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W2066667805
|
Between Give and Take: A Clinical Guide to Contextual Therapy
|
In this volume, Boszormenyi-Nagy and Krasner provide a comprehensive, sharply focused guide to the clinical use of Contextual Therapy (CT) as a therapy rooted in the reality of human relationships. The authors describe a far-reaching trust-based approach to individual freedom and interpersonal fairness that makes possible a remarkably effective system of psychotherapy. Between Give and Take clearly delineates four basic dimensions of relational reality: factual predeterminants, human psychology, communications and transactions and due consideration or merited trust. It is this last dimension that is the cornerstone of CT. It builds on the realm of the between that reshapes human relationships and liberates each relating person for mature living.
|
[
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
] |
W2149832764
|
Frequency dependence of the reorientational motion of OD bonds of deuterated methanol in liquid phase: A first principles molecular dynamics study
|
Abstract We present an ab initio molecular dynamics study of the frequency dependence of rotational motion of OD bonds of deuterated methanol in liquid phase. A time series analysis of the simulated trajectories is performed to calculate the fluctuating frequencies of the OD bonds and the frequency-resolved rotational dynamics are investigated through calculations of the first and second-rank rotational correlation functions of the OD bond vectors. The short-time dynamics is found to depend on the chosen frequency which, in turn, is related to different hydrogen bonded environments of methanol molecules. The long time dynamics is found to be independent of the frequency of OD bonds. The effects of dispersion interactions on the calculated results are also discussed. The current first principles results are compared with the available experiments on frequency dependence of rotational dynamics of similar alcoholic systems.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
] |
172798
|
Personalised risk assessment in febrile illness to optimise real-life management across the european union
|
The management of febrile patients is one of the most common and important problems facing healthcare providers. Distinction between bacterial infections and trivial viral infection on clinical grounds is unreliable, and as a result innumerable patients worldwide undergo hospitalization, invasive investigation and are treated with antibiotics for presumed bacterial infection when, in fact, they are suffering from self-resolving viral infection.
We aim to improve diagnosis and management of febrile patients, by application of sophisticated phenotypic, transcriptomic (genomic, proteomic) and bioinformatic approaches to well characterised large-scale, multi-national patient cohorts already recruited with EU funding. We will identify, and validate promising new discriminators of bacterial and viral infection including transcriptomic and clinical phenotypic markers. The most accurate markers distinguishing bacterial and viral infection will be evaluated in prospective cohorts of patients reflecting the different health care settings across European countries. By linking sophisticated new genomic and proteomic approaches to careful clinical phenotyping, and building on pilot data from our previous studies we will develop a comprehensive management plan for febrile patients which can be rolled out in healthcare systems across Europe.
|
[
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
10.1126/scisignal.aaf6625
|
Pressure-induced oxidative activation of PKG enables vasoregulation by Ca<sup>2+</sup> sparks and BK channels
|
Activation of Ca2+-sensitive, large-conductance potassium (BK) channels in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) by local, ryanodine receptor-mediated Ca2+ signals (Ca2+ sparks) acts as a brake on pressure-induced (myogenic) vasoconstriction-a fundamental mechanism that regulates blood flow in small resistance arteries. We report that physiological intraluminal pressure within resistance arteries activated cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) in VSMCs through oxidant-induced formation of an intermolecular disulfide bond between cysteine residues. Oxidant-activated PKG was required to trigger Ca2+ sparks, BK channel activity, and vasodilation in response to pressure. VSMCs from arteries from mice expressing a form of PKG that could not be activated by oxidants showed reduced Ca2+ spark frequency, and arterial preparations from these mice had decreased pressure-induced activation of BK channels. Thus, the absence of oxidative activation of PKG disabled the BK channel-mediated negative feedback regulation of vasoconstriction. Our results support the concept of a negative feedback control mechanism that regulates arterial diameter through mechanosensitive production of oxidants to activate PKG and enhance Ca2+ sparks.
|
[
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
250290
|
THE HYGIENE HYPOTHESIS : REVISITING THE CONCEPT BY INTEGRATING EPIDEMIOLOGY AND MECHANISTIC STUDIES
|
The hygiene hypothesis postulating the paradoxical protective role of infections on immune-mediated
diseases including atopy (i.e. atopic dermatitis, rhinitis, asthma) and more recently autoimmune diseases has
been the matter of extensive investigation. The aim of the present project is to validate this hypothesis
integrating epidemiological and experimental studies.
We will review in a meta-analysis published studies of direct and indirect markers of infections and atopic
diseases, and conduct a case-control study to analyse the association between infections and atopy using
atopic dermatitis as a prototypic model. This epidemiological study will assess the occurrence of different
infections and other risk factors related to the incidence of atopic dermatitis in children under age five in
Italy (300 cases and 600 controls).
This epidemiological study will be supported by experimental approaches addressing mechanistic questions
raised by the hygiene hypothesis. Experimental models will include induction of acute and chronic
bronchoconstriction/asthma, atopic dermatitis. In addition the project will aim at devising new mouse models
of atopy. The nature of infections providing protection against allergic diseases will be investigated to
characterise the difference at the molecular level between protective and non protective pathogens or their
derivatives. The underlying immune mechanisms notably homeostasis imbalance, antigenic competition,
stimulation of regulatory immune cells and Toll-like receptor involvement will be analysed. In addition to
developing integrated in vivo models, including the use of transgenic animals, efforts will be focussed on the
study of available synthetic pathogen-derived compounds showing a protective activity to better approach
their cellular and molecular mode of action. These studies may pave the way to novel and safe therapies that
could advantageously substitute for the “protective” immune stimulation induced by major infections.
|
[
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
W2011708825
|
Distant entanglement protected through artificially increased local temperature
|
In composed quantum systems, the presence of local dissipative channels causes loss of coherence and entanglement at a rate that grows with the temperature of the reservoirs. However, here we show that if temperature is artificially added to the system, entanglement decay can be significantly slowed down or even suppressed conditioned on suitable local monitoring of the reservoirs. We propose a scheme to implement the joint reservoir monitoring applicable in different experimental setups like trapped ions, circuit and cavity QED or quantum dots coupled to nanowires and we analyze its general robustness against detection inefficiencies and non-zero temperature of the natural reservoir.
|
[
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
] |
643585
|
Smart restoration with particle infused repointing
|
The objective of the proposed project is the development of a damage sensing material for application in structures of architectural heritage. This material comprises lime mortar infused with conductive carbon nano-particles, applicable for repair and strengthening of historic masonry buildings through repointing of mortar joints.
The proposed material is envisaged as possessing improved strength and ductility, which are critical in enhancing the durability of existing buildings. It relies on the electrical conductivity of the nano-particles for the detection of damage and the measurement of deformation in masonry structural elements.
The project begins with the optimisation of a nano-particle infused lime mortar mix. Subsequently, the characterization of the enhancement of the mechanical properties of the material is performed. This is followed by the development of a quantitative damage and deformation measurement protocol. The project is concluded by the testing of the material in full scale structural members. Through the up-scaling of novel materials and self-sensing technology, it encompasses a lab to industry transition.
In addition to being a cost-effective means of structural damage monitoring, the material is expected to moderately enhance the structural behaviour of masonry members, while adhering to the principles of intervention on historic structures. In light of the danger to the integrity and durability of historic buildings due to the peaking of induced earthquake and the increase of ground movement in European urban centres, the project is deemed timely and potentially deeply impactful.
The project is expected to greatly enhance the researcher's prospects for an academic career, in addition to sharpening his technical and research grant proposal writing skills. Further, it is expected to provide, in the long term, an excellent contribution to research, innovation potential, industry and society.
|
[
"Materials Engineering",
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
] |
interreg_4046
|
Policies & Measures to Support Local & Regional Innovation Ecosystems
|
The transfer of innovation and knowledge produced by the RTOs (Research and Technological Organisations) and higher education to the local & regional businesses remains one of the most important gaps and difficulties in terms of Innovation & Growth. It is key to generate economic exploitation of the R&D results and particularly important in local & regional areas of Smart Specialisation (RIS3) and innovation opportunity.
Also, there is a clear need to improve and connect regional Challenges and Opportunities of RIS3, to local innovation policies and stakeholders, highlighting the role of the “territory” as the place where interlinkages happen and knowledge flows. For such purpose, regional & local authorities should play a key role of intermediation and, in accordance to ecoRIS3 objectives, promote better policies and measures to generate solid interactions between key stakeholders, to orchestrate sustainable innovation ecosystems within RIS3 strategies responding to the existing challenges and gaps.
Among the key activities and within a first phase of 3 years, further to a series of exchange of experience and learning though interregional events (4 thematic workshops, 3 horizontal Seminars and 9 Study Visits), the partners will produce: 1 Peer review document on "The role private and public stakeholders play in the local ecosystem in order to absorb innovation" ; 7 SWOT Analysis, 7 Action Plans and identify 64 Good Practices, that will benefit the key actors of the quadruple helix (Public sector, Civil Society, RTO & High Education, SMEs & Industry).
|
[
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
] |
250050
|
Gene transfer techniques in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and malignant glioma
|
Background: Poor angiogenesis and collateral vessel formation lead to coronary heart disease, claudication, infarctions and amputations while malignant glioma is one of the most aggressive proangiogenic tumors leading to death in a few months. For these diseases either stimulation or blocking, respectively, of angiogenesis may provide novel treatment options. Advancing State-of-the-Art: Our hypothesis is that in ischemia it will be possible to support natural growth of blood vessels with Therapeutic angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis by using local gene transfer of the new members of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family and their receptors. New co-receptors, designer mutants and PCR suffling products of VEGFs will be used. New vector technology will be used to achieve long-lasting effects of VEGFs. We aim to develop novel site-specifically integrating, targeted, regulated vectors to precisely express the new VEGFs, their soluble decoy receptors and single-chain therapeutic antibodies (scFv) for pro- and anti-angiogenic purposes. As novel approaches, we have developed metabolically biotinylated lenti- and adenoviruses suitable for targeting and Epigenetherapy where siRNA/miRNAs and short nuclear RNAs regulate endogenous gene expression at the VEGF promoter level via modification of histone code. scFv library for endothelial cells and lentivirus-siRNA library directed to all human and mouse kinases will be screened to identify new mediators of angiogenesis in order to develop next generation pro- and antiangiogenic therapies. Based on our strong track record in Clinical applications, the best new pro- and antiangiogenic approaches will be taken to phase I clinical studies in myocardial ischemia and malignant glioma. Significance: This work should lead to significant advances and new therapies for severe ischemia and malignant glioma. Epigenetherapy and new site-specifically integrating, regulated vectors should be widely applicable in medicine.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
] |
339541
|
AMPA Receptor Dynamic Organization and Synaptic transmission in health and disease
|
AMPA glutamate receptors (AMPAR) play key roles in information processing by the brain as they mediate nearly all fast excitatory synaptic transmission. Their spatio-temporal organization in the post synapse with respect to presynaptic glutamate release sites is a key determinant in synaptic transmission. The activity-dependent regulation of AMPAR organization is at the heart of synaptic plasticity processes underlying learning and memory. Dysfunction of synaptic transmission - hence AMPAR organization - is likely at the origin of a number of brain diseases.
Building on discoveries made during my past ERC grant, our new ground-breaking objective is to uncover the mechanisms that link synaptic transmission with the dynamic organization of AMPAR and associated proteins. For this aim, we have assembled a team of neurobiologists, computer scientists and chemists with a track record of collaboration. We will combine physiology, cellular and molecular neurobiology with development of novel quantitative imaging and biomolecular tools to probe the molecular dynamics that regulate synaptic transmission.
Live high content 3D SuperResolution Light Imaging (SRLI) combined with electron microscopy will allow unprecedented visualization of AMPAR organization in synapses at the scale of individual subunits up to the level of intact tissue. Simultaneous SRLI and electrophysiology will elucidate the intricate relations between dynamic AMPAR organization, trafficking and synaptic transmission. Novel peptide- and small protein-based probes used as protein-protein interaction reporters and modulators will be developed to image and directly interfere with synapse organization.
We will identify new processes that are fundamental to activity dependent modifications of synaptic transmission. We will apply the above findings to understand the causes of early cognitive deficits in models of neurodegenerative disorders and open new avenues of research for innovative therapies.
|
[
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
W2057429385
|
Phase II study of biweekly S-1 and oxaliplatin combination chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer and pharmacogenetic analysis
|
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of S-1 in combination with oxaliplatin in a biweekly schedule as first-line treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer and the association between genetic polymorphisms and treatment outcomes.Eligibility included age 18-75 years, at least one measurable lesion, no prior chemotherapy except adjuvant chemotherapy, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (PS) 0-2. S-1 40 mg/m(2) b.i.d. on days 1-7 with 85 mg/m(2) of oxaliplatin on day 1 was repeated every 2 weeks. Genomic DNA from whole blood was analyzed for 15 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among 8 genes.Fifty-two patients (median age 63 years, range 37-74) were enrolled: 37 men and 15 women; 44 with a PS of 0 and 8 with a PS of 1; and 41 with initially metastatic cancer and 11 with relapsed disease. Among 51 evaluable patients, objective response rate was 47.1% [95% confidence interval (CI) 32.9-61.2]. Median follow-up duration was 17.1 months (range 3.9-28.2 months). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.4 months (95% CI 4.8-8.1), and median overall survival had not been reached yet. Reported grade 3 toxicities were neutropenia (7.7%), thrombocytopenia (5.8%), sensory neuropathy (7.7%) and diarrhea (1.9%). There was no grade 4 toxicity or neutropenic fever. Patients with A/G or G/G genotype in GSTP1 Ile105Val SNP had longer PFS than patients with A/A (median 8.3 vs. 6.1 months, P = 0.04).Biweekly S-1 with oxaliplatin is effective and has improved tolerability and convenience compared to other fluoropyrimidine with oxaliplatin combinations. GSTP1 Ile105Val SNP is associated with treatment outcomes.
|
[
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
638760
|
Theory of statistical topological insulators
|
Topological insulators (TI) are a novel class of materials with insulating bulk and conducting surface. The conduction of the surface is protected by the topological properties of the bulk, as long as a fundamental symmetry is present (for instance time-reversal symmetry). My goal is to investigate to what limits does the protection hold in cases where the protecting symmetry is broken, and only present in statistical sense, after averaging over the disordered ensemble. In a pilot study I showed that materials that are protected by such average symmetry, which I have called “statistical topological insulators” (STI) significantly extend the classification of topological phases of matter and promise new methods to robustly control the conducting surface properties. I plan to develop a general theory of STI for physically relevant symmetries, describe the observable properties of their protected surface states, invent ways to predict whether materials are expected to be STI, and explore the generalization of STIs to strongly interacting topological phases of matter. I expect that the outcome of my research will significantly extend our understanding of topological phases of matter, and provide new ways to design materials with robust properties.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Mathematics"
] |
715254
|
Do droughts self-propagate and self-intensify?
|
Droughts cause agricultural loss, forest mortality and drinking water scarcity. Their predicted increase in recurrence and intensity poses serious threats to future global food security. Several historically unprecedented droughts have already occurred over the last decade in Europe, Australia and the USA. The cost of the ongoing Californian drought is estimated to be about US$3 billion. Still today, the knowledge of how droughts start and evolve remains limited, and so does the understanding of how climate change may affect them.
