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10.1016/j.cell.2018.10.020
|
Microbial Interkingdom Interactions in Roots Promote Arabidopsis Survival
|
Roots of healthy plants are inhabited by soil-derived bacteria, fungi, and oomycetes that have evolved independently in distinct kingdoms of life. How these microorganisms interact and to what extent those interactions affect plant health are poorly understood. We examined root-associated microbial communities from three Arabidopsis thaliana populations and detected mostly negative correlations between bacteria and filamentous microbial eukaryotes. We established microbial culture collections for reconstitution experiments using germ-free A. thaliana. In plants inoculated with mono- or multi-kingdom synthetic microbial consortia, we observed a profound impact of the bacterial root microbiota on fungal and oomycetal community structure and diversity. We demonstrate that the bacterial microbiota is essential for plant survival and protection against root-derived filamentous eukaryotes. Deconvolution of 2,862 binary bacterial-fungal interactions ex situ, combined with community perturbation experiments in planta, indicate that biocontrol activity of bacterial root commensals is a redundant trait that maintains microbial interkingdom balance for plant health. An interkingdom analysis of the microbes associated with Arabidopsis roots explains their functional contributions to plant survival.
|
[
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
10.1002/biot.201200345
|
Toward systems metabolic engineering of Aspergillus and Pichia species for the production of chemicals and biofuels
|
Recently genome sequence data have become available for Aspergillus and Pichia species of industrial interest. This has stimulated the use of systems biology approaches for large-scale analysis of the molecular and metabolic responses of Aspergillus and Pichia under defined conditions, which has resulted in much new biological information. Case-specific contextualization of this information has been performed using comparative and functional genomic tools. Genomics data are also the basis for constructing genome-scale metabolic models, and these models have helped in the contextualization of knowledge on the fundamental biology of Aspergillus and Pichia species. Furthermore, with the availability of these models, the engineering of Aspergillus and Pichia is moving from traditional approaches, such as random mutagenesis, to a systems metabolic engineering approach. Here we review the recent trends in systems biology of Aspergillus and Pichia species, highlighting the relevance of these developments for systems metabolic engineering of these organisms for the production of hydrolytic enzymes, biofuels and chemicals from biomass. Metabolic engineering is moving from traditional methods such as random mutagenesis to a systems level which decreases the time and efforts on design and implementation. Here, the authors review the recent trends in systems biology of Aspergillus and Pichia species, highlighting the relevance of developments for systems metabolic engineering of these organisms for the production of hydrolytic enzymes, biofuels and chemicals from biomass.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering"
] |
W1934577595
|
Trip-Oriented Energy Management Control Strategy for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles
|
This paper presents a trip-oriented energy management control strategy for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The proposed strategy provides system optimization and control methods to improve real-world fuel economy (FE) by optimizing the power demand distribution between fuel and battery electricity and the power delivery split between the mechanical and electrical paths in a PowerSplit PHEV architecture. A two degree of freedom system model is established to characterize the actuation dynamics and the power delivery properties of the powertrain. This paper achieves three important contributions to PHEV energy management control research: 1) the optimal control problem is solved considering both the nonlinearity of battery efficiency and the complexity of PowerSplit architecture; 2) a novel trip-oriented energy consumption preplanning method is proposed using a driving pattern-based dynamic programming approach; and 3) a feedback control system is designed to realize the optimal energy consumption process in real applications. The proposed energy management control strategy has been shown to improve FE in Ford Escape PHEVs.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
W1972856283
|
The role of the family in childhood and adolescent binge eating. A systematic review.
|
The family has been deemed central in the development and maintenance of childhood and adolescent eating disorders. While family factors in anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and obesity are well-documented and were often reviewed before, less is known about these influences on binge eating. Because family plays an important role especially in childhood and adolescence, the aims of this systematic review are to give an overview on family factors and to describe the parental role in the development and maintenance of binge eating. We searched four major databases for studies on associations between binge eating, loss of control eating and family outcomes published up to April, 2013 in German and English language. Among the 278 non-duplicate citations, 26 studies met inclusion criteria for this study. Consistent evidence for the influence on binge eating was found in lower frequency of family meals, insecure attachment of the child, lower family functioning and more critical comments about weight or shape by parents. Rather inconsistent findings referred to the influence of family structures, a family history of eating disorders, family dieting and parental knowledge about their child’s eating behavior. Gender differences in associations with family relationships and parental weight stigmatization were identified. These findings underline the importance and the specificity of familial factors in binge eating as compared to other eating disorders and obesity. Therefore, family assessment and family based interventions might be helpful in the treatment of childhood and adolescent binge eating. Further research should clarify inconsistent findings using prospective designs.
|
[
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"The Social World and Its Interactions"
] |
10.1261/rna.044701.114
|
The MID-PIWI module of Piwi proteins specifies nucleotide- and strand-biases of piRNAs
|
Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) guide Piwi Argonautes to suppress transposon activity in animal gonads. Known piRNA populations are extremely complex, with millions of individual sequences present in a single organism. Despite this complexity, specific Piwi proteins incorporate piRNAs with distinct nucleotide- and transposon strand-biases (antisense or sense) of unknown origin. Here, we examined the contribution of structural domains in Piwi proteins toward defining these biases. We report the first crystal structure of the MID domain from a Piwi Argonaute and use docking experiments to show its ability to specify recognition of 5′ uridine (1U-bias) of piRNAs. Mutational analyses reveal the importance of 5′ end-recognition within the MID domain for piRNA biogenesis in vivo. Finally, domain-swapping experiments uncover an unexpected role for the MID-PIWI module of a Piwi protein in dictating the transposon strand-orientation of its bound piRNAs. Our work identifies structural features that allow distinguishing individual Piwi members during piRNA biogenesis.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.109.200303
|
Conditional Ablation Of Nonmuscle Myosin Ii B Delineates Heart Defects In Adult Mice
|
Rationale: Germline ablation of the cytoskeletal protein nonmuscle myosin II (NMII)-B results in embryonic lethality, with defects in both the brain and heart. Tissue-specific ablation of NMII-B by a Cre recombinase strategy should prevent embryonic lethality and permit study of the function of NMII-B in adult hearts. Objective: We sought to understand the function of NMII-B in adult mouse hearts and to see whether the brain defects found in germline-ablated mice influence cardiac development. Methods and Results: We used a loxP/Cre recombinase strategy to specifically ablate NMII-B in the brains or hearts of mice. Mice ablated for NMII-B in neural tissues die between postnatal day 12 and 22 without showing cardiac defects. Mice deficient in NMII-B only in cardiac myocytes (BαMHC/BαMHC mice) do not show brain defects. However, BαMHC/BαMHC mice display novel cardiac defects not seen in NMII-B germline-ablated mice. Most of the BαMHC/BαMHC mice are born with enlarged cardiac myocytes, some of which are mult. . .
|
[
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
] |
10.1112/blms.12245
|
On uniformity of q-multiplicative sequences
|
We show that any q-multiplicative sequence which is oscillating of order 1, that is, does not correlate with linear phase functions e2πinα (α E R), is Gowers uniform of all orders, and hence in particular does not correlate with polynomial phase functions e2πip(n) (p E R[x]). Quantitatively, we show that any q-multiplicative sequence which is of Gelfond type of order 1 is automatically of Gelfond type of all orders. Consequently, any such q-multiplicative sequence is a good weight for ergodic theorems. We also obtain combinatorial corollaries concerning linear patterns in sets which are described in terms of sums of digits.
|
[
"Mathematics"
] |
10.1088/0953-8984/28/14/145002
|
Kinetic Limitation Of Chemical Ordering In Bi2Te3 X Se X Layers Grown By Molecular Beam Epitaxy
|
We study the chemical ordering in Bi2Te3-x Se x grown by molecular beam epitaxy on Si substrates. We produce films in the full composition range from x = 0 to 3, and determine their material properties using energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. By fitting the parameters of a kinetic growth model to these results, we obtain a consistent description of growth at a microscopic level. Our main finding is that despite the incorporation of Se in the central layer being much more probable than that of Te, the formation of a fully ordered Te-Bi-Se-Bi-Te layer is prevented by kinetic of the growth process. Indeed, the Se concentration in the central layer of Bi2Te2Se1 reaches a maximum of only ≈ 75% even under ideal growth conditions. A second finding of our work is that the intensity ratio of the 0 0 12 and 0 0 6 x-ray reflections serves as an experimentally accessible quantitative measure of the degree of ordering in these films.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
] |
10.5194/acp-11-13061-2011
|
General overview: European Integrated project on Aerosol Cloud Climate and Air Quality interactions (EUCAARI) – integrating aerosol research from nano to global scales
|
Abstract. In this paper we describe and summarize the main achievements of the European Aerosol Cloud Climate and Air Quality Interactions project (EUCAARI). EUCAARI started on 1 January 2007 and ended on 31 December 2010 leaving a rich legacy including: (a) a comprehensive database with a year of observations of the physical, chemical and optical properties of aerosol particles over Europe, (b) comprehensive aerosol measurements in four developing countries, (c) a database of airborne measurements of aerosols and clouds over Europe during May 2008, (d) comprehensive modeling tools to study aerosol processes fron nano to global scale and their effects on climate and air quality. In addition a new Pan-European aerosol emissions inventory was developed and evaluated, a new cluster spectrometer was built and tested in the field and several new aerosol parameterizations and computations modules for chemical transport and global climate models were developed and evaluated. These achievements and related studies have substantially improved our understanding and reduced the uncertainties of aerosol radiative forcing and air quality-climate interactions. The EUCAARI results can be utilized in European and global environmental policy to assess the aerosol impacts and the corresponding abatement strategies.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Earth System Science"
] |
W4210333822
|
Are native phosphate-solubilizing bacteria a relevant alternative to mineral fertilizations for crops? Part II: PSB inoculation enables a halving of P input and improves the microbial community in the rapeseed rhizosphere
|
come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers.L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.Are native phosphate solubilizing Bacteria a relevant alternative to mineral fertilizations for crops?Part II: PSB inoculation enables a halving of P input and improves the microbial community in the rapeseed rhizosphere
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
] |
10.1146/annurev-biochem-013118-111717
|
Mechanisms of Cotranslational Maturation of Newly Synthesized Proteins
|
The timely production of functional proteins is of critical importance for the biological activity of cells. To reach the functional state, newly synthesized polypeptides have to become enzymatically processed, folded, and assembled into oligomeric complexes and, for noncytosolic proteins, translocated across membranes. Key activities of these processes occur cotranslationally, assisted by a network of machineries that transiently engage nascent polypeptides at distinct phases of translation. The sequence of events is tuned by intrinsic features of the nascent polypeptides and timely association of factors with the translating ribosome. Considering the dynamics of translation, the heterogeneity of cellular proteins, and the diversity of interaction partners, it is a major cellular achievement that these processes are temporally and spatially so precisely coordinated, minimizing the generation of damaged proteins. This review summarizes the current progress we have made toward a comprehensive understanding of the cotranslational interactions of nascent chains, which pave the way to their functional state.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration"
] |
10.1515/crelle-2013-0074
|
Tannaka–Kreĭn duality for compact quantum homogeneous spaces II. Classification of quantum homogeneous spaces for quantum SU(2)
|
AbstractWe apply the Tannaka–Kreĭn duality theory for quantum homogeneous spaces, developed in the first part of this series of papers, to the case of the quantum SU(2) groups. We obtain a classification of their quantum homogeneous spaces in terms of weighted oriented graphs. The equivariant maps between these quantum homogeneous spaces can be characterized by certain quadratic equations associated with the braiding on the representations of
|
[
"Mathematics"
] |
10.1021/acsnano.5b00965
|
Basal-Plane Functionalization of Chemically Exfoliated Molybdenum Disulfide by Diazonium Salts
|
Although transition metal dichalcogenides such as MoS<inf>2</inf> have been recognized as highly potent two-dimensional nanomaterials, general methods to chemically functionalize them are scarce. Herein, we demonstrate a functionalization route that results in organic groups bonded to the MoS<inf>2</inf> surface via covalent C-S bonds. This is based on lithium intercalation, chemical exfoliation and subsequent quenching of the negative charges residing on the MoS<inf>2</inf> by electrophiles such as diazonium salts. Typical degrees of functionalization are 10-20 atom % and are potentially tunable by the choice of intercalation conditions. Significantly, no further defects are introduced, and annealing at 350 °C restores the pristine 2H-MoS<inf>2</inf>. We show that, unlike both chemically exfoliated and pristine MoS<inf>2</inf>, the functionalized MoS<inf>2</inf> is very well dispersible in anisole, confirming a significant modification of the surface properties by functionalization. DFT calculations show that the grafting of the functional group to the sulfur atoms of (charged) MoS<inf>2</inf> is energetically favorable and that S-C bonds are formed.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
] |
10.1103/PhysRevB.98.205427
|
Screening cloud and non-Fermi-liquid scattering in topological Kondo devices
|
The topological Kondo effect arises when conduction electrons in metallic leads are coupled to a mesoscopic superconducting island with Majorana fermions. Working with its minimal setup, we study the lead electron local tunneling density of states in its thermally smeared form motivated by scanning tunneling microscopy, focusing on the component ρ2kF oscillating at twice the Fermi wave number. As a function of temperature T and at zero bias, we find that the amplitude of ρ2kF is nonmonotonic, whereby with decreasing T an exponential thermal-length-controlled increase, potentially through an intermediate Kondo logarithm, crosses over to a T1/3 decay. The Kondo logarithm is present only for tip-junction distances sufficiently smaller than the Kondo length, thus providing information on the Kondo screening cloud. The low-temperature decay indicates non-Fermi-liquid scattering, in particular the complete suppression of single-particle scattering at the topological Kondo fixed point. For temperatures much below the Kondo temperature, we find that the ρ2kF amplitude can be described as a universal scaling function indicative of strong correlations. In a more general context, our considerations point towards the utility of ρ2kF in studying quantum impurity systems, including extracting information about the single-particle scattering matrix.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
W2088605480
|
Ocean model open boundary conditions with volume, heat and salinity conservation constraints
|
Open boundary conditions (OBCs) for a regional ocean model that can be integrated stably over a long timeframe, as well as satisfy the volume, heat and salinity conservation constraints, were developed. First, the idea that the inward and outward flux information can be treated separately in the OBCs was adopted. Second, in order to maintain the property that the volume, heat and salinity remains conserved in the simulation domain, conservation constraints were added to the OBCs, and an inverse method utilized to solve the constraint equations. Ideal experiments were designed to investigate the conservation property, and the OBCs were found to work efficiently to maintain the volume, heat and salinity conservation. It was found that simulations were comparable to observations when the OBCs were applied to a regional ocean model.
