat5867
|
Genome hypermobility by lateral transduction
|
Genetic transduction is a major evolutionary force that underlies bacterial adaptation. Here we report that the temperate bacteriophages ofStaphylococcus aureusengage in a distinct form of transduction we term lateral transduction. Staphylococcal prophages do not follow the previously described excision-replication-packaging pathway but instead excise late in their lytic program. Here, DNA packaging initiates in situ from integrated prophages, and large metameric spans including several hundred kilobases of theS. aureusgenome are packaged in phage heads at very high frequency. In situ replication before DNA packaging creates multiple prophage genomes so that lateral-transducing particles form during normal phage maturation, transforming parts of theS. aureuschromosome into hypermobile regions of gene transfer.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
10.1038/s41467-019-09415-3
|
Crizotinib-induced immunogenic cell death in non-small cell lung cancer
|
Immunogenic cell death (ICD) converts dying cancer cells into a therapeutic vaccine and stimulates antitumor immune responses. Here we unravel the results of an unbiased screen identifying high-dose (10 µM) crizotinib as an ICD-inducing tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has exceptional antineoplastic activity when combined with non-ICD inducing chemotherapeutics like cisplatin. The combination of cisplatin and high-dose crizotinib induces ICD in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cells and effectively controls the growth of distinct (transplantable, carcinogen- or oncogene induced) orthotopic NSCLC models. These anticancer effects are linked to increased T lymphocyte infiltration and are abolished by T cell depletion or interferon-γ neutralization. Crizotinib plus cisplatin leads to an increase in the expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 in tumors, coupled to a strong sensitization of NSCLC to immunotherapy with PD-1 antibodies. Hence, a sequential combination treatment consisting in conventional chemotherapy together with crizotinib, followed by immune checkpoint blockade may be active against NSCLC.
|
[
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.115.304517
|
Epigenetic Modification At Notch Responsive Promoters Blunts Efficacy Of Inducing Notch Pathway Reactivation After Myocardial Infarction
|
Rationale: The Notch pathway plays a key role in stimulating mammalian cardiomyocyte proliferation during development and in the early postnatal life; in adult zebrafish, reactivation of this pathway is also essential to drive cardiac regeneration after injury. Objective: We wanted to assess efficacy of Notch pathway stimulation in neonatal and adult hearts as a means to induce cardiac regeneration after myocardial infarction in mice. Methods and Results: In early postnatal life, cardiomyocyte exit from the cell cycle was paralleled by decreased Notch signaling and the establishment of a repressive chromatin environment at Notch-responsive genes, characterized by recruitment of the polycomb group enhancer of zeste homolog 2 methyltransferase and the acquisition of the histone 3 Lysine 27 trimethylation histone mark, as detected by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Forced Notch pathway activation by adenoassociated virus gene transfer of activated Notch1 or its ligand Jagged1 expanded the proliferative capacity of neonatal cardiomyocytes; this correlated with increased transcription of Notch target genes and maintenance of an open chromatin conformation at their promoters. The same adenoassociated virus vectors, however, were largely ineffective in stimulating cardiac repair after myocardial infarction in adult mice, despite optimal and long-lasting transgene expression. Analysis of Notch-responsive promoters in adult cardiomyocytes showed marks of repressed chromatin and irreversible CpG DNA methylation. Induction of adult cardiomyocyte re-entry into the cell cycle with microRNAs was independent from Notch pathway reactivation. Conclusions: Notch pathway activation is crucial in regulating cardiomyocyte proliferation during the early postnatal life, but it is largely ineffective in driving cardiac regeneration in adults, because of permanent epigenetic modification at Notch-responsive promoters.
|
[
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
W2062190617
|
The effects of owner identity and external governance systems on R&D investments: A study of Western European firms
|
Abstract This paper builds on agency and institutional theory to extend the analysis of the effects of ownership and control on R&D investments by considering the influence of different types of ownership and of institutional corporate governance systems. Our empirical analysis is based on a unique dataset of 1000 firms publicly-traded in six European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden and the UK). Controlling for industry- and firm-level effects, our findings show that higher shareholding by families is negatively associated with R&D investment. Moreover, widely-held firms invest less in R&D in the United Kingdom than in Continental European countries, thus suggesting the existence of a greater pressure towards the reduction of R&D in market-based governance systems. The results are robust against possible sample selection biases due to firms’ discretional R&D disclosure.
|
[
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
] |
10.1088/1742-6596/718/2/022005
|
Dark Matter Indirect Searches Charged Cosmic Rays
|
I discuss the status, the recent developments and the prospects of indirect searches for Dark Matter using charged cosmic rays: electrons, positrons, antiprotons and antideuterium.
|
[
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter",
"Universe Sciences"
] |
10.1186/s12940-017-0230-8
|
Parental exposures to occupational asthmagens and risk of autism spectrum disorder in a Danish population-based case-control study
|
Background: Environmental exposures and immune conditions during pregnancy could influence development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. However, few studies have examined immune-triggering exposures in relation to ASD. We evaluated the association between parental workplace exposures to risk factors for asthma ("asthmagens") and ASD. Methods: We conducted a population-based case-control study in the Danish population using register linkage. Our study population consisted of 11,869 ASD cases and 48,046 controls born from 1993 through 2007. Cases were identified by ICD-10 codes in the Danish Psychiatric Central Register. ASD cases and controls were linked to parental Danish International Standard Classification of Occupations (DISCO-88) job codes. Parental occupational asthmagen exposure was estimated by linking DISCO-88 codes to an asthma-specific job-exposure matrix. Results: Our maternal analyses included 6706 case mothers and 29,359 control mothers employed during the pregnancy period. We found a weak inverse association between ASD and any maternal occupational asthmagen exposure, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates (adjusted OR: 0. 92, 95% CI: 0. 86-0. 99). In adjusted analyses, including 7647 cases and 31,947 controls with employed fathers, paternal occupational asthmagen exposure was not associated with ASD (adjusted OR: 0. 98, 95% CI: 0. 92-1. 05). Conclusions: We found a weak inverse association between maternal occupational asthmagen exposure and ASD, and a null association between paternal occupational exposure and ASD. We suggest that unmeasured confounding negatively biased the estimate, but that this unmeasured confounding is likely not strong enough to bring the effect above the null. Overall, our results were consistent with no positive association between parental asthmagen exposure and ASD in the children.
|
[
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System"
] |
10.1016/j.tins.2013.10.004
|
Measuring and using light in the melanopsin age
|
Light is a potent stimulus for regulating circadian, hormonal, and behavioral systems. In addition, light therapy is effective for certain affective disorders, sleep problems, and circadian rhythm disruption. These biological and behavioral effects of light are influenced by a distinct photoreceptor in the eye, melanopsin-containing intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), in addition to conventional rods and cones. We summarize the neurophysiology of this newly described sensory pathway and consider implications for the measurement, production, and application of light. A new light-measurement strategy taking account of the complex photoreceptive inputs to these non-visual responses is proposed for use by researchers, and simple suggestions for artificial/architectural lighting are provided for regulatory authorities, lighting manufacturers, designers, and engineers.
|
[
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
] |
W2011906962
|
Nutrient density of beverages in relation to climate impact
|
The food chain contributes to a substantial part of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and growing evidence points to the urgent need to reduce GHGs emissions worldwide. Among suggestions were proposals to alter food consumption patterns by replacing animal foods with more plant-based foods. However, the nutritional dimensions of changing consumption patterns to lower GHG emissions still remains relatively unexplored. This study is the first to estimate the composite nutrient density, expressed as percentage of Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR) for 21 essential nutrients, in relation to cost in GHG emissions of the production from a life cycle perspective, expressed in grams of CO(2)-equivalents, using an index called the Nutrient Density to Climate Impact (NDCI) index. The NDCI index was calculated for milk, soft drink, orange juice, beer, wine, bottled carbonated water, soy drink, and oat drink. Due to low-nutrient density, the NDCI index was 0 for carbonated water, soft drink, and beer and below 0.1 for red wine and oat drink. The NDCI index was similar for orange juice (0.28) and soy drink (0.25). Due to a very high-nutrient density, the NDCI index for milk was substantially higher (0.54) than for the other beverages. Future discussion on how changes in food consumption patterns might help avert climate change need to take both GHG emission and nutrient density of foods and beverages into account.
|
[
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Earth System Science"
] |
Q2689663
|
Working capital subsidy for Arpol Motor Company Sp. z o.o.
|
The project concerns support to the entrepreneur in providing liquidity and support to day-to-day activities due to the financial difficulties that have occurred to the entrepreneur as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Financial assistance under scheme SA.57015 (2020/N)
|
[
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
] |
Q4417816
|
Energy efficient hybrid flow management system for dishwashers with water and heat recovery technology
|
Number_reference_aid_programme: SA.41471(2015/X) Purpose of public aid: Article 25 of Regulation (EC) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty That’s it. EU L 187/1 of 26.06.2014). The result of the project will be an innovative, integrated, modular water flow management system in household dishwashers, which comprehensively improves the energy management of the washing process. The product, which after the completion of R & D works will be ready to be implemented in the Applicant’s own business, is characterised by a novelty on an international scale: there are currently no solutions on the market with a unique, fully integrated architecture and a comparable high level of energy efficiency. The key challenge will be the design and construction of all modules included in the system and their integration. The research work aims to identify and eliminate all leaks. affecting energy losses and maximum use of thermal energy in a closed cycle. The target recipients of the solution will be manufacturers of household appliances. Thanks to the features of the system — operating ecologically and cost-effectively — the final beneficiaries of the project results will also be consumers.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
10.1109/TDSC.2017.2679189
|
Efficient And Private Scoring Of Decision Trees Support Vector Machines And Logistic Regression Models Based On Pre Computation
|
Many data-driven personalized services require that private data of users is scored against a trained machine learning model. In this paper we propose a novel protocol for privacy-preserving classification of decision trees, a popular machine learning model in these scenarios. Our solutions is composed out of building blocks, namely a secure comparison protocol, a protocol for obliviously selecting inputs, and a protocol for multiplication. By combining some of the building blocks for our decision tree classification protocol, we also improve previously proposed solutions for classification of support vector machines and logistic regression models. Our protocols are information theoretically secure and, unlike previously proposed solutions, do not require modular exponentiations. We show that our protocols for privacy-preserving classification lead to more efficient results from the point of view of computational and communication complexities. We present accuracy and runtime results for seven classification benchmark datasets from the UCI repository.
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
10.1117/12.2272192
|
Easy And Versatile Adaptive Optics Setup With Deformable Lens For High Resolution Microscopy
|
It has been widely proven in literature that most optical microscopy techniques can greatly benefit from the application of adaptive optics correction of phase aberrations through an adaptive optical element, such as a deformable mirror or a spatial light modulator. However, adaptive optics is not yet widely adopted in the life sciences community, mostly due to the lack of adaptive commercial microscopy systems, and the inherent technical difficulty in modifying an existing microscopy setup to integrate an adaptive element, both on the software and hardware sides. We present a plug-and-play adaptive optics module for generic optical microscopes, based on a prototype refractive 18 actuators adaptive optical element, which can be inserted in any microscope between the objective and the microscope body. Correction is performed in a sensorless fashion, optimizing image quality metrics of the image presented to the user on screen. The results presented show how an end-user oriented commercial confocal laser scanning microscope (Leica SP5) can be upgraded with adaptive optics with minor hardware modifications, and no changes to the microscope control software.
|
[
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
W2010184271
|
Automorphisms of central extensions of type I von Neumann algebras
|
Abstract. Given a von Neumann algebra M we consider the central exten-sion E(M) of M. For type I von Neumann algebras E(M) coincides with thealgebra LS(M) of all locally measurable operators affiliated with M. In thiscase we show that an arbitrary automorphism T of E(M) can be decomposedas T = T a ◦ T φ , where T a (x) = axa −1 is an inner automorphism implementedby an element a ∈ E(M), and T φ is a special automorphism generated by anautomorphism φ of the center of E(M). In particular if M is of type I ∞ thenevery band preserving automorphism of E(M) is inner. 1. IntroductionIn the series of paper [1]-[3] we have considered derivations on the algebraLS(M) of locally measurable operators affiliated with a von Neumann algebraM, and on various subalgebras of LS(M). A complete description of derivationshas been obtained in the case of von Neumann algebras of type I and III.A comprehensive survey of recent results concerning derivations on various al-gebras of unbounded operators affiliated with von Neumann algebras is presentedin [4].It is well-known that properties of derivations on algebras are strongly cor-related with properties of automorphisms of underlying algebras (see e.g. [8]).Algebraic automorphisms of C
|
[
"Mathematics"
] |
10.1039/C5PY00362H
|
Polyvinylpyridinium Type Gradient Porous Membranes Synthesis Actuation And Intrinsic Cell Growth Inhibition
|
Gradient porous membranes were prepared from a poly(4-vinylpyridinium)-based poly(ionic liquid) together with carboxylic multi-acid compounds via electrostatic complexation. Their unique tuneable actuation kinetics in a humid environment as well as their intrinsic cell toxicity were studied.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
10.1007/978-1-62703-414-2_4
|
Bioassays For Assessing Jasmonate Dependent Defenses Triggered By Pathogens Herbivorous Insects Or Beneficial Rhizobacteria
|
Jasmonates, together with other plant hormones, are important orchestrators of the plant immune system. The different hormone-controlled signaling pathways cross-communicate in an antagonistic or a synergistic manner, providing the plant with a powerful capacity to finely regulate its immune response. Jasmonic acid (JA) signaling is required for plant resistance to harmful organisms, such as necrotrophic pathogens and herbivorous insects. Furthermore, JA signaling is essential in interactions of plants with beneficial microbes that induce systemic resistance to pathogens and insects. The role of JA signaling components in plant immunity can be studied by performing bioassays with different interacting organisms. Determination of the level of resistance and the induction of defense responses in plants with altered JA components, through mutation or ectopic expression, will unveil novel mechanisms of JA signaling. We provide detailed protocols of bioassays with the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana challenged with the pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Pseudomonas syringae, the insect herbivore Pieris rapae, and the beneficial microbe Pseudomonas fluorescens. In addition, we describe pharmacological assays to study the modulation of JA-regulated responses by exogenous application of combinations of hormones, because a simultaneous rise in hormone levels occurs during interaction of plants with other organisms.