Positive feedbacks from land have been suggested as critical for the occurrence of recent droughts: as rainfall deficits dry out soil and vegetation, the evaporation of land water is reduced, then the local air becomes too dry to yield rainfall, which further enhances drought conditions. Importantly, this is not just a 'local' feedback, as remote regions may rely on evaporated water transported by winds from the drought-affected region. Following this rationale, droughts self-propagate and self-intensify.
However, a global capacity to observe these processes is lacking. Furthermore, climate and forecast models are immature when it comes to representing the influences of land on rainfall. Do climate models underestimate this land feedback? If so, future drought aggravation will be greater than currently expected. At the moment, this remains largely speculative, given the limited number of studies of these processes.
I propose to use novel in situ and satellite records of soil moisture, evaporation and precipitation, in combination with new mechanistic models that can map water vapour trajectories and explore multi-dimensional feedbacks. DRY-2-DRY will not only advance our fundamental knowledge of the mechanisms triggering droughts, it will also provide independent evidence of the extent to which managing land cover can help 'dampen' drought events, and enable progress towards more accurate short-term and long-term drought forecasts.
|
[
"Earth System Science",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
] |
10.1029/2009JB006918
|
Origin Of Deep Ocean Microseisms By Using Teleseismic Body Waves
|
Recent studies of oceanic microseisms have concentrated on fundamental mode surface waves. Extraction of fundamental mode Rayleigh and Love wave Green functions from station-station correlations of ambient seismic noise has recently been demonstrated to be a very powerful tool for imaging of the Earth's crust and uppermost mantle. In this study we concentrate on energetic arrivals in two frequency bands around the primary (14 s) and the secondary (7 s) microseismic peaks that appear at near-zero times in noise cross correlations. Thanks to a polarization analysis of data from the Eastern Turkey Seismic Experiment network, we identify this “near-zero time” signal as an upcoming P wave in the secondary microseismic frequency band (5-10 s). In a second step, analyzing noise cross correlations from three different arrays (in Yellowstone, in Turkey, and in Kyrgyzstan), we determine the origin of these signals by means of beam-forming analysis and its projection on the Earth. Our results show that in the 0. 1-0. 3 Hz frequency band, the energetic “near-zero” time arrivals in seismic noise cross correlations are mainly formed by teleseismic P, PP, and PKP waves. Generation of this ambient body waves in the secondary microseismic band presents a marked seasonal behavior with sources located in southern and northern oceans during summer and winter, respectively. Moreover, body wave array analysis is accurate enough to confirm that significant amount of the microseism energy is generated far from the coast in deep oceans.
|
[
"Earth System Science"
] |
10.1007/s00334-014-0489-4
|
Recent advances in ancient DNA research and their implications for archaeobotany
|
The scope and ambition of biomolecular archaeology is undergoing rapid change due to the development of new ‘next generation’ sequencing (NGS) methods for analysis of ancient DNA in archaeological specimens. These methods have not yet been applied extensively to archaeobotanical material but their utility has been demonstrated with desiccated, waterlogged and charred remains. The future use of NGS is likely to open up new areas of investigation that have been difficult or impossible with the traditional approach to aDNA sequencing. Species identification should become more routine with archaeobotanical explants, not just with charred grain but with most if not all species likely to be encountered in an archaeobotanical setting. Distinctions between different subspecies groups such as cereal landraces will also be possible in the near future. Phenotypic characterization, in which aDNA sequencing is used to infer the biological characteristics of an archaeological specimen, will become possible, improving our understanding of traits such as flowering behaviour of cereals, and when combined with studies of preserved RNA and protein will enable complex phenotypes such as environmental tolerance and nutritional quality to be assessed. The sequencing of entire ancient plant genomes is also likely to have significant impact. As with past studies of ancient plant DNA, realization of the new potential provided by NGS will require productive collaboration between archaeologists and geneticists within the archaeobotanical research community.
|
[
"The Study of the Human Past",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
10.1088/0004-637X/800/2/109
|
No Time For Dead Time Timing Analysis Of Bright Black Hole Binaries With Nustar
|
Timing of high-count rate sources with the NuSTAR Small Explorer Mission requires specialized analysis techniques. NuSTAR was primarily designed for spectroscopic observations of sources with relatively low count-rates rather than for timing analysis of bright objects. The instrumental dead time per event is relatively long (~2. 5 msec), and varies by a few percent event-to-event. The most obvious effect is a distortion of the white noise level in the power density spectrum (PDS) that cannot be modeled easily with the standard techniques due to the variable nature of the dead time. In this paper, we show that it is possible to exploit the presence of two completely independent focal planes and use the cross power density spectrum to obtain a good proxy of the white noise-subtracted PDS. Thereafter, one can use a Monte Carlo approach to estimate the remaining effects of dead time, namely a frequency-dependent modulation of the variance and a frequency-independent drop of the sensitivity to variability. In this way, most of the standard timing analysis can be performed, albeit with a sacrifice in signal to noise relative to what would be achieved using more standard techniques. We apply this technique to NuSTAR observations of the black hole binaries GX 339-4, Cyg X-1 and GRS 1915+105.
|
[
"Universe Sciences",
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter"
] |
323148
|
Cellular determinants of neuronal plasticity
on the level of single synapses in vivo
|
The search for the fundamental mechanisms of learning and experience-dependent memory formation in the brain has long been a central quest in neuroscience. The neocortex is a particularly relevant region for plasticity because it is involved in sensory, motor, and cognitive tasks with strong learning components. However, despite many years of intensive research our knowledge of the neuronal mechanisms of plasticity on the level of single synapses in the intact living brain is still very limited.
Here I propose the use of cutting edge technology, including the ultrasensitive LOTOS procedure of in vivo two-photon calcium imaging that was developed in our laboratory, to investigate for the first time the functional properties and the plasticity of signal synapses in auditory cortical pyramidal neurons of layers 2/3, 4 and 5 in vivo. For the study of the cellular determinants of synaptic plasticity we will focus on an associative learning paradigm underlying cued fear conditioning. Importantly, this paradigm can be rapidly and effectively induced not only in awake, but also in anesthetized animals and is therefore ideally suited for these studies. In addition to a comprehensive analysis of wild type animals, we will perform experiments in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), aiming to identify the cellular cause of the devastating impairment of memory formation observed in patients suffering from AD.
|
[
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
] |
10.1017/S0066154617000072
|
Agricultural Innovation And Resilience In A Long Lived Early Farming Community The 1 500 Year Sequence At Neolithic To Early Chalcolithic Catalhoyuk Central Anatolia
|
Intensive archaeobotanical investigations at Catalhoyuk have created a unique opportunity to explore change and continuity in plant use through the ca 1,500-year Neolithic to early Chalcolithic sequence of an early established farming community. The combination of crops and herd animals in the earliest (Aceramic) part of the sequence reflects a distinct and diverse central Anatolian 'package' at the end of the eighth millennium cal. BC. Here we report evidence for near continual adjustment of cropping regimes through time at Catalhoyuk, featuring recruitment of minor crops or crop contaminants to become major staples. We use panarchy theory to frame an understanding of Catalhoyuk's long-term sustainability, arguing that its resilience was a function of three key factors: its diverse initial crop spectrum, which acted as an archive for later innovations; its modular social structure, enabling small-scale experimentation and innovation in cropping at the household level; and its agglomerated social morphology, allowing successful developments to be scaled up across the wider community. This case study in long-term sustainability through flexible, changeable cropping strategies is significant not only for understanding so-called boom and bust cycles elsewhere but also for informing wider agro-ecological understanding of sustainable development in central Anatolia and beyond.
|
[
"The Study of the Human Past",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
] |
10.1063/1.4976212
|
Uniaxial Stress Tuned Large Magnetic Shape Memory Effect In Ni Co Mn Sb Heusler Alloys
|
Combined strain and magnetization measurements on the Heusler shape-memory alloys Ni45Co5Mn38Sb12 and Ni44Co6Mn38Sb12 give evidence for strong magneto-structural coupling. The sample length changes up to 1% at the martensitic transformation, between a ferromagnetic, austenitic phase at high temperatures and a weakly magnetic, low-symmetry martensitic phase at lower temperatures. Under moderate uniaxial stress, the change in the sample length increases to and saturates at about 3%, pointing to stabilization of a single martensitic variant. A reverse martensitic transformation can also be induced by applying magnetic field: we find that within the temperature range of thermal hysteresis of the martensitic transformation, applying a field can induce a metastable expansion of the sample, while at slightly lower temperatures, the field response is reversible. These findings provide key information for future use of Ni(Co)-Mn-Sb-based Heusler compounds in, e. g. , actuators and mechanical switches.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
233325
|
RNA silencing in regulation and evolution
|
Small RNA is a specificity determinant of silencing mechanisms that can target RNA through base pairing to affect RNA stability and translation. This targeting process, directly or indirectly, can also target DNA and chromatin to introduce epigenetic modifications. In plants there are many hundreds of thousands - of different small silencing RNAs (sRNAs) produced from many thousands of loci. These sRNAs have enormous potential to influence genetic and epigenetic regulation because, from analysis of transgenes, it is clear that RNA silencing can have diverse effects. There can be RNA-mediated signalling between cells and complex interaction networks of RNA molecules with positive feedback and amplification loops. In addition there can be epigenetic effects that, once induced, can persist between generations. In REVOLUTION the aim is to find out which of the endogenous sRNAs have the various RNA silencing properties revealed by transgenes. The aim is then to integrate these findings into a systems level understanding of regulation and evolution in Arabidopsis. The role of these sRNA systems will be investigated in plants subjected to hormone and stress treatments. We shall also investigate the role of these sRNAs in natural variation between genotypes of plant and their effect in hybrids between these plants. In the final stages of the work it is intended to explore the various effects of endogenous sRNAs in plants other than Arabidopsis including tomato. This work will provide a new level of understanding of the mechanisms affecting gene expression in plants. This fundamental new understanding will affect crop science through conventional breeding and genetic engineering. In addition because RNA silencing takes place in animals including vertebrates there will be relevance of this work beyond plants.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
US 2004/0023864 W
|
PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR COLLECTION OF CONTINUOUS FIBERS AS A UNIFORM BATT
|
A process and apparatus for collecting continuous fibers or filaments as a uniform batt comprises a filament emitter in the form of a spinning die, a venturi, a diffuser, and a fiber collection bed. The filaments move downward after being created by the emitter, and exhaust ports create in the diffuser an airflow having a direction against the flow of the filaments so that the filaments are decelerated before contacting the fiber collection bed.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
10.1103/PhysRevB.95.220409
|
Magnon activation by hot electrons via nonquasiparticle states
|
We consider the situation when a femtosecond laser pulse creates a hot electron state in a half-metallic ferromagnet (e. g. , ferromagnetic semiconductor) on a picosecond time scale but does not act directly on the localized spin system. We show that the energy and magnetic moment transfer from hot itinerant electrons to localized spins is facilitated by so-called nonquasiparticle states, which are the scattering states of a magnon and spin-majority electron. The magnon distribution is described by a quantum kinetic equation that we derive using the Keldysh diagram technique. In a typical ferromagnetic semiconductor such as EuO, magnons remain essentially in nonequilibrium on a scale of the order of microseconds after the laser pulse.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter"
] |
W1526754709
|
Settlement and Bearing Capacity of Foundations with Different Vertical Cross-sectional Shapes on Non-cohesive Soil Bases under Vertically Applied Load
|
Settlement and bearing capacity of foundation models with different vertical cross-sectional shapes on non-cohesive subsoil bases under the action of vertically applied load are presented. Models of foundations with rectangular, wedge and T vertical cross-sectional shapes were experimentally studied. The study generally showed foundations with rectangular vertical cross-sectional shapes having higher bearing capacity and less settlement as compared to those with wedge and T shapes, from which lower bearing capacity and higher settlement were recorded. Although, wedge and T shape foundations showed less bearing capacity, they have the potentials of actively mobilizing soil, both long their vertical trunks and beneath their bases in active resistance of structural loads. Keywords : Bearing capacity; Foundation shape; Non-cohesive soil; Settlement; Subsoil base.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
10.1007/s10494-020-00147-9
|
Near-Wall Flame and Flow Measurements in an Optically Accessible SI Engine
|
Near-wall processes in internal combustion engines strongly affect heat transfer and pollutant emissions. With continuously improving capabilities to model near-wall processes, the demand for corresponding measurements increases. To obtain an in-depth understanding of the near-wall processes within spark-ignition engines, flame distributions and flow fields were measured simultaneously near the piston surface of an optically accessible engine operating with homogeneous, stoichiometric isooctane–air mixtures. The engine was operated at two engine speeds (800 rpm and 1500 rpm) and two different intake pressures (0. 95 bar and 0. 4 bar). Flame distributions were obtained at high spatial resolution using high-speed planar laser induced fluorescence of sulfur dioxide ($$\hbox {SO}_{{2}}$$ SO 2 ). Particle tracking velocimetry was utilized to measure the flow field above the piston at high spatial resolution, which enabled the determination of hydrodynamic boundary layer profiles. Flame contours were extracted and statistical distributions of the burnt gas area determined. The burnt gas distributions were compared with the simultaneously recorded high-speed flow field measurements in the unburnt gas. A direct comparison with motored engine operation showed comparable boundary layer profiles until the flame approaches the wall. Flow acceleration due to flame expansion rapidly increases velocity gradients and the boundary layer development becomes highly transient. The interaction of flame and flow depends on the operating conditions, which results in a different evolution of burnt gas positions within the field-of-view. This has additional implications on the development of the velocity boundary layer. Depending on the operating conditions, the flame strongly affects the velocity boundary layer profiles resulting in boundary layer thicknesses (defined by 50% maximum velocity) in the order of $$80{-}180\, \upmu \hbox {m}$$ 80 - 180 μ m .