|
[
"Earth System Science",
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
W2807433822
|
A Comprehensive Review on the Errors That occur during Ideal Teeth Arrangement for Complete Denture Prosthesis
|
The aim of this article is to present a comprehensive review and a classification system on the various errors that occur during the ideal arrangement of artificial teeth for complete denture prosthesis.Assessment of various classification systems presented for errors in artificial tooth arrangement and identifying the lacunae in each system.A comprehensive review and a classification system on the various errors that occur during the ideal arrangement of artificial teeth for complete denture prosthesis have been presented.This classification system is aimed toward dental students and dental practitioners to aid in the arrangement of artificial teeth for complete denture prosthesis.The proposed classification system helps the operator to identify the various errors which may occur during the arrangement of artificial teeth for complete denture prosthesis. It also aids in providing a detailed insight into the role played by artificial teeth in restoring the form and function of completely edentulous patients.
|
[
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
W654440047
|
Sodium fluoride induced histopathological changes in oesophagus and intestine of freshwater fisk, Tilapia mossambica (Oreochromis mossambicus).
|
Fluoride is considered to be a pollutant if it exceeds beyond the normal permissible limits. It occurs naturally in all forms of the life including the aquatic ecosystem.This study was performed to investigate the toxicity effect of sodium fluoride on freshwater fish, Tilapia (Oreochromis) mossambicus .Acute toxicity for 24,48,72 and 96hrs exposure of LC0 value was 30.0ppm and LC 50 value was 54.0ppm for 96hrsThe oesophagus and intestine revealed significant morphological alterations such as atrophy in the submucosa,flattening of the intestinal villi and swelling in the submucosa.The physiological and histological changes indicate sodium fluoride is very hazardous pollutant the fish.
|
[
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
] |
W2050343021
|
Race of Athlete-Spokesperson and Implicit and Explicit Responses to Advertising
|
In this study we investigated racial vs. athletes from other countries, bias and differences in attitude of South Koreans toward advertisements featuring Korean vs. foreign athletes and White vs. Black athletes by implementing explicit and implicit measures. The results suggest that Koreans have: (a) implicit preferences for Korean athletes over foreign athletes, (b) implicit attitudes that are more favorable toward advertisements featuring Korean athletes than toward those featuring foreign athlete-spokespersons, (c) implicit preferences for White athletes over Black athletes, and (d) implicit attitudes that are more favorable toward advertisements featuring White athlete-spokespersons than toward those featuring Black athlete-spokespersons. The explicit measures revealed several contradictory results; therefore we have discussed implications for the discrepancy between implicit and explicit measurement methods and the usefulness of implicit measures in the context of racial bias research.
|
[
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
] |
10.3390/cells9040875
|
Liver Fibrosis: Mechanistic Concepts and Therapeutic Perspectives
|
Liver fibrosis due to viral or metabolic chronic liver diseases is a major challenge of global health. Correlating with liver disease progression, fibrosis is a key factor for liver disease outcome and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite different mechanism of primary liver injury and disease-specific cell responses, the progression of fibrotic liver disease follows shared patterns across the main liver disease etiologies. Scientific discoveries within the last decade have transformed the understanding of the mechanisms of liver fibrosis. Removal or elimination of the causative agent such as control or cure of viral infection has shown that liver fibrosis is reversible. However, reversal often occurs too slowly or too infrequent to avoid life-threatening complications particularly in advanced fibrosis. Thus, there is a huge unmet medical need for anti-fibrotic therapies to prevent liver disease progression and HCC development. However, while many anti-fibrotic candidate agents have shown robust effects in experimental animal models, their anti-fibrotic effects in clinical trials have been limited or absent. Thus, no approved therapy exists for liver fibrosis. In this review we summarize cellular drivers and molecular mechanisms of fibrogenesis in chronic liver diseases and discuss their impact for the development of urgently needed anti-fibrotic therapies.
|
[
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
10.1021/acsnano.9b07626
|
Crystal Structure, Morphology, and Surface Termination of Cyan-Emissive, Six-Monolayers-Thick CsPbBr<inf>3</inf> Nanoplatelets from X-ray Total Scattering
|
Highly anisotropic colloidal CsPbBr3 nanoplatelets (NPLs) represent an appealing class of colloidal quantum wells with enhanced light emissivity. Strong quantum confinement imposed by the small platelet thickness and atomic flatness gives rise to enhanced oscillator strength, higher exciton binding energy, and narrow emission linewidth. While discrete thicknesses manifest themselves in discrete bandgap energies, fine-tuning of the emission energy can be achieved by compositional modulations. Here we address one of the most debated aspects of perovskite nanoplatelets: their crystal structure. Starting with the direct imaging by high-resolution electron microscopy (providing a clue on the pseudocubic faceting of the NPLs), we focus the study on X-ray total scattering techniques, based on the Debye scattering equation (DSE) approach, to obtain better atomistic insight. The nanoplatelets are six-monolayers thick and exhibit an orthorhombic structure. A thorough structure-morphology characterization unveils a specific orientation of the axial and equatorial bromides of the PbBr6 octahedra versus the NPLs thickness; we found that {010} and {101} planes of the orthorhombic CsPbBr3 lattice (Pnma space group) correspond to the six facets of the NPL, with basal planes being of {101} type. The NPLs undergo a lattice relaxation in comparison to cuboidal CsPbBr3 NCs; the major deformation is observed in the axial direction, which suggests a structural origin of the higher compliance along the b axis. The DSE-based analysis also supports a CsBr surface termination model, with half Cs sites and a half (or slightly more) Br sites vacant.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
] |
W156098842
|
The Thomas-Taussig-Blalock Shunt: Partners of the Heart
|
The Thomas-Taussig-Blalock Shunt: Partners of the Heart Erin C. Thompson Director: James Marcum, Ph.D. Three individuals played important roles in the development of the surgical procedure to fix the congenital heart defect called tetralogy of Fallot, also known as the “blue baby” syndrome. These individuals include a white doctor named Alfred Blalock, a white doctor named Helen Taussig, and a black, or African American, lab technician named Vivien Thomas. In my first chapter, I discuss the history of the tetralogy of Fallot and the setting during which the development of the surgical procedure took place in 1944. In my second chapter, I introduce Thomas and Blalock and describe the beginning of their partnership at Vanderbilt University. In the third chapter, I introduce Helen Taussig and describe how this procedure came about at The Johns Hopkins University. In my final chapter, I discuss the recognition that Thomas eventually received and evaluate the way racial and occupational hierarchies affected Thomas and Blalock’s mutually beneficial 34-year partnership. APPROVED BY DIRECTOR OF HONORS THESIS: _____________________________________________________ Dr. James Marcum, Department of Philosophy APPROVED BY THE HONORS PROGRAM: ________________________________________________ Dr. Andrew Wisely, Director DATE:________________________ THE THOMAS-TAUSSIG-BLALOCK SHUNT: PARTNERS OF THE HEART A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Baylor University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Honors Program
|
[
"The Study of the Human Past",
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
10.1038/NPHOTON.2012.140
|
Nanonewton Optical Force Trap Employing Anti Reflection Coated High Refractive Index Titania Microspheres
|
Researchers demonstrate an ultrastrong optical trap capable of operating with nanonewton optical forces by employing tailor-made high-refractive-index particles. This work could could lead to the development of highly efficient light-driven machines.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
] |
W2223702475
|
Institutional Membership and Rural Development in Indonesia: Case Study of Three Villages in Purbalingga
|
This study aims to measure community membership in rural institution and analyze its benefits in rural development after Indonesian decentralization. To do so, a case study was conducted in Serang, Kedarpan and Sumilir village of Purbalingga District, Central Java Province. Respondents of this study consist of 232 people, and data are analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Findings of this study present that diverse community groups exist, and most households become active members in one to two rural institutions. Neighbourhood, religious and farmer groups are the most active institutions in term of membership and carrying periodic meeting. Membership in rural institutions improves access to financial, physical and natural capital, but less in improving human capital. While most villagers are member of neighbourhood, farmer and religious groups, the village government does not build intensive interaction with these institutions in meetings to formulate village decision. Thus, the empowerment process is not optimally delivered, and the institutions cannot optimally help their members in addressing their livelihood problems. Some initiatives are performed by the institutions, but without government support, they result only limited benefits for the members. Thus, this study recommends the government to involve more institutions in village decision making, especially by improving the participation of neighbourhood, religious and farmer groups.
|
[
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
] |
10.1103/PhysRevD.93.104032
|
Searching for a continuum limit in causal dynamical triangulation quantum gravity
|
We search for a continuum limit in the causal dynamical triangulation approach to quantum gravity by determining the change in lattice spacing using two independent methods. The two methods yield similar results that may indicate how to tune the relevant couplings in the theory in order to take a continuum limit.