|
[
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
] |
W2791393498
|
Spatial variability in size at maturity of golden king crab ( Lithodes aequispinus ) and implications for fisheries management
|
Many crab fisheries around the world are managed by size, sex and season, where males are given at least one opportunity to reproduce before being harvested. Golden king crab ( Lithodes aequispinus ) supports a commercial fishery in Southeast Alaska and legal size is based on growth and maturity information from other parts of their range. Size-at-maturity estimates varied for crabs among seven management areas in Southeast Alaska, where male maturity estimates increased in size with increases in latitude, while maturity estimates across their North Pacific range decreased in size with increases in latitude. Depth, temperature and harvest history were not related to variation observed in male maturity estimates. Management implications from this research include reducing legal size in some areas to maximize harvest potential and increasing in others to allow male crabs the opportunity to reproduce before being harvested. A more conservative strategy would incorporate the largest maturity estimate, thus increasing the legal size which would have a negative impact to the commercial fishery, but allow male crabs the opportunity to reproduce before being harvested. This study shows the importance of understanding how life-history characteristics change over space and the challenge incorporating spatial variability for improved fisheries management.
|
[
"Earth System Science",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
] |
10.1039/C3FD00136A
|
The Formation Of Ice Mantles On Interstellar Grains Revisited The Effect Of Exothermicity
|
Modelling of grain surface chemistry generally deals with the simulation of rare events. Usually deterministic methods or statistical approaches such as the kinetic Monte Carlo technique are applied for these simulations. All assume that the surface processes are memoryless, the Markov chain assumption, and usually also that their rates are time independent. In this paper we investigate surface reactions for which these assumptions are not valid, and discuss what the effect is on the formation of water on interstellar grains. We will particularly focus on the formation of two OH radicals by the reaction H + HO2. Two reaction products are formed in this exothermic reaction and the resulting momentum gained causes them to move away from each other. What makes this reaction special is that the two products can undergo a follow-up reaction to form H2O2. Experimentally, OH has been observed, which means that the follow-up reaction does not proceed with 100% efficiency, even though the two OH radicals are formed in each other's vicinity in the same reaction. This can be explained by a combined effect of the directionality of the OH radical movement together with energy dissipation. Both effects are constrained by comparison with experiments, and the resulting parametrised mechanism is applied to simulations of the formation of water ice under interstellar conditions.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Universe Sciences"
] |
10.1051/0004-6361/202037758
|
Complex Organic Molecules In Low Mass Protostars On Solar System Scales I Oxygen Bearing Species
|
Complex organic molecules (COMs) are thought to form on icy dust grains in the earliest phase of star formation. The evolution of these COMs from the youngest Class 0/I protostellar phases toward the more evolved Class II phase is still not fully understood. Since planet formation seems to start early, and mature disks are too cold for characteristic COM emission lines, studying the inventory of COMs on solar system scales in the Class 0/I stage is relevant. ALMA Band 3 (3 mm) and Band 6 (1 mm) observations are obtained of seven Class 0 protostars in the Perseus and Serpens star-forming regions. By modeling the inner protostellar region using 'LTE' models, the excitation temperature and column densities are determined for several O-bearing COMs. B1-c, B1-bS, and Serpens S68N show COM emission, i. e, three out of the seven sources. No clear correlation seems to exist between the occurrence of COMs and source luminosity. The abundances of several COMs with respect to CH3OH are remarkably similar for the three COM-rich sources, and to IRAS 16293-2422B and HH 212. For other COMs the abundances differ by up to an order of magnitude, indicating that local source conditions are case determining. B1-c hosts a cold ($T_{ex}\approx60$ K), more extended component of COM emission with a column density of typically a few % of the warm/hot ($T_{ex}\sim 200$ K), central component. A D/H ratio of 1-3 % is derived based on the CH2DOH/CH3OH ratio suggesting a temperature of $\sim$15~K during the formation of methanol. This ratio is consistent with other low-mass protostars. Future mid-infrared facilities such as JWST/MIRI will be essential to directly observe COM ices. Combining this with a larger sample of COM-rich sources with ALMA will allow for directly linking ice and gas-phase abundances in order to constrain the routes that produce and maintain chemical complexity during the star formation process.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Universe Sciences"
] |
648630
|
Integrable Structures in Quantum Field Theory
|
Quantum field theory forms the foundation of our understanding of elementary particle physics. It provides the theoretical background for the interpretation of data from collider experiments. While quantum field theory is an old subject, over the last decade new features have begun to emerge which reveal new ways to understand it. In particular an astonishing simplicity has been found at the heart of the maximally supersymmetric gauge theory in four spacetime dimensions, a close cousin of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), which describes the strong interactions.
My research team will use the new methods I have been developing to construct explicit results for scattering amplitudes and correlation functions. We will develop these results into general statements about the analytic behaviour of scattering amplitudes. The approach will be based on my recent work on new dualities between amplitudes and Wilson loops and on new symmetries revealing an underlying integrable structure. This research will allow us to answer key foundational questions such as the origin of Regge behaviour of scattering amplitudes in the high energy limit, and the connection to string theory in the limit of strong coupling. We will also pursue the connection to quantum groups and formulate the problem of scattering amplitudes in this language. This provide a solid mathematical underpinning to the formulation of the scattering problem in quantum field theories and allow application of techniques from the field of integrable systems to gauge theories.
An enormous effort goes into performing the calculations of scattering amplitudes needed to make precise predictions for collider experiments. New techniques to handle such calculations are much needed. We will develop new tools, such as the application of differential equation methods for loop integrals and analytic bootstrap methods for amplitudes. This research will allow us to greatly improve on existing efforts to calculate processes in QCD.
|
[
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter",
"Mathematics"
] |
10.1093/gbe/evt093
|
Evolution of the correlation between expression divergence and protein divergence in mammals
|
Divergence of protein sequences and gene expression patterns are two fundamental mechanisms that generate organismal diversity. Here, we have used genome and transcriptome data from eight mammals and one bird to study the positive correlation of these two processes through out mammalian evolution. We demonstrate that the correlation is stable over time and most pronounced in neural tissues, which indicates that it is the result of strong negative selection. The correlation is not driven by genes with specific functions and may instead best be viewed as an evolutionary default state, which can never the less be evaded by certain gene types. In particular, genes with developmental and neural functions are skewed toward changes in gene expression, consistent with selection against pleiotropic effects associated with changes in protein sequences. Surprisingly, we find that the correlation between expression divergence and protein divergence is not explained by between-gene variation in expression level, tissue specificity, protein connectivity, or other investigated gene characteristics, suggesting that it arises independently of these gene traits. The selective constraints on protein sequences and gene expression patterns also fluctuate in a coordinate manner across phylogenetic branches: We find that gene-specific changes in the rate of protein evolution in a specific mammalian lineage tend to be accompanied by similar changes in the rate of expression evolution. Taken together, our findings highlight many new aspects of the correlation between protein divergence and expression divergence, and attest to its role as a fundamental property of mammalian genome evolution.
|
[
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
10.1021/acssynbio.8b00427
|
A Simple, Robust, and Low-Cost Method To Produce the PURE Cell-Free System
|
We demonstrate a simple, robust, and low-cost method for producing the PURE cell-free transcription-translation system. Our OnePot PURE system achieved a protein synthesis yield of 156 μg/mL at a cost of 0. 09 USD/μL, leading to a 14-fold improvement in cost normalized protein synthesis yield over existing PURE systems. The one-pot method makes the PURE system easy to generate and allows it to be readily optimized and modified.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering"
] |
10.5194/acp-12-941-2012
|
Determination of the biogenic secondary organic aerosol fraction in the boreal forest by NMR spectroscopy
|
The study investigates the sources of fine organic aerosol (OA) in the boreal forest, based on measurements including both filter sampling (PM 1) and online methods and carried out during a one-month campaign held in Hyytiälä, Finland, in spring 2007. Two aerosol mass spectrometers (Q-AMS, ToF-AMS) were employed to measure on-line concentrations of major non-refractory aerosol species, while the water extracts of the filter samples were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for organic functional group characterization of the polar organic fraction of the aerosol. AMS and NMR spectra were processed separately by non-negative factorization algorithms, in order to apportion the main components underlying the submicrometer organic aerosol composition and depict them in terms of both mass fragmentation patterns and functional group compositions. The NMR results supported the AMS speciation of oxidized organic aerosol (OOA) into two main fractions, which could be generally labelled as more and less oxidized organics. The more oxidized component was characterized by a mass spectrum dominated by the m/z 44 peak, and in parallel by a NMR spectrum showing aromatic and aliphatic backbones highly substituted with oxygenated functional groups (carbonyls/carboxyls and hydroxyls). Such component, contributing on average 50% of the OA mass throughout the observing period, was associated with pollution outbreaks from the Central Europe. The less oxidized component was enhanced in concomitance with air masses originating from the North-to-West sector, in agreement with previous investigations conducted at this site. NMR factor analysis was able to separate two distinct components under the less oxidized fraction of OA. One of these NMR-factors was associated with the formation of terrestrial biogenic secondary organic aerosol (BSOA), based on the comparison with spectral profiles obtained from laboratory experiments of terpenes photo-oxidation. The second NMR factor associated with western air masses was linked to biogenic marine sources, and was enriched in low-molecular weight aliphatic amines. Such findings provide evidence of at least two independent sources originating biogenic organic aerosols in Hyytiälä by oxidation and condensation mechanisms: reactive terpenes emitted by the boreal forest and compounds of marine origin, with the latter relatively more important when predominantly polar air masses reach the site. This study is an example of how spectroscopic techniques, such as proton NMR, can add functional group specificity for certain chemical features (like aromatics) of OA with respect to AMS. They can therefore be profitably exploited to complement aerosol mass spectrometric measurements in organic source apportionment studies.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Earth System Science"
] |
802756
|
Set theory beyond the first uncountable cardinal
|
We propose to establish a research group that will unveil the combinatorial nature of the second uncountable cardinal. This includes its Ramsey-theoretic, order-theoretic, graph-theoretic and topological features. Among others, we will be directly addressing fundamental problems due to Erdos, Rado, Galvin, and Shelah.
While some of these problems are old and well-known, an unexpected series of breakthroughs from the last three years suggest that now is a promising point in time to carry out such a project. Indeed, through a short period, four previously unattainable problems concerning the second uncountable cardinal were successfully tackled: Aspero on a club-guessing problem of Shelah, Krueger on the club-isomorphism problem for Aronszajn trees, Neeman on the isomorphism problem for dense sets of reals, and the PI on the Souslin problem. Each of these results was obtained through the development of a completely new technical framework, and these frameworks could now pave the way for the solution of some major open questions.
A goal of the highest risk in this project is the discovery of a consistent (possibly, parameterized) forcing axiom that will (preferably, simultaneously) provide structure theorems for stationary sets, linearly ordered sets, trees, graphs, and partition relations, as well as the refutation of various forms of club-guessing principles, all at the level of the second uncountable cardinal. In comparison, at the level of the first uncountable cardinal, a forcing axiom due to Foreman, Magidor and Shelah achieves exactly that.