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
] |
646625
|
Understanding and exploiting the insect P450 resistome
|
Insect resistance to synthetic insecticides and the anti-herbivore defence chemicals produced by many plants is an ongoing challenge to sustainable pest management while also an exceptional model system to study adaptive evolution. The cytochrome P450s are a superfamily of enzymes that are ubiquitous in nature, and one of the most important enzyme families used by insects to defend themselves against natural and synthetic xenobiotics. Insects have been shown to evolve resistance through quantitative changes in P450 expression or via qualitative changes in P450s that alter metabolic activity. Despite their importance in conferring resistance the variety of regulatory changes that modulate P450 expression in resistant insects and their relative frequency/impact is not fully understood. Furthermore, although qualitative changes in insect P450s associated with resistance are relatively rare they represent a unique opportunity to characterise insecticide/toxin binding and identify the critical structure/function determinants of the P450/insect toxin interaction.
In this project I will exploit cutting-edge advances in genomics, epigenetics and transgenics to study the insect P450 resistome in three main workpackages:
WP-1: Will identify the molecular drivers of quantitative changes to insect P450s.
WP-2: Will explore the role of qualitative changes in insect P450s in mediating resistance and identify structure/function determinants of insecticide metabolism.
WP-3: Will exploit the knowledge gained in WP1/2 and from previous research to deliver a ‘P450 toolkit’ consisting of in vitro and in vivo screening tools, with which to identify resistance breaking chemistry, and high-throughput diagnostics for use in resistance management.
In summary this project will provide novel insights into this important enzyme family and provide tools that can be used to develop new products and strategies that slow, prevent, or overcome resistance and so ensure sustainable crop protection
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering"
] |
10.1084/jem.20141271
|
Kidins220/ARMS binds to the B cell antigen receptor and regulates B cell development and activation
|
B cell antigen receptor (BCR) signaling is critical for B cell development and activation. Using mass spectrometry, we identified a protein kinase D–interacting substrate of 220 kD (Kidins220)/ankyrin repeat–rich membrane-spanning protein (ARMS) as a novel interaction partner of resting and stimulated BCR. Upon BCR stimulation, the interaction increases in a Src kinase–independent manner. By knocking down Kidins220 in a B cell line and generating a conditional B cell–specific Kidins220 knockout (B-KO) mouse strain, we show that Kidins220 couples the BCR to PLCγ2, Ca2+, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) signaling. Consequently, BCR-mediated B cell activation was reduced in vitro and in vivo upon Kidins220 deletion. Furthermore, B cell development was impaired at stages where pre-BCR or BCR signaling is required. Most strikingly, λ light chain–positive B cells were reduced sixfold in the B-KO mice, genetically placing Kidins220 in the PLCγ2 pathway. Thus, our data indicate that Kidins220 positively regulates pre-BCR and BCR functioning.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy"
] |
10.1016/j.sbi.2020.04.003
|
Practically useful protein-design methods combining phylogenetic and atomistic calculations
|
Our ability to design new or improved biomolecular activities depends on understanding the sequence-function relationships in proteins. The large size and fold complexity of most proteins, however, obscure these relationships, and protein-optimization methods continue to rely on laborious experimental iterations. Recently, a deeper understanding of the roles of stability-threshold effects and biomolecular epistasis in proteins has led to the development of hybrid methods that combine phylogenetic analysis with atomistic design calculations. These methods enable reliable and even single-step optimization of protein stability, expressibility, and activity in proteins that were considered outside the scope of computational design. Furthermore, ancestral-sequence reconstruction produces insights on missing links in the evolution of enzymes and binders that may be used in protein design. Through the combination of phylogenetic and atomistic calculations, the long-standing goal of general computational methods that can be universally applied to study and optimize proteins finally seems within reach.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
US 201615148806 A
|
Washing Machine and Driving Apparatus Thereof
|
A driving apparatus for a washing machine includes a single-phase outer rotor brushless motor and a driving wheel. The motor drives the driving wheel and includes a stator and a rotor. The stator includes a stator core and windings wound around the stator core. The rotor includes a rotor yoke, and a permanent magnet. An inner surface of the permanent magnet and an outer surface of a tooth tip are opposed to each other and define an uneven gap there between for allowing the rotor to rotate relative to the stator. A radial width of the gap associated with each magnetic pole progressively increases from a center portion toward circumferential ends of the magnetic pole, and a radial width of the gap associated with each magnetic pole is symmetrical with respect to a center axis of the magnetic pole along the circumferential direction.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
10.1002/hyp.11313
|
Using high-resolution isotope data and alternative calibration strategies for a tracer-aided runoff model in a nested catchment
|
Testing hydrological models over different spatio-temporal scales is important for both evaluating diagnostics and aiding process understanding. High-frequency (6-hr) stable isotope sampling of rainfall and runoff was undertaken during 3-week periods in summer and winter within 12 months of daily sampling in a 3. 2-km2 catchment in the Scottish Highlands. This was used to calibrate and test a tracer-aided model to assess the (a) information content of high-resolution data, (b) effect of different calibration strategies on simulations and inferred processes, and (c) model transferability to <1-km2 subcatchment. The 6-hourly data were successfully incorporated without loss of model performance, improving the temporal resolution of the modelling, and making it more relevant to the time dynamics of the isotope and hydrometric response. However, this added little new information due to old-water dominance and riparian mixing in this peatland catchment. Time variant results, from differential split sample testing, highlighted the importance of calibrating to a wide range of hydrological conditions. This also provided insights into the nonstationarity of catchment mixing processes, in relation to storage and water ages, which varied markedly depending on the calibration period. Application to the nested subcatchment produced equivalent parameterization and performance, highlighting similarity in dominant processes. The study highlighted the utility of high-resolution data in combination with tracer-aided models, applied at multiple spatial scales, as learning tools to enhance process understanding and evaluation of model behaviour across nonstationary conditions. This helps reveal more fully the catchment response in terms of the different mechanistic controls on both wave celerites and particle velocities.
|
[
"Earth System Science",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
] |
EP 09167892 A
|
Stabplate connections
|
An underwater stabplate connection is provided by lowering a counterbalanced first part (2) of the connection in a horizontal disposition by a lift line (6), the first part being attached to an umbilical (1). The first part of the connection mates with a second part (8) of the connection, the second part being attached to an underwater structure (9) such as a well tree.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
10.1007/s00334-012-0376-9
|
Is naked barley an eastern or a western crop? The combined evidence of archaeobotany and genetics
|
Forms of Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare (barley) that possess a naked caryopsis are an important human staple and are mainly found today in eastern Asia. However, naked barley has not always been an eastern crop: archaeobotanical data show that it was prevalent in Europe and the Near East during various periods in prehistory. In this review we have collated data on the incidence of hulled and naked barley at archaeological sites in Europe and the Near East from two sources: archaeobotanical literature reviews and an archaeobotanical database, both assembled by Helmut Kroll. We have also examined the incidence of hulled and naked barleys in extant germplasm collections. Our compilation of this archaeobotanical data has enabled us to elucidate long-term changes in the ratio of hulled to naked barley under cultivation in these regions; specifically, these records show that naked barley begins to disappear from the archaeobotanical record from the Chalcolithic/Bronze Age onwards in the Near East, and from the Iron Age/Roman periods onwards in Europe. We discuss the possible causes of this decline in naked barley cultivation in these regions, along with the present-day prevalence of naked barley landraces in eastern Asia, particularly in relation to genetic evidence, which shows that naked barley has a single origin.
|
[
"The Study of the Human Past",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
] |
10.1080/14036096.2014.947082
|
Centring Housing In Political Economy
|
AbstractThe issue of “housing” has generally not been granted an important role in post-war political economy. Housing-as-policy has been the preserve of social policy analysis and of a growing field of housing studies; housing-as-market has been confined to mainstream economics. This paper insists that political-economic analysis can no longer remain relatively indifferent to the housing question since housing is implicated in the contemporary capitalist political economy in numerous critical, connected and very often contradictory ways. The paper conceptualizes this implication by identifying the multiple roles of housing when “capital” – the essential “stuff” of political economy – is considered from the perspective of each of its three primary, mutually constitutive guises: as process of circulation, as social relation and as ideology. Mobilizing these three optics to provide a critical overall picture of housing-in-political-economy (more than a political economy of housing), we draw on and weave tog. . .
|
[
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
] |
10.1038/s41598-017-10783-3
|
A mutation in the melon Vacuolar Protein Sorting 41prevents systemic infection of Cucumber mosaic virus
|
In the melon exotic accession PI 161375, the gene cmv1, confers recessive resistance to Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) strains of subgroup II. cmv1 prevents the systemic infection by restricting the virus to the bundle sheath cells and impeding viral loading to the phloem. Here we report the fine mapping and cloning of cmv1. Screening of an F2 population reduced the cmv1 region to a 132 Kb interval that includes a Vacuolar Protein Sorting 41 gene. CmVPS41 is conserved among plants, animals and yeast and is required for post-Golgi vesicle trafficking towards the vacuole. We have validated CmVPS41 as the gene responsible for the resistance, both by generating CMV susceptible transgenic melon plants, expressing the susceptible allele in the resistant cultivar and by characterizing CmVPS41 TILLING mutants with reduced susceptibility to CMV. Finally, a core collection of 52 melon accessions allowed us to identify a single amino acid substitution (L348R) as the only polymorphism associated with the resistant phenotype. CmVPS41 is the first natural recessive resistance gene found to be involved in viral transport and its cellular function suggests that CMV might use CmVPS41 for its own transport towards the phloem.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy"
] |
10.1007/JHEP03(2015)143
|
Asymptotic Symmetries Of Three Dimensional Higher Spin Gravity The Metric Approach
|
The asymptotic structure of three-dimensional higher-spin anti-de Sitter gravity is analyzed in the metric approach, in which the fields are described by completely symmetric tensors and the dynamics is determined by the standard Einstein-Fronsdal action improved by higher order terms that secure gauge invariance. Precise boundary conditions are given on the fields. The asymptotic symmetries are computed and shown to form a non-linear W -algebra, in complete agreement with what was found in the Chern-Simons formulation. The W -symmetry generators are two-dimensional traceless and divergenceless rank-s symmetric tensor densities of weight s (s = 2, 3, · · · ), while asymptotic symmetries emerge at infinity through the conformal Killing vector and conformal Killing tensor equations on the two-dimensional boundary, the solution space of which is infinite-dimensional. For definiteness, only the spin 3 and spin 4 cases are considered, but these illustrate the features of the general case: emergence of the W -extended conformal structure, importance of the improvement terms in the action that maintain gauge invariance, necessity of the higher spin gauge transformations of the metric, role of field redefinitions.
|
[
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter",
"Mathematics"
] |
10.1002/pro.3126
|
Incorporating an allosteric regulatory site in an antibody through backbone design
|
Allosteric regulation underlies living cells' ability to sense changes in nutrient and signaling-molecule concentrations, but the ability to computationally design allosteric regulation into non-allosteric proteins has been elusive. Allosteric-site design is complicated by the requirement to encode the relative stabilities of active and inactive conformations of the same protein in the presence and absence of both ligand and effector. To address this challenge, we used Rosetta to design the backbone of the flexible heavy-chain complementarity-determining region 3 (HCDR3), and used geometric matching and sequence optimization to place a Zn2+-coordination site in a fluorescein-binding antibody. We predicted that due to HCDR3's flexibility, the fluorescein-binding pocket would configure properly only upon Zn2+ application. We found that regulation by Zn2+ was reversible and sensitive to the divalent ion's identity, and came at the cost of reduced antibody stability and fluorescein-binding affinity. Fluorescein bound at an order of magnitude higher affinity in the presence of Zn2+ than in its absence, and the increase in fluorescein affinity was due almost entirely to faster fluorescein on-rate, suggesting that Zn2+ preorganized the antibody for fluorescein binding. Mutation analysis demonstrated the extreme sensitivity of Zn2+ regulation on the atomic details in and around the metal-coordination site. The designed antibody could serve to study how allosteric regulation evolved from non-allosteric binding proteins, and suggests a way to designing molecular sensors for environmental and biomedical targets.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
] |
10.1051/0004-6361/201423800
|
Ip Eridani A Surprising Long Period Binary System Hosting A He White Dwarf
|
We determine the orbital elements for the K0 IV + white dwarf (WD) system IP Eri, which appears to have a surprisingly long period of 1071 d and a significant eccentricity of 0. 25. Previous spectroscopic analyses of the WD, based on a distance of 101 pc inferred from its Hipparcos parallax, yielded a mass of only 0. 43 M⊙, implying it to be a helium-core WD. The orbital properties of IP Eri are similar to those of the newly discovered long-period subdwarf B star (sdB) binaries, which involve stars with He-burning cores surrounded by extremely thin H envelopes, and are therefore close relatives to He WDs. We performed a spectroscopic analysis of high-resolution spectra from the HERMES/Mercator spectrograph and concluded that the atmospheric parameters of the K0 component are Teff = 4960 K, log g = 3. 3, [Fe/H] = 0. 09 and ξ = 1. 5 km s-1. The detailed abundance analysis focuses on C, N, O abundances, carbon isotopic ratio, light (Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Ti) and s-process (Sr, Y, Zr, Ba, La, Ce, Nd) elements. We conclude that IP Eri abundances agree with those of normal field stars of the same metallicity. The long period and non-null eccentricity indicate that this system cannot be the end product of a common-envelope phase; it calls instead for another less catastrophic binary-evolution channel presented in detail in a companion paper.