|
[
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter",
"Mathematics"
] |
W1719621913
|
Estudio mediante difracción de rayos X de las tensiones residuales producidas durante el depósito de películas delgadas de TiN sobre sustratos metálicos
|
The influence of film thickness and the substrate type on the level and type of residual stresses generated on TiN coatings are analyzed. Two different physical vapor deposition (PVD) techniques: Magnetron Sputtering and Ion Plating were applied. Two materials were used as substrate: stainless steel AISI 304 and AISI M2 tool steel. The study of the residual stresses, the present phases, the crystalline structure and the crystallographic texture of the deposited films was performed by X-ray diffraction analysis using the grazing method with a low incidence angle. The results show that the residuals stresses produced by both deposition techniques were of compression and that their level decreased by increasing the film thickness. Moreover, the residual stresses were higher in those coatings deposited by Magnetron sputtering than coatings produced by Ion Platting. The residuals stresses in the films deposited on the AISI 304 steel were greater than those produced in AISI M2 steel. This is due to the delivery energy mechanism to the layer growth and momentum of the ionized particles, which directly influence the microstructure and increase or decrease residual stresses. Regarding the substrate, residuals stresses were greater on the films produced on AISI 304 steel, than those deposited on the AISI M2 steel, which is possibly due to the lower coefficient of thermal expansion of M2 steel.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
759282
|
Bringing into focus the cellular dynamics of the plant growth hormone gibberellin
|
During an organism’s development it must integrate internal and external information. An example in plants, whose development stretches across their lifetime, is the coordination between environmental stimuli and endogenous cues on regulating the key hormone gibberellin (GA). The present challenge is to understand how these diverse signals influence GA levels and how GA signalling leads to diverse GA responses. This challenge is deepened by a fundamental problem in hormone research: the specific responses directed by a given hormone often depend on the cell-type, timing, and amount of hormone accumulation, but hormone concentrations are most often assessed at the organism or tissue level. Our approach, based on a novel optogenetic biosensor, GA Perception Sensor 1 (GPS1), brings the goal of high-resolution quantification of GA in vivo within reach. In plants expressing GPS1, we observe gradients of GA in elongating root and shoot tissues. We now aim to understand how a series of independently tunable enzymatic and transport activities combine to articulate the GA gradients that we observe. We further aim to discover the mechanisms by which endogenous and environmental signals regulate these GA enzymes and transporters. Finally, we aim to understand how one of these signals, light, regulates GA patterns to influence dynamic cell growth and organ behavior. Our overarching goal is a systems level understanding of the signal integration upstream and growth programming downstream of GA. The groundbreaking aspect of this proposal is our focus at the cellular level, and we are uniquely positioned to carry out our multidisciplinary aims involving biosensor engineering, innovative imaging, and multiscale modelling. We anticipate that the discoveries stemming from this project will provide the detailed understanding necessary to make strategic interventions into GA dynamic patterning in crop plants for specific improvements in growth, development, and environmental responses.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
216551
|
Molecular mechanical adhesives
|
Protein-based hydrogels are commonly used as adhesives and sealants in surgical settings. Fibrin gels, for example, are biocompatible, however their use is hampered by poor mechanical properties. Previous attempts to improve fibrin gel mechanics relied on interpenetrating networks in combination with PEO, collagen and other polymers, however, only modest improvements were observed. The important challenge lies in understanding how molecular design principles can influence gel mechanics on the macroscale.
The goal of this research is to develop mechanically tunable protein hydrogels. Upon mixture of two liquid components, the systems I propose would spontaneously form a gel matrix consisting of oligomerized proteins that mimic the extracellular matrix and possess controllable mechanical responses. By understanding protein nanomechanics at the single-molecule level, and designing modes of energy dissipation into hydrogel networks, my project will have an impact by bridging the knowledge gap between single-molecule and macroscopic mechanical responses.
My approach is ground-breaking because I am leveraging the discoveries I made on a family of super-stable receptor-ligand proteins (Cohesins & Dockerin (Coh-Doc)). These reversible receptor-ligands can be broken and reformed thousands of times, yet still maintain high stability (1/2 covalent bond strength). After having pioneered the application of these mechano-stable domains as molecular handles in single-molecule experiments, I propose the following frontier research:
A) I will use molecular engineering of Coh-Doc complexes to test the hypothesis that mechanical properties of bulk materials can be rationally designed based on single-molecule mechanical behavior of receptor-ligands.
B) I will adapt the system to seamlessly merge with the native fibrin clotting pathway, providing a self-healing mechano-stable fibrin-based gel that could be applied as a liquid or spray and strongly adhere to cells and tissues.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Materials Engineering",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
10.1080/02673037.2017.1408779
|
Parental Marital Dissolution And The Intergenerational Transmission Of Homeownership
|
AbstractChildren of homeowners are more likely to enter homeownership than are children whose parents rent. We investigate whether this association is dependent on parental divorce, focusing on parental assistance as a conduit of intergenerational transmission. Event history analyses of data for England and Wales from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) show that the intergenerational transmission of homeownership is stronger for children of divorced parents compared with children of married parents. Such an effect may arise from two channels: (1) children of divorced parents are more in need of parental assistance due to socio-economic disadvantages associated with parental divorce; and (2) compared with married parents, divorced homeowning parents (mothers) rely more on housing wealth, rather than financial wealth, for assisting children. Findings support both explanations. Children of divorced parents are furthermore less likely to co-reside. We find limited evidence that when they do, co-residen. . .
|
[
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations"
] |
W4311535120
|
Violência doméstica contra a mulher e a agravante pandemia
|
O presente artigo teve como objetivo analisar a violência doméstica sofrida pelas mulheres durante o enfrentamento da pandemia COVID-19. A primeira parte da pesquisa o objetivo foi mostrar como era a vida da mulher no antepassado, mostrando como a sociedade a tratava e como as leis resguardava tal absurdo; Já na segunda parte o intuito foi mostrar a origem dos direitos das mulheres e como foi evoluindo ao longo do tempo, levando em conta toda a influência internacional; Na terceira parte foi falado mais sobre a violência doméstica e da opressão que o gênero feminino sofre e ainda mostrado o quão alarmante são os casos de violência doméstica contra a mulher no Brasil; Por último foi levado em consideração as consequências do isolamento social provocada em virtude da pandemia COVID-19. Com isso chegamos à conclusão de que a violência doméstica contra a mulher sempre foi algo corriqueiro na vida das brasileiras, porém em março de 2020, com a agravante pandemia, esse problema foi intensificado evidenciando que ainda temos muito o que melhorar para então chegarmos em uma sociedade justa e igualitária.
|
[
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
] |
10.1109/TITS.2014.2347300
|
Distributed Traffic Signal Control Using The Cell Transmission Model Via The Alternating Direction Method Of Multipliers
|
Traffic signal control is a key ingredient in intelligent transportation systems to increase the capacity of existing urban transportation infrastructure. However, to achieve optimal system-wide operation, it is essential to coordinate traffic signals at various intersections. In this paper, we model the multiple-intersection traffic signal control problem using the cell transmission model as a mixed-integer linear program. The solution of the problem is facilitated by its special structure, which allows both temporal and spatial decomposition. Temporal decomposition is employed to reduce the problem size by solving subproblems of a smaller time window compared to the original problem. Temporal subproblems can be further spatially decomposed into subproblems associated with different intersections, which are jointly solved by exchanging messages between neighboring intersections. The proposed distributed solution strategy is comprised of two phases. First, the relaxed linear problem is reformulated and distributedly solved via the alternating direction method of multipliers. Second, two distributed rounding schemes are developed to solve the original problem. Simulation results indicate that the proposed solution strategy is scalable to large transportation topologies, which is suitable for online execution, and provides close-to-optimal results.
|
[
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
10.1039/C5SC00295H
|
Gold I Catalyzed 2 2 2 Cycloaddition Of Allenamides Alkenes And Aldehydes A Straightforward Approach To Tetrahydropyrans
|
Allenamides participate as two-carbon components in an intermolecular [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition with alkenes and aldehydes when treated with catalytic amounts of a phosphite gold complex. The reaction is highly regio- and chemoselective, and works with different types of alkenes, including styrenes, enol ethers or enamides, as well as with aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes. Accordingly, different types of 2,6-disubstituted tetrahydropyrans can be stereoselectively assembled in a single step from commercial or very accessible starting materials.
|
[
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
10.1016/j.devcel.2016.11.018
|
Generic Theoretical Models to Predict Division Patterns of Cleaving Embryos
|
Life for all animals starts with a precise 3D choreography of reductive divisions of the fertilized egg, known as cleavage patterns. These patterns exhibit conserved geometrical features and striking interspecies invariance within certain animal classes. To identify the generic rules that may govern these morphogenetic events, we developed a 3D-modeling framework that iteratively infers blastomere division positions and orientations, and consequent multicellular arrangements. From a minimal set of parameters, our model predicts detailed features of cleavage patterns in the embryos of fishes, amphibians, echinoderms, and ascidians, as well as the genetic and physical perturbations that alter these patterns. This framework demonstrates that a geometrical system based on length-dependent microtubule forces that probe blastomere shape and yolk gradients, biased by cortical polarity domains, may dictate division patterns and overall embryo morphogenesis. These studies thus unravel the default self-organization rules governing early embryogenesis and how they are altered by deterministic regulatory layers.
|
[
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Mathematics"
] |
715062
|
High-throughput combinatorial chemical protein synthesis as a novel research technology platform for chemical and synthetic biology
|
Chemical protein synthesis is an indispensable method in chemical and synthetic biology. However, at the present moment, it is laborious and involves multiple optimization and purification steps. High-throughput approaches for total synthesis of combinatorial libraries of custom-modified protein variants are needed. To change the situation, the work will be carried out in two directions: (1) implementation of microfluidic techniques for automation, miniaturization and multiplexing of experimental steps involved in the total synthesis of proteins, and (2) design and synthesis of novel catalytic proteins for efficient enzyme-assisted peptide ligations under denatured conditions. This innovative research technology will allow robust chemical synthesis of protein libraries with (100–10,000)-compounds with natural and unnatural modifications, bearing variety of post-translational modifications and also protein-like biopolymers. In this project, the new methodology will be validated by chemical synthesis of library of phosphorylated analogues of high mobility group protein A (HMGA), which is involved in gene-transcription and cancer development. Other potential future applications include protein design, biological problems where post-translational modifications play a crucial role (ranging from the ‘histone code’ hypothesis to understanding long-term memory) and functional annotation of newly discovered genes.
|
[
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering"
] |
10.1002/celc.201700662
|
3D-Printed Electrodes with Improved Mass Transport Properties
|
Today's electrochemical reactor design is a less developed discipline as compared to electrocatalytic synthesis. Although catalysts show increasing conversion rates, they are often operated without measures for the reduction of concentration polarization effects. As a result, a stagnant boundary layer forms at the electrode-electrolyte interface. This stagnant boundary layer presents an additional voltage drop and reduces the energy efficiency. It is generally accepted that this phenomenon is caused by a combination of fast electrode reactions and slow diffusion of the reacting species. Our earlier work demonstrated the potential of non-conducting static mixers to reduce concentration polarization effects. However, there are few studies on conductive static mixers applied as electrodes. In this study, we present a new concept of additive manufactured flow through electrode mixers. Our electrode geometry combines a high surface area with mixing properties, diminishing concentration polarization effects of transport-limited reactions. Mass transport properties of these conductive static mixers are evaluated in an additive manufactured electrochemical reactor under controlled conditions by applying the limiting-current method.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
] |
W4281963810
|
Leptospirosis, bovine viral diarrhea and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis: prevalence in Colombian cattle and buffaloes
|
One of the limiting factors of productive efficiency in cattle and buffalo herds is related to the high prevalence of infectious diseases which affect reproduction. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-Leptospira antibodies for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1) in bovine and buffalo herds in Colombia. Blood serum samples were collected from 1100 buffaloes and 1000 cattle. The ELISA technique was used to detect antibodies against BVDV and BoHV-1, and the microscopic agglutination technique to detect anti-Leptospira antibodies. The prevalence of anti-Leptospira antibodies and of BVDV and BoHV-1 in bovine samples was observed in 16, 39.7, and 65% of animals, respectively, while the positivity in samples for the same antibodies in buffalos was detected in 18.7, 27.5 and 51.5%, respectively. Exposure of cattle and buffaloes to BoHV-1 was positively associated with age, higher prevalence rates were observed in older ages. Seropositivity of cattle for BVDV and BoHV-1 was higher in male animals. Activities such as embryo transfer, milking, and needle reuses, as well as the presence of cats and rodents are factors which favor positivity of the herd for BVDV and BoHV-1.
|
[
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
10.1364/BOE.7.000798
|
Simulation Of Speckle Patterns With Pre Defined Correlation Distributions
|
We put forward a method to easily generate a single or a sequence of fully developed speckle patterns with pre-defined correlation distribution by utilizing the principle of coherent imaging. The few-to-one mapping between the input correlation matrix and the correlation distribution between simulated speckle patterns is realized and there is a simple square relationship between the values of these two correlation coefficient sets. This method is demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally. The square relationship enables easy conversion from any desired correlation distribution. Since the input correlation distribution can be defined by a digital matrix or a gray-scale image acquired experimentally, this method provides a convenient way to simulate real speckle-related experiments and to evaluate data processing techniques.