To approach our goals, the proposed project is divided into four core areas: Uncountable trees, Ramsey theory on ordinals, Club-guessing principles, and Forcing Axioms. There is a rich bilateral interaction between any pair of the four different cores, but the proposed division will allow an efficient allocation of manpower, and will increase the chances of parallel success.
|
[
"Mathematics"
] |
10.1515/apf-2014-0216
|
Les archives des marchands d’étoffes du Fayoum revisitées I. Un nouveau ḏikr ḥaqq du marchand Abū Hurayra
|
AbstractThis article reassesses the Arabic documents in the Louvre Museum, and offers an edition of a new legal document of the so-called archive of the fabric merchants of the Fayyum.
|
[
"Texts and Concepts",
"The Study of the Human Past"
] |
10.1039/c2nr31782f
|
Percolation scaling in composites of exfoliated MoS<inf>2</inf> filled with nanotubes and graphene
|
Applications of films of exfoliated layered compounds in many areas will be limited by their relatively low electrical conductivity. To address this, we have prepared and characterised composites of a nano-conductor (nanotubes or graphene) embedded in a matrix of exfoliated MoS2 nanosheets. Solvent exfoliation of MoS2 nanosheets, followed by blending with dispersions of graphene or nanotubes allowed the formation of such composite films by vacuum filtration. This gave spatially uniform mixtures with fully tuneable nano-conductor content. By addition of the nano-conducting phase, it was possible to vary the electrical conductivity of the composite over nine orders of magnitude. For both filler types the conductivity followed percolation scaling laws both above and below the percolation threshold. In the case of SWNT-filled composites, conductivities as high as ∼40 S m-1 were achieved at volume fractions as low as ∼4%.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
W3016182601
|
Prediction of Soil Adsorption Coefficient in Pesticides Using Physicochemical Properties and Molecular Descriptors by Machine Learning Models
|
The soil adsorption coefficient (KOC ) plays an important role in environmental risk assessment of pesticide registration. Based on this risk assessment, applied and registered pesticides can be allowed in the European Union. Almost 1 yr is required to study and obtain the KOC value of a pesticide. Furthermore, acquiring the KOC requires a large cost. It is necessary to efficiently estimate the KOC value in the early stages of pesticide development. In the present study, the experimental values of physicochemical properties and molecular descriptors of chemical structures were collected to develop a quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) model, and the prediction performance of the model was evaluated. More specifically, we compared the accuracies of models based on a gradient boosting decision tree, multiple linear regression, and support vector machine. The experimental results suggest that it is possible to develop a QSPR model with high accuracy using both the molecular descriptors calculated from the structural formula and experimental values of physicochemical properties from open literature and databases. Comparing to the previously established models, we achieved high prediction accuracy, fitness, and robustness by only using freeware. Therefore, our developed QSPR models can be useful preliminary risk assessment in the early developmental stages of pesticides. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1451-1459. © 2020 SETAC.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
10.1016/j.cub.2019.09.041
|
Cell-Cycle Asynchrony Generates DNA Damage at Mitotic Entry in Polyploid Cells
|
Polyploidy arises from the gain of complete chromosome sets [1], and it is known to promote cancer genome evolution. Recent evidence suggests that a large proportion of human tumors experience whole-genome duplications (WGDs), which might favor the generation of highly abnormal karyotypes within a short time frame, rather than in a stepwise manner [2–6]. However, the molecular mechanisms linking whole-genome duplication to genetic instability remain poorly understood. Using repeated cytokinesis failure to induce polyploidization of Drosophila neural stem cells (NSCs) (also called neuroblasts [NBs]), we investigated the consequences of polyploidy in vivo. Surprisingly, we found that DNA damage is generated in a subset of nuclei of polyploid NBs during mitosis. Importantly, our observations in flies were confirmed in mouse NSCs (mNSCs) and human cancer cells after acute cytokinesis inhibition. Interestingly, DNA damage occurs in nuclei that were not ready to enter mitosis but were forced to do so when exposed to the mitotic environment of neighboring nuclei within the same cell. Additionally, we found that polyploid cells are cell-cycle asynchronous and forcing cell-cycle synchronization was sufficient to lower the levels of DNA damage generated during mitosis. Overall, this work supports a model in which DNA damage at mitotic entry can generate DNA structural abnormalities that might contribute to the onset of genetic instability.
|
[
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
EP 11796597 A
|
SECONDARY SYNCHRONIZATION SIGNAL DETECTION METHOD AND DEVICE
|
The present invention discloses a method for detecting a secondary synchronization signal, including: calculating a channel estimation compensation value of each sub-carrier of a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) symbol in different Cyclic Prefix (CP) modes; obtaining a coherent accumulative result of even half frames and a coherent accumulative result of odd half frames of each sub-carrier according to the channel estimation compensation value of each sub-carrier of said SSS symbol; generating a SSS sequence; obtaining an index of the SSS sequence corresponding to an over-threshold value of a first round detection, determining indexes composed of the SSS sequence used in a second round detection according to said index, using coherent accumulative results of all the sub-carriers in the even and odd half frames and SSS sequences of all the sub-carriers to obtain an over-threshold value of the second round detection; and obtaining a CP mode, and calculating a cell ID and a radio frame boundary. The present invention further discloses apparatuses for detecting a secondary synchronization signal. The present invention greatly reduces the calculation quantity of the correlation calculation without increasing the additional resource consumption.
|
[
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
10.1038/nature09210
|
Coupled dynamics of body mass and population growth in response to environmental change
|
Environmental change has altered the phenology, morphological traits and population dynamics of many species. However, the links underlying these joint responses remain largely unknown owing to a paucity of long-term data and the lack of an appropriate analytical framework. Here we investigate the link between phenotypic and demographic responses to environmental change using a new methodology and a long-term (1976-2008) data set from a hibernating mammal (the yellow-bellied marmot) inhabiting a dynamic subalpine habitat. We demonstrate how earlier emergence from hibernation and earlier weaning of young has led to a longer growing season and larger body masses before hibernation. The resulting shift in both the phenotype and the relationship between phenotype and fitness components led to a decline in adult mortality, which in turn triggered an abrupt increase in population size in recent years. Direct and trait-mediated effects of environmental change made comparable contributions to the observed marked increase in population growth. Our results help explain how a shift in phenology can cause simultaneous phenotypic and demographic changes, and highlight the need for a theory integrating ecological and evolutionary dynamics in stochastic environments.
|
[
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Earth System Science"
] |
10.1109/ISBI.2011.5872814
|
Segmentation Of The Cortex In Fetal Mri Using A Topological Model
|
The study of in utero fetal MR images is essential for the diagnosis of abnormal brain development and the study of the maturation of the brain structures. Because of the particular properties of these images, only a few automated segmentation methods have been developed so far compared to the numerous ones existing for the adult brain anatomy. In this paper, we propose a two-step cortex segmentation technique including anatomical priors and a topological model. Experiments performed on in utero MR data and validation by comparison to experts segmentation emphasize the relevance of the method.
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
10.1016/j.jorganchem.2014.07.020
|
Synthesis and characterization of redox active cyrhetrene-triazole click products
|
We report the synthesis and characterization of two new cyclopentadienyl tricarbonyl rhenium(I) (cyrhetrene) complexes modified with a 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazole moiety. The two compounds, (η5-[4-phenyltriazol-1- yl]cyclopentadienyl) tricarbonyl rhenium(I), and (η5-[4-(4- aminophenyl)triazol-1-yl]cyclopentadienyl) tricarbonyl rhenium(I), were structurally characterized using 1H and 13C NMR, ATR-IR spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and X-ray crystallography where appropriate. The electrochemical behaviour of these two cyrhetrene-triazole complexes was explored using cyclic voltammetry, whereupon we observed that irreversible oxidation of the pendant 4-substituted-triazole moiety occurs before any electron transfer at the metal centre. This redox behaviour is in stark contrast to that of the analogous manganese(I) cymantrene-triazole derivatives, recently reported by our group.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
] |
10.1021/acs.jpclett.5b00944
|
LHCII populations in different quenching states are present in the thylakoid membranes in a ratio that depends on the light conditions
|
LHCII is the major antenna complex of plants and algae, where it is involved in light harvesting and photoprotection. Its properties have been extensively studied in vitro, after isolation of the pigment-protein complex from the membranes, but are these properties representative for LHCII in the thylakoid membrane? In this work, we have studied LHCII in the cells of the green alga C. reinhardtii acclimated to different light conditions in the absence of the other components of the photosynthetic apparatus. We show that LHCII exists in the membranes in different fluorescence quenching states, all having a shorter excited-state lifetime than isolated LHCII in detergent. The ratio between these populations depends on the light conditions, indicating that the light is able to regulate the properties of the complexes in the membrane.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
W979793332
|
Primary Melanoma of the Petrous Temporal Bone
|
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes that is predominantly found in the skin. In rare cases, it arises from mucosal melanocytes. We describe a case of a solitary melanoma of the petrous apex of the temporal bone in a 67-year-old woman who presented with sudden hearing loss, aural fullness, and headaches, all on the right side. Magnetic resonance imaging identified a mass located at the right petrous apex; the lesion was hyperintense on T1-weighted imaging and isointense on T2 weighting, and it enhanced brightly with gadolinium contrast. The patient underwent removal of the lesion via a transcochlear approach with facial nerve translocation. Intra- and postoperative pathology identified a poorly differentiated malignancy consistent with a melanoma. Further investigations found no evidence of metastasis. Given a concern for residual disease, the patient was treated with radiation to the primary site. To the best of our knowledge, only 1 other case of primary melanoma of the petrous apex has been described in the literature.
|
[
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
] |
W2060659037
|
Molecular Dynamics and Entropy Effects in Hydrogen-Bonded Supramolecular Polymer N,N′-Di(2-methyl-2-pentylheptyl)urea Dissolved in Nonpolar Medium
|
On the basis of the static dielectric permittivity temperature behavior of the supramolecular polymer formed by N,N'-di(2-methyl-2-pentylheptyl)urea (MPHU) in carbon tetrachloride diluted solution (10% in mole fraction) and that of neat acetonitrile, it was found that two liquids of the same macroscopic polarity (expressed by the same value of the dielectric permittivity approximately 35) exhibit an essential difference in the field-induced orientational entropy change. A much higher entropy effect is observed for the liquid composed of not too numerous but highly polar molecular entities (MPHU + CCl(4)) than for the liquid composed of numerous but less polar entities (neat acetonitrile). The analysis of the dielectric relaxation spectra of MPHU + CCl(4) solutions was performed with the Davidson-Cole (DC) model. It was found that the DC exponent beta changes its value in a quite important range of 0.4-0.8, depending on MPHU concentration and temperature. This reflects an important deviation of the relaxation mechanism occurring in the supramolecular system investigated from that corresponding to the normal Brownian rotational diffusion (beta = 1).
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
] |
US 10583102 A
|
Reduction of noise, and optimization of magnetic field sensitivity and electrical properties in magnetic tunnel junction devices
|
Magnetic tunneling junction devices (MTJ) useful for sensing and memory applications and characterized by reduced resistance, magnetic noise, increased sensitivity, and increased magnetoresistance are disclosed herein. A method for fabrication of said MTJ is also disclosed wherein a series of materials are layered upon a substrate under controlled conditions, patterned and subjected to a period of annealing for simultaneously optimizing a plurality of performance parameters.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
W1488966050
|
Entretien prénatal précoce et séances de préparation à la naissance et à la parentalité : caractéristiques psychosociales et obstétricales associées chez les femmes de la cohorte ELFE
|
Early prenatal interview (Entretien prénatal précoce [EPP]) is aimed at defining with couples their physical, psychological and social needs during perinatal period. Antenatal education for childbirth and parenthood (Préparation à la naissance et à la parentalité [PNP]) is aimed at promoting global perinatal health. The objective was to identify the psychological, demographic and obstetrical characteristics independently associated with participation in: (i) an EPP; (ii) a PNP.Multivariate analyses were applied to data collected during the maternity stay of mothers whose children were included in the French cohort French Longitudinal Study since the Childhood (ELFE), a nationally representative cohort of children followed-up from birth to adulthood.Among the 14,595 mothers of the sample, 33% had an EPP and 52% a PNP. Primiparous mothers, born in France, with high educational level, employed or unemployed, with psychological difficulties more often benefit from EPP and/or PNP. Women who were young, benefiting from free health insurance (Couverture Maladie Universelle [CMU]), with unplanned pregnancy, with less antenatal care and obstetrical complications less often benefit from PNP.The EPP and the PNP reach high sociodemographic level populations. They should be integrated into a wider system of prevention and care, in order to reach the most vulnerable populations and to contribute to the improvement of the psychological and social environment of all the women during the perinatal period.
|
[
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
] |
647954
|
Neural oscillations - a code for memory
|
Episodic memory refers to the fascinating human ability to remember past events in a highly associative and information rich way. But how are these memories coded in human brains? Any mechanism accounting for episodic memory must accomplish at least two functions: to build novel associations, and to represent the information constituting the memory. Neural oscillations, regulating the synchrony of neural assemblies, are ideally suited to accomplish these two functions, but in opposing ways. On the one hand, neurophysiological work suggests that increased synchrony strengthens synaptic connections and thus forms the basis for associative memory. Neurocomputational work, on the other hand, suggests that decreased synchrony is necessary to flexibly express information rich patterns in a neural assembly. Therefore, a conundrum exists as to how oscillations code episodic memory. The aim of this project is to propose and test a new framework that has the potential to reconcile this conflict. The central idea is that synchronization and desynchronization cooperatively code episodic memories, with synchronized activity in the hippocampus in the theta (~4 Hz) and gamma (~ 40-60 Hz) frequency range mediating the building of associations, and neocortical desynchronization in the alpha (~10 Hz) and beta (~15 Hz) frequency range mediating the representation of mnemonic information. Importantly the two modules, with their respective synchronous/asynchronous behaviours, must interact during the formation and retrieval of episodic memories, but how and whether this is the case remains untested to date. I will test these fundamental questions using a multidisciplinary and multi-method approach, including human single cell recordings, neuroimaging, brain stimulation, and computational modelling. The results from these experiments have the potential to reveal the neural code that human episodic memory is based on, which is still one of the biggest mysteries of the human mind.
|
[
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System"
] |
10.1038/nature12452
|
DNA damage in germ cells induces an innate immune response that triggers systemic stress resistance
|
DNA damage responses have been well characterized with regard to their cell-autonomous checkpoint functions leading to cell cycle arrest, senescence and apoptosis. In contrast, systemic responses to tissue-specific genome instability remain poorly understood. In adult Caenorhabditis elegans worms germ cells undergo mitotic and meiotic cell divisions, whereas somatic tissues are entirely post-mitotic. Consequently, DNA damage checkpoints function specifically in the germ line, whereas somatic tissues in adult C. elegans are highly radio-resistant. Some DNA repair systems such as global-genome nucleotide excision repair (GG-NER) remove lesions specifically in germ cells. Here we investigated how genome instability in germ cells affects somatic tissues in C. elegans. We show that exogenous and endogenous DNA damage in germ cells evokes elevated resistance to heat and oxidative stress. The somatic stress resistance is mediated by the ERK MAP kinase MPK-1 in germ cells that triggers the induction of putative secreted peptides associated with innate immunity. The innate immune response leads to activation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) in somatic tissues, which confers enhanced proteostasis and systemic stress resistance. We propose that elevated systemic stress resistance promotes endurance of somatic tissues to allow delay of progeny production when germ cells are genomically compromised.
|
[
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
] |
639489
|
Homeostatic balancing of excitation and inhibition in vivo
|
Balanced excitation and inhibition is a fundamental principle of neural circuit function, and perturbed excitation/inhibition (E/I) balance has been linked to diseases such as epilepsy, autism and schizophrenia. Maintaining E/I balance within normal bounds depends in part on homeostatic plasticity, in which neurons compensate for deviations in activity levels by adjusting their responsiveness to excitation and inhibition. Yet despite recent progress in elucidating molecular mechanisms underlying homeostatic plasticity in reduced preparations, little is known about such mechanisms in the intact brain.