|
[
"Universe Sciences",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
10.5194/acp-13-10285-2013
|
The analysis of size-segregated cloud condensation nuclei counter (CCNC) data and its implications for cloud droplet activation
|
Abstract. Ambient aerosol, CCN (cloud condensation nuclei) and hygroscopic properties were measured with a size-segregated CCNC (cloud condensation nuclei counter) in a boreal environment of southern Finland at the SMEAR (Station for Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations) II station. The instrumental setup operated at five levels of supersaturation S covering a range from 0. 1–1% and measured particles with a size range of 20–300 nm; a total of 29 non-consecutive months of data are presented. The median critical diameter Dc ranged from 150 nm at S of 0. 1% to 46 nm at S of 1. 0%. The median aerosol hygroscopicity parameter κ ranged from 0. 41 at S of 0. 1% to 0. 14 at S of 1. 0%, indicating that ambient aerosol in Hyytiälä is less hygroscopic than the global continental or European continental averages. It is, however, more hygroscopic than the ambient aerosol in an Amazon rainforest, a European high Alpine site or a forested mountainous site. A fairly low hygroscopicity in Hyytiälä is likely a result of a large organic fraction present in the aerosol mass comparative to other locations within Europe. A considerable difference in particle hygroscopicity was found between particles smaller and larger than ~100 nm in diameter, possibly pointing out to the effect of cloud processing increasing κ of particles > 100 nm in diameter. The hygroscopicity of the smaller, ~50 nm particles did not change seasonally, whereas particles with a diameter of ~150 nm showed a decreased hygroscopicity in the summer, likely resulting from the increased VOC emissions of the surrounding boreal forest and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. For the most part, no diurnal patterns of aerosol hygroscopic properties were found. Exceptions to this were the weak diurnal patterns of small, ~50 nm particles in the spring and summer, when a peak in hygroscopicity around noon was observed. No difference in CCN activation and hygroscopic properties was found on days with or without atmospheric new particle formation. During all seasons, except summer, a CCN-inactive fraction was found to be present, rendering the aerosol of 75–300 nm in diameter as internally mixed in the summer and not internally mixed for the rest of the year.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Earth System Science"
] |
980925
|
The first percutaneous paddle lead for spinal cord stimulation (scs)
|
Chronic Pain is one of the most common conditions for which people seek medical attention: around 20% of adult Europeans and 27% of the US are affected with moderate to severe intensity by such syndrome. Chronic pain has serious impacts on their quality of life, including impaired physical and social functioning and reduced vitality, while being also very costly, estimated to be as much as €300 billion/year in EU only!
Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) is a chronic pain relief technique that delivers low-voltage electrical current pulses to the spinal cord to block the sensation of pain. It is the most commonly used implantable neuromodulation technology for the management of pain syndromes. However, this method is hindered by the available leads, which are bulky, stiff, with poor stretching and bending properties, affecting performance, precise positioning and allowing the migration of the electrode over time – thus requiring additional surgery intervention for repositioning.
The Percutaneous SCS Paddle Lead (PercPad) proposed by WISE is a “Breakthrough Product” with the potential to revolutionize the neuromodulation scenario. PercPad is a foldable paddle requiring the same implanting technique of percutaneous leads but with the properties of surgical paddles. It addresses a key market need within the segment of the growing neuromodulation market (to reach €1.95 Billion by 2021) and may be potentially applied in the future to other sectors where implantable medical devices with electrodes are employed, e.g. the cardiostimulation sector.
The goal of the current Phase 1 is to conclude the feasibility assessment of the PercPad in order to validate from a technical, regulatory and commercial perspective its ability to reach the market. This activity will supplement €2.1M worth of work already invested in the project. Within a 5-year period after the launch, WISE expects to generate a cumulative revenue over €37M respectively.
|
[
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
10.1016/j.seppur.2015.07.019
|
Removal of VOCs at trace concentration levels from humid air by Microwave Swing Adsorption, kinetics and proper sorbent selection
|
Microwave Swing Adsorption, MWSA, is already established as an alternative way of heating and regenerating solids efficiently in adsorption operations. When zeolites are used for MWSA applications it becomes necessary to tailor the zeolite properties towards microwave heating while at the same time aiming to obtain the highest adsorption capacity and selectivity. These objectives may in some cases be contradictory. In this paper the adsorption of binary mixtures of n-hexane (500 ppm) and water (15,000 ppm) in air, together with the regeneration of the sorbents using microwaves is studied for three commercial, faujasite Y type zeolites: NaY, HY and DAY. In the Henry regime for adsorption of low concentrations of n-hexane, the Na exchanged zeolite shows the higher affinity for the n-hexane. However, when the binary mixtures are considered DAY zeolite, with higher Si/Al ratio, is more selective towards the adsorption of the alkane. During microwave heating of zeolites, the water adsorbed, the mobile cations of the zeolite framework and the hydroxyl groups on the surface of the zeolite contribute to the absorption of microwave energy. Both heating and desorption are considerably faster using MW, compared to conventional heating. The DAY zeolite with a Si/Al = 40 has been found excellent candidate material for MWSA of n-hexane in binary mixtures with water, since it combines good adsorption capacity and efficient interaction with microwaves.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
10.1038/nphys3675
|
Directed percolation phase transition to sustained turbulence in Couette flow
|
Turbulence is one of the most frequently encountered non-equilibrium phenomena in nature, yet characterizing the transition that gives rise to turbulence in basic shear flows has remained an elusive task. Although, in recent studies, critical points marking the onset of sustained turbulence have been determined for several such flows, the physical nature of the transition could not be fully explained. In extensive experimental and computational studies we show for the example of Couette flow that the onset of turbulence is a second-order phase transition and falls into the directed percolation universality class. Consequently, the complex laminar-turbulent patterns distinctive for the onset of turbulence in shear flows result from short-range interactions of turbulent domains and are characterized by universal critical exponents. More generally, our study demonstrates that even high-dimensional systems far from equilibrium such as turbulence exhibit universality at onset and that here the collective dynamics obeys simple rules.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics"
] |
10.1038/nn.4303
|
Spatially segregated feedforward and feedback neurons support differential odor processing in the lateral entorhinal cortex
|
The lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) computes and transfers olfactory information from the olfactory bulb to the hippocampus. Here we established LEC connectivity to upstream and downstream brain regions to understand how the LEC processes olfactory information. We report that, in layer II (LII), reelin- and calbindin-positive (RE+ and CB+) neurons constitute two major excitatory cell types that are electrophysiologically distinct and differentially connected. RE+ neurons convey information to the hippocampus, while CB+ neurons project to the olfactory cortex and the olfactory bulb. In vivo calcium imaging revealed that RE+ neurons responded with higher selectivity to specific odors than CB+ neurons and GABAergic neurons. At the population level, odor discrimination was significantly better for RE+ than CB+ neurons, and was lowest for GABAergic neurons. Thus, we identified in LII of the LEC anatomically and functionally distinct neuronal subpopulations that engage differentially in feedforward and feedback signaling during odor processing.
|
[
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
] |
W2110975861
|
The Yin and Yang of processing data warehousing queries on GPU devices
|
Database community has made significant research efforts to optimize query processing on GPUs in the past few years. However, we can hardly find that GPUs have been truly adopted in major warehousing production systems. Preparing to merge GPUs to the warehousing systems, we have identified and addressed several critical issues in a three-dimensional study of warehousing queries on GPUs by varying query characteristics, software techniques, and GPU hardware configurations. We also propose an analytical model to understand and predict the query performance on GPUs. Based on our study, we present our performance insights for warehousing query execution on GPUs. The objective of our work is to provide a comprehensive guidance for GPU architects, software system designers, and database practitioners to narrow the speed gap between the GPU kernel execution (the fast mode) and data transfer to prepare GPU execution (the slow mode) for high performance in processing data warehousing queries. The GPU query engine developed in this work is open source to the public.
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
10.1177/0162243919828107
|
Science And Technology Studies In Policy The Uk Synthetic Biology Roadmap
|
In this paper, we reflect on our experience as Science and Technology Studies (STS) researchers who were members of the working group that produced A Synthetic Biology Roadmap for the UK in 2012. We explore how this initiative sought to govern an uncertain future, and describe how it was successfully used to mobilize public funds for synthetic biology from the UK government. We discuss our attempts to incorporate the insights and sensibilities of STS into the policy process, and why we chose to use the concept of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) to do so. We analyze how the roadmapping process, and the final report, narrowed and transformed our contributions to the Roadmap. We show how difficult it is for STS researchers to influence policy when our ideas challenge deeply entrenched pervasive assumptions, framings and narratives about how technological innovation necessarily leads to economic progress, about public reticence as a roadblock to that progress, and about the supposed separation between science and society. We end by reflecting on the constraints under which we were operating from the outset, and on the challenges for STS in policy.
|
[
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering"
] |
788793
|
Unveiling the relationship between brain connectivity and function by integrated photonics
|
I will address the fundamental question of which is the role of neuron activity and plasticity in information elaboration and storage in the brain. I, together with an interdisciplinary team, will develop a hybrid neuro-morphic computing platform. Integrated photonic circuits will be interfaced to both electronic circuits and neuronal circuits (in vitro experiments) to emulate brain functions and develop schemes able to supplement (backup) neuronal functions. The photonic network is based on massive reconfigurable matrices of nonlinear nodes formed by microring resonators, which enter in regime of self-pulsing and chaos by positive optical feedback. These networks resemble human brain. I will push this analogy further by interfacing the photonic network with neurons making hybrid network. By using optogenetics, I will control the synaptic strengthen-ing and the neuron activity. Deep learning algorithms will model the biological network functionality, initial-ly within a separate artificial network and, then, in an integrated hybrid artificial-biological network.
My project aims at:
1. Developing a photonic integrated reservoir-computing network (RCN);
2. Developing dynamic memories in photonic integrated circuits using RCN;
3. Developing hybrid interfaces between a neuronal network and a photonic integrated circuit;
4. Developing a hybrid electronic, photonic and biological network that computes jointly;
5. Addressing neuronal network activity by photonic RCN to simulate in vitro memory storage and retrieval;
6. Elaborating the signal from RCN and neuronal circuits in order to cope with plastic changes in pathologi-cal brain conditions such as amnesia and epilepsy.
The long-term vision is that hybrid neuromorphic photonic networks will (a) clarify the way brain thinks, (b) compute beyond von Neumann, and (c) control and supplement specific neuronal functions.
|
[
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
] |
CA 2275361 A
|
MAKE-UP COMPACT WITH SEALING JOINT
|
L'invention est relative à un boîtier comportant un couvercle et un corps de boîtier ajouré, recevant une réserve de produit contenue dans une coupelle. Il comporte un joint d'étanchéité (6) assujetti à la coupelle (5) et s'appliquant de manière étanche sur le corps de boîtier (2).
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
10.1038/ng.874
|
A20 (TNFAIP3) deficiency in myeloid cells triggers erosive polyarthritis resembling rheumatoid arthritis
|
A20 (TNFAIP3) is a protein that is involved in the negative feedback regulation of NF-°B signaling in response to specific proinflammatory stimuli in different cell types and has been suggested as a susceptibility gene for rheumatoid arthritis. To define the contribution of A20 to rheumatoid arthritis pathology, we generated myeloid-specific A20-deficient mice and show that specific ablation of Tnfaip3 in myeloid cells results in spontaneous development of a severe destructive polyarthritis with many features of rheumatoid arthritis. Myeloid-A20-deficient mice have high levels of inflammatory cytokines in their serum, consistent with a sustained NF-°B activation and higher TNF production by macrophages. Destructive polyarthritis in myeloid A20 knockout mice was TLR4-MyD88 and IL-6 dependent but was TNF independent. Myeloid A20 deficiency also promoted osteoclastogenesis in mice. Together, these observations indicate a critical and cell-specific function for A20 in the etiology of rheumatoid arthritis, supporting the idea of developing A20 modulatory drugs as cell-targeted therapies.
|
[
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
] |
10.3982/ECTA11455
|
A Theory Of The Stakeholder Corporation
|
There is a widely held view within the general public that large corporations should act in the interests of a broader group of agents than just their shareholders (the stakeholder view). This paper presents a framework where this idea can be justified. The point of departure is the observation that a large firm typically faces endogenous risks that may have a significant impact on the workers it employs and the consumers it serves. These risks generate externalities on these stakeholders which are not internalized by shareholders. As a result, in the competitive equilibrium, there is under-investment in the prevention of these risks. We suggest that this under-investment problem can be alleviated if firms are instructed to maximize the total welfare of their stakeholders rather than shareholder value alone (stakeholder equilibrium). The stakeholder equilibrium can be implemented by introducing new property rights (employee rights and consumer rights) and instructing managers to maximize the total value of the firm (the value of these rights plus shareholder value). If there is only one firm, the stakeholder equilibrium is Pareto optimal. However, this is not true with more than one firm and/or heterogeneous agents, which illustrates some of the limits of the stakeholder model.
|
[
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
] |
10.1145/2480359.2429087
|
Abstract Conflict Driven Learning
|
Modern satisfiability solvers implement an algorithm, called Conflict Driven Clause Learning, which combines search for a model with analysis of conflicts. We show that this algorithm can be genera. . .
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
759082
|
Topology of moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces
|
The proposal describes two main projects. Both of them concern cohomology of moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces, but the aims are rather different.
The first is a natural continuation of my work on tautological rings, which I intend to work on with Qizheng Yin and Mehdi Tavakol. In this project, we will introduce a new perspective on tautological rings, which is that the tautological cohomology of moduli spaces of pointed Riemann surfaces can be described in terms of tautological cohomology of the moduli space M_g, but with twisted coefficients. In the cases we have been able to compute so far, the tautological cohomology with twisted coefficients is always much simpler to understand, even though it “contains the same information”. In particular we hope to be able to find a systematic way of analyzing the consequences of the recent conjecture that Pixton’s relations are all relations between tautological classes; until now, most concrete consequences of Pixton’s conjecture have been found via extensive computer calculations, which are feasible only when the genus and number of markings is small.