|
[
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
340318
|
The Role of Neuropeptides in Learning and Memory
|
Humanity has always been intrigued by the nearly mythical properties of the brain. With its billions of neurons and innumerable connections, the brain is of such complex nature, that trying to understand it may seem a vain project. Yet, by using the ‘mini-brain’ of the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, which shares many components with the human brain but counts only 302 neurons, thorough research can penetrate into this complexity. We here pursue to deliver a much-needed understanding of how learning and memory processes are regulated by neuropeptide signaling in the brain. Neuropeptides are small regulatory proteins that are implicated in a variety of processes. Growing evidence exists for their involvement in learning and memory, but how they exert these effects is largely unexplored. In C. elegans we recently disentangled a conserved vasopressin/ocytocin-related system that –as in humans– mediates associative learning. As such, we can deliver the experience, model and logical approach to provide detailed insights in neuropeptidergic control of learning and memory. We will first identify the endogenous ligand of all orphan C. elegans neuropeptide GPCRs, as this will provide the essential basis to build this project on. Mutants of neuropeptide-receptor pairs will then be tested for their ability to learn or maintain associative short- or long-term memory. We will also define in which cells and circuits relevant neuropeptides and receptors are needed for these functions, in order to generate models of neuropeptidergic control of learning and memory. We envisage the use of novel tools and cutting-edge experimental setups to take this research beyond its current horizon. Via single cell RNA sequencing, optogenetic analyses and in vivo calcium imaging, we will develop a workflow to build integrative models of associative learning and memory processes mediated by neuropeptides, which will serve as a scaffold for the study of these processes in more complex brains.
|
[
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
10.1016/bs.mcb.2015.03.003
|
Time-lapse recording of centrosomes and other organelles in Drosophila neuroblasts
|
Drosophila larval neuroblasts (NBs) are an excellent model for asymmetric division and cell cycle studies in general. For decades, visualizing relevant structures like centrosomes, chromosomes, or the mitotic spindle relied exclusively on immunofluorescence on fix samples. More recently, improvements on sensitivity and acquisition speed of different confocal systems have made it possible to acquire time-resolved images of combined fluorescent reporters from single larval NBs. Here, we provide protocols to visualize centrosomes and other organelles from both primary cultures of isolated single NBs and ex vivo, whole-mounted larval brains.
|
[
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System"
] |
10.1209/0295-5075/124/16001
|
Thermal Conductivity In 1D Disorder Induced Transition From Anomalous To Normal Scaling
|
It is well known that the contribution of harmonic phonons to the thermal conductivity of 1D systems diverges with the harmonic chain length L. Within various one-dimensional models containing disorder it was shown that the thermal conductivity scales as under certain boundary conditions. Here we show that when the chain is weakly coupled to the heat reservoirs and there is strong disorder this scaling can be violated. We find a weaker power-law dependence on L, and show that for sufficiently strong disorder the thermal conductivity ceases to be anomalous – it does not depend on L and hence obeys Fourier's law. This is despite both density of states and the diverging localization length scaling anomalously. Surprisingly, in this strong disorder regime two anomalously scaling quantities cancel each other to recover Fourier's law of heat transport.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
10.1101/gad.238303.114
|
Roles of SLX1-SLX4, MUS81-EME1, and GEN1 in avoiding genome instability and mitotic catastrophe
|
The resolution of recombination intermediates containing Holliday junctions (HJs) is critical for genome maintenance and proper chromosome segregation. Three pathways for HJ processing exist in human cells and involve the following enzymes/complexes: BLM-TopoIIIa-RMI1-RMI2 (BTR complex), SLX1-SLX4-MUS81- EME1 (SLX-MUS complex), and GEN1. Cycling cells preferentially use the BTR complex for the removal of double HJs in S phase, with SLX-MUS and GEN1 acting at temporally distinct phases of the cell cycle. Cells lacking SLX-MUS and GEN1 exhibit chromosome missegregation, micronucleus formation, and elevated levels of 53BP1-positive G1 nuclear bodies, suggesting that defects in chromosome segregation lead to the transmission of extensive DNA damage to daughter cells. In addition, however, we found that the effects of SLX4, MUS81, and GEN1 depletion extend beyond mitosis, since genome instability is observed throughout all phases of the cell cycle. This is exemplified in the form of impaired replication fork movement and S-phase progression, endogenous checkpoint activation, chromosome segmentation, and multinucleation. In contrast to SLX4, SLX1, the nuclease subunit of the SLX1-SLX4 structure-selective nuclease, plays no role in the replication-related phenotypes associated with SLX4/MUS81 and GEN1 depletion. These observations demonstrate that the SLX1-SLX4 nuclease and the SLX4 scaffold play divergent roles in the maintenance of genome integrity in human cells.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
10.1159/000495045
|
Introducing Network Intervention Analysis To Investigate Sequential Symptom Specific Treatment Effects A Demonstration In Co Occurring Insomnia And Depression
|
Gemcitabine-based salvage therapy is considered an effective treatment for relapsed and refractory Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). We analyzed the outcome of 41 consecutive NHL patients treated with gemcitabine-based regimens between January 2007 and October 2015. Twenty-eight males and 13 females (median age 66. 4 years) were included. The median follow-up from gemcitabine initiation was 7. 3 months. Thirty patients (73%) had B-cell, and eleven (27%) had T-cell, lymphoma. All patients received a median of 2 prior regimens, of which at least 1 was anthracycline based. Twenty-eight patients (78%) received full-dose while 9 (22%) received reduced-dose regimens. The overall response rate was 37%, with 24% (n = 10) complete response, 12% (n = 5) partial response, and 63% (n = 22) progressive disease or stable disease. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 47 days (range 12-1,318), the median overall survival (OS) was 1. 9 years. Twenty patients (49%) died during follow-up. Grade 3-4 hematological toxicity was reported in 21 patients (51%). Relapsed vs. refractory disease, as well as a response to gemcitabine, predicted better PFS and OS. Use of a full-dose regimen predicted a better OS. Compared to previously published data, we observed less favorable outcomes. The administration of gemcitabine-based therapy as a salvage regimen for patients with relapsed or refractory NHL had limited success. Innovative therapies for these patients are an unmet need.
|
[
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
] |
218230
|
Determinants of xylella fastidiosa host specificity
|
The pathogenic bacterium Xylella fastidiosa threatens European agricultural and natural flora through the loss of economically, environmentally and culturally important host plants such as grape, olive and oak. This bacterium was first detected in Italy in 2013 and then in Corsica,France. Although X. fastidiosa is a generalist pathogen, infecting over 300 plant species, only a few plant species develop disease symptoms, and these infections always depend on a specific pathogen genotype. Although X. fastidiosa has been studied for over 80 years in the U.S.A., the determinants of X. fastidiosa host specificity remain unknown. In other words, it is not know why genotypes cause disease in one plant species but not another. Understanding what constrains X. fastidiosa host specificity is of paramount importance because it is currently not possible to predict what plant species are susceptible in Europe; this represents a major knowledge gap and limiting an adequate analysis of the risks posed by X. fastidiosa. This project aims to answer this important question by studying populations of the bacterium that are already host specific as well as one epidemic population exploiting a novel plant species in the EU. This will be done through collaboration between U.C. Berkeley -a leading expert on this pathogen- and BGPI, a French institute with excellent expertise in population genomics and interdisciplinary research. Besides reinforcing the link between the U.S.A. and European research on a subject of major importance, this project will result in the training of a European expert on this emerging pathogen. It will also broaden the Experienced Researcher's knowledge in plant-pathogen interactions. Finally, this project intends to disseminate knowledge on X. fastidiosa to the European society through (i) a collaboration with the French non-academic institute ANSES, (ii) a website dedicated to this pathogen and (iii) a collaboration with European farmers and agronomical schools.
|
[
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
10.1016/j.mib.2010.04.004
|
Systems biology of energy homeostasis in yeast
|
The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae attains energy homeostasis through complex regulatory events that are predominantly controlled by the Snf1 kinase. This master regulator senses the stress and energy starvation and activates the metabolic processes to produce ATP and inhibits biosynthesis. In doing so, Snf1 controls the switch between catabolism and anabolism accordingly, and regulates the cellular growth and development in coordination with other signaling pathways. Since its mammalian ortholog AMPK, a drug target for obesity and type II diabetes, also exerts analogous control of metabolism, there has been extensive interest recently to understand the chemical and biological aspects of Snf1 activation and regulation in yeast to expedite human disease studies as well as fundamental understanding of yeast. This review will focus on how Snf1 regulates lipid metabolism based on the cellular energy status in yeast and drawing parallels with the mammalian system.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
10.1177/0886260518779597
|
How Does Exposure To Violence Affect School Delay And Academic Motivation For Adolescents Living In Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Communities In South Africa
|
To date, little is known about the effects of violence on the educational outcomes of adolescents in disadvantaged communities in South Africa. In response, self-report data were collected from a socioeconomically disadvantaged sample of 503 adolescents aged 10 to 18 participating in a child abuse prevention trial in the Eastern Cape. Adolescents were purposively selected in the trial. This study applies Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) to examine relationships between past-month exposure to violence, school delay, and academic motivation. About 93. 8% of adolescents in the sample experienced poly-violence-exposure to at least two forms of violence in the past month. Results identified two distinct profiles in the socioeconomically disadvantaged sample: Profile 1, adolescents exposed to more frequent poly-violence, and Profile 2, adolescents exposed to less frequent poly-violence. Being exposed to more frequent poly-violence was associated with greater risk of school delay-based on age-appropriate grade in South Africa. However, being exposed to more frequent poly-violence was not associated with lower academic motivation-adolescents showed high rates of wanting to achieve. Our findings suggest that exposure to more frequent poly-violence increases risk of school delay among adolescents from disadvantaged communities, while not affecting their academic motivation. Thus, although adolescents maintained aspirations and goals to do well at school, exposure to high frequency of violence affected their capacity to fulfill these aims.
|
[
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
] |
10.1016/j.semcdb.2013.04.005
|
Strand-seq: A unifying tool for studies of chromosome segregation
|
Non random segregation of sister chromatids has been implicated to help specify daughter cell fate (the Silent Sister Hypothesis [1]) or to protect the genome of long-lived stem cells (the Immortal Strand Hypothesis [2]). The idea that sister chromatids are non-randomly segregated into specific daughter cells is only marginally supported by data in sporadic and often contradictory studies. As a result, the field has moved forward rather slowly. The advent of being able to directly label and differentiate sister chromatids in vivo using fluorescence in situ hybridization [3] was a significant advance for such studies. However, this approach is limited by the need for large tracks of unidirectional repeats on chromosomes and the reliance on quantitative imaging of fluorescent probes and rigorous statistical analysis to discern between the two competing hypotheses. A novel method called Strand-seq which uses next-generation sequencing to assay sister chromatid inheritance patterns independently for each chromosome [4] offers a comprehensive approach to test for non-random segregation. In addition Strand-seq enables studies on the deposition of chromatin marks in relation to DNA replication. This method is expected to help unify the field by testing previous claims of non-random segregation in an unbiased way in many model systems in vitro and in vivo.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
10.1016/j.rie.2013.09.002
|
Rhetoric and analogies
|
The art of rhetoric may be defined as changing other people's minds (opinions, beliefs) without providing them new information. One technique heavily used by rhetoric employs analogies. Using analogies, one may draw the listener's attention to similarities between cases and to re-organize existing information in a way that highlights certain regularities. In this paper we offer two models of analogies, discuss their theoretical equivalence, and show that finding good analogies is a computationally hard problem.