I propose to address this gap using a simple and genetically tractable neural circuit that I recently characterized. In Drosophila, Kenyon cells (KCs), the neurons underlying olfactory associative memory, receive excitation from projection neurons (PNs) as well as feedback inhibition from a single identified neuron (‘APL’). The balance between these two forces maintains sparse odour coding in KCs, which enhances the odour-specificity of associative memory by reducing overlap between odour representations.
Preliminary evidence indicates that KCs adapt to prolonged disruption of E/I balance, providing a ground-breaking opportunity to use the powerful genetic tools of Drosophila to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying homeostatic balancing of excitation and inhibition in vivo in a defined circuit that mediates a sophisticated behaviour.
Specific aims:
1. Characterize homeostatic plasticity in the PN-KC-APL circuit.
2. Identify genes up- and down-regulated in response to perturbations of E/I balance.
3. Determine role of candidate genes and cellular mechanisms in homeostatic plasticity.
Establishing the PN-KC-APL circuit as a novel model system for homeostatic plasticity will reveal for the first time the molecular mechanisms underlying homeostatic balancing of excitation and inhibition in the intact brain.
|
[
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
10.1159/000443016
|
The Human Glycoprotein Salivary Agglutinin Inhibits The Interaction Of Dc Sign And Langerin With Oral Micro Organisms
|
Salivary agglutinin (SAG), also known as gp340 or SALSA, is a glycoprotein encoded by the Deleted in Malignant Brain Tumours 1 gene and is abundantly present in human saliva. SAG aggregates bacteria and viruses, thereby promoting their clearance from the oral cavity. The mucosa lining the oral cavity contains dendritic cells (DC) and Langerhans cells (LC), which express the C-type lectin receptors (CLR) DC-SIGN and Langerin, respectively. Both DC-SIGN and Langerin recognise mannose and fucose carbohydrate structures on pathogens and self-glycoproteins to regulate immunity and homeostasis. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether SAG interacts with these CLR and whether this interferes with the binding to oral pathogens. We show that whole parotid saliva and SAG, when coated to microplates, strongly interact with DC-SIGN and Langerin, probably via mannose and fucose structures. Also, primary human DC and LC bind parotid saliva and SAG via DC-SIGN and Langerin, respectively. Furthermore, SAG binding to DC-SIGN or Langerin prevented binding to the micro-organisms Candida albicans and Escherichia coli which express mannose and fucose-containing glycan structures. Thus, binding of saliva glycoprotein SAG to DC-SIGN and Langerin may inhibit pathogen-DC/LC interactions, and could prove to be a new immunomodulatory mechanism of SAG.
|
[
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
10.1039/c9nr07246b
|
Towards the evaluation of defects in MoS2 using cryogenic photoluminescence spectroscopy
|
Electronic and optical properties of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides are strongly influenced by defects. Cryogenic photoluminescence spectroscopy is a superb tool for characterization of the nature and density of these defects.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
] |
695599
|
Novel niches for anaerobic methane oxidation and their biogeochemical sigificance
|
Motivated by a series of recent discoveries, NOVAMOX provides the first comprehensive biogeochemical and microbial ecological analysis of methane consumption in anoxic freshwater systems and oceanic oxygen minimum zones, environments where such processes to date were largely ignored. I propose that anaerobic microbial methane oxidation pathways are important sinks in for methane in these environments, thereby affecting methane emissions and the cycling of nitrogen, iron, and sulfur, as the cycling of these elements is coupled either directly or indirectly to methane oxidation. With the development of new incubation and sensing techniques necessary to detect the processes in their environment, we will identify and quantify active pathways of anaerobic methane oxidation, identify the organisms that catalyse these transformations, analyse their environmental distribution, characterize kinetic controls of their growth and metabolic activity, and analyse the isotopic signatures they may leave behind. The project will generate robust estimates of the biogeochemical significance of anaerobic methane oxidation in these overlooked niches, and provide a quantitative mechanistic framework for analysis of the role of these processes in Earth’s biogeochemical evolution as well as for their implementation in forecasts of global change. The project will also provide fundamental new insights to the ecology of the highly specialized microorganisms involved in methane oxidation, for use in potential biotechnological applications.
|
[
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Earth System Science"
] |
10.1364/JOSAB.27.001446
|
Haus Gross Pitaevskii Equation For Random Lasers
|
We report on experimental tests of the trend of random laser linewidth versus pumping power as predicted by a Haus master equation that is formally identical to the one-dimensional Gross–Pitaevskii equation in a harmonic potential. Experiments are done by employing picosecond pumped dispersions of titanium dioxide particles in dye-doped methanol. The derivation of the master equation is also detailed and shown to be in agreement with experiments analytically predicting the value of the threshold linewidth.
|
[
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter",
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
10.1007/JHEP02(2018)010
|
Soft Hairy Warped Black Hole Entropy
|
We reconsider warped black hole solutions in topologically massive gravity and find novel boundary conditions that allow for soft hairy excitations on the horizon. To compute the associated symmetry algebra we develop a general framework to compute asymptotic symmetries in any Chern-Simons-like theory of gravity. We use this to show that the near horizon symmetry algebra consists of two $$ \mathfrak{u} $$
(1) current algebras and recover the surprisingly simple entropy formula S = 2π(J
0
+
+ J
0
−
), where J
0
±
are zero mode charges of the current algebras. This provides the first example of a locally non-maximally symmetric configuration exhibiting this entropy law and thus non-trivial evidence for its universality.
|
[
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter",
"Mathematics"
] |
10.1016/j.polgeo.2018.12.011
|
Making the ‘man-eater’: Tiger conservation as necropolitics
|
In this article I analyze the practice and politics of classifying a tiger as a ‘man-eater’ in South India to explore what doing so reveals more broadly about the relations between animal life and the kinds of human life marked as expendable by the state. I draw on Achille Mbembe's theory of necropolitics in order to analyze how the Indian State attempts to manage human-wildlife relations in a contested plantation landscape of high priority for wildlife conservation. While there is a large literature theorizing wildlife and biodiversity conservation as the practice of biopolitics, I argue conservation, as both a typology of space and set of ideologically malleable practices, remains under-theorized as a form of necropolitics, the politics mediating death. I examine how the Indian State goes about reclassifying tigers from a strictly protected endangered species to killable—the process of making the ‘man-eater’—in relation to how the state both values and devalues human and non-human life as a process rooted in colonial histories of accumulation by dispossession. This article responds to calls across political ecology and political geography to better theorize the role of non-human animals as essential subjects of inquiry in political contestations. It does so through exploring the spatial contours of deadly encounter between plantation workers and tigers in the plantation-conservation necropolis.
|
[
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
] |
10.1111/mmi.12486
|
The archaellum: A rotating type IV pilus
|
Microbes have evolved sophisticated mechanisms of motility allowing them to respond to changing environmental conditions. While this cellular process is well characterized in bacteria, the mode and mechanisms of motility are poorly understood in archaea. This study examines the motility of individual cells of the thermoacidophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. Specifically, we investigated motility of cells producing exclusively the archaeal swimming organelle, the archaellum. Archaella are structurally and in sequence similar to bacterial type IV pili involved in surface motility via pilus extension-retraction cycles and not to rotating bacterial flagella. Unexpectedly, our studies reveal a novel type of behaviour for type IV pilus like structures: archaella rotate and their rotation drives swimming motility. Moreover, we demonstrate that temperature has a direct effect on rotation velocity explaining temperature-dependent swimming velocity.
|
[
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
10.1002/2014JB011318
|
In Situ Observations Of Velocity Changes In Response To Tidal Deformation From Analysis Of The High Frequency Ambient Wavefield
|
We report systematic seismic velocity variations in response to tidal deformation. Measurements are made on correlation functions of the ambient seismic wavefield at 2–8 Hz recorded by a dense array at the site of the Pinon Flat Observatory, Southern California. The key observation is the dependence of the response on the component of wave motion and coda lapse time τ. Measurements on the vertical correlation component indicate reduced wave speeds during periods of volumetric compression, whereas data from horizontal components show the opposite behavior, compatible with previous observations. These effects are amplified by the directional sensitivities of the different surface wave types constituting the early coda of vertical and horizontal correlation components to the anisotropic behavior of the compliant layer. The decrease of the velocity (volumetric) strain sensitivity S_θ with τ indicates that this response is constrained to shallow depths. The observed velocity dependence on strain implies nonlinear behavior, but conclusions regarding elasticity are more ambiguous. The anisotropic response is possibly associated with inelastic dilatancy of the unconsolidated, low-velocity material above the granitic basement. However, equal polarity of vertical component velocity changes and deformation in the vertical direction indicate that a nonlinear Poisson effect is similarly compatible with the observed response pattern. Peak relative velocity changes at small τ are 0. 03%, which translates into an absolute velocity strain sensitivity of S_θ≈5 × 10^3 and a stress sensitivity of 0. 5 MPa^(−1). The potentially evolving velocity strain sensitivity of crustal and fault zone materials can be studied with the method introduced here.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Earth System Science"
] |
207182
|
Anton Francesco Doni – Multimedia Archive Texts and Sources
|
This project aims at creating a multimedia archive of the printed works of Anton Francesco Doni, who was not only an author but also a typographer, a publisher and a member of the Giolito and Marcolini’s editorial staff. The analysis of Doni’s work may be a good way to investigate appropriation, text rewriting and image reusing practices which are typical of several authors of the 16th Century, as clearly shown by the critics in the last decades. This project intends to bring to light the wide range of impulses from which Doni’s texts are generated, with a great emphasis on the figurative aspect. The encoding of these texts will be carried out using the TEI (Text Encoding Initiative) guidelines, which will enable any single text to interact with a range of intertextual references both at a local level (inside the same text) and at a macrostructural level (references to other texts by Doni or to other authors). The elements that will emerge from the textual encoding concern: A) The use of images Real images: the complex relation between Doni’s writing and the xylographies available in Marcolini’s printing-house or belonging to other collections. Mental images: the remarkable presence of verbal images, as descriptions, ekphràseis, figurative visions, dreams and iconographic allusions not accompanied by illustrations, but related to a recognizable visual repertoire or to real images that will be reproduced. B) The use of sources A parallel archive of the texts most used by Doni will be created. Digital anastatic reproductions of the 16th-Century editions known by Doni will be provided whenever available. The various forms of intertextuality will be divided into the following typologies: allusions; citations; rewritings; plagiarisms; self-quotations. Finally, the different forms of narrative (tales, short stories, anecdotes, lyrics) and the different idiomatic expressions (proverbial forms and wellerisms) will also be encoded.
|
[
"The Study of the Human Past",
"Texts and Concepts"
] |
10.1117/1.JBO.18.10.106005
|
High Resolution Optoacoustic Mesoscopy With A 24 Mhz Multidetector Translate Rotate Scanner
|
Optoacoustic (photoacoustic) mesoscopy aims at high-resolution optical imaging of anatomical, functional, and cellular parameters at depths that go well beyond those of optical-resolution optical or optoacoustic microscopy i. e. , reaching several millimeters in depth. The approach utilizes tomography to achieve ultrasonic-diffraction resolution and operates at high-ultrasound frequencies (20 to 200 MHz) induced by few-nanosecond laser pulse excitation of tissues. We investigated here the performance of optoacoustic mesoscopy implemented at 24 MHz center frequency and its ability to resolve optical absorption contrast in the mouse kidney ex vivo. The developed system achieved better than 30 μm in-plane resolution and 110 μm elevation resolution over a cylindrical volume of 9-mm diameter and 9-mm height. This unprecedented combination of resolution and depth was achieved by implementing a translate-rotate detection geometry and by tomographic reconstruction. The approach yielded images of optically absorbing structures with a level of detail never-before visualized in an intact mouse kidney and allows insights into their unperturbed architecture. We discuss the ability to offer multispectral acquisitions and enable in vivo imaging.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
2716970
|
Constrained quantum dynamics
|
Recently, tremendous progress has been made in exploring non-equilibrium dynamics of correlated quantum matter. The project ConsQuanDyn investigates the relaxation dynamics and the dynamical quantum phases, induced by parameter quenches or by periodic drive, in quantum matter with dynamically constrained excitations. Such constrained systems, which can be dual to gauge theories and host exotic topological order, have been recently realized in Rydberg quantum simulators and have a long tradition in condensed matter physics. However, it is an important open challenge to describe and understand their far-from-equilibrium dynamics. The central focus of the project ConsQuanDyn is to develop new concepts and new theoretical methods to study constrained quantum systems far from thermal equilibrium.
The project has three principal objectives each of which would represent a major contribution to the field:
(O1) To identify glassy dynamics and hydrodynamic transport in constrained quantum lattice gas, quantum dimer and fracton models.
(O2) To demonstrate information scrambling and entanglement growth in constrained Hilbert spaces.
(O3) To predict exotic dynamical quantum phases and to study their dynamical criticality both in quenched and in periodically driven constrained systems.