The second project has a somewhat different flavor, involving operads and periods of moduli spaces, and builds upon recent work of myself with Johan Alm, who I will continue to collaborate with. This work is strongly informed by Brown’s breakthrough results relating mixed motives over Spec(Z) and multiple zeta values to the periods of moduli spaces of genus zero Riemann surfaces. In brief, Brown introduced a partial compactification of the moduli space M_{0,n} of n-pointed genus zero Riemann surfaces; we have shown that the spaces M_{0,n} and these partial compactifications are connected by a form of dihedral Koszul duality. It seems likely that this Koszul duality should have further ramifications in the study of multiple zeta values and periods of these spaces; optimistically, this could lead to new irrationality results for multiple zeta values.
|
[
"Mathematics"
] |
US 2007/0065014 W
|
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FORMING A NON-CIRCULAR BOREHOLE
|
System and methods for creating shaped, non-circular boreholes in rocks especially for use with geothermal heat pump applications and for increasing wellbore support in applications such as horizontal oil and gas drilling are described. The systems and methods when applied to geothermal heat pumps create an elliptical shaped hole that is optimized for placing heat transfer tubes with a minimum of grout used. The significantly reduced cross-sectional area of the elliptical borehole also increases the overall drilling rate in rock and especially in hard rocks. In horizontal hard-rock drilling, creation of a horizontal non-circular borehole or modification of a circular borehole to a non-circular geometry is used to stabilize the borehole prior to casing insertion, and may also allow the use of lower mud pressures improving drilling rates. The system uses a non-contacting drilling system which in one embodiment uses a supersonic flame jet drilling system with a movable nozzle that swings between pivot points. In a second embodiment the elliptical shaped hole is created by an abrasive fluid or particle bearing-fluid or air jet drill that moves between pivot points. In another embodiment a non-contacting drill can use dual parallel nutating nozzles that create a pair of overlapping circular holes. The non-circular shaped hole is created by either the high temperature flame or water-particle jet or chemically active fluid jet as it removes rock material by erosion, dissolution and or thermal spalling. Modifications of circular boreholes to a generally elliptical shape can also be done using milling or jetting techniques.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Earth System Science"
] |
891610
|
Safe and sensible tissue graspers for pediatric and (mini-)laparoscopic surgery
|
Laparoscopic surgery is the most common surgical intervention with over 15 million procedures performed annually worldwide. Most recently, the Dutch Healthcare Inspectorate shocked the medical community when discovering the risk of patient complications is 2-4% higher per laparoscopic operation as compared to its outdated equivalent, open abdominal surgery. Patient post-operative complications are the most costly of medical errors, increasing hospital costs by € 15 Billion per year in EU/US, with €6 Billion directly contributed by 5 laparoscopic procedures. Clinical research acknowledges that state-of-the-art graspers lack force feedback capabilities, which is responsible for accidental tissue trauma, a primary factor of post-operative complications. In fact, it is observed that 38% of all grasper movements are unsuccessful, meaning the surgeon is unable to perform the desired action without repeated clamping, slip, or obvious tissue trauma. MMI is commercializing a new line of force feedback surgical graspers that replaces the root technology of state-of-the-art to address the immediate clinical needs, while converging onto three business trends in the market. The SensAtouch grasper is more sensitive, cost effective, and can be diametrically miniaturised without loss of performance. The SensAtouch technology operates on the same working principles as state-of-the-art instruments and is attachable onto the vast majority of commercially-available grasper handles. Therefore, this innovation will disrupt the laparoscopic device market by enhancing safety and effectiveness, while maintaining operating room dynamics and medical device supply chains. The SensAtouch grasper can be procured without added costs to the hospital, while reducing post-operative complication costs up to € 6 Billion in the EU/US annually. The entry market of pediatric surgery opens direct access into the mini- and general laparoscopic device markets valued globally at € 8.9 billion in 2017.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
10.1145/2393596.2393664
|
Conditional Model Checking A Technique To Pass Information Between Verifiers
|
Software model checking, as an undecidable problem, has three possible outcomes: (1) the program satisfies the specification, (2) the program does not satisfy the specification, and (3) the model checker fails. The third outcome usually manifests itself in a space-out, time-out, or one component of the verification tool giving up; in all of these failing cases, significant computation is performed by the verification tool before the failure, but no result is reported. We propose to reformulate the model-checking problem as follows, in order to have the verification tool report a summary of the performed work even in case of failure: given a program and a specification, the model checker returns a condition Ψ ---usually a state predicate--- such that the program satisfies the specification under the condition Ψ ---that is, as long as the program does not leave the states in which Ψ is satisfied. In our experiments, we investigated as one major application of conditional model checking the sequential combination of model checkers with information passing. We give the condition that one model checker produces, as input to a second conditional model checker, such that the verification problem for the second is restricted to the part of the state space that is not covered by the condition, i. e. , the second model checker works on the problems that the first model checker could not solve. Our experiments demonstrate that repeated application of conditional model checkers, passing information from one model checker to the next, can significantly improve the verification results and performance, i. e. , we can now verify programs that we could not verify before.
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
10.1021/nn402927q
|
In situ observations of the atomistic mechanisms of Ni catalyzed low temperature graphene growth
|
The key atomistic mechanisms of graphene formation on Ni for technologically relevant hydrocarbon exposures below 600 C are directly revealed via complementary in situ scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. For clean Ni(111) below 500 C, two different surface carbide (Ni2C) conversion mechanisms are dominant which both yield epitaxial graphene, whereas above 500 C, graphene predominantly grows directly on Ni(111) via replacement mechanisms leading to embedded epitaxial and/or rotated graphene domains. Upon cooling, additional carbon structures form exclusively underneath rotated graphene domains. The dominant graphene growth mechanism also critically depends on the near-surface carbon concentration and hence is intimately linked to the full history of the catalyst and all possible sources of contamination. The detailed XPS fingerprinting of these processes allows a direct link to high pressure XPS measurements of a wide range of growth conditions, including polycrystalline Ni catalysts and recipes commonly used in industrial reactors for graphene and carbon nanotube CVD. This enables an unambiguous and consistent interpretation of prior literature and an assessment of how the quality/structure of as-grown carbon nanostructures relates to the growth modes.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
10.1111/1365-2664.12159
|
Understanding The Effects Of A New Grazing Policy The Impact Of Seasonal Grazing On Shrub Demography In The Inner Mongolian Steppe
|
1. Grazing by livestock is a common land use in arid and semi-arid areas. Developing sustainable grazing regimes that conserve vegetation and maintain productivity is therefore important in these ecosystems. To solve environmental problems induced by overgrazing in Chinese semi-arid regions, the Chinese government has recently implemented a new policy of seasonal grazing, with no grazing from April to July. While this policy has been implemented in huge areas, its consequences for grazed plant populations have not been assessed so far. 2. We evaluated the demographic consequences of seasonal grazing for Caragana intermedia, a long-lived dominant shrub serving as a main food source for livestock in Inner Mongolia, China. Controlled seasonally grazed and ungrazed populations were monitored during 2007–2009, and their vital rates were compared. We then constructed integral projection models (IPMs) to analyse the effects of seasonal grazing on population dynamics. 3. Seasonal grazing negatively affected two vital rates: seedling survival and seedling recruitment were 25–71% and 69–91% lower in the seasonally grazed treatment than in the ungrazed situation, respectively. Seasonal grazing had a minimal effect on adult survival and growth, but improved juvenile survival by 8–31%. 4. Despite its effects on several vital rates, seasonal grazing did not significantly affect long-term population growth rates (? ), which remained close to unity in both grazed and ungrazed areas based on deterministic and stochastic analyses. An elasticity analysis showed that population growth rate was mainly governed by the high survival of large adults. Results of Life Table Response Experiments (LTREs) revealed that variation in population growth rates across treatments and years was more strongly governed by temporal differences than by grazing. 5. Synthesis and applications. Our study showed that the relatively large changes in vital rates induced by seasonal grazing did not affect population growth rates. Caragana intermedia populations can be sustained under the seasonal grazing regime probably because the grazing intensity is moderate and because this species has a high probability of adult survival under grazing. Plant species with similar life-history traits to C. intermedia are likely to offer good opportunities for sustainable seasonal grazing regimes in arid and semi-arid inland ecosystems
|
[
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Earth System Science"
] |
Q2693813
|
Increasing the competitive advantage of Bratbud through the design development strategy
|
The subject of the project will be the development of a design audit at the “Bratbud” company, which will result in the creation of a design strategy. The project will enable the development of innovative solutions in the context of the company’s current activity, as well as the development of strategic development directions that are crucial for the company’s future. As part of the preparation of this project, the Service Contractor has been selected, who has the required documented experience in carrying out design audits and designing and implementing design strategies. The contractor will also be responsible for developing a coherent and reliable business model using the recommendations contained in the design strategy. All activities in the project will be carried out in close cooperation with the owners of the Company. Key elements of the project: — the Company’s design analysis in terms of its product offer, existing business models, definition of current design problems, assessment of the level of use of design in the company, the current characteristics of the company, technology, organizational structure, communication processes, applied marketing strategy, customer characteristics, competition and competitive environment, key industry trends, analysis of the needs in the field of design management, analysis of the offer in terms of the use of the design and market potential of the Company. — development of a design strategy – including, among others, the characteristics of the company and a description of its environment in terms of design, customers and competition, presentation of market trends, assessment of the level of use of the design in the Company’s operations and its potential, definition of identified design problems along with solutions and recommendations for further activities of the company. The expected date of implementation of the project is: 01.01.- 30.06.2020.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
] |
W2035323134
|
Managing disruption in an imperfect production–inventory system
|
A new real-time disruption recovery plan is developed.An imperfect production-inventory system is considered.A new mathematical and dynamic solution approach is developed for managing disruptions.We solved the problem for the both single and multiple disruptions on a real-time basis.We compared the results for a good number of randomly generated disruption test problems. In this paper, a disruption recovery model is developed for an imperfect single-stage production-inventory system. For it, the system may unexpectedly face either a single disruption or a mix of multiple dependent and/or independent disruptions. The system is usually run according to a user defined production-inventory policy. We have formulated a mathematical model for rescheduling the production plan, after the occurrence of a single disruption, which maximizes the total profit during the recovery time window. The model thereby generates a revised plan after the occurrence of the disruption. The mathematical model, developed for a single disruption, is solved by using both a pattern search and a genetic algorithm, and the results are compared using a good number of randomly generated disruption test problems. We also consider multiple disruptions, that occur one after another as a series, for which a new occurrence may or may not affect the revised plan of earlier occurrences. We have developed a new dynamic solution approach that is capable of dealing with multiple disruptions on a real-time basis. Some numerical examples and a set of sensitivity analysis are presented to explain the usefulness and benefits of the developed model. The proposed quantitative approach helps decision makers to make prompt and accurate decisions for managing disruption.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
10.5252/az2017n2a4
|
The worked bone industry and intrusive fauna associated with the prehistoric cave burials of Abri des Autours (Belgium)
|
The excavation of the Abri des Autours, a rock-shelter located in southern Belgium, enabled the discovery of three human burials, two dated to the Early Mesolithic and a third dated to the Middle Neolithic. In addition to the human bones, more than 200 faunal remains were uncovered. A taphonomic analysis was undertaken to determine whether their presence resulted from anthropogenic activities and whether they are linked to the burials. Two assemblages were distinguished. The majority of the fauna corresponds to remains of animals found scattered throughout the cave, including in the Mesolithic levels. These are mainly portions of carcasses brought in to the rockshelter by scavengers or predators. Therefore, their deposition did not result from human activity. Thus far, no animal bone had been found in direct association with Mesolithic burials in Belgium, and this site conforms to that pattern. Moreover, this interpretation corroborates the archaeological study, which did not uncover any traces of domestic activity in the cave, during either the Mesolithic or the Neolithic. On the other hand, several bone artefacts, including various tools and a pendant, were also identified. With the exception of an isolated artefact, all of these were clearly associated with the Middle Neolithic burial (Michelsberg culture). This is only the fourth Neolithic cave burial to have yielded animal bone artefacts in Belgium. A preliminary micro-wear analysis has confirmed that these objects had been used before being deposited and has allowed us to propose several hypotheses concerning their original use.
|
[
"The Study of the Human Past",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
] |
10.1364/CLEO_AT.2016.AM2J.6
|
Ultrafast Electrooptic Dual Comb Interferometry Over 40 Nm Bandwidth
|
We combine dual-comb interferometry with coherent nonlinear spectral broadening. We show high-speed (sub-millisecond) mode-resolved electric-field complex measurements of 25 GHz electrooptic frequency combs spanning the whole C band (1530–1565 nm).