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
] |
10.1063/1.5018927
|
Principal Component Analysis Acceleration Of Rovibrational Coarse Grain Models For Internal Energy Excitation And Dissociation
|
The present work introduces a novel approach for obtaining reduced chemistry representations of large kinetic mechanisms in strong non-equilibrium conditions. The need for accurate reduced-order models arises from compression of large ab initio quantum chemistry databases for their use in fluid codes. The method presented in this paper builds on existing physics-based strategies and proposes a new approach based on the combination of a simple coarse grain model with Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The internal energy levels of the chemical species are regrouped in distinct energy groups with a uniform lumping technique. Following the philosophy of machine learning, PCA is applied on the training data provided by the coarse grain model to find an optimally reduced representation of the full kinetic mechanism. Compared to recently published complex lumping strategies, no expert judgment is required before the application of PCA. In this work, we will demonstrate the benefits of the combined approach, stressing its simplicity, reliability, and accuracy. The technique is demonstrated by reducing the complex quantum N2(Σg+1)-N(Su4) database for studying molecular dissociation and excitation in strong non-equilibrium. Starting from detailed kinetics, an accurate reduced model is developed and used to study non-equilibrium properties of the N2(Σg+1)-N(Su4) system in shock relaxation simulations.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter"
] |
222113
|
Disrupting aberrant protein–protein interactions with conformationally constrained hydrocarbon α-helical mimetics
|
Many critical processes within cells, including those that control whether a cell lives and divides or dies, are mediated by protein–protein interactions (PPIs). In certain disease states, such as cancer, these interactions can become defective in a way where disruption of the interaction has therapeutic benefit. Replacement of one of the protein partners, which often have α-helical secondary structure, with a small molecule is one method of disruption; however, the interface can often be large and shallow, making the design of competitive small molecules challenging. The saving grace is that the interaction energy is usually dominated by the interactions of a few amino acid residues, which protrude from one or more faces of the α-helical peptide. The design of α-helical mimetics that are non-peptidic in nature and that can replicate the positioning of these hotspot residues has been an active area of research. The host laboratory has recently developed a method to prepare chains of substituted carbon atoms with complete control of absolute and relative configuration. Owing to the avoidance of syn-pentane interactions, the all-syn and alternating syn–anti contiguously substituted chains fold into well-defined helical and linear conformations. The positioning of the substituents could uniquely replicate a pattern of hotspot residues that cover two or more faces of an α-helical peptide. This project will explore this possibility through the design, preparation and testing of mimetics that target the Mcl-1/Noxa-B PPI, which controls apoptosis and has leucine, arginine, isoleucine, aspartic acid, and valine at positions 11, 12, 14, 16 and 18 as hotspot residues. The project merges cutting-edge synthetic organic chemistry, multiple forms of computation, including molecular mechanics, density functional theory, and molecular dynamics, NMR spectroscopy, and medicinal chemistry.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
10.1016/j.apcatb.2018.03.062
|
Fast pyrolysis oil stabilization kinetics over a Ni-Cu catalyst using propionic acid as a model compound
|
Propionic acid hydrotreatment was investigated as a model reaction for fast pyrolysis oil stabilization over a Ni-Cu/SiO2-ZrO2 catalyst. Intrinsic kinetics were acquired within a wide range of operating conditions resulting in an extended dataset of 37 experiments. Two major Ni-catalyzed conversion pathways, being hydrogenation to propanol and decarbonylation into ethane and carbon monoxide, were identified. Propanol, formed on the Ni sites after a series of hydrogenation steps, was found to also undergo decarbonylation at the investigated operating conditions. Additionally, the metal oxide support, catalyzed the esterification between propionic acid and propanol. The observation of only traces of decarboxylation and ketonization products indicated that these conversion pathways were not particularly pronounced in the investigated range of operating conditions. Due to the experimentally observed high methanation activity of Ni-Cu/SiO2-ZrO2, the hydrogenation route, which was favored at lower temperatures and higher total and partial hydrogen pressure was determined to be the preffered conversion pathway as compared to the decarbonylation route. The acquired experimental dataset was utilized for the construction of a comprehensive hydrodeoxigenation kinetic model based on elementary steps. The first step, which is a joint one in the decarbonylation and hydrogenation route, was found to be rate determining with activation energy of 118 kJ mol−1. The higher selectivity to propyl propionate compared to propane was ascribed to the higher affinity of propanol for the metal oxide support than for metal active sites.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
] |
US 9702013 W
|
REGULATABLE RETROVIRUS SYSTEM FOR GENETIC MODIFICATION OF CELLS
|
A novel regulatable retroviral vector in which the v-myc oncogene is driven by a tetracycline-controlled transactivator and a human cytomegalovirus minimal promoter fused to tet operator sequence useful for immortalization of adult neuronal progenitor cells is provided. Producer cell lines which produce high titers of the recombinant retrovirus are also provided.
|
[
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
640074
|
Reproducing Europe: Migrant Parenting and Questions of Citizenship
|
This project is an anthropological study of citizenship in a Europe where the presence of migrants has increasingly come to be seen as a burden or threat. This project examines how citizenship is debated, produced and negotiated in this context. It does so through a multilevel study of debates, interventions and practices related to migrant parenting in Paris, Milan and Amsterdam. The experiences of Egyptian migrant parents – a relatively new North African and (partly) Muslim migrant group – serve as its vantage point.
Migrant parenting provides a new and fertile angle to explore questions of citizenship, understood here as membership and participation in the nation. Migrant parents are frequently seen as potential threat to the reproduction of the nation, and may thus be targeted by a variety of citizenship agendas designed to ensure the proper reproduction of citizens. This research examines how migrant parents engage with such agendas. It thereby studies the intersection of 1. political debates regarding migrant parents and the nation, 2. interventions through which states regulate and shape the reproduction of citizens, and 3. everyday interactions in the context of parenting.
Theoretically, this research will advance theories of citizenship through its innovative focus on migrant parenting, enabling an understanding of how correspondences between family and nation impact citizenship. It also contributes to citizenship studies through its innovative multilevel analysis, which details how citizenship is produced at the intersection of political debates, institutional interventions, and everyday interactions. Additionally, its comparative design enables an assessment of the impact of particular political debates and institutional arrangements on citizenship in Europe. This study will thereby further our understanding of the complex set of conditions that shape social life in contemporary European cities.
|
[
"Studies of Cultures and Arts",
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
] |
W1972434619
|
Viral immune evasion: Lessons in MHC class I antigen presentation
|
The MHC class I antigen presentation pathway enables cells infected with intracellular pathogens to signal the presence of the invader to the immune system. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes are able to eliminate the infected cells through recognition of pathogen-derived peptides presented by MHC class I molecules at the cell surface. In the course of evolution, many viruses have acquired inhibitors that target essential stages of the MHC class I antigen presentation pathway. Studies on these immune evasion proteins reveal fascinating strategies used by viruses to elude the immune system. Viral immunoevasins also constitute great research tools that facilitate functional studies on the MHC class I antigen presentation pathway, allowing the investigation of less well understood routes, such as TAP-independent antigen presentation and cross-presentation of exogenous proteins. Viral immunoevasins have also helped to unravel more general cellular processes. For instance, basic principles of ER-associated protein degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway have been resolved using virus-induced degradation of MHC class I as a model. This review highlights how viral immunoevasins have increased our understanding of MHC class I-restricted antigen presentation.
|
[
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
W2088576168
|
A clustering approach for the wind turbine micro siting problem through genetic algorithm
|
Offshore wind farms with high installed capacities and located further from the shore are starting to be built by northern European countries. Furthermore, it is expected that by 2020, several dozens of large offshore wind farms (LOWFs) will be built in the Baltic, Irish and North seas. These LOWFs will be constituted of a considerable amount of wind turbines (WTs) packed together. Due to shadowing effects between turbines, the power production is reduced, resulting in a decreased wind farm efficiency. Hence, when LOWFs are considered, wake losses reduction is an important optimization goal that needs to be considered. This work presents a clustering approach to optimize the energy production of LOWFs through a genetic algorithm (GA). The method consists of a turbine clustering strategy where the optimal wind farm layout is obtained in different steps. The number of turbines used in each step is increased until all turbine locations have been optimized. The results demonstrate the method effectiveness. A computational time decrease and a reduction of the problem search space are observed when compared to the standard optimization strategy, without jeopardizing the quality of the optimal layouts achieved.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
10.1039/d0ta07775e
|
Role of particle size and surface functionalisation on the flexibility behaviour of switchable metal–organic framework DUT-8(Ni)
|
Functionalising the external surface of flexible MOF nanoparticles allows manipulating the gate opening/closing pressure.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials"
] |
W2073702046
|
Specimen homogeneity requirements for EDS in high count rate mode
|
This work describes limits with pile-up correction considering EDS spectra evaluation in the case of processing high count rate spectra from inhomogeneous specimen areas. The pulse processor pile-up rejection has some limitations with detection of X-ray event coincidences. Therefore, remaining pile-up artefacts are always present in measured spectra and it is necessary to consider these artefacts to avoid mistakes in qualitative and quantitative results. Any pile-up calculation is based on probabilities for coincidences of X-rays, some of which cannot be resolved by pile-up rejection due to the constantly limited time resolution. A fundamental assumption with all calculation approaches is the time-related random distribution of emitted X-rays. This rule is violated with spectra from inhomogeneous specimen areas. Examples are shown and opportunities to avoid the fundamental shortcoming are discussed.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Condensed Matter Physics"
] |
W2951680
|
The Penumbra Coil 400 System for Treatment of Wide-Necked Intracranial Aneurysms: Initial Single-Center Experience
|
Endovascular treatment of wide-necked intracranial aneurysms frequently requires stent- or balloon-assisted coiling to prevent coil herniation into the parent artery. Provided that coils can be securely deployed within the aneurysm sac, these adjunctive devices and their associated risk can be avoided. The Penumbra 400 Coil (PC-400) has a larger diameter than conventional coils and is constructed completely of metal, a feature that increases the coil stability and may improve its ability to respect the aneurysm neck. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of adjunctive stent usage when coiling wide-necked intracranial aneurysms with the PC-400 in comparison with conventional coils. We examined consecutive patients with unruptured wide-necked aneurysms treated at our institution with endovascular coils. Aneurysm characteristics and procedural outcomes were compared between patients treated with PC-400 compared with a control group treated with conventional coils. Thirty-eight patients met criteria for this study. Stent-assisted coiling was required in 34 % fewer cases using PC-400 compared with conventional coils (P = .049). Fewer coils and less length were required with the PC-400 to obtain the same packing densities, occlusion types, and short-term stability. This may reduce treatment cost and prove to be valuable in patients with contraindications to dual antiplatelet therapy.KeywordsIntracranial aneurysmEmbolizationPenumbra Coil 400Stent-assisted coilingWide necked
|
[
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
] |
10.5209/amal.63073
|
Malas madres. De brujas voraces a fantasmas letales
|
El miedo a las mujeres se expresó desde antiguo en la figura de la madre insensible y cruel, capaz de arrebatar la vida a sus hijos. Desde la Medea griega, el mito de la infanticida terminó plasmándose en la Europa Moderna en las brujas devoradoras de niños. Entre los arquetipos extremos de la madre-bruja asesina y la madre idealizada, se sitúa un tipo de maldad ambigua y sutil: la de la madre dominante que, aunque no elimina a sus hijos físicamente, ejerce una influencia debilitadora y maligna sobre ellos. El tabú de las malas madres afloró tímidamente en la literatura europea desde la Edad Media, para alcanzar su expresión más refinada con el auge de la narrativa gótica y el Romanticismo.
|
[
"Texts and Concepts",
"Studies of Cultures and Arts"
] |
10.1016/j.jas.2015.02.008
|
The vegetational and climatic contexts of the Lower Magdalenian human burial in El Mirón Cave (Cantabria, Spain): Implications related to human behavior
|
This paper presents and discusses the results of the studies of pollen and micro-mammal remains associated with the human burial in El Mirón Cave, dated in the Lower Magdalenian. The sedimentological integrity of the deposit has been confirmed through its comparison with the penecontemporaneous level in other parts of the cave. From the environmental point of view, this unit, like others of the same age in northern Spain, attests a very cold and arid climate. However, the pollen study reveals that it can be differentiated by the large quantity of Chenopodiaceae pollen (occasionally in the form of aggregates of grains), exclusively in the funerary context. In the discussion, various hypotheses are considered (funerary offering, food, to hygienize the grave or medicinal use) to interpret this over-representation. Although all the possibilities remain open, the most likely is thought to be the direct deposit of flowers at the time of the burial, either as a ritual element or for a more practical and hygienic purpose.
|
[
"The Study of the Human Past",
"Earth System Science"
] |
10.1042/bcj20200029
|
Processing of the SARS-CoV pp1a/ab nsp7–10 region
|
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus is the causative agent of a respiratory disease with a high case fatality rate. During the formation of the coronaviral replication/transcription complex, essential steps include processing of the conserved polyprotein nsp7–10 region by the main protease Mpro and subsequent complex formation of the released nsp's. Here, we analyzed processing of the coronavirus nsp7–10 region using native mass spectrometry showing consumption of substrate, rise and fall of intermediate products and complexation. Importantly, there is a clear order of cleavage efficiencies, which is influenced by the polyprotein tertiary structure. Furthermore, the predominant product is an nsp7+8(2 : 2) hetero-tetramer with nsp8 scaffold. In conclusion, native MS, opposed to other methods, can expose the processing dynamics of viral polyproteins and the landscape of protein interactions in one set of experiments. Thereby, new insights into protein interactions, essential for generation of viral progeny, were provided, with relevance for development of antivirals.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
223118
|
New chemical tools for precision glycotherapy
|
Glycosylation, the expression of carbohydrate structures on proteins and lipids, is found in all the domains of life. The collection of all glycans found on a cell is called the “glycome” which is information rich and a key player in a plethora of physiological and pathological processes. The information that the glycome holds can be written, read and erased by glycosyltransferases, lectins and glycosidases, respectively. The immense structural complexity and the fact that glycan biosynthesis is not under direct genetic control makes it very difficult to study the glycome.