To successfully meet our ambitious objectives, my team and I will develop two complementary theoretical approaches based on exact numerical techniques and on non-equilibrium field theory. This allows us to understand fundamental dynamical properties of constrained quantum systems and to guide future experiments. Constrained quantum systems may realize topological quantum bits and self-correcting quantum memories. Due to the international effort of inventing new quantum technology, that inherently operates out of equilibrium, it is now the right time to foster a deep understanding of the non-equilibrium dynamics in constrained quantum matter, which is the central goal of the project ConsQuanDyn.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter"
] |
10.1371/journal.pone.0165696
|
The sequential binge, a new therapeutic approach for binge eating: A pilot study
|
Background and Objectives: A sizeable proportion of patients experiencing binge eating do not respond to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). We present the sequential binge (SB), a new behavioral intervention that complements CBT, and preliminary results of its effects. SB breaks up the binge into repeated identical sequences of eating separated by incremental pauses. This pattern of ingestion aims at facilitating boredom toward the ingested foods and at turning cognitive control away from binge food restriction. SB is hypothesized to reduce food intake during the binge and the number of daily binges. Methods: Prospective pilot study. Fifteen binging patients with previous unsuccessful intensive CBT were given SB as an adjunct to their treatment and were followed up for 16 weeks from admission. All patients were reassessed 47 weeks on average after discharge. Results: SB was associated with a 44% relative reduction in the planned food intake (p<0. 001), a longer consecutive binge refractory period compared to regular binges (median: 48 hours versus 4 hours, p = 0. 002) and an average relative reduction by 26% of binge number the day after each SB (p = 0. 004). 47% of patients reached binge abstinence for four consecutive weeks 16 weeks after the first SB. Conclusion: This case series shows promising evidence for the use of SB in patients with refractory binge eating. Further evaluation in a prospective randomized controlled trial would be justified.
|
[
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
] |
10.1007/978-3-642-36563-8_4
|
Towards Unified Authorization For Android
|
Android applications that manage sensitive data such as email and files downloaded from cloud storage services need to protect their data from malware installed on the phone. While prior security analyses have focused on protecting system data such as GPS locations from malware, not much attention has been given to the protection of application data. We show that many popular commercial applications incorrectly use Android authorization mechanisms leading to attacks that steal sensitive data. We argue that formal verification of application behaviors can reveal such errors and we present a formal model in ProVerif that accounts for a variety of Android authorization mechanisms and system services. We write models for four popular applications and analyze them with ProVerif to point out attacks. As a countermeasure, we propose Authzoid, a sample standalone application that lets applications define authorization policies and enforces them on their behalf.
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
10.1089/neu.2019.6413
|
Music Therapy Enhances Executive Functions and Prefrontal Structural Neuroplasticity after Traumatic Brain Injury: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial
|
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes lifelong cognitive deficits, particularly impairments of executive functioning (EF). Musical training and music-based rehabilitation have been shown to enhance cognitive functioning and neuroplasticity, but the potential rehabilitative effects of music in TBI are still largely unknown. The aim of the present crossover randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to determine the clinical efficacy of music therapy on cognitive functioning in TBI and to explore its neural basis. Using an AB/BA design, 40 patients with moderate or severe TBI were randomized to receive a 3-month neurological music therapy intervention either during the first (AB, n = 20) or second (BA, n = 20) half of a 6-month follow-up period. Neuropsychological and motor testing and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed at baseline and at the 3-month and 6-month stage. Thirty-nine subjects who participated in baseline measurement were included in an intention-to-treat analysis using multiple imputation. Results showed that general EF (as indicated by the Frontal Assessment Battery [FAB]) and set shifting improved more in the AB group than in the BA group over the first 3-month period and the effect on general EF was maintained in the 6-month follow-up. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis of the structural MRI data indicated that gray matter volume (GMV) in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) increased significantly in both groups during the intervention versus control period, which also correlated with cognitive improvement in set shifting. These findings suggest that neurological music therapy enhances EF and induces fine-grained neuroanatomical changes in prefrontal areas.
|
[
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
10.1007/s11113-020-09570-2
|
The Persistence of High Levels of Living Alone Among Adults with Disabilities in Sweden, 1993–2011
|
AbstractThis study investigates how the probability to live alone has developed among working age individuals with and without disabilities in Sweden during the period 1993–2011 when extensive political reforms to improve the integration of disabled individuals in society were implemented. The results show that individuals with disabilities are approximately twice as likely to be living alone when compared to individuals without disabilities. People with disabilities were also more likely to report low life satisfaction, and this was especially true among individuals with disabilities living alone. Men and women with disabilities also tend to experience longer periods of living as a one-person household than non-disabled people. Over time we find no indications of reduced differences in family outcomes between disabled and non-disabled individuals but rather evidence to the contrary. These differences are interpreted as being the result of the disadvantage disabled individual’s experience in the partner market and that people with disabilities are less successful in forming partnerships that can lead to cohabitation and family formation. The results thus show how disabled individuals still face societal barriers that limit their possibilities to find and sustain relationships that result in stable cohabitation despite increased efforts to improve their inclusion in Swedish society.
|
[
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
] |
10.1007/978-3-642-18412-3
|
Advanced Mathematical Methods For Finance
|
Dynamic risk measures. - Ambit processes and stochastic partial differential equations. - Fractional processes as models in stochastic finance. - Credit contagion in a long range dependent macroeconomic factor model. - Modeling information flows in financial markets. - An overview of comonotonicity and its applications in finance and insurance. - A general maximum principle for anticipative stochastic control and applications to insider trading. - Analyticity of the Wiener-Hopf factors and valuation of exotic options in Levy models. - Optimal liquidation of a pairs trade. - A PDE-based approach or pricing mortgage-backed securities. - Nonparametric methods for volatility density estimation. - Fractional smoothness and applications in finance. - Liquidity models in continuous and discrete times. - Some new BSDE results for an infinite-horizon stochastic control problem. - Functionals associated with gradient stochastic flows and nonlinear SPDEs. - Fractional smoothness and applications in Finance modeled by F-doubly stochastic Markov chains. - Exotic derivatives under stochastic volatility models with jumps. - Asymptotics of HARA utility from terminal wealth under proportional transaction costs with decision lag or execution delay and obligatory diversification.
|
[
"Mathematics",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
] |
10.1137/120882160
|
Constraint Satisfaction Parameterized By Solution Size
|
In the constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) corresponding to a constraint language (i. e. , a set of relations) $\Gamma$, the goal is to find an assignment of values to variables so that a given set of constraints specified by relations from $\Gamma$ is satisfied. The complexity of this problem has received a substantial amount of attention in the past decade. In this paper, we study the fixed-parameter tractability of CSPs parameterized by the size of the solution in the following sense: one of the possible values, say 0, is “free,” and the number of variables allowed to take other, “expensive,” values is restricted. A size constraint requires that exactly $k$ variables take nonzero values. We also study a more refined version of this restriction: a global cardinality constraint prescribes how many variables have to be assigned each particular value. We study the parameterized complexity of these types of CSPs where the parameter is the required number $k$ of nonzero variables. As special cases, we can ob. . .
|
[
"Mathematics",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
10.1101/gad.289397.116
|
Live-cell analysis of DNA methylation during sexual reproduction in arabidopsis reveals context and sex-specific dynamics controlled by noncanonical RdDM
|
Cytosine methylation is a key epigenetic mark in many organisms, important for both transcriptional control and genome integrity. While relatively stable during somatic growth, DNA methylation is reprogrammed genome-wide during mammalian reproduction. Reprogramming is essential for zygotic totipotency and to prevent transgenerational inheritance of epimutations. However, the extent of DNA methylation reprogramming in plants remains unclear. Here, we developed sensors reporting with single-cell resolution CG and non-CG methylation in Arabidopsis. Live imaging during reproduction revealed distinct and sex-specific dynamics for both contexts. We found that CHH methylation in the egg cell depends on DOMAINS REARRANGED METHYLASE 2 (DRM2) and RNA polymerase V (Pol V), two main actors of RNA-directed DNA methylation, but does not depend on Pol IV. Our sensors provide insight into globalDNAmethylation dynamics at the single-cell level with high temporal resolution and offer a powerful tool to track CG and non-CG methylation both during development and in response to environmental cues in all organisms with methylated DNA, as we illustrate in mouse embryonic stem cells.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
641697
|
Testability pattern-driven web application security and privacy testing
|
TESTABLE addresses the grand challenge of building and maintaining modern web-based and AI-powered application software secure and privacy-friendly. TESTABLE intends to lay the foundations for a new integration of security and privacy into the software development lifecycle (SDLC), by proposing a novel combination of two metrics to quantify the security and privacy risks of a program, i.e., the code testability and vulnerable behavior indicators. Based on the novel concept of ""testability patterns,"" TESTABLE will empower the SDLC actors (e.g., software/AI developers, managers, testers, and auditors) to reduce the risk by building better security and privacy testing techniques for classical and AI-powered web applications, and removing or mitigating the impact of the patterns causing the high-risk levels.
To achieve these goals, TESTABLE will develop new algorithms, techniques, and tools to analyze, test, and study web-based application software. First, TESTABLE will deliver algorithms and techniques to calculate the risk levels of the web application's code. Second, TESTABLE will provide new testing techniques to improve software testability. It will do so with novel static and dynamic program analysis techniques by tackling the shortcomings of existing approaches to detect complex and hard-to-detect web vulnerabilities, and combining ideas from the security testing and adversarial machine learning fields. TESTABLE will also pioneer the creation of a new generation of techniques tailored to test and study privacy problems in web applications. Finally, TESTABLE will deliver novel techniques to assist software/AI developers, managers, testers, and auditors to remove or mitigate the patterns associated with the high risk.
TESTABLE relies on a long-standing team of nine European partners with strong expertise in security testing, privacy testing, machine learning security, and program analysis, and who strive for excellence with a proven strong track record and impact in the security communities.
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
10.1016/j.ecolecon.2018.09.008
|
Local, Global, Multi-Level: Market Structure and Multi-Species Fishery Dynamics
|
Price and market structures in fisheries change rapidly, now 40% of seafood is traded internationally and are associated with overharvesting of marine species. We have developed a bio-economic fishery model to address the pressing need of managing the interplay of different markets. We first regard local, multi-level and global markets individually and then analyze the effect of transitioning between markets on the exploitation of species and the stability of income. We find that in gradually globalizing markets, transition management needs to account for non-linear price changes since earlier policies may not be suitable after globalization. We hypothesize that short-term policies to ban harvest in the interest of species recovery benefit a local market in which incentives prevent overharvesting. In global markets we expect that sustained initiatives are needed to prevent overharvesting. Individual fisheries using contextualized models representing local ecological and trade structures may benefit from assessing the price dynamics presented in this analysis.
|
[
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
] |
280053
|
Validation of Concurrent Software Across Abstraction Layers
|
The cost of software quality assurance (QA) dominates the cost of IT development and maintenance projects. QA is frequently on the critical path to market. Effective software QA is therefore decisive for the competitiveness of numerous industries that rely on IT, and essential for government tasks that rely heavily on IT.
This research programme will provide a pragmatic solution to the most pressing issue in software QA in mainstream software engineering: the use of concurrency. Programmers make use of numerous favors of concurrency in order to achieve better scalability, savings in power, increase reliability, and to boost performance. The need for software that makes diligent use of concurrent computational resources has been exacerbated by power-efficient multi-core CPUs, which are now widely deployed, but still unfertilized due to the lack of appropriate software. Concurrent software is particularly difficult to test, as bugs depend on particular interlavings between the sequential computations. Defects are therefore difficult to reproduce and diagnose, and often elude even very experienced programmers.
We propose to develop new, ground-braking reasoning and testing technology for this kind of software,
with the goal of cutting the staff effort in QA of concurrent effort in half. We will use a tightly integrated combination of scalable and performant testing technology and Model Checking and abstract interpretation engines to prune the search. Every aspect of the research programme is geared towards improving the productivity of the average application programmer. Our theories and reasoning technology will therefore be implemented in a seamless fashion within the existing, well-accepted programming environments Visual Studio and Eclipse, in close collaboration with Microsoft and IBM.
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
10.2140/ant.2015.9.897
|
Bounded negativity of self-intersection numbers of Shimura curves in Shimura surfaces
|
Shimura curves on Shimura surfaces have been a candidate for counterexamples to the bounded negativity conjecture. We prove that they do not serve this purpose: there are only finitely many whose self-intersection number lies below a given bound. Previously (Duke Math. J. 162:10 (2013), 1877-1894), this result was shown for compact Hilbert modular surfaces using the Bogomolov-Miyaoka-Yau inequality. Our approach uses equidistribution and works uniformly for all Shimura surfaces.
|
[
"Mathematics"
] |
10.1128/JB.00424-15
|
Systematic Nomenclature For Ggdef And Eal Domain Containing Cyclic Di Gmp Turnover Proteins Of Escherichia Coli
|
In recent years, Escherichia coli has served as one of a few model bacterial species for studying cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) signaling. The widely used E. coli K-12 laboratory strains possess 29 genes encoding proteins with GGDEF and/or EAL domains, which include 12 diguanylate cyclases (DGC), 13 c-di-GMP-specific phosphodiesterases (PDE), and 4 "degenerate" enzymatically inactive proteins. In addition, six new GGDEF and EAL (GGDEF/EAL) domain-encoding genes, which encode two DGCs and four PDEs, have recently been found in genomic analyses of commensal and pathogenic E. coli strains. As a group of researchers who have been studying the molecular mechanisms and the genomic basis of c-di-GMP signaling in E. coli, we now propose a general and systematic dgc and pde nomenclature for the enzymatically active GGDEF/EAL domain-encoding genes of this model species. This nomenclature is intuitive and easy to memorize, and it can also be applied to additional genes and proteins that might be discovered in various strains of E. coli in future studies.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
268614
|
DNA methylation in stem cells
|
Embryonic and adult stem cells constitute an important component of biology by providing a pool of pluri- and multi-potent cells that supply a variety of different cell lineages. Little is known about the mechanisms involved in establishing and maintaining cell ¿stemness,¿ but it is most likely controlled by epigenetic signals such as DNA methylation. This proposal aims to understand these mechanisms and decipher the molecular logic used to program this plasticity.