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
10.1111/jcms.12815
|
Equality of Opportunity in a European Social Market Economy
|
This article investigates what role the ideal of equality of opportunity should play in a European social market economy (ESME). After defining ‘social market economy’ and sketching different conceptions of equality of opportunity, it is argued that a social market economy must implement a substantive version of equality of opportunity. Subsequent sections assess how such a robust version needs adaptation in light of the EU's special nature: first, it assesses the merits of a direct transnational application of interpersonal substantive equality. Second, it considers what the ideal requires in a ESME understood along internationalist lines: even on this account, labour mobility creates tensions between EU citizens' claims to equal prospective chances in a fair cross-border competition against each state's prerogative of providing the highest level of education to its residents. The concluding section offers some suggestions how we might alleviate this tension between domestic equality of opportunity and national autonomy.
|
[
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
] |
10.1016/j.celrep.2017.12.037
|
Characterizing ZC3H18, a Multi-domain Protein at the Interface of RNA Production and Destruction Decisions
|
Nuclear RNA metabolism is influenced by protein complexes connecting to both RNA-productive and -destructive pathways. The ZC3H18 protein binds the cap-binding complex (CBC), universally present on capped RNAs, while also associating with the nuclear exosome targeting (NEXT) complex, linking to RNA decay. To dissect ZC3H18 function, we conducted interaction screening and mutagenesis of the protein, which revealed a phosphorylation-dependent isoform. Surprisingly, the modified region of ZC3H18 associates with core histone proteins. Further examination of ZC3H18 function, by genome-wide analyses, demonstrated its impact on transcription of a subset of protein-coding genes. This activity requires the CBC-interacting domain of the protein, with some genes being also dependent on the NEXT- and/or histone-interacting domains. Our data shed light on the domain requirements of a protein positioned centrally in nuclear RNA metabolism, and they suggest that post-translational modification may modulate its function. The ZC3H18 protein is involved in RNA decay mediated by the CBC-NEXT complex. Winczura et al. identify a phosphorylation-dependent interaction of ZC3H18 with histones, and they find separate CBCA-, NEXT-, and histone-binding domains. They suggest a role for ZC3H18 in mRNA biogenesis, which for some genes is independent of its role in RNA decay.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
W1981475859
|
Ethylene-regulated (methylsulfanyl)alkanoate ester biosynthesis is likely to be modulated by precursor availability in Actinidia chinensis genotypes
|
The limiting steps of ethylene-dependent (methylsulfanyl)alkanoate ester biosynthesis have been investigated in this study, using closely related Actinidia chinensis genotypes and the commercial cultivar 'Hort16A'. Quantification of methylsulfanyl-compounds from the headspace of ethylene-producing kiwifruits revealed little variation in their volatile composition but remarkable differences in the magnitude of the fruit volatile levels. To test whether the variations in fruit volatile levels can be correlated with the genotype-specific apparent catalytic efficiency, the initial slope of the substrate response curve (V'(Max)K(M)(-1) where V'(Max) is the apparent V(Max) in a crude extract) was evaluated for total alcohol acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.84) activity. The V'(Max)K(M)(-1) values of different (methylsulfanyl)alkyl-CoAs were in a similar range for most genotypes, which suggests substrate availability as the limiting factor for (methylsulfanyl)alkanoate ester synthesis in these kiwifruit. Furthermore, gene expression analysis of acyltransferase expressed sequence tags points towards the action of multiple isozymes for (methylsulfanyl)alkanoate ester synthesis, emphasizing the central role of substrate levels on final ester concentrations. Volatile levels of the potential precursor methional were increased in ethylene-producing A. chinensis kiwifruit and a close connection between (methylsulfanyl)alkanoate ester formation and ethylene synthesis in plants is proposed. Finally, a possible biosynthetic pathway is presented.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
] |
W4283257170
|
La literatura fantástica de César Vallejo: marginalidad y política «Los Cayanas»
|
La producción literaria de César Vallejo incluye una novela breve de carácter fantástico, Fabla Salvaje, y otros cuentos del mismo género, como «Los caynas», recogidos en 1923 en la segunda parte de la colección de cuentos Escalas. La primera parte del volumen, en cambio, es una muestra de la literatura carcelaria de Vallejo, escrita y publicada entre las paredes de la penitenciaría de Trujillo, donde permaneció preso de noviembre de 1920 a febrero de 1921. El objetivo de este artículo es detectar la relación entre los elementos ficcionales de la producción fantástica de Vallejo y los discursos sobre la exclusión de la otredad del proyecto modernizador y la construcción de una separación social racializada.
|
[
"The Study of the Human Past",
"Texts and Concepts"
] |
185030
|
Selection to outsmart the germs: the evolution of disease recognition and social cognition
|
An astounding example of human social complexity is the global healthcare industry, in which we perform lifesaving surgeries, eradicate childhood diseases, provide global vaccinations, and track the evolution and outbreak of novel zoonotic diseases. Surprisingly, all of this hinges on a cognitive ability whose evolutionary origins are largely unknown: the ability to recognize disease in others. Under the mentorship of Dr Joanna Setchell (Durham University), a world-leading expert in primate disease signalling, Dr Sharon Kessler (fellow) will test her novel hypothesis that disease recognition evolved in associate with social cognition the primate order before the divergence of the human lineage. This multidisciplinary project integrates anthropology, psychology, and parasitology to test 1) whether a nonhuman primate signals infection status using visual, acoustic, and olfactory cues, 2) whether primates use these cues to recognize disease in others, and 3) whether disease recognition correlates with accepted measures of primate social cognition. The objectives will be achieved by taking photos, recording vocalisations, and collecting odour samples from semi-free ranging mandrills, Mandrillus sphinx, at the Centre International de Recherches Médicales mandrill colony in Gabon before and after treatment with anti-parasite medications. The photos, vocalisations, and odour samples will be presented to captive mandrills at the Colchester Zoo in the UK to test whether they spend different amounts of time investigating stimuli from parasitised and nonparasitised individuals. Performances on these disease recognition tests will be compared with performances in social cognition on the state-of-the-art Primate Cognition Test Battery. This innovative, multidisciplinary study increases the international networks of the participants, provides Kessler with cutting edge training, and breaks new ground on the role of disease in the evolution of primate, including human, cognition.
|
[
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy"
] |
10.1109/LCOMM.2016.2598326
|
Joint Dimming Control And Transceiver Design For Mimo Aided Visible Light Communication
|
The multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) concept has been readily invoked in visible light communication (VLC) for increasing data rate. In this letter, we conceive a general solution of dimming control and MIMO transceiver design for VLC, which is capable of minimizing the mean-squared error between the transmitted and received signals, while at the same time, maintaining a specific indoor illumination level. We take into consideration practical optical constraints in the design, including the LED non-linearity and the specific dimming requirements. An efficient solution of our design problem is derived by conceiving a projected gradient algorithm. Our numerical results show that the proposed scheme achieves better bit error rate performance as well as significantly higher convergence speed than its benchmarker conceived in 2015.
|
[
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
291319
|
Addressing global sustainability challenges by changing perceptions in catalyst design
|
One of the greatest challenges facing society is the sustainability of resources. At present, a step change in the sustainable use of resources is needed and catalysis lies at the heart of the solution by providing new routes to carbon dioxide mitigation, energy security and water conservation. It is clear that new high efficiency game-changing catalysts are required to meet the challenge. This proposal will focus on excellence in catalyst design by learning from recent step change advances in gold catalysis by challenging perceptions. Intense interest in gold catalysts over the past two decades has accelerated our understanding of gold particle-size effects, gold-support and gold-metal interactions, the interchange between atomic and ionic gold species, and the role of the gold-support interface in creating and maintaining catalytic activity. The field has also driven the development of cutting-edge techniques, particularly in microscopy and transient kinetics, providing detailed structural characterisation on the nano-scale and probing the short-range and often short-lived interactions. By comparison, our understanding of other metal catalysts has remained relatively static.
The proposed programme will engender a step change in the design of supported-metal catalysts, by exploiting the learning and the techniques emerging from gold catalysis. The research will be set out in two themes. In Theme 1 two established key grand challenges will be attacked; namely, energy vectors and greenhouse gas control. Theme 2 will address two new and emerging grand challenges in catalysis namely the effective low temperature activation of primary carbon hydrogen bonds and CO2 utilisation where instead of treating CO2 as a thermodynamic endpoint, the aim will be to re-use it as a feedstock for bulk chemical and fuel production. The legacy of the research will be the development of a new catalyst design approach that will provide a tool box for future catalyst development.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
] |
US 2007/0021968 W
|
TESTING APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A STRESS TO A TEST SAMPLE
|
A testing apparatus which is suitable for applying a stress load to a test specimen is provided. The testing apparatus may be used to simulate lithostatic stress on a test specimen, which may be, for example, a portion of a geologic formation. The testing apparatus may also be used in a method of evaluating the expected production of fluids obtainable from in situ pyrolysis of oil shale.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Earth System Science"
] |
NO 0200234 W
|
TRANSPORT, STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION OF COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS
|
System for transport and storage of compressed natural gas (CNG) at high pressure (HP) and distribution of said natural gas at high pressure (HP), medium pressure (MP) and low pressure (LP), which system is distinguished in that the layout thereof is such that during fluid communication to or between units of the system or internally between tanks of the separate units a closed loop can be formed wherein gas at specific pressure is transported from one or more first tanks to one or more other tanks while liquid at the same pressure as the gas or at marginally higher pressure is transported from said one or more other tanks to said one or more first tanks, the volume of said one or more first tanks being approximately equal to the volume of said one or more other tanks. Process using the above-mentioned system.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
10.1172/JCI84427
|
The Impact Of Hypoxia On Tumor Associated Macrophages
|
The role of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in cancer is often correlated with poor prognosis, even though this statement should be interpreted with care, as the effects of macrophages primarily depend on their localization within the tumor. This versatile cell type orchestrates a broad spectrum of biological functions and exerts very complex and even opposing functions on cell death, immune stimulation or suppression, and angiogenesis, resulting in an overall pro- or antitumoral effect. We are only beginning to understand the environmental cues that contribute to transient retention of macrophages in a specific phenotype. It has become clear that hypoxia shapes and induces specific macrophage phenotypes that serve tumor malignancy, as hypoxia promotes immune evasion, angiogenesis, tumor cell survival, and metastatic dissemination. Additionally, TAMs in the hypoxic niches within the tumor are known to mediate resistance to several anticancer treatments and to promote cancer relapse. Thus, a careful characterization and understanding of this macrophage differentiation state is needed in order to efficiently tailor cancer therapy.
|
[
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
W1985949821
|
Effects of surface tension on axisymmetric Hertzian contact problem
|
Abstract Surface tension plays an important role in micro/nanosized contact problems. Based on the solution of a point force acting on a half plane with surface tension, we consider the axisymmetric contact between a rigid sphere and an elastic half space. It is found that when the contact radius is comparable with the ratio of surface tension to elastic modulus, surface tension significantly affects the pressure distribution on the contact region. Compared to the classical Hertzian contact solution, the existence of surface tension decreases the displacements on the half plane and yields continuous slopes of normal stress and displacements across the contact fringe. In addition, the present model predicts the increase of hardness as the radius of indenter decreasing. This study is helpful to characterize and measure the mechanical properties of soft materials or biomaterials through micro-indentation.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
10.1051/0004-6361/201220706
|
Rx J0123 4 7321 A Be X Ray Binary In The Wing Of The Small Magellanic Cloud
|
Aims. To confirm faint Be/X-ray binary candidates from the XMM-Newton survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud, we searched for X-ray outbursts in archival ROSAT observations. We found that RX J0123. 4-7321 was much brighter when detected with ROSAT than seen 16 years later by XMM-Newton. Methods. We analysed the ROSAT observations and the OGLE I-band light curve of the optical counterpart to investigate the nature of the system. Results. High long-term variability in the X-ray flux of a factor of ∼150 was found between the ROSAT and XMM-Newton detections, indicating strong outburst activity during the ROSAT observations. The I-band light curve reveals long-term variability and regular outbursts with a period of (119. 9 ± 2. 5) days, indicating the orbital period of the binary system. Conclusions. The large X-ray flux variations and the properties of the optical counterpart confirm RX J0123. 4-7321 as a new Be/X-ray binary in the wing of the Small Magellanic Cloud.
|
[
"Universe Sciences"
] |
W617587148
|
Indirect measurement method of inner wall temperature of scramjet with a state observer
|
A state observer-based method is developed for the indirect online measurement of the inner wall temperature using the out surface temperature and pressure of a scramjet combustor. A mathematical model is established to describe the heat transfer from gas to combustor wall and inside combustor wall as well. A proportional integral observer is developed using the mathematical model for establishing the relationship between the observed inner wall temperature and the experimentally measurable parameters, including the out surface temperature and pressure. Numerical simulations and ground experiments are carried out with a direct-connect hydrocarbon fueled scramjet combustor to prove the validity of the proportional integral observer. Test results indicate the proportional integral observer method could be used to measure the inner wall temperature of the scramjet combustor.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
10.1016/j.ymeth.2014.03.020
|
A simple TALEN-based protocol for efficient genome-editing in Drosophila
|
Drosophila is a well-established genetic model organism: thousands of point mutations, deficiencies or transposon insertions are available from stock centres. However, to date, it is still difficult to modify a specific gene locus in a defined manner. A potential solution is the application of transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), which have been used successfully to mutate genes in various model organisms. TALENs are constructed by fusion of TALE proteins to the endonuclease FokI, resulting in artificial, sequence-specific endonucleases. They induce double strand breaks, which are either repaired by error-prone non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or homology directed repair (HDR). We developed a simple TALEN-based protocol to mutate any gene of interest in Drosophila within approximately 2months. We inject mRNA coding for two TALEN pairs targeting the same gene into embryos, employ T7 endonuclease I screening of pooled F1 flies to identify mutations and generate a stable mutant stock in the F3 generation. We illustrate the efficacy of our strategy by mutating CG11617, a previously uncharacterized putative transcription factor with an unknown function in Drosophila. This demonstrates that TALENs are a reliable and efficient strategy to mutate any gene of interest in Drosophila.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
10.1016/j.coviro.2011.10.003
|
Toward a quantitative understanding of viral phylogeography
|
Phylogeographic approaches help uncover the imprint that spatial epidemiological processes leave in the genomes of fast evolving viruses. Recent Bayesian inference methods that consider phylogenetic diffusion of discretely and continuously distributed traits offer a unique opportunity to explore genotypic and phenotypic evolution in greater detail. To provide a taste of the recent advances in viral diffusion approaches, we highlight key findings arising at the intrahost, local and global epidemiological scales. We also outline future areas of research and discuss how these may contribute to a quantitative understanding of the phylodynamics of RNA viruses.
|
[
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
10.1111/add.12662
|
Longitudinal patterns of problematic computer game use among adolescents and adults-a 2-year panel study
|
Aims: To investigate the longitudinal patterns (stability and change) of problematic computer game use and its interdependencies with psychosocial wellbeing in different age groups. Design: Three-wave, annual panel study using computer-assisted telephone surveys. Setting: Germany. Participants: A total of 112 adolescents aged between 14 and 18 years, 363 younger adults between 19-39 years and 427 adults aged 40years and older (overall n=902). Measurements: Problematic game use was measured with the Gaming Addiction Short Scale (GAS), which covers seven criteria including salience, withdrawal and conflict. Additionally, gaming behaviour and psychosocial wellbeing (social capital and support, life satisfaction and success) were measured in all three panel waves. Findings: The generally low GAS scores were very stable in yearly intervals [average autocorrelation across waves and age groups: r=0. 74, confidence interval (CI)=0. 71, 0. 77]. Only nine respondents (1%, CI=0. 5, 1. 9) consistently exhibited symptoms of problematic game use across all waves, while no respondent could be classified consistently as being addicted according to the GAS criteria. Changes in problematic gaming were not related consistently to changes in psychosocial wellbeing, although some cross-lagged effects were statistically significant in younger and older adult groups. Conclusions: Within a 2-year time-frame, problematic use of computer games appears to be a less stable behaviour than reported previously and not related systematically to negative changes in the gamers' lives.
|
[
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
] |
219323
|
Focus on advancing spatial and temporal resolution of 3d structured illumination microscopy
|
FASTR 3D SIM: Focus on Advancing the Spatial and Temporal Resolution of 3D Structured Illumination Microscopy
Super-resolved structured illumination microscopy (SR-SIM) is an important method to surpass the resolution limit in fluorescence microscopy. SR-SIM is compatible with many fluorescent labels and ensures low photo-damage, making it an ideal candidate for live-cell imaging. However, to be truly applicable, very fast 3D imaging has to be realized, as the cellular structuring is 3D in nature and fast dynamics have to be captured. In addition, many biological processes occur at length scales below 100nm, beyond SR-SIMs two-fold resolution improvement.