The glycosylation pattern of cancer cells is very different from that of healthy cells. It is still unclear whether aberrant glycosylation of cancer cells is a cause or consequence of tumorigenesis but it is associated with aggressive and invasive forms of cancer and hence poor prognosis. Malignant glycans are directly involved in a number of mechanisms that suppress the immune response, increase migration and extravasation (metastasis), block apoptosis and increase resistance to chemotherapy.
The aim of this proposal is develop new glycomimetics that can be used to edit the glycome of cancer cells to target such evasive mechanisms. Using combinations of new glycan based inhibitors, a coordinated attack on the cancer glycome can be carried out which is expected to severely cripple the cancers ability to grow and metastasize. This will make the tumor more susceptible to immune mediated killing which may be further enhanced in combination with other anti-cancer strategies.
To minimize systemic side effects, new methods for the local delivery/activation of glycan inhibitors will be developed. The developed methods are expected to have a much broader than just cancer alone since the studied mechanisms are also associated with autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy"
] |
10.1088/0004-637X/813/2/125
|
Hα Line Profile Asymmetries And The Chromospheric Flare Velocity Field
|
The asymmetries observed in the line profiles of solar flares can provide important diagnostics of the properties and dynamics of the flaring atmosphere. In this paper the evolution of the Halpha and Ca II 8542 {\AA} lines are studied using high spatial, temporal and spectral resolution ground-based observations of an M1. 1 flare obtained with the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope. The temporal evolution of the Halpha line profiles from the flare kernel shows excess emission in the red wing (red asymmetry) before flare maximum, and excess in the blue wing (blue asymmetry) after maximum. However, the Ca II 8542 {\AA} line does not follow the same pattern, showing only a weak red asymmetry during the flare. RADYN simulations are used to synthesise spectral line profiles for the flaring atmosphere, and good agreement is found with the observations. We show that the red asymmetry observed in Halpha is not necessarily associated with plasma downflows, and the blue asymmetry may not be related to plasma upflows. Indeed, we conclude that the steep velocity gradients in the flaring chromosphere modifies the wavelength of the central reversal in the Halpha line profile. The shift in the wavelength of maximum opacity to shorter and longer wavelengths generates the red and blue asymmetries, respectively.
|
[
"Universe Sciences",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
10.1109/JLT.2014.2308061
|
High Q Photonic Crystal Nanocavities On 300 Mm Soi Substrate Fabricated With 193 Nm Immersion Lithography
|
On-chip 1-D photonic crystal nanocavities were designed and fabricated in a 300 mm silicon-on-insulator wafer using a CMOS-compatible process with 193 nm immersion lithography and silicon oxide planarization. High quality factors up to 105 were achieved. By changing geometrical parameters of the cavities, we also demonstrated a wide range of wavelength tunability for the cavity mode, a low insertion loss and excellent agreement with simulation results. These on-chip nanocavities with high quality factors and low modal volume, fabricated through a high-resolution and high-volume CMOS compatible platform open up new opportunities for the photonic integration community.
|
[
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
10.1038/s41563-020-0618-7
|
Ground-state electron transfer in all-polymer donor–acceptor heterojunctions
|
Doping of organic semiconductors is crucial for the operation of organic (opto)electronic and electrochemical devices. Typically, this is achieved by adding heterogeneous dopant molecules to the polymer bulk, often resulting in poor stability and performance due to dopant sublimation or aggregation. In small-molecule donor–acceptor systems, charge transfer can yield high and stable electrical conductivities, an approach not yet explored in all-conjugated polymer systems. Here, we report ground-state electron transfer in all-polymer donor–acceptor heterojunctions. Combining low-ionization-energy polymers with high-electron-affinity counterparts yields conducting interfaces with resistivity values five to six orders of magnitude lower than the separate single-layer polymers. The large decrease in resistivity originates from two parallel quasi-two-dimensional electron and hole distributions reaching a concentration of ∼1013 cm–2. Furthermore, we transfer the concept to three-dimensional bulk heterojunctions, displaying exceptional thermal stability due to the absence of molecular dopants. Our findings hold promise for electro-active composites of potential use in, for example, thermoelectrics and wearable electronics.
|
[
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
10.1042/BST20160179
|
Translational Control By Mtor Independent Routes How Eif6 Organizes Metabolism
|
Over the past few years, there has been a growing interest in the interconnection between translation and metabolism. Important oncogenic pathways, like those elicited by c-Myc transcription factor and mTOR kinase, couple the activation of the translational machinery with glycolysis and fatty acid synthesis. Eukaryotic initiation factor 6 (eIF6) is a factor necessary for 60S ribosome maturation. eIF6 acts also as a cytoplasmic translation initiation factor, downstream of growth factor stimulation. eIF6 is up-regulated in several tumor types. Data on mice models have demonstrated that eIF6 cytoplasmic activity is rate-limiting for Myc-induced lymphomagenesis. In spite of this, eIF6 is neither transcriptionally regulated by Myc, nor post-transcriptionally regulated by mTOR. eIF6 stimulates a glycolytic and fatty acid synthesis program necessary for tumor growth. eIF6 increases the translation of transcription factors necessary for lipogenesis, such as CEBP/β, ATF4 and CEBP/δ. Insulin stimulation leads to an increase in translation and fat synthesis blunted by eIF6 deficiency. Paradoxycally, long-term inhibition of eIF6 activity increases insulin sensitivity, suggesting that the translational activation observed upon insulin and growth factors stimulation acts as a feed-forward mechanism regulating lipid synthesis. The data on the role that eIF6 plays in cancer and in insulin sensitivity make it a tempting pharmacological target for cancers and metabolic diseases. We speculate that eIF6 inhibition will be particularly effective especially when mTOR sensitivity to rapamycin is abrogated by RAS mutations.
|
[
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
10.1007/978-3-658-01410-0_7
|
Demographische Kennziffern Und Methoden
|
Der Beitrag beschreibt die Grundlagen demographischer Methoden, auf denen die wichtigsten Kennziffern zur Charakterisierung der eine Bevolkerung strukturierenden Prozesse (Fertilitat, Nuptialitat, Morbiditat, Mortalitat und Migration) basieren und deren Kenntnis fur ihre richtige Interpretation erforderlich ist. Dies beinhaltet die zentralen demographischen Konzepte der Ereignisrate, der Sterbetafel und ihrer Erweiterung zur Mehrzustandstafel, des stabilen Bevolkerungsmodells, der Perioden- und Kohorten-Analyse sowie der indirekten Schatzverfahren, die zur Gewinnung demographischer Kennziffern in Entwicklungslandern verwendet werden.
|
[
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space"
] |
10.1021/es400901u
|
Effects of surface charge and hydrophobicity on anodic biofilm formation, community composition, and current generation in bioelectrochemical systems
|
The focus of this study was to investigate the effects of surface charge and surface hydrophobicity on anodic biofilm formation, biofilm community composition, and current generation in bioelectrochemical systems (BESs). Glassy carbon surfaces were modified with -OH, -CH3, -SO3-, or -N+(CH3)3 functional groups by electrochemical reduction of aryl diazonium salts and then used as anodes with poised potential of -0. 2 V (vs Ag/AgCl). The average startup times and final current densities for the -N+(CH3)3, -OH, -SO3-, and -CH3, electrodes were (23 d, 0. 204 mA/cm2), (25. 4 d, 0. 149 mA/cm2), (25. 9 d, 0. 114 mA/cm 2), and (37. 2 d, 0. 048 mA/cm2), respectively. Biofilms on different surfaces were analyzed by nonturnover cyclic voltammetry (CV), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and 16S rRNA gene amplicon pyrosequencing. The results demonstrated that 1) differences in the maximum current output between surface modifications was correlated with biomass quantity, and 2) all biofilms were dominated by Geobacter populations, but the composition of -CH3-associated biofilms differed from those formed on surfaces with different chemical modification. This study shows that anode surface charge and hydrophobicity influences biofilm development and can lead to significant differences in BESs performance. Positively charged and hydrophilic surfaces were more selective to electroactive microbes (e. g. Geobacter) and more conducive for electroactive biofilm formation.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Synthetic Chemistry and Materials",
"Materials Engineering",
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution"
] |
W2339601976
|
Variable Lifting Index (VLI)
|
Objective: We seek to develop a new approach for analyzing the physical demands of highly variable lifting tasks through an adaptation of the Revised NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) Lifting Equation (RNLE) into a Variable Lifting Index (VLI). Background: There are many jobs that contain individual lifts that vary from lift to lift due to the task requirements. The NIOSH Lifting Equation is not suitable in its present form to analyze variable lifting tasks. Method: In extending the prior work on the VLI, two procedures are presented to allow users to analyze variable lifting tasks. One approach involves the sampling of lifting tasks performed by a worker over a shift and the calculation of the Frequency Independent Lift Index (FILI) for each sampled lift and the aggregation of the FILI values into six categories. The Composite Lift Index (CLI) equation is used with lifting index (LI) category frequency data to calculate the VLI. The second approach employs a detailed systematic collection of lifting task data from production and/or organizational sources. The data are organized into simplified task parameter categories and further aggregated into six FILI categories, which also use the CLI equation to calculate the VLI. Results: The two procedures will allow practitioners to systematically employ the VLI method to a variety of work situations where highly variable lifting tasks are performed. Conclusions: The scientific basis for the VLI procedure is similar to that for the CLI originally presented by NIOSH; however, the VLI method remains to be validated. Application: The VLI method allows an analyst to assess highly variable manual lifting jobs in which the task characteristics vary from lift to lift during a shift.
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering"
] |
interreg_1811
|
Intermodal Passengers Connectivity between Ports and Airports
|
In the Adriatic-Ionian Region there are many maritime cities which have to deal with a very high number of passengers during the peak season and in which cruise tourism is an important factor of regional and local development._x000D_
However, most of these “homeports” for cruisers&ferries are suffering from lack of integration within various modes of transport, especially with regional airports._x000D_
_x000D_
The overall objective of INTER-PASS project is to enhance the intermodal connections between ports and airports in the Adriatic–Ionian Region in order to improve the processing of passengers, mainly cruise tourists and travelers reaching tourists destinations located on Adriatic and Ionian costs during the peak season._x000D_
_x000D_
During 2 years of project duration, the partners will work together to concretely improve the current situation by contributing to a higher transnational coordination among countries in the development and implementation of integrated passenger transport system and intermodality, reducing existing disparities and creating the opportunity to implement smart solutions to the identified challenges in the field of tourist transport._x000D_
_x000D_
The project will produce 3 concrete outputs:_x000D_
1) Cooperation networks on intermodal and multimodal connectivity between ports and airport located in Adriatic-Ionian Region. The network will be the place where partners and other stakeholders will exchange knowledge on innovative solutions (techniques, methods, operating codes etc.) that could be easily and successfully adapted in Adriatic-Ionian context._x000D_
2) Action plan for each territory which will define solutions to be tested and implemented in involved cities. The testing of 4 identified solutions to be implemented in Dubrovnik, Pula, Bari and Corfu during the summer 2018 with the objective to concretely speed up the tourist processing between ports and airport._x000D_
3) Elaboration of a joint Integrated Strategic Plan for multimodal passenger transportation between ports and airport to be shared with other ports, airports, and authorities located in Adriatic-Ionian Region._x000D_
_x000D_
The project will be implemented by a consortium composed by 8 project partners and 1 associated partner: 3 Airports (Dubrovnik, Pula, Airports of Apulia), 4 Port Authorities (Dubrovnik, Pula, Southern Adriatic, Corfu) and 1 scientific partner (Technological Institute of Epirus).