We have developed a new strategy for studying the ¿DNA methylation potential¿ of any cell type throughout normal development. This utilizes a unique set of transgenic vectors programmed to detect both de novo methylation as well as the ability to protect CpG islands, and will, for the first time, allow one to evaluate the role of demethylation in normal stem cells and during reprogramming. This will be done using a new technique called ¿reverse epigenetics¿.
Preliminary studies indicate that embryonic stem cells differentiated in vitro undergo extensive aberrant methylation that does not reflect the normal pattern of methylation found in vivo. This artifact may be responsible for our inability to attain efficient differentiation in culture and may generate cells that are unhealthy and prone to cancer. We will characterize the causes of this phenomenon and decipher its underlying mechanism. This research should lead to the development of improved methods for tissue generation in vitro.
One of the most basic properties of adult stem cells is their ability to undergo asymmetric cell division that is often associated with unequal segregation of DNA. This mechanism is one of the most elemental, yet mysterious, aspects of stem cell biology. We have developed a completely new molecular model for this process that is based on the idea that non-symmetric DNA methylation serves as a strand-specific marker, and it is very likely that this will enable us to finally decipher this basic aspect of stem cells.
|
[
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
10.1111/1755-0998.12432
|
The impact of library preparation protocols on the consistency of allele frequency estimates in Pool-Seq data
|
Sequencing pools of individuals (Pool-Seq) is a cost-effective method to determine genome-wide allele frequency estimates. Given the importance of meta-analyses combining data sets, we determined the influence of different genomic library preparation protocols on the consistency of allele frequency estimates. We found that typically no more than 1% of the variation in allele frequency estimates could be attributed to differences in library preparation. Also read length had only a minor effect on the consistency of allele frequency estimates. By far, the most pronounced influence could be attributed to sequence coverage. Increasing the coverage from 30- to 50-fold improved the consistency of allele frequency estimates by at least 27%. We conclude that Pool-Seq data can be easily combined across different library preparation methods, but sufficient sequence coverage is key to reliable results.
|
[
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
10.1109/TRO.2018.2887356
|
Control Of Nonprehensile Planar Rolling Manipulation A Passivity Based Approach
|
This paper presents a new procedure to design a control law using the classical interconnection and damping assignment technique within the passivity-based port-Hamiltonian framework. The sought goal is to reduce the complexity of solving the so-called matching equations. The proposed approach is applied to two case studies of planar rolling nonprehensile manipulation, namely, the ball-and-beam and the eccentric disk-on-disk. The performance of the resulting controllers is illustrated through both simulations and experimental results, showing the applicability of the design in a real setup.
|
[
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
10.1038/ncomms2317
|
Extensive diversification of IgH subclass-encoding genes and IgM subclass switching in crocodilians
|
Crocodilians are a group of reptiles that are closely related to birds and are thought to possess a strong immune system. Here we report that the IgH locus in the Siamese crocodile and the Chinese alligator contains multiple μ genes, in contrast to other tetrapods. Both the μ2 and μ3 genes are expressed through class-switch recombination involving the switch region and germline transcription. Both IgM1 and IgM2 are present in the serum as polymers, which implies that IgM class switching may have significant roles in humoural immunity. The crocodilian α genes are the first IgA-encoding genes identified in reptiles, and these genes show an inverted transcriptional orientation similar to that of birds. The identification of both α and δ genes in crocodilians suggests that the IgH loci of modern living mammals, reptiles and birds share a common ancestral organization.
|
[
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
10.1021/acs.jpca.7b10033
|
Using Density Based Indexes and Wave Function Methods for the Description of Excited States: Excited State Proton Transfer Reactions as a Test Case
|
To provide tools to interpret photochemical reactions, in this paper we demonstrate how a recently developed density-based index (DCT), up to now used in conjunction with time dependent density functional theory methods, can be extended to multiconfigurational methods. This index can guide chemists in the interpretation of photochemical reactions providing a measure of the spatial extent of a photoinduced charge transfer and, more generally, of charge transfer phenomena. This qualitative and quantitative description can be particularly relevant in the case of multiconfigurational calculations providing a simple tool for the interpretation of their complex outputs. To prove the potentiality of this approach we have considered a simple intramolecular excited state proton transfer reaction as study case and applied both wave function (CASSCF-CASPT2) and density-based methods in conjunction with a DCT analysis. Our results confirm that, also in the case of multiconfigurational methods, the DCT provides very useful information about the structural reorganization of a molecule at the excited state.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
] |
10.1534/g3.113.005652
|
Origin and Length Distribution of Unidirectional Prokaryotic Overlapping Genes
|
Abstract
Prokaryotic unidirectional overlapping genes can be originated by disrupting and replacing of the start or stop codon of one protein-coding gene with another start or stop codon within the adjacent gene. However, the probability of disruption and replacement of a start or stop codon may differ significantly depending on the number and redundancy of the start and stop codons sets. Here, we performed a simulation study of the formation of unidirectional overlapping genes using a simple model of nucleotide change and contrasted it with empirical data. Our results suggest that overlaps originated by an elongation of the 3′-end of the upstream gene are significantly more frequent than those originated by an elongation of the 5′-end of the downstream gene. According to this, we propose a model for the creation of unidirectional overlaps that is based on the disruption probabilities of start codon and stop codon sets and on the different probabilities of phase 1 and phase 2 overlaps. Additionally, our results suggest that phase 2 overlaps are formed at higher rates than phase 1 overlaps, given the same evolutionary time. Finally, we propose that there is no need to invoke selection to explain the prevalence of long phase 1 unidirectional overlaps. Rather, the overrepresentation of long phase 1 relative to long phase 2 overlaps might occur because it is highly probable that phase 2 overlaps are retained as short overlaps by chance. Such a pattern is stronger if selection against very long overlaps is included in the model. Our model as a whole is able to explain to a large extent the empirical length distribution of unidirectional overlaps in prokaryotic genomes.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
10.1177/0146167218768800
|
Threat To The Group S Image Can Motivate High Identifiers To Take Action Against In Group Transgressions
|
When transgressions are committed by a group, those highly identified with the group are often least likely to recognize the transgressions, feel collective guilt, and engage in action to address them. We hypothesized that especially among high identifiers, demonstrating that in-group transgressions threaten the group's image can induce normative conflict and thus collective guilt and action. In the first study, we demonstrate that high (vs. low) image threat increases normative conflict among high identifiers. In Study 2, we show that inducing normative conflict through image threat leads to increased collective guilt and collective action among high identifiers. In Study 3, we replicate this effect with the addition of a control condition to demonstrate increased normative conflict and collective guilt relative to both a low threat and baseline conditions. In Study 4, we again replicate these effects with a modified manipulation that more precisely manipulated image threat. Together, these studies indicate that image threat can be an effective motivator for high identifiers to address in-group transgressions.
|
[
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
] |
10.1093/nar/gkw583
|
Optimizing sgRNA position markedly improves the efficiency of CRISPR/dCas9-mediated transcriptional repression
|
CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) represents a newly developed tool for targeted gene repression. It has great application potential for studying gene function and mapping gene regulatory elements. However, the optimal parameters for efficient single guide RNA (sgRNA) design for CRISPRi are not fully defined. In this study, we systematically assessed how sgRNA position affects the efficiency of CRISPRi in human cells. We analyzed 155 sgRNAs targeting 41 genes and found that CRISPRi efficiency relies heavily on the precise recruitment of the effector complex to the target gene transcription start site (TSS). Importantly, we demonstrate that the FANTOM5/CAGE promoter atlas represents the most reliable source of TSS annotations for this purpose. We also show that the proximity to the FANTOM5/CAGE-defined TSS predicts sgRNA functionality on a genome-wide scale. Moreover, we found that once the correct TSS is identified, CRISPRi efficiency can be further improved by considering sgRNA sequence preferences. Lastly, we demonstrate that CRISPRi sgRNA functionality largely depends on the chromatin accessibility of a target site, with high efficiency focused in the regions of open chromatin. In summary, our work provides a framework for efficient CRISPRi assay design based on functionally defined TSSs and features of the target site chromatin.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
10.1137/17M1150591
|
Model Reduction For Parametrized Optimal Control Problems In Environmental Marine Sciences And Engineering
|
In this work we propose reduced order methods as a suitable approach to face parametrized optimal control problems governed by partial differential equations, with applications in environmental mar. . .
|
[
"Mathematics",
"Earth System Science",
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
] |
W1988818090
|
Innovative Method to Mix Corrosion Inhibitor in Emulsified Acids
|
Abstract Acid in oil emulsions stimulate carbonate formation of limestone and dolomite. These emulsions consist of internal inhibited acid phase and an external hydrocarbon phase mixed with an emulsifier. In this current technology, the corrosion inhibitor is dissolved in the acid phase and encapsulated by hydrocarbon in the outer phase. The facts that the corrosion inhibitor is inside the emulsion will retard it from dispersing on metal surface of the tubing to create a metal protective film. In this paper, a method is proposed where the corrosion inhibitor is replaced from being in the internal phase to be in the external phase of the emulsion. This situation will allow the corrosion inhibitor to directly disperse onto the tubing metal surfaces to form the protective film required to prevent the tubing from any acid attack. Acid in oil emulsion with corrosion inhibitor being in the external phase of emulsion was successfully created in the lab and resulted in a much better thermal stability at room and reservoir conditions. In this lab study, thermal stability of emulsion with corrosion inhibitor in the external phase resulted in more stable emulsion than those with corrosion inhibitor in the internal phase. At reservoir temperature of 248oF emulsions with corrosion inhibitor in the external phase acid start to separate after 60 minutes and at 150 minutes was completely separated. Emulsions at same conditions with corrosion inhibitor in the internal phase acid start to separate after 30 minutes and at 110 minutes were completely separated from hydrocarbon phase. When corrosion inhibitor removed completely from the emulsion, it start to separate at 140 minutes and at 180 minutes separation was only 20%. Corrosion inhibitor being in the external phase will enhance emulsions retardation and hence deeper penetration in the reservoir. In addition this new method will protect the well tubing and stimulation equipment much better than before. Introduction This paper provides a method of enhancing the corrosion inhibition of well tubing while using an acid-in-oil emulsion downhole in a hydrocarbon recovery or delivery system. In addition, this paper provides a method for acid stimulation of a carbonate formation while simultaneously protecting the well tubing more efficiently. Acid-in-oil emulsions are typically used to stimulate or enhance hydrocarbon production in existing carbonate reservoir rock formations, such as limestone, dolomite or calcareous-magnesium. Typically, the emulsified acid enters the formation and where employed successfully creates a barrier causing the acid to release slowly at a distance from the wellbore. The reaction of the released acid with the formation rock takes place simultaneously at different places inside the formation, resulting in channels that are joined together to form continuous wormholes. When pumping the acid-in-oil emulsions through steel tubing and piping, a corrosion inhibitor is usually added to reduce the corrosive effects of the acid. In operation, the corrosion inhibitor coats the steel surfaces as the emulsion is pumped into the wellbore and the surrounding rock.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
CA 2268421 A
|
AUDIO DIRECT FROM POWER SUPPLY
|
A novel circuit that generates direct audio from a power supply that uses no power amplifier and that can provide full isolation to any impedance load. It has no power amplifier output stage and has a zero signal-to-noise ratio when there is no signal input because the circuit is designed with MOSFETS that do not conduct unless there is a signal input.
|
[
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
10.3389/fmicb.2018.00294
|
Drought legacy effects on the composition of soil fungal and prokaryote communities
|
It is increasingly acknowledged that climate change is influencing terrestrial ecosystems by increased drought and rainfall intensities. Soil microbes are key drivers of many processes in terrestrial systems and rely on water in soil pores to fulfill their life cycles and functions. However, little is known on how drought and rainfall fluctuations, which affect the composition and structure of microbial communities, persist once original moisture conditions have been restored. Here, we study how simulated short-term drying and re-wetting events shape the community composition of soil fungi and prokaryotes. In a mesocosm experiment, soil was exposed to an extreme drought, then re-wetted to optimal moisture (50% WHC, water holding capacity) or to saturation level (100% WHC). Composition, community structure and diversity of microbes were measured by sequencing ITS and 16S rRNA gene amplicons 3 weeks after original moisture content had been restored. Drying and extreme re-wetting decreased richness of microbial communities, but not evenness. Abundance changes were observed in only 8% of prokaryote OTUs, and 25% of fungal OTUs, whereas all other OTUs did not differ between drying and re-wetting treatments. Two specific legacy response groups (LRGs) were observed for both prokaryotes and fungi. OTUs belonging to the first LRG decreased in relative abundance in soil with a history of drought, whereas OTUs that increased in soil with a history of drought formed a second LRG. These microbial responses were spread among different phyla. Drought appeared to be more important for the microbial community composition than the following extreme re-wetting. 16S profiles were correlated with both inorganic N concentration and basal respiration and ITS profiles correlated with fungal biomass. We conclude that a drying and/or an extreme re-wetting history can persist in soil microbial communities via specific response groups composed of members with broad phylogenetic origins, with possible functional consequences on soil processes and plant species. As a large fraction of OTUs responding to drying and re-wetting belonged to the rare biosphere, our results suggest that low abundant microbial species are potentially important for ecosystem responses to extreme weather events.