I will develop an advanced 3D SR-SIM microscope able to capture 3D images at video rate, i.e., 25 3D images per second, 10 times quicker than the fastest currently available systems. The extreme speed-up is achieved by a unique multi-focal optics approach available at the host institute, and will also reduce the photo-toxicity to the sample. My SIM reconstruction code (www.fairsim.org) will be extended to 3D imaging, and include new algorithms tackling low light levels and strong out-of-focus light.
I will also develop a revolutionary combination of SIM with super-resolution optical fluctuation imaging (SOFI), a specialty of the Dedecker lab. SOFI is employed to create non-linear effects, allowing SIM to surpass its 2x resolution enhancement. This enables rapid and repeatable 3D imaging of cells with a spatial resolution approx. 60 nm in x,y and 150 nm in z.
I will apply the tools to an acute biological question, the dynamics of mitochondrial and ER interactions, used by the cell as signaling scaffolding points. Here both the temporal and spatial resolution of the proposed system is required to observe the very fast dynamics.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
] |
W2363993460
|
Traceable Quality Control of Dialyzer
|
Objective To establish the quality control management system for the whole using process of dialyzer, and analyze quality control issues with pyramid model to monitor adverse actions to lay a solid foundation for quality management of dialyzer. Methods Each dialyzer is encoded with bar code by using dialysis management software. Usage data of dialyzer from June 2012 to February 2013 is collected from two blood purif ication centers, and the point-to-point connection system during dialyser using process of single patient in single treatment is establised to implement the traceable management of dialyzer. Results Quality control issues are classif ied with pyramid model by using multi-dimension analysis. Conclusion The traceable management of dialyzer has been implemented with the application of the quality control management system.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
10.1146/annurev-biochem-061516-044617
|
A bright future for antibiotics?
|
Multidrug resistance is a global threat as the clinically available potent antibiotic drugs are becoming exceedingly scarce. For example, increasing drug resistance among gram-positive bacteria is responsible for approximately one-third of nosocomial infections. As ribosomes are a major target for these drugs, they may serve as suitable objects for novel development of next-generation antibiotics. Three-dimensional structures of ribosomal particles from Staphylococcus aureus obtained by X-ray crystallography have shed light on fine details of drug binding sites and have revealed unique structural motifs specific for this pathogenic strain, which may be used for the design of novel degradable pathogen-specific, and hence, environmentally friendly drugs.
|
[
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
US 77397196 A
|
Emergency-reporting system for rescue operations
|
A personal emergency-reporting system for recognizing the site of an emergency with simultaneous warning of the nearest emergency physician/medical personnel. A portable patient data unit is provided which contains a satellite-supported global positioning system, which communicates with a patient data acquisition and evaluation unit via a computer and control unit, wherein the latter is connected to an emergency call transmitter. The transmitter sends patient data and the patient's position to an emergency call receiver in the case of an emergency. An automatic emergency-reporting system is provided by the present invention in order to make possible a rapid and specific rescue operation to a person whose health is acutely at risk.
|
[
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
interreg_842
|
Promotion of Multimodal Transport in Chemical Logistics
|
The chemical industry is an important economic sector in Central Europe with 117 billion Euro turnover and 340.000 employees. The chemical companies are important logistic stakeholders responsible for 8% of freight transport. The industry has the objective to strengthen multimodal transport and modal shift from road to rail with strong focus on improvement of safety and security in combination with increased logistics efficiency. The optimisation of the supply chain is a crucial for long-term competitiveness.
The main objective of ChemMultimodal is the promotion of multimodal transport of chemical goods by coordination and facilitation of cooperation between chemical companies, specialised logistics service providers (LSP), terminal operators and public authorities in chemical regions in CE.
Based on a detailed analysis of the needs for improving multimodal transport of chemical goods, the project will develop a toolbox to support chemical companies and LSP in their strategic and operational planning for increasing the share of multimodal transport. This toolbox will be tested in 7 pilots with 35 chemical companies in the partner countries to facilitate real modal shift. In these pilots it is the objective to increase multimodal transport by 10% and reduce CO2 footprint by 5% until the end of project duration. 1 Common Strategy and 7 Regional/National Action Plans will be developed to continue and intensify activities after the project end.
The new quality of cooperation between private and public entities with support of a dedicated tool is innovative and will improve coordination of multimodal stakeholders across boarders in CE and contribute directly to modal shift. An intensive collaboration with European Chemical Regions Network and European Chemical Industry Council will ensure mainstreaming at EU level.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
] |
10.1007/s11082-017-1285-z
|
Electroluminescent cooling in intracavity light emitters: modeling and experiments
|
We develop a coupled electronic charge and photon transport simulation model to allow for deeper analysis of our recent experimental studies of intracavity double diode structures (DDSs). The studied structures consist of optically coupled AlGaAs/GaAs double heterojunction light emitting diode (LED) and GaAs p–n-homojunction photodiode (PD) structure, integrated as a single semiconductor device. The drift–diffusion formalism for charge transport and an optical model, coupling the LED and the PD, are self-consistently applied to complement our experimental work on the evaluation of the efficiency of these DDSs. This is to understand better their suitability for electroluminescent cooling (ELC) demonstration, and shed further light on electroluminescence and optical energy transfer in the structures. The presented results emphasize the adverse effect of non-radiative recombination on device efficiency, which is the main obstacle for achieving ELC in III-V semiconductors.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
W4312460439
|
„Der erste Franzose“
|
Mit der Dritten Republik setzt sich im Frankreich des ausgehenden 19. Jahrhunderts eine neue Ursprungserzählung durch, ein „Roman national“, an dessen Anfang der Gallierhäuptling Vercingétorix steht. Zwar ist dieser im Jahre 52 v. Chr. Cäsars römischen Legionen unterlegen, doch war dies, so die Deutung in den Schulbüchern der Dritten Republik, eine heroische Niederlage, geprägt von Tapferkeit, Mut und Einigkeit im Kampf gegen eine fremde Übermacht. Die „Nation“ bildet sich in der Niederlage. Die Dritte Republik, geboren aus der militärischen Niederlage von 1870/1871 gegen Bismarcks preußisch-deutsche Allianz, richtet sich am Vorbild der Gallier („nos ancêtres les gaulois“) wieder auf. Anders als Chlodwig als Gründer des französischen Königtums oder Jeanne d'Arc als dessen Retterin bieten Vercingétorix und die Gallier den letztlich siegreichen, laizistischen Strömungen der Dritten Republik eine Ursprungserzählung, die sich von der Tutel durch die Kirche befreit. Zudem besetzen die Gallier in dieser Vision der Geschichte die Rolle des „Volkes“, in dem sich seit jeher die Nation inkarniert. Und letztlich: Mit Vercingétorix rückt ein Modell von Ursprungserzählung ins Blickfeld, dessen deutsches „Äquivalent“ Arminius sich jenseits des Rheines als erfolgreich erwiesen hatte. Dieser Beitrag sucht die multiplen Bedingungen und Funktionen der (Re)Konstruktion einer nationalen Identität im Frankreich der Dritten Republik am Beispiel des neuen Vercingétorix-Kults zu beleuchten.
|
[
"Texts and Concepts",
"The Study of the Human Past",
"Studies of Cultures and Arts"
] |
10.1128/JB.00054-17
|
Transcriptional Repressor Ptvr Regulates Phenotypic Tolerance To Vancomycin In Streptococcus Pneumoniae
|
Reversible or phenotypic tolerance to antibiotics within microbial populations has been implicated in treatment failure of chronic infections and development of persister cells. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating phenotypic drug tolerance are largely unknown. In this study, we identified a four-gene operon in Streptococcus pneumoniae that contributes to phenotypic tolerance to vancomycin (ptv). RNA sequencing, quantiative reverse transcriptase PCR, and transcriptional luciferase reporter experiments revealed that transcription of the ptv operon (consisting of ptvR, ptvA, ptvB, and ptvC) is induced by exposure to vancomycin. Further investigation showed that transcription of the ptv operon is repressed by PtvR, a PadR family repressor. Transcriptional induction of the ptv operon by vancomycin was achieved by transcriptional derepression of this locus, which was mediated by PtvR. Importantly, fully derepressing ptvABC by deleting ptvR or overexpressing the ptv operon with an exogenous promoter significantly enhanced vancomycin tolerance. Gene deletion analysis revealed that PtvA, PtvB, and PtvC are all required for the PtvR-regulated phenotypic tolerance to vancomycin. Finally, the results of an electrophoretic mobility shift assay with recombinant PtvR showed that PtvR represses the transcription of the ptv operon by binding to two palindromic sequences within the ptv promoter. Together, the ptv locus represents an inducible system in S. pneumoniae in response to stressful conditions, including those caused by antibiotics. IMPORTANCE Reversible or phenotypic tolerance to antibiotics within microbial populations is associated with treatment failure of bacterial diseases, but the underlying mechanisms regulating phenotypic drug tolerance remain obscure. This study reports our finding of a multigene locus that contributes to inducible tolerance to vancomycin in Streptococcus pneumoniae, an important opportunistic human pathogen. The vancomycin tolerance phenotype depends on the PtvR transcriptional repressor and three predicted membrane-associated proteins encoded by the ptv locus. This represents the first example of a gene locus in S. pneumoniae that is responsible for antibiotic tolerance and has important implications for further understanding bacterial responses and phenotypic tolerance to antibiotic treatment in this and other pathogens.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy"
] |
W1981769385
|
Perioperative management of the adult scoliosis patient
|
Scoliosis in adults presents a uniquely different set of challenges to spine surgeons than scoliosis in the pediatric and adolescent population. The outcome of the corrective procedure in adult deformity revolves not only on meticulous surgical planning and technique but also upon optimization of a host of perioperative variables. Medical comorbidities related to advanced age are fairly common and need to be adequately controlled prior to surgery. Attenuated physiological response mechanisms to surgery-related stress in the geriatric population also require careful consideration. Anesthesia-related risk in the elderly, excessive blood loss during surgery, complications arising secondary to prolonged surgical time, the decision to stage a procedure, and maintenance of optimal nutritional status during hospitalization are the factors that play a crucial role in the perioperative management of adult spinal deformity patients. This review elaborates upon all such variables that a surgeon may come across in managing spinal deformity in the elderly and describes strategies to address them.
|
[
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
10.1073/pnas.1321596111
|
Dopamine prediction error responses integrate subjective value from different reward dimensions
|
Prediction error signals enable us to learn through experience. These experiences include economic choices between different rewards that vary along multiple dimensions. Therefore, an ideal way to reinforce economic choice is to encode a prediction error that reflects the subjective value integrated across these reward dimensions. Previous studies demonstrated that dopamine prediction error responses reflect the value of singular reward attributes that include magnitude, probability, and delay. Obviously, preferences between rewards that vary along one dimension are completely determined by the manipulated variable. However, it is unknown whether dopamine prediction error responses reflect the subjective value integrated from different reward dimensions. Here, we measured the preferences between rewards that varied along multiple dimensions, and as such could not be ranked according to objective metrics. Monkeys chose between rewards that differed in amount, risk, and type. Because their choices were complete and transitive, the monkeys chose as if they integrated different rewards and attributes into a common scale of value. The prediction error responses of single dopamine neurons reflected the integrated subjective value inferred from the choices, rather than the singular reward attributes. Specifically, amount, risk, and reward type modulated dopamine responses exactly to the extent that they influenced economic choices, even when rewards were vastly different, such as liquid and food. This prediction error response could provide a direct updating signal for economic values.
|
[
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
] |
10.1145/3126594.3126645
|
Navifields Relevance Fields For Adaptive Vr Navigation
|
Virtual Reality allow users to explore virtual environments naturally, by moving their head and body. However, the size of the environments they can explore is limited by real world constraints, such as the tracking technology or the physical space available. Existing techniques removing these limitations often break the metaphor of natural navigation in VR (e. g. steering techniques), involve control commands (e. g. , teleporting) or hinder precise navigation (e. g. , scaling user's displacements). This paper proposes NaviFields, which quantify the requirements for precise navigation of each point of the environment, allowing natural navigation within relevant areas, while scaling users' displacements when travelling across non-relevant spaces. This expands the size of the navigable space, retains the natural navigation metaphor and still allows for areas with precise control of the virtual head. We present a formal description of our NaviFields technique, which we compared against two alternative solutions (i. e. , homogeneous scaling and natural navigation). Our results demonstrate our ability to cover larger spaces, introduce minimal disruption when travelling across bigger distances and improve very significantly the precise control of the viewpoint inside relevant areas.
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
637579
|
Autonomous Cellular Computers for Diagnosis
|
Early diagnostics based on multiple biomarkers is key in numerous diseases, yet current technologies for multiplexed detection are complicated and expensive. Living cells detect and process various environmental signals in parallel and can self-replicate, presenting an attractive platform for scalable and affordable autonomous diagnostic devices. In this project, I will apply my expertise in synthetic biology, the rational engineering of biological systems, to build cell-based biosensors for multiplexed diagnosis using the non-pathogenic bacterium Bacillus subtilis.
In a first research line, I will conceive a scalable detection machinery by engineering chimeric receptors detecting extracellular biomarkers via sensing domains derived from antibodies. In a second research line, I will implement bio-molecular computing systems operating within and across bacterial cells to perform multiplexed biomarkers analysis. I will deploy in B. subtilis biomolecular logic gates and will engineer specific cell-cell communication systems to perform distributed multicellular computation in a bacterial consortia.