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
W2120964266
|
Estimate of the neutral atoms' contribution to the Mercury exosphere caused by a new flux of micrometeoroids
|
Context. The planet Mercury has an extended and tenuous exosphere made up of atoms that are ejected from the surface by energetic processes, including hypervelocity micrometeoritic impacts, photon-stimulated desorption by UV radiation, and ion sputtering. The well known constituents of the Hermean exosphere are H, He, O, Na, K, and Ca but, from the new MESSENGER data from flybys, many others elements are expected, as for instance Mg. Aims. Meteoroid impacts are an important source of neutral atoms in the exosphere of Mercury. We estimate the vapor and neutral atom production rates on Mercury caused by impacts of micrometeoroids of sizes between 5–100 μm. The micrometeoritic flux is derived from a new statistical approach based on direct numerical integrations of dust particle trajectories under the action of the Poynting-Robertson drag and the gravitational attraction of all planets. Methods. We included two different calibration sources for the meteoroid flux in our calculations of the vapor and neutral atoms and also considered both asteroidal and cometary sources for the dust. Three different surface compositions, which might be found on the planet, have been adopted, each with a different mass fraction of atoms in the regolith of the planet. Results. We derive different values of neutral atom vapor production rates assuming different calibration sources for the meteoroid flux. The three simple mineralogical surface compositions show significant differences in the related production rates, and they are all greater than those reported in the previous papers assuming other dominant source mechanisms. Our neutral atom production rates are about one order of magnitude higher than the previous estimates. This implies that the impact vaporization has a much higher contribution than previously assumed.
|
[
"Universe Sciences",
"Fundamental Constituents of Matter"
] |
10.1117/12.864804
|
Efficient Single Image Non Uniformity Correction Algorithm
|
This paper introduces a new way to correct the non-uniformity (NU) in uncooled infrared-type images. The main
defect of these uncooled images is the lack of a column (resp. line) time-dependent cross-calibration, resulting
in a strong column (resp. line) and time dependent noise. This problem can be considered as a 1D flicker of the
columns inside each frame. Thus, classic movie deflickering algorithms can be adapted, to equalize the columns
(resp. the lines). The proposed method therefore applies to the series formed by the columns of an infrared
image a movie deflickering algorithm. The obtained single image method works on static images, and therefore
requires no registration, no camera motion compensation, and no closed aperture sensor equalization. Thus, the
method has only one camera dependent parameter, and is landscape independent. This simple method will be
compared to a state of the art total variation single image correction on raw real and simulated images. The
method is real time, requiring only two operations per pixel. It involves no test-pattern calibration and produces
no "ghost artifacts".
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
SE 2011050503 W
|
NOVEL ALLERGEN
|
An isolated horse allergen is disclosed which is a secretoglobin having a molecular weight of 15 kDa under non-reducing conditions and comprising a first peptide chain having a molecular weight of about 5 kDa and a second peptide chain having a molecular weight of about 10 kDa linked together, and variants and fragments thereof sharing epitopes for antibodies therewith. The use of the allergen in diagnosis and therapy is also disclosed as well as a diagnostic kit and a pharmaceutical composition containing the allergen.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases"
] |
W2200927281
|
Impact Assessment of the 2008 to 2010 Economic Downturn Period on Appalachian Hardwood Sawmill Operations
|
A mail survey was conducted in the fall of 2010 to investigate the impacts of the 2008 economic downturn on sawmill production, employment, and marketing in the Appalachian region. The mail survey was sent to 776 hardwood sawmills in the region and 58 valid responses were used in the study. It was determined that the average number of employees per mill had decreased from 42 to 30, a reduction of 29 percent during the period. At the same time, annual operating hours decreased 9 percent and weekly lumber production fell by 26 percent. Additional information collected with the survey indicated that the average log inventory reported by the responding mills was sufficient to allow production for 6 weeks. Weekly chip and sawdust production was reported as 139 and 81 tons, respectively. Sixty-seven percent of the reporting mills indicated they had changed their marketing strategies as a result of the downturn. Forty-six percent of the respondents reported they were exporting production to overseas markets.
|
[
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Products and Processes Engineering"
] |
10.1109/ICIT.2019.8755097
|
Solid State Transformer With Integrated Input Stage
|
In this paper, a solid state transformer (SST) with integrated stages is addressed. The SST has been originally proposed for traction applications, after as an option to face the new requirements of the distributed generation but also suggested in many applications. There are different topologies, from one to three stages; certainly each one with their advantages and limitations. Some challenges for this type of systems are reducing the cost and increasing the efficiency. The components reduction is discussed in this paper, by integrating two stages of the SST; the ac/dc converter and the DAB converter share one leg. The proposed scheme is described and numerically simulated.
|
[
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.01.006
|
Motor cortex compensates for lack of sensory and motor experience during auditory speech perception
|
Listening to speech has been shown to activate motor regions, as measured by corticobulbar excitability. In this experiment, we explored if motor regions are also recruited during listening to non-native speech, for which we lack both sensory and motor experience. By administering Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) over the left motor cortex we recorded corticobulbar excitability of the lip muscles when Italian participants listened to native-like and non-native German vowels. Results showed that lip corticobulbar excitability increased for a combination of lip use during articulation and non-nativeness of the vowels. Lip corticobulbar excitability was further related to measures obtained in perception and production tasks showing a negative relationship with nativeness ratings and a positive relationship with the uncertainty of lip movement during production of the vowels. These results suggest an active and compensatory role of the motor system during listening to perceptually/articulatory unfamiliar phonemes.
|
[
"Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
] |
757507
|
Structural Biology of Exopolysaccharide Secretion in Bacterial Biofilms
|
Bacterial biofilm formation is a paramount developmental process in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative species and in many pathogens has been associated with processes of horizontal gene transfer, antibiotic resistance development and pathogen persistence. Bacterial biofilms are collaborative sessile macrocolonies embedded in complex extracellular matrix that secures both mechanical resistance and a medium for intercellular exchange.
Biogenesis platforms for the secretion of biofilm matrix components - many of which controlled directly or indirectly by the intracellular second messenger c-di-GMP - are important determinants for biofilm formation and bacterial disease, and therefore present compelling targets for the development of novel therapeutics. During my Ph.D. and post-doctoral work I studied the structure and function of c-di-GMP-sensing protein factors controling extracellular matrix production by DNA-binding at the transcription initiation level or by inside-out signalling mechanisms at the cell envelope, as well as membrane exporters involved directly in downstream matrix component secretion.
Here, I propose to apply my expertise in microbiology, protein science and structural biology to study the structure and function of exopolysaccharide secretion systems in Gram-negative species. Using Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio spp. and Escherichia coli as model organisms, my team will aim to reveal the global architecture and individual building components of several expolysaccharide-producing protein megacomplexes. We will combine X-ray crystallography, biophysical and biochemical assays, electron microscopy and in cellulo functional studies to provide a comprehensive view of extracellular matrix production that spans the different resolution levels and presents molecular blueprints for the development of novel anti-infectives. Over the last year I have laid the foundation of these studies and have demonstrated the overall feasibility of the project.
|
[
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy"
] |
819374
|
Driven by mutualists: how declines in pollinators impact plant communities and ecosystemfunctioning
|
Pollinator declines in response to land-use intensification have raised concern about the persistence of plant species dependent on insect pollination, in particular by bees, for their reproduction. Recent empirical studies show that reduced pollinator abundance decreases densities of seedlings of insect-pollinated plants and thereby changes the composition of grassland plant communities. Cascading effects on ecosystem functioning and associated organisms are expected, but to which extent and under which conditions this is the case is yet unexplored. Here, I propose a bold, multi-year, landscape-scale experimental assessment of the extent of pollinator-driven plant community changes, their consequences for associated organisms and important ecosystem functions, and their likely contingency on other factors (soil fertility, herbivory).
Specifically I will:
(1) Set up a network of long-term research plots in landscapes differing in pollinator abundance to measure the changes in plant reproduction over successive years, and assessing experimentally how herbivory and soil fertility mediate these effects.
(2) Explore the individual processes linking pollinators, plant communities and ecosystem functioning using long-term experiments controlling pollinator, herbivore and nutrient availability, focusing on a sample of plant species covering both the dominant species and a diversity of functional traits.
(3) Assess the context-dependence of pollinator-mediated plant community determination by building and applying process-based models based on observational and experimental data, and combine with existing spatially-explicit pollinator models to demonstrate the applicability to assess agri-environmental measures.
This powerful blend of complementary approaches will for the first time shed light on the cornerstone role of this major mutualism in maintaining diverse communities and the functions they support, and pinpoint the risks threatening them and the need for mitigation.
|
[
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Earth System Science"
] |
639517
|
Safe real-time systems: certification everywhere
|
We trust computers with our lives: they steer our aircrafts, control cardiac pacemakers, insulin pumps, ventilators, and other medical devices, and will soon drive our cars.
All these software systems are safety critical: an error in the software may lead to a catastrophe such as the loss of life or the explosion of a rocket.
Unfortunately, safety-critical systems have been plagued by fatal software failures from their early days until today.
In computer science, verification is the discipline of constructing software and systems that are correct by design.
It proves that a computer system works correctly under all given circumstances with mathematical rigor.
As real software is far too complex to be analyzed by hand, today, verification itself uses computers to get the job done, i.e. it is understood to be computer-aided verification.
With this, the following question immediately arises:
If we use a piece of software, say, the verifier, to guarantee that another computer system works correctly, how can we trust the result of the verification process if the verifier itself could have a bug?
In my opinion, this is an extremely important question to answer if we are serious about applying computer-aided verification to real-life safety-critical systems.
However, surprisingly little has been done to answer it.
The goal of Certywhere is to significantly advance the state-of-the-art on this question by marrying the two popular verification methods of automated model checking and interactive theorem proving by means of certification.
In this approach, model checkers produce certificates, which can be efficiently checked against the model and formula by an independent formally verified certifier.
I want to apply the certification approach to a large range of model checking methods from the important areas of symbolic model checking and partial-order reduction.
In particular, I want to target timed automata, which are a popular formalism for verifying real-time systems.
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
US 201213608164 A
|
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NAVIGATING A MOBILE DEVICE USER INTERFACE WITH A DIRECTIONAL SENSING DEVICE
|
An electronic mobile device includes a display for displaying a graphical element. A tilt sensor is configured to sense first and second tilt angles of the mobile device. A processor is coupled to the display and the tilt sensor and configured to move the graphical element relative to the display in a first direction based on the first tilt angle, and to move the graphical element relative to the display in a second direction based on the second tilt angle.
|
[
"Computer Science and Informatics",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
W1966286156
|
Methods for estimating the velocities of the Brazil Current in the pre-salt reservoir area off southeast Brazil (23∘ S–26∘ S)
|
The Brazil Current (BC) is likely the least observed and investigated subtropical western boundary current in the world. This study proposes a simple and systematic methodology to estimate quasi-synoptic cross-sectional speeds of the BC within the Santos Basin (23∘ S–26∘ S) based on the dynamic method using several combinations of data: Conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD), temperature profiles, CTD and vessel-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (VMADCP), and temperature profiles and VMADCP. All of the geostrophic estimates agree well with lowered Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (LADCP) velocity observations and yield volume transports of -5.56 ±1.31 and 2.50 ±1.01 Sv for the BC and the Intermediate Western Boundary Current (IWBC), respectively. The LADCP data revealed that the BC flows southwestward and is ∼100 km wide, 500 m deep, and has a volume transport of approximately -5.75 ±1.53 Sv and a maximum speed of 0.59 m s−1. Underneath the BC, the IWBC flows northeastward and has a vertical extent of approximately 1,300 m, a width of ∼60 km, a maximum velocity of ∼0.22 m s−1, and a volume transport of 4.11 ± 2.01 Sv. Our analysis indicates that in the absence of the observed velocities, the isopycnal (σ
0) of 26.82 kg m−3 (∼500 dbar) is an adequate level of no motion for use in geostrophic calculations. Additionally, a simple linear relationship between the temperature and the specific volume anomaly can be used for a reliable first estimate of the BC-IWBC system in temperature-only transects.