|
[
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Earth System Science"
] |
10.1146/annurev-food-032818-121715
|
Recent Advances in the Application of Metabolomics for Nutrition and Health
|
Metabolomics is the study of small molecules called metabolites in biological samples. Application of metabolomics to nutrition research has expanded in recent years, with emerging literature supporting multiple applications. Key examples include applications of metabolomics in the identification and development of objective biomarkers of dietary intake, in developing personalized nutrition strategies, and in large-scale epidemiology studies to understand the link between diet and health. In this review, we provide an overview of the current applications and identify key challenges that need to be addressed for the further development of the field. Successful development of metabolomics for nutrition research has the potential to improve dietary assessment, help deliver personalized nutrition, and enhance our understanding of the link between diet and health.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
10.1111/mec.14540
|
Transitions in sex determination and sex chromosomes across vertebrate species
|
Despite the prevalence of sexual reproduction across eukaryotes, there is a remarkable diversity of sex-determination mechanisms. The underlying causes of this diversity remain unclear, and it is unknown whether there are convergent trends in the directionality of turnover in sex-determination mechanisms. We used the recently assembled Tree of Sex database to assess patterns in the evolution of sex-determination systems in the remarkably diverse vertebrate clades of teleost fish, squamate reptiles and amphibians. Contrary to theoretical predictions, we find no evidence that the evolution of separate sexes is irreversible, as transitions from separate sexes to hermaphroditism occur at higher rates than the reverse in fish. We also find that transitions from environmental sex determination to genetic sex determination occur at higher rates than the reverse in both squamates and fish, suggesting that genetic sex determination is more stable. However, our data are not consistent with the hypothesis that heteromorphic sex chromosomes are an “evolutionary trap. ” Rather, we find similar transition rates between homomorphic and heteromorphic sex chromosomes in both fish and amphibians, and to environmental sex determination from heteromorphic vs. homomorphic sex chromosome systems in fish. Finally, we find that transitions between male and female heterogamety occur at similar rates in amphibians and squamates, while transitions to male heterogamety occur at higher rates in fish. Together, these results provide the most comprehensive view to date of the evolution of vertebrate sex determination in a phylogenetic context, providing new insight into long-standing questions about the evolution of sexual reproduction.
|
[
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-14-0019-T
|
Enhancing Efficacy Of Anticancer Vaccines By Targeted Delivery To Tumor Draining Lymph Nodes
|
The sentinel or tumor-draining lymph node (tdLN) serves as a metastatic niche for many solid tumors and is altered via tumor-derived factors that support tumor progression and metastasis. tdLNs are often removed surgically, and therapeutic vaccines against tumor antigens are typically administered systemically or in non–tumor-associated sites. Although the tdLN is immune-suppressed, it is also antigen experienced through drainage of tumor-associated antigens (TAA), so we asked whether therapeutic vaccines targeting the tdLN would be more or less effective than those targeting the non-tdLN. Using LN-targeting nanoparticle (NP)-conjugate vaccines consisting of TAA-NP and CpG-NP, we compared delivery to the tdLN versus non-tdLN in two different cancer models, E. G7-OVA lymphoma (expressing the nonendogenous TAA ovalbumin) and B16-F10 melanoma. Surprisingly, despite the immune-suppressed state of the tdLN, tdLN-targeting vaccination induced substantially stronger cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell responses, both locally and systemically, than non–tdLN-targeting vaccination, leading to enhanced tumor regression and host survival. This improved tumor regression correlated with a shift in the tumor-infiltrating leukocyte repertoire toward a less suppressive and more immunogenic balance. Nanoparticle coupling of adjuvant and antigen was required for effective tdLN targeting, as nanoparticle coupling dramatically increased the delivery of antigen and adjuvant to LN-resident antigen-presenting cells, thereby increasing therapeutic efficacy. This work highlights the tdLN as a target for cancer immunotherapy and shows how its antigen-experienced but immune-suppressed state can be reprogrammed with a targeted vaccine yielding antitumor immunity. Cancer Immunol Res; 2(5); 436–47.
|
[
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
W2157810915
|
Constraining the molecular gas in the environs of a z∼ 8 gamma-ray burst host galaxy
|
GRB 090423 is the most distant spectroscopically-confirmed source observed in the universe. Using observations at 37.5 GHz, we place constraints on molecular gas emission in the CO(3-2) line from its host galaxy and immediate environs. The source was not detected either in line emission or in the rest-frame 850 micron continuum, yielding an upper limit of S_{8mm}=9.3 milli-Jy and M(H_2)<4.3x10^9 M_sun (3 sigma), applying standard conversions. This implies that the host galaxy of GRB 090423 did not possess a large reservoir of warm molecular gas but was rather modest either in star formation rate or in mass. It suggests that this was not an extreme starburst, and hence that gamma ray bursts at high redshift trace relatively modest star formation rates, in keeping with the behaviour seen at lower redshifts. We do, however, identify a millimetre emission line source in the field of GRB 090423. Plausible interpretations include a CO(1-0) emitting galaxy at z=2.1, CO(2-1) at z=5.2 and CO(3-2) at z=8.3. Efforts to identify a counterpart for the molecular line emitter and to further characterise this source are continuing.
|
[
"Universe Sciences",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
W2614209936
|
THE CONCEPT OF GLOBALIZATION FROM THE WORLD-SYSTEM PERSPECTIVE
|
The article compares the approaches to the study of the contemporary stage of development of world civilization that were developed in the concepts of globalization and world-systems analysis. It is emphasized that the globalization studies and WSA are competing analytical perspectives. While the globalization studies consider the contemporary period of social development as a qualitatively new global stage in the history of humanity, the world-systems analysis argues that the essence of a new historical stage is the crisis of the modern global capitalist system and its transformation towards the new historical system. A comparison study of globalization and world-systems analysis demonstrates that the latter provides more clear picture of social reality. The world-system reinterpretation of the concept of globalizations is proposed.
|
[
"Texts and Concepts",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
] |
W1876744361
|
Seismic assessment of Japanese traditional wooden structure by dynamic interaction numerical analysis of surrounding ground
|
We conducted seismic evaluations of a traditional wooden building using three-dimensional earthquake response analyses. The building is registered as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is located in a region of strong earthquake motion from a scenario earthquake. The structure is an invaluable asset, but it is at risk of damage resulting from earthquake. Our numerical estimation was based on a dynamic interaction analysis between the building and the surrounding ground because it was located on the slope of a hill with complicated geophysical features. We also conducted a dynamic non-interaction analysis of the structure for a comparison with the aforementioned interaction model. Boring explorations and geotechnical tests were conducted before the assessment in order to investigate the ground foundation. We included the surrounding ground for a more realistic analysis because the seismic estimation for a model consisting only of the main structure differs significantly from that of the structure-ground coupling model. The results showed that the main wooden building was at risk of partial damage as it exceeded the safety limits prescribed for a scenario earthquake, and would collapse in the case of double the amplitude of the scenario earthquake. Language: en
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Earth System Science"
] |
ZA 2008000118 W
|
A PALLET
|
The invention relates to a pallet and a method of repairing a pallet. The pallet including a deck comprising two leading edge boards and a number of boards disposed between the leading edge boards, wherein at least one of the leading edge boards is provided in the form of a separate first and a second leading edge board member.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
W2025532562
|
Does the decision-to-delivery interval have an effect on fetal outcome in unplanned caesarean sections?
|
<h3>Background</h3> In 2010, the RCOG suggested that urgency of caesarean section (CS) represents a continuum of risk rather than discrete categories1 prompting NICE to review its recommendations on decision-to-delivery intervals (DDIs) for unplanned CS.2 As such, category 1 and 2 CS should be performed as quickly as possible, with a category 2 being performed within 75 minutes. Less emphasis was placed on the previous “benchmark” of 30 minutes for all emergency CS.3 <h3>Study objective</h3> To assess whether the DDI for unplanned CS affected fetal outcome. <h3>Methods</h3> A retrospective analysis of all unplanned CS during a 6month period (February-August 2012) in the Horton General Hospital, Banbury. We looked for any correlation between DDIs and outcome – cord blood gases (cord pH <7.05 arterial or <7.1 venous), APGAR scores (<7 at 5minutes) and term admissions to SCBU. <h3>Results and discussion</h3> 4 (57%) grade 1 CS had a DDI of less than and 3 (43%) of more than 30minutes (range 17-45). There was one case of acidosis where the DDI was 25 minutes. 35 (78%) grade 2 CS had a DDI of less and 10 (12%) of more than 75 minutes (range 37-125). One baby from the group DDI<75 minutes was acidotic with low APGARs and another required admission to SCBU compared to none from the group DDI>75 minutes. 71 grade 3 CS were performed with one case of acidosis (DDI 67 minutes). We postulate that this suggests no correlation between DDI and fetal outcome, supporting the concept of a continuum of risk whereby a DDI should be individualised for each case.
|
[
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
10.1016/j.biocon.2017.08.013
|
Quantifying the expected value of uncertain management choices for over-abundant Greylag Geese
|
In many parts of the world, conservation successes or global anthropogenic changes have led to increasing native species populations that then compete with human resource use. In the Orkney Islands, Scotland, a 60-fold increase in Greylag Goose Anser anser numbers over 24 years has led to agricultural damages and culling attempts that have failed to prevent population increase. To address uncertainty about why populations have increased, we combined empirical modelling of possible drivers of Greylag Goose population change with expert-elicited benefits of alternative management actions to identify whether to learn versus act immediately to reduce damages by geese. We built linear mixed-effects models relating annual goose densities on farms to land-use and environmental covariates and estimated AICc model weights to indicate relative support for six hypotheses of change. We elicited from experts the expected likelihood that one of six actions would achieve an objective of halting goose population growth, given each hypothesis for population change. Model weights and expected effects of actions were combined in Value of Information analysis (VoI) to quantify the utility of resolving uncertainty in each hypothesis through adaptive management and monitoring. The action with the highest expected value under existing uncertainty was to increase the extent of low quality habitats, whereas assuming equal hypothesis weights changed the best action to culling. VoI analysis showed that the value of learning to resolve uncertainty in any individual hypothesis for goose population change was low, due to high support for a single hypothesis of change. Our study demonstrates a two-step framework that learns about the most likely drivers of change for an over-abundant species, and uses this knowledge to weight the utility of alternative management actions. Our approach helps inform which strategies might best be implemented to resolve uncertainty when there are competing hypotheses for change and competing management choices.
|
[
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Earth System Science"
] |
714381
|
Large-Scale Learning with Deep Kernel Machines
|
Machine learning has become a key part of scientific fields that produce a massive amount of data and that are in dire need of scalable tools to automatically make sense of it. Unfortunately, classical statistical modeling has often become impractical due to recent shifts in the amount of data to process, and in the high complexity and large size of models that are able to take advantage of massive data. The promise of SOLARIS is to invent a new generation of machine learning models that fulfill the current needs of large-scale data analysis: high scalability, ability to deal with huge-dimensional models, fast learning, easiness of use, and adaptivity to various data structures. To achieve the expected breakthroughs, our angle of attack consists of novel optimization techniques for solving large-scale problems and a new learning paradigm called deep kernel machine. This paradigm marries two schools of thought that have been considered so far to have little overlap: kernel methods and deep learning. The former is associated with a well-understood theory and methodology but lacks scalability, whereas the latter has obtained significant success on large-scale prediction problems, notably in computer vision. Deep kernel machines will lead to theoretical and practical breakthroughs in machine learning and related fields. For instance, convolutional neural networks were invented more than two decades ago and are today’s state of the art for image classification. Yet, theoretical foundations and principled methodology for these deep networks are nowhere to be found. The project will address such fundamental issues, and its results are expected to make deep networks simpler to design, easier to use, and faster to train. It will also leverage the ability of kernels to model invariance and work with a large class of structured data such as graphs and sequences, leading to a broad scope of applications with potentially groundbreaking advances in diverse scientific fields.
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Mathematics"
] |
336159
|
Synergistic Modelling of Molecular Effects via Chemical and Biological Data Integration
|
While conventionally effects of a chemical structure on a biological system have been determined for individual compounds, one at a time, it is now becoming apparent that biological effects of compound combination are not additive, but often conditional (antagonistic or synergistic) in nature. This phenomenon is of relevance both in the medicinal context (where drugs can be combined to have a synergistic effect), as well as the area of toxicology (where the simultaneous application of compounds shows a toxicity that is non-additive). However, it is not yet clear how to model, and anticipate, which compound combinations show this type of effect.
Hence, in this work I will derive models of synergistic compound combinations, which will be prospectively validated in experiments. Furthermore, I will describe how to capture the effect of a chemical structure on a biological system on multiple levels, namely by considering structural features of the compound, its bioactivity profile, and pathway annotations and their relationship to the phenotypic effect observed. By integrating the data generated in a biologically meaningful way, this allows us to generate predictive models for the bioactivity of compound combinations. The relevance of this work ranges from the question which drugs can be combined in a synergistic manner and which combinations should rather be avoided to the safety assessment of chemicals. Hence, with this work I will be able to improve upon the current state-of-the-art in bioactivity data integration and modelling approaches, as well as deliver concrete models for the bioactivity assessment of compound combinations.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
218241
|
Understanding the molecular mechanisms controlling the orientation of plant cell divisions
|
Due to the presence of a rigid cell wall, plant cells are fixed within their tissue context and cannot move relative to each other during development. Plants thus need to rely on directed cell elongation and cell division to generate a full three-dimensional (3D) structure. Controlling cell division orientations relative to the tissue axis is therefore the fundamental basis for 3D growth. In the root, plant cells are organised in cell files and undergo two main types of cell division to allow directional growth: anticlinal cell divisions (AD, adding cells within a cell file) and periclinal cell divisions (PD, creating new cell files, organs and tissues). Understanding the mechanisms that control cell division orientation is a key question in developmental biology and the main focus of this application.