My project is highly interdisciplinary and is at the cross-roads of genetic engineering, structural biology, biophysics, modeling, and clinics. On foundational point of view, I will make several breakthrough contributions to synthetic biology: (i) Advancing engineering frameworks for the Gram-positive model, B. subtilis. (ii) Pushing the limits of custom-ligand detection by engineered cells (iii) Exploring the frontiers of man-made biological computers. On an applied point of view, I plan to deliver a first prototype for the urinary diagnostic of diabetic nephropathy, a major complication of diabetes. Because of the modular design principles applied, my sensing platform will be reusable to diagnose other pathologies as well as for applications requiring custom-detection and bio-molecular computation like targeted therapy, drug delivery, or environmental monitoring.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering"
] |
10.1109/TSP.2015.2500179
|
Lowner Based Blind Signal Separation Of Rational Functions With Applications
|
A new blind signal separation (BSS) technique is proposed, enabling a deterministic separation of signals into rational functions. Rational functions can take on a wide range of forms, such as the well-known pole-like shape. The approach is a possible alternative for the well-known independent component analysis when the theoretical sources are not independent, such as for frequency spectra, or when only a small number of samples is available. The technique uses a low-rank decomposition on the tensorized version of the observed data matrix. The deterministic tensorization with Lowner matrices is comprehensively analyzed in this paper. Uniqueness properties are investigated, and a connection with the separation into exponential polynomials is made. Finally, the technique is illustrated for fetal electrocardiogram extraction and with an application in the domain of fluorescence spectroscopy, enabling the identification of chemical analytes using only a single excitation-emission matrix.
|
[
"Mathematics",
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
10.1109/HAVE.2014.6954338
|
On The Discrimination Of Stiffness During Pressing And Pinching Of Virtual Springs
|
In this paper, we study the perception of stiffness while pressing and pinching virtual springs. These exploration events are highly relevant for telerobotics, but their influence on stiffness perception is largely unexplored. Our study contributes to the understanding of the limits of stiffness perception for human-robot interactions. According to our experiments, mean Weber fraction values between 0. 134 and 0. 166 are obtained for a reference stiffness value of 200 N/m. Our results also show that the differential sensitivity for stiffness is not significantly affected by the actual exploration event. To test the constancy of the extracted Weber fraction values five further reference stiffness values are evaluated suggesting a constant stiffness sensitivity value in the range of stiffness between 135 and 390 N/m.
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
SG 2016050233 W
|
A BAKING MACHINE
|
A baking machine for cooking food in the shape of sphere is disclosed. The baking machine comprises a food heating plate configured for accommodating and heating food materials; a vibration means configured for generating vibrations in a plurality of directions and transmitting the vibrations to the food heating plate; a housing configured for supporting the food heating plate and the vibration means and transmitting the vibration generated by the vibration means to the food heating plate; and a safe switch configured for turning on or off the food heating plate and the vibration means depending upon posture of the baking machine. The safe switch can secure safety, and the size of the baking machine can be reduced by employing a bended pendulum for generating vibrations.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
10.1145/3240765.3240818
|
Industrial Experiences With Resource Management Under Software Randomization In Arinc653 Avionics Environments
|
Injecting randomization in different layers of the computing platform has been shown beneficial for security, resilience to software bugs and timing analysis. In this paper, with focus on the latter, we show our experience regarding memory and timing resource management when software randomization techniques are applied to one of the most stringent industrial environments, ARINC653-based avionics. We describe the challenges in this task, we propose a set of solutions and present the results obtained for two commercial avionics applications, executed on COTS hardware and RTOS.
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
US 2013/0049793 W
|
POWER CONVERTER WITH QUASI-ZERO POWER CONSUMPTION
|
A power converter system, method and device powers a load when coupled to the load and draws a quasi-zero amount of power from the power supply when not coupled to the load. The power converter system maintains an output voltage such that the power converter system is able to properly "wake-up" when a load is coupled by intermittently operating the power converter for a preselected number of cycles when it is detected that the output voltage has fallen below a threshold level.
|
[
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
] |
US 2014/0016829 W
|
NOISE, VIBRATION, AND HARMONICS REDUCING SPROCKET TECHNOLOGY
|
A number of variations may include a sprocket using one or more slot(s) and/or compressive or elastic material in order to lower the NVH. A number of variations may include a sprocket which isolates the vibrations created by the impact of the chain with the sprocket so that the vibrations are prevented from traveling into the shaft.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
10.1371/journal.pone.0084687
|
SHOOT GROWTH1 maintains arabidopsis epigenomes by regulating IBM1
|
Maintaining correct DNA and histone methylation patterns is essential for the development of all eukaryotes. In Arabidopsis, we identified SHOOT GROWTH1 (SG1), a novel protein involved in the control of gene methylation. SG1 contains both a Bromo-Adjacent Homology (BAH) domain found in several chromatin regulators and an RNA-Recognition Motif (RRM). The sg1 mutations are associated with drastic pleiotropic phenotypes. The mutants degenerate after few generations and are similar to mutants of the histone demethylase INCREASE IN BONSAI METHYLATION1 (IBM1). A methylome analysis of sg1 mutants revealed a large number of gene bodies hypermethylated in the cytosine CHG context, associated with an increase in di-methylation of lysine 9 on histone H3 tail (H3K9me2), an epigenetic mark normally found in silenced transposons. The sg1 phenotype is suppressed by mutations in genes encoding the DNA methyltransferase CHROMOMETHYLASE3 (CMT3) or the histone methyltransferase KRYPTONITE (KYP), indicating that SG1 functions antagonistically to CMT3 or KYP. We further show that the IBM1 transcript is not correctly processed in sg1, and that the functional IBM1 transcript complements sg1. Altogether, our results suggest a function for SG1 in the maintenance of genome integrity by regulating IBM1.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
949080
|
Deciphering and Engineering the overlooked but Universal phenomenon of Subpopulations in BIOtechnology
|
Microbial bioproduction, despite being considered a paradigmatic sustainable alternative to petroleum-based chemistry, is often limited by low yields and productivities, which prevents commercialisation. It is generally known for all types of cells that genetically identical populations can form metabolically distinct subpopulations. This diversity strongly impairs bioproduction as the presence of low-producer or slow-grower cells reduces overall yields. However, the universal phenomenon of subpopulations emergence has been largely overlooked, especially in biotechnology, due to technical difficulties. Now, thanks to recent developments in single cell technologies, in molecular understanding of microbial communities and in synthetic biology tools, we can begin to address this widespread and impactful biological feature.
I propose to explore the emergence of subpopulations in yeast and understand their implications in metabolism and bioproduction using and developing cutting edge synthetic biology tools. I aim to use that knowledge to develop novel engineered strains that lack the presence of undesired subpopulations and then use such homogeneous populations for bioproduction. The homogenised production will be investigated in both, monocultures and microbial communities. In DEUSBIO, I will set up an innovative framework to maximise the biosynthesis of high value molecules, with high potential to overcome current limitations.
This project will shed light on the phenomenon of subpopulations, whose relevance goes beyond bioproduction, as for example, it has been associated with the origin of multicellularity. Increasing our knowledge about this matter will also have implications in biomedicine, as cell subpopulations are extremely important in the appearance of antimicrobial resistant, in cancer heterogeneity, and in microbiome complexity.
|
[
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
10.1002/pan3.8
|
An ecological theory of changing human population dynamics
|
The dependence of humans on nature has come into focus as the human population continues to grow, resources diminish and production technology stagnates – threatening human well-being on a global scale. Numerous previous models describe human population dynamics, in relation to a multitude of different factors. However, there are no consistent driving factors of human demography through history, which makes predicting future changes more challenging. Here, we review the literature on human population growth from empirical data and previous models, which allows us to highlight key trends in demography and land cover changes. We then establish an ecologically driven theory of demographic change that uses resource accessibility as a proxy for socio-economic factors. The theory combines multiple concepts to represent 12 millennia of past population dynamics through simple human–nature relationships. Furthermore, the model allows us to compare different scenarios related to technological progress and land cover change, for which we find that the peak human population is highly dependent on whether technological developments continue at an exponential growth rate, or if and when there is a saturation point. Likewise, agriculture is shown to be helpful for growing the population, but nature is ultimately needed to maintain the human population. A plain language summary is available for this article.
|
[
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Earth System Science"
] |
770244
|
Defective protein translation as a pathogenic mechanism of peripheral neuropathy
|
Familial forms of neurodegenerative diseases are caused by mutations in a single gene. It is unknown whether distinct mutations in the same gene or in functionally related genes cause disease through similar or disparate mechanisms. Furthermore, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying virtually all neurodegenerative disorders are poorly understood, and effective treatments are typically lacking.
This is also the case for Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) peripheral neuropathy caused by mutations in five distinct tRNA synthetase (aaRS) genes. We previously generated Drosophila CMT-aaRS models and used a novel method for cell-type-specific labeling of newly synthesized proteins in vivo to show that impaired protein translation may represent a common pathogenic mechanism.
In this proposal, I aim to determine whether translation is also inhibited in CMT-aaRS mouse models, and whether all mutations cause disease through gain-of-toxic-function, or alternatively, whether some mutations act through a dominant-negative mechanism. In addition, I will evaluate whether all CMT-aaRS mutant proteins inhibit translation, and I will test the hypothesis, raised by our unpublished preliminary data shown here, that a defect in the transfer of the (aminoacylated) tRNA from the mutant synthetase to elongation factor eEF1A is the molecular mechanism underlying CMT-aaRS. Finally, I will validate the identified molecular mechanism in CMT-aaRS mouse models, as the most disease-relevant mammalian model.
I expect to elucidate whether all CMT-aaRS mutations cause disease through a common molecular mechanism that involves inhibition of translation. This is of key importance from a therapeutic perspective, as a common pathogenic mechanism allows for a unified therapeutic approach. Furthermore, this proposal has the potential to unravel the detailed molecular mechanism underlying CMT-aaRS, what would constitute a breakthrough and a requirement for rational drug design for this incurable disease.
|
[
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
10.1016/j.bpj.2015.05.009
|
2-Hydroxy Fatty Acid Enantiomers of Gb<inf>3</inf> Impact Shiga Toxin Binding and Membrane Organization
|
Shiga toxin subunit B (STxB) binding to its cellular receptor Gb3 leads to the formation of protein-lipid clusters and bending of the membrane. A newly developed synthetic route allowed synthesizing the biologically most relevant Gb3-C24:1 2OH species with both, the natural (Gb3-R) as well as the unnatural (Gb3-S) configuration of the 2OH group. The derivatives bind STxB with identical nanomolar affinity, while the propensity to induce membrane tubules in giant unilamellar vesicles is more pronounced for Gb3-S. Fluorescence and atomic force microscopy images of phase-separated supported membranes revealed differences in the lateral organization of the protein on the membrane. Gb3-R favorably induces large and tightly packed protein clusters, while a lower protein density is found on Gb3-S doped membranes.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
TR 2008000062 W
|
APPLICATION OF THE FINISHING MATERIAL ON THE WARP
|
The invention relates to a denim fabric production method comprising the process steps of thread production, rope winding, rope dyeing, rope opening in the denim fabric production, wherein during the size application process, a thread-coating composition, comprising preferably a polyurethane- or polyethylene-containing solution or the similar, is applied on the warp threads in such a way that the thread appearance and properties will not be hindered.
|
[
"Materials Engineering",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
] |
W1971984277
|
Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Site-Directed Mutagenesis of Alcohol Acyltransferase: A Proposed Mechanism of Catalysis
|
Aroma in Vasconcellea pubescens fruit is determined by esters, which are the products of catalysis by alcohol acyltransferase (VpAAT1). VpAAT1 protein structure displayed the conserved HxxxD motif facing the solvent channel in the center of the structure. To gain insight into the role of these catalytic residues, kinetic and site-directed mutagenesis studies were carried out in VpAAT1 protein. Based on dead-end inhibition studies, the kinetic could be described in terms of a ternary complex mechanism with the H166 residue as the catalytic base. Kinetic results showed the lowest Km value for hexanoyl-CoA. Additionally, the most favorable predicted substrate orientation was observed for hexanoyl-CoA, showing a coincidence between kinetic studies and molecular docking analysis. Substitutions H166A, D170A, D170N, and D170E were evaluated in silico. The solvent channel in all mutant structures was lost, showing large differences with the native structure. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were able to describe unfavored energies for the interaction of the mutant proteins with different alcohols and acyl-CoAs. Additionally, in vitro site-directed mutagenesis of H166 and D170 in VpAAT1 induced a loss of activity, confirming the functional role of both residues for the activity, H166 being directly involved in catalysis.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
2727430
|
Smart big data platform to offer evidence-based personalised support for healthy and independent living at home
|
It is a fact that the European population growth is slowing down, while the population ageing accelerates. Rapid increases in the elderly population are predicted for the coming decades due to the ageing of post-war baby births. Within Europe’s ageing population, Hearing Loss, Cardio Vascular Diseases, Cognitive Impairments, Mental Health Issues and Balance Disorders, as well as Frailty, are prevalent conditions, with tremendous social and financial impact. Preventing, slowing the development of or dealing effectively with the effects of the above impairments can have a significant impact on the quality of life and lead to significant savings in the cost of healthcare services. Digital tools hold the promise for many health benefits that can enhance the independent living and well-being of the elderly.
Motivated by the above, the aim of the SMART BEAR platform is to integrate heterogeneous sensors, assistive medical and mobile devices to enable the continuous data collection from the everyday life of the elderly, which will be analysed to obtain the evidence needed in order to offer personalised interventions promoting their healthy and independent living. The platform can also be connected to hospitals and other health care service systems to obtain data of the end-users (e.g., medical history) to be considered in making decisions for interventions. SMART BEAR will leverage big data analytics and learning capabilities, allowing for large scale analysis of the above mentioned collected data, to generate the evidence required for making decisions about personalised interventions. Privacy-preserving and secure by design data handling capabilities, covering data at rest, in processing, and in transit, will cover comprehensively all the components and connections utilized by the SMART BEAR platform. The SMART BEAR solution will be validated through five large-scale pilots involving 5.100 elderly living at home in Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and Romania.
|
[
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
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