|
[
"Earth System Science",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
W4301395296
|
La gestion de la colère et de l’agressivité dans la boxe : une perspective de genre
|
Au cours de deux dernières décennies, la présence des femmes dans les sports de combat n’a cessé d’augmenter. L’arrivée des femmes dans des pratiques traditionnellement considérées comme masculines a suscité un intérêt croissant de la recherche scientifique envers ce domaine. Les chercheurs se sont penchés avant toute chose sur la mise en évidence de la fonction d’ empowerment (autonomisation) des sports de combat, ainsi que de leur potentiel en termes de subversion des normes de genre (Butler, 1990). Cet article se propose d’examiner un autre aspect de ce phénomène, à savoir la gestion de la colère et de l’agressivité par les femmes dans la pratique de la boxe. Au-delà d’un examen de la littérature sur le sujet, j’ai mené des entretiens exploratoires semi-structurés avec des athlètes féminines et des entraîneurs du milieu de la boxe amateur et du milieu des gymnases autogérés de la ville de Milan. L’objectif de l’article est d’offrir un moyen de renverser la perspective sur les émotions dans le sport, afin de permettre non seulement de montrer ces émotions telles qu’elles sont généralement comprises, mais également d’établir une approche différente dans la boxe à travers une perspective de genre. Il en ressort un bouleversement des normes de genre dans le sport, dont l’effet va au-delà du sport lui-même. Les athlètes interviewées ont montré une attitude de non-conformité aux normes et aux représentations liées à la boxe masculine et révélé leur capacité à changer leur approche de la discipline elle-même.
|
[
"The Social World and Its Interactions",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
] |
10.1007/s00440-011-0391-2
|
Hadamard's formula and couplings of SLEs with free field
|
The relation between level lines of Gaussian free fields (GFF) and SLE4-type curves was discovered by O. Schramm and S. Sheffield. A weak interpretation of this relation is the existence of a coupling of the GFF and a random curve, in which the curve behaves like a level line of the field. In the present paper we study these couplings for the free field with different boundary conditions. We provide a unified way to determine the law of the curve (i. e. to compute the driving process of the Loewner chain) given boundary conditions of the field and to prove existence of the coupling. The proof is reduced to the verification of two simple properties of the mean and covariance of the field, which always relies on Hadamard's formula and properties of harmonic functions. Examples include combinations of Dirichlet, Neumann and Riemann-Hilbert boundary conditions. In doubly connected domains, the standard annulus SLE4 is coupled with a compactified GFF obeying Neumann boundary conditions on the inner boundary. We also consider variants of annulus SLE coupled with free fields having other natural boundary conditions. These include boundary conditions leading to curves connecting two points on different boundary components with prescribed winding as well as those recently proposed by C. Hagendorf, M. Bauer and D. Bernard.
|
[
"Mathematics"
] |
Q4934818
|
(11429.27102016.098000705) SOFTSYSTEM 2017
|
SOFTSYSTEM TRAVAILLE DEPUIS 2012 SUR LA CONCEPTION ET LA CONSTRUCTION DE LIGNES AUTOMATISÉES POUR UN IMPORTANT GROUPE INDUSTRIEL QUI FABRIQUE DES RÉCIPIENTS EN VERRE POUR L’INDUSTRIE PHARMACEUTIQUE. JUSQU’EN 2016, CE TRAVAIL A ÉTÉ RÉALISÉ DANS UN ENVIRONNEMENT INDUSTRIEL STANDARD ET IL N’Y AVAIT PAS BESOIN D’ACCORGENTS PARTICULIERS PAR RAPPORT, PAR EXEMPLE, AUX PRODUITS DE L’INDUSTRIE AUTOMOBILE. En 2016, elle a commencé à travailler dans R &D OF THE COMPANY WORKS TO prototy AND PRODUCTION LINES. CES PROTOTYPES SONT RÉALISÉS DANS UN ENVIRONNEMENT STANDARD OU DANS UNE SALLE BLANCHE. PARMI LES OBJECTIFS QUE VOUS FAITES? PLACER L’ENTREPRISE EN 2017, LE PLUS? C’EST IMPORTANT? CONSTRUIRE DES MACHINES DANS CET ENVIRONNEMENT STÉRILE SELON LES PROCÉDURES ET RÈGLEMENTS PRESTABILE.OBIETTIVO GÉNÉRAL DU PROJET? L’UTILISATION DE CONSEILS HAUTEMENT QUALIFIÉS POUR LA CONCEPTION ET LA CONSTRUCTION D’UNE NOUVELLE LIGNE DE PRODUITS À METTRE SUR LE MARCHÉ, ET L’OPTIMISATION DE LA STRUCTURE FINANZ
|
[
"Products and Processes Engineering",
"Systems and Communication Engineering"
] |
10.3150/17-BEJ933
|
Adaptive Confidence Sets For Matrix Completion
|
In the present paper, we study the problem of existence of honest and adaptive confidence sets for matrix completion. We consider two statistical models: the trace regression model and the Bernoulli model. In the trace regression model, we show that honest confidence sets that adapt to the unknown rank of the matrix exist even when the error variance is unknown. Contrary to this, we prove that in the Bernoulli model, honest and adaptive confidence sets exist only when the error variance is known a priori. In the course of our proofs, we obtain bounds for the minimax rates of certain composite hypothesis testing problems arising in low rank inference.
|
[
"Mathematics",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
W572434251
|
The World of Smurfs: A Celebration of Tiny Blue Proportions
|
began as a comic strip in October 1958 in Belgium and quickly gained popularity, launching popular comic books and the classic figurines still sold today, but it wasn't until the NBC eighties cartoon that audiences everywhere fell in love with Papa Smurf and Smurfette. After years of re-runs the Smurfs are hitting the big screen. This summer Sony is releasing a life-action Smurf film starring Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria (Gargamel) and featuring voices from Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, George Lopez, and many more. The upcoming film release has generated new publicity for the series and has introduced a whole new generation to the characters. World of will feature extensive character bios of Smurf village residents like Papa Smurf, Smurfette, and Hefty. It will also delve into the history of the smurfs, with a biography of the creator, Peyo, and a look back at the popular Hanna-Barbera produced cartoon series. And of course, no history of the smurfs would be complete without a behind-the-scenes look at their upcoming movie. World of will be the ultimate collector's item for both new and old fans. The upcoming Smurfs movie has reignited pop culture's focus on these little blue characters, and there is no other book that chronicles the smurf's history from comic strip to cartoon to live-action movie. Ours will be the first and only book for all the smurf fans.
|
[
"Texts and Concepts",
"Studies of Cultures and Arts"
] |
10.1002/cbic.201800037
|
Microarray analysis of oligosaccharide-mediated multivalent carbohydrate–protein interactions and their heterogeneity
|
Carbohydrate–protein interactions (CPIs) are involved in a wide range of biological phenomena. Hence, the characterization and presentation of carbohydrate epitopes that closely mimic the natural environment is one of the long-term goals of glycosciences. Inspired by the multivalency, heterogeneity and nature of carbohydrate ligand-mediated interactions, we constructed a combinatorial library of mannose and galactose homo-and hetero-glycodendrons to study CPIs. Microarray analysis of these glycodendrons with a wide range of biologically important plant and animal lectins revealed that oligosaccharide structures and heterogeneity interact with each other to alter binding preferences.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
EP 16174734 A
|
THERMOCHROMIC MICRO PARTICLES AND THERMOCHROMIC INK COMPOSITION, WRITING APPARATUS AND SMART WINDOW USING THE SAME
|
The present invention relates to thermochromic micro particles capable of stably implementing a high chromogenic property and a decolorization property and having an improved erasing property, thermal resistance, and chemical resistance, and a thermochromic ink composition, a writing apparatus, and a smart window using the same. The thermochromic micro particles comprise a core part including a phase change material, a dye, and a developer, the phase change material including at least one selected from the group consisting of at least one chain hydrocarbon having a carbon number of 8 or more, a hydrated inorganic salt, alcohol having a carbon number of 3 or more, and polyalkyleneglycol; and a shell layer including a polymer resin.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences",
"Materials Engineering"
] |
10.1016/j.matdes.2012.06.028
|
Red or rough, what makes materials warmer?
|
The warmth of a material is generally related to the material's thermal behavior. However, the multisensory experience of warmth is also affected by other material aspects, such as the color or surface roughness. In the current study, we use an experimental approach to investigate the single and combined effects of color and surface roughness on the assessment of material warmth. Participants are asked to evaluate the material warmth of different material samples with controlled colors and roughnesses. The results illustrate that the material color and the local surface roughness influence our perception of warmth irrespective of each other. A relative comparison of the effect sizes shows that a change in color has a larger influence on the perceived warmth than a comparable change in roughness. These results are relevant to architects and other designers wanting to manipulate the intended warmth for a space or building through its materials.
|
[
"Materials Engineering",
"Condensed Matter Physics",
"The Human Mind and Its Complexity"
] |
W2097341972
|
Public debt, Sovereign Risk and Sustainable Development of Romania
|
The rapid increase in the government debt under the circumstances of the global crisis persistence and financial markets volatility raises the need for a new approach of public debt sustainability, including for Romania. Despite more intense contagion effects according to global markets connectivity, the importance of country specificity in the assessment of sovereign risk, which is decisive in dimensioning the borrowing costs, has grown. In the case of Romania, a sharp deterioration of its fiscal framework strength has been observed during post-crisis period, the public debt-to-GDP ratio currently reaching around 40%, thus doubling as compared to 2008. The structural analysis of government debt portfolio highlighted the main drivers of excessive public indebtedness and the increase in refinancing (rollover) risk on short term, which is supposed to overlap with the exchange rate and interest rate risks on medium and long term. Several indicators of Romania's debt sustainability are already on the warning levels edge which requires appropriate policies focusing on economic growth recovery, fiscal consolidation ongoing, increasing capacity of generating budgetary revenues, public debt management improvement. Maintaining the financial stability and the investment grade of sovereign risk are decisive for the development of Romania on a sustainable path.
|
[
"Individuals, Markets and Organisations",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
] |
724630
|
Pathoecology of Vibrio cholerae to better understand cholera index cases in endemic areas
|
Cholera is one of the oldest infectious diseases known and remains a major burden in many developing countries. The World Health Organization estimates that up to 4 million cases of cholera occur annually. The transmission of cholera by contaminated water, particularly under epidemic conditions, was first reported in the 19th century. However, early volunteer studies suggested that an incredibly high infectious dose (ID) is required to produce disease symptoms, in contrast to most other intestinal pathogens. Therefore, the mechanism of infection of index cases at the onset of an outbreak is unclear. This proposal aims to fill this knowledge gap by studying how the environmental lifestyle of the causative agent of the disease, the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, may prime the pathogen for intestinal colonization. We hypothesize that one of the natural niches of the bacterium (chitinous surfaces) fosters biofilm formation and provides a competitive advantage over co-colonizing bacteria. As an adaptive trait, passage of chitin-attached sessile V. cholerae through the acidic environment of the human stomach might be vastly facilitated compared to planktonic bacteria. Moreover, interbacterial warfare exerted by V. cholerae on these biotic surfaces may help the pathogen overcome the colonization barrier imposed by the human microbiota upon ingestion. The mechanism by which V. cholerae leaves the sessile lifestyle and the regulatory circuits involved in this process will also be investigated in this project. In summary, our goal is to elucidate the environmental community structures of V. cholerae that may enhance transmissibility from the ecosystem to humans in endemic areas resulting in the infection of index cases.
|
[
"Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
10.1088/2041-8205/804/1/L2
|
The Environment Of The Strongest Galactic Methanol Maser
|
The high-mass star-forming site G009. 62+00. 20E hosts the 6. 7 GHz methanol maser source with the greatest flux density in the Galaxy which has been flaring periodically over the last ten years. We performed high-resolution astrometric measurements of the CH3OH, H2O, and OH maser emission and 7 mm continuum in the region. The radio continuum emission was resolved in two sources separated by 1300 AU. The CH3OH maser cloudlets are distributed along two north-south ridges of emission to the east and west of the strongest radio continuum component. This component likely pinpoints a massive young stellar object which heats up its dusty envelope, providing a constant IR pumping for the Class II CH3OH maser transitions. We suggest that the periodic maser activity may be accounted for by an independent, pulsating, IR radiation field provided by a bloated protostar in the vicinity of the brightest masers. We also report about the discovery of an elliptical distribution of CH3OH maser emission in the region of periodic variability.
|
[
"Universe Sciences"
] |
10.1021/jp408166m
|
Performance of M06, M06-2X, and M06-HF density functionals for conformationally flexible anionic clusters: M06 functionals perform better than B3LYP for a model system with dispersion and ionic hydrogen-bonding interactions
|
We present a comparative assessment of the performance of the M06 suite of density functionals (M06, M06-2X, and M06-HF) against an MP2 benchmark for calculating the relative energies and geometric structures of the Cl -·arginine and Br-·arginine halide ion-amino acid clusters. Additional results are presented for the popular B3LYP