PDs are challenging to study as they only occur sporadically and typically in the most inner tissues of the root. I recently constructed a powerful system to induce strong, fast and homogenous PDs in any tissue type. I therefore now have the perfect tool at hands to tackle the fundamental question of how plants control the orientation of its cell divisions by:
1. Understanding the cellular events that occur prior to PD using a set of complementary techniques.
2. Identifying novel downstream components that translate the known genetic triggers for PD into changes in cell division orientation by performing an unbiased genetic screen.
3. Determining the developmental specificity and convergence of the known genetic pathways capable of inducing PD through studying their transcriptional targets in an ectopic tissue context.
4. Establishing a cell-culture based system for genetic and high throughput chemical perturbation studies of cell division orientation.
I thus aim to perform a global and comprehensive study of cell division orientation, a process crucial for 3D growth in general and vascular development in specific.
|
[
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
10.1016/j.physletb.2015.10.083
|
J/ψ-pair production at large momenta: Indications for double parton scatterings and large α<inf>s</inf><sup>5</sup> contributions
|
We demonstrate that the recent studies of J/ψ-pair production by CMS at the LHC and by D0 at the Tevatron reveal the presence of different production mechanisms in different kinematical regions. We find out that next-to-leading-order single parton scattering contributions at αs5 dominate the yield at large transverse momenta of the pair. Our analysis further emphasises the importance of double parton scatterings - which are expected to dominate the yield at large J/ψ-rapidity differences - at large invariant masses of the pair in the CMS acceptance, and thereby solve a large discrepancy between the theory and the CMS data. In addition, we provide the first exact - gauge-invariant and infrared-safe - evaluation of a class of leading-PT (PT-4) next-to-next-to-leading-order contributions at αs6, which can be relevant in the region of large values of PTmin=min(PT1, PT2). Finally, we derive simple relations for the feed-down fractions from the production of an excited charmonium state with a J/ψ in the case of the dominance of the double parton scatterings, which significantly deviate from those for single parton scatterings. Such relations can be used to discriminate these extreme scenarios, either DPS or SPS dominance.
|
[
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter"
] |
W1505797308
|
A Finnish Intervention: Translating “To Teach: The Journey in Comics” by Bill Ayers
|
A Finnish Intervention: Translating To Teach: The Journey in Comics by Bill Ayers1WE SHARE OUR EXPERIENCES FROM A COLLABORATIVE WRITING PROJECT with the aim to help ourselves understand learning better, as well as create a process which would build something others would be able to enjoy, and which would support their teaching as well as learning.As students and teachers living in the northernmost EU country, Finland, we are well aware how our country and its neighboring Nordic-countries are often referred to as attaining the pinnacle of social democratic achievements-the combination of market-based economy and ambitious state-directed wealth redistribution, put into place since the second World War after growing demands from people's movements, supported by the social democratic parties.This reference is unfortunately often made without knowledge as to what the situation is actually like. For example, in Finland, a high level of equality and more just wealth redistribution may have been closer to reality at some point, but the situation is far from that today. Although Finnish youth rank among the top in civic knowledge surveys, according to social justice oriented studies, societal work is exceptionally low. Meanwhile, the gap between the rich and the poor is growing faster than in any other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country, with wide unemployment having lasted now for decades, and political leaders more focused on what is called free trade, inflation and the conveniently miscalculated public debt ratio, than welfare and equality.The effects of this are known and felt in everyday life in Finland. The situation of the poor in Finland, who are seriously disenfranchised from mainstream society, is seemingly of little concern in wider public discussion. Racism as well as extreme right-wing economic ideas and harsh attitudes are growing in popularity, and the newest data shows that for example young people have suffered seriously from the effects of economic inequality. These are rapid and unprecedented economic and political shifts, speeded by neoliberal policies that have disrupted or collapsed the previous achievements in providing more equal access to basic services such as health care or housing.It is within this context that in December 2012 our varied group of teachers and students finished a collaborative translation project, during which we translated, To Teach: The Journey in Comics (authored by Bill Ayers) from English into Finnish. It is a book meditating on what seemed to us the essential questions, thrills and mysteries of teaching and learning.Overall we were a group of 11 students of behavioral sciences at the University of Helsinki. Many of us study or have studied to become teachers, as all teachers are required to accomplish a Masters level degree at a university. We undertook the whole project out of our own interest, which also meant we didn't have any money or practical support for this translation and publication. Even though there are benefits to operating outside of the system, foremost the ability to maintain the wonderful personal autonomy and freedom from tedious and ritualistic practices that seem mandatory in official projects, it still needs to be said that lack of money and other resources should not be romanticized.Working in our free-form fashion meant that we could meet and discuss the translations at our own leisure over dinners and debate different aspects of our work-in-progress. As we worked together we also learned how important it is to share tasks and hold up to promises. …
|
[
"Texts and Concepts",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
] |
W1752187206
|
Determinação de haplótipos do gene beta S em pacientes com anemia falciforme
|
Abstract Haplotypes linked to the sS gene represent patterns of DNApolymorphisms on chromosome 11 of individuals with the sS gene.The analysis of haplotypes, in addition to being an important sourcefor anthropological studies about the ethnic origin of a population,contribute to a better understanding of changes in the severity ofsickle cell anemia. The aim of the present study was to determinesS haplotypes in a group of patients with sickle cell anemia treatedat the Hemocentro Dalton Barbosa Cunha (Hemonorte) in Natal,Brazil and Centro de Oncologia e Hematologia de Mossoro, Brazil.Blood samples were obtained from 53 non-related patients (27males and 26 femeles) aged between 3 months and 61 years.Laboratory analysis consisted of the following: red blood cell indices,reticulocyte count, hemoglobin electrophoresis at alkaline pH,measurement of hemoglobin A2 and Fetal hemoglobin, solubilitytest and molecular analysis to determine sS gene haplotypes. DNAsamples were extracted by illustra blood genomicPrep Mini Spinkit and the sS gene haplotypes were determined by polymerasechain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), using the Xmn I, Hind III, Hinc II and Hinf I restriction
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
W1964737181
|
Guinea pig neutrophil–macrophage interactions during infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis
|
We examined the ability of recombinant guinea pig IL-8 (CXCL8) to activate neutrophils upon infection with virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Using a Transwell insert culture system, contact-independent cell cultures were studied in which rgpIL-8-treated neutrophils were infected with virulent M. tuberculosis in the upper well, and AM were cultured in the lower well. IL-1β and TNF-α mRNA expression was significantly upregulated by AM. Neutralizing anti-rgpTNF-α polyclonal antibody abrogated the response of AM to supernatants from the rgpIL-8-treated, infected neutrophils, while an anti-rgpIL-8 polyclonal antibody had no effect. This suggests that TNF-α produced by rgpIL-8 treated, infected neutrophils may play an important role in the activation of AM in the early response of the host against M. tuberculosis infection. Significant induction of apoptosis in M. tuberculosis-infected neutrophils was observed as compared to the uninfected neutrophils. Feeding of infected, apoptotic neutrophils to AM induced a significant up-regulation of TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA compared to AM exposed to staurosporine-treated apoptotic neutrophils. Suppressed intracellular mycobacterial growth was also seen in AM fed with infected, apoptotic neutrophils as compared to the AM infected with M. tuberculosis H37Rv alone. Taken together, these data suggest that neutrophil-macrophage interactions may contribute to host defense against M. tuberculosis infection.
|
[
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
] |
10.1007/JHEP03(2011)037
|
Flow Equations And Attractors For Black Holes In N 2 U 1 Gauged Supergravity
|
We investigate the existence of supersymmetric static dyonic black holes with spherical horizon in the context of N= 2 U(1) gauged supergravity in four dimensions. We analyze the conditions for their existence and provide the general first-order flow equations driving the scalar fields and the metric warp factors from the asymptotic AdS4 geometry to the horizon. We work in a general duality-symmetric setup, which allows to describe both electric and magnetic gaugings. We also discuss the attractor mechanism and the issue of moduli (de-)stabilization.
|
[
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter",
"Mathematics"
] |
W4303519311
|
Digenean trematodes infecting the frigate tuna <i>Auxis thazard</i> (Scombriformes, Scombridae) off the Rio de Janeiro coast, Brazil, including molecular data
|
Although some parasitological efforts have focused on the frigate tuna Auxis thazard (Lacepède) (Scombriformes, Scombridae) in Brazil, its digenean fauna remains poorly known. Combining morphological and molecular methods, we investigated the diversity of digenean trematodes of A. thazard collected from the coastal waters off the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2021. Six species belonging to four families were recorded: the bucephalid Rhipidocotyle cf. angusticolle Chandler, 1941, the didymozoid Didymocystis sp. 6 sensu Louvard et al. (2022), the fellodistomid Tergestia sp., and three hemiurids, Dinurus euthynni Yamaguti, 1934, Lecithochirium floridense (Manter, 1934), and L. synodi Manter, 1931. The current study brings the total number of digenean trematode species parasitising A. thazard in Brazil up to eight, with hemiuroid trematodes being most diverse. Auxis thazard is a new host record for L. floridense, L. synodi and potentially for R. angusticolle. The geographic distribution of several species found in our study appeared to be wider than previously known. Our study is the first to apply a DNA-based approach to digenean diversity in marine fishes in Brazil and we believe that both morphological descriptions and molecular sequence data provided in our study will aid future research assessing the diversity of digenean trematodes of A. thazard and other marine fishes in Brazil.Trématodes Digènes infectant l’auxide Auxis thazard (Scombriformes, Scombridae) au large de la côte de Rio de Janeiro, Brésil, avec des données moléculaires.Bien que certains efforts parasitologiques aient porté sur l’auxide Auxis thazard (Lacepède) (Scombriformes : Scombridae) au Brésil, la faune de ses digènes reste mal connue. En combinant des méthodes morphologiques et moléculaires, nous avons étudié la diversité des trématodes digènes d’A. thazard collectés dans les eaux côtières au large de l’État de Rio de Janeiro, Brésil en 2021. Six espèces appartenant à quatre familles ont été répertoriées : le Bucephalidae Rhipidocotyle cf. angusticolle Chandler, 1941, le Didymozoidae Didymocystis sp. 6 sensu Louvard et al. (2022), le Fellodistomidae Tergestia sp., et trois Hemiuridae, Dinurus euthynni Yamaguti, 1934, Lecithochirium floridense (Manter, 1934) et L. synodi Manter, 1931. L’étude actuelle porte le nombre total d’espèces de trématodes digènes parasitant A. thazard au Brésil à huit, les Hemiuroidea étant les plus diversifiés. Auxis thazard est un nouveau signalement d’hôte pour L. floridense, L. synodi et potentiellement R. angusticolle. La répartition géographique de plusieurs espèces trouvées dans notre étude semble être plus large que ce que nous savions auparavant. Notre étude est la première à appliquer une approche basée sur l’ADN à la diversité des digènes chez les poissons marins au Brésil et nous pensons que les descriptions morphologiques et les données de séquence moléculaire fournies dans notre étude aideront les recherches futures évaluant la diversité des trématodes digènes d’A. thazard et d’autres poissons marins du Brésil.
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[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
] |
10.1002/adfm.201606424
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Composite Salt in Porous Metal-Organic Frameworks for Adsorption Heat Transformation
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Adsorptive heat transformation systems such as adsorption thermal batteries and chillers can provide space heating and cooling in a more environmental friendly way. However, their use is still hindered by their relatively poor performances and large sizes due to the limited properties of solid adsorbents. Here, the spray-drying continuous-flow synthesis of a new type of solid adsorbents that results from combining metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), such as UiO-66, and hygroscopic salts, such as CaCl2 has been reported. These adsorbents, commonly named as composite salt in porous matrix (CSPM) materials, allow improving the water uptake capabilities of MOFs while preventing their dissolution in the water adsorbed; a common characteristic of these salts due to the deliquescence effect. It is anticipated that MOF-based CSPMs, in which the percentage of salt can be tuned, are promising candidates for thermal batteries and chillers. In these applications, it is showed that a CSPM made of UiO-66 and CaCl2 (38% w/w) exhibits a heat storage capacity of 367 kJ kg−1, whereas a second CSPM made of UiO-66 and CaCl2 (53% w/w) shows a specific cooling power of 631 W kg−1 and a coefficient of performance of 0. 83, comparable to the best solid adsorbents reported so far.
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[
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
10.1111/jiec.13055
|
The use of steel in the United Kingdom's transport sector: A stock–flow–service nexus case study
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Energy and material flows and material stocks are key requirements for the supply of goods and services, which in turn support societal development. However, most resource accounting methods restrict the analysis to resource flows, which fails to acknowledge the increasing role of in-use stocks in service provision. Using the UK transport sector as a case study, we undertook a material flow analysis through the lens of the stock–flow–service (SFS) nexus. We used the latter to identify how steel consumption and accumulation in vehicles contributed to passenger mobility between 1960 and 2015. Our results show that the efficiency of the steel stock contained in cars and motorcycles decreased from 37. 5 to 28. 0 passenger-km (pkm)/kg-year. The steel service for buses decreased from 63. 6 to 32. 1 pkm/kg-year, while that of the national railway increased from 23. 8 to 70. 3 pkm/kg-year steel. London Underground steel stock–service efficiency improved from 31. 5 to 57. 0 pkm/kg-year steel. The annual fraction of flows that maintained the steel stock varied according to vehicle category and was between 3. 4% and 8. 2%. In terms of the stock expansion rate, the greatest change (on average, an annual increase of 3%) was that of “cars and motorcycles. ” This reflects the demographic transitions and the growing consumer demand for car-based mobility. We discussed how the SFS nexus contributes to a more comprehensive form of resource accounting and reflect upon some of its limitations and how they might be addressed.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Earth System Science"
] |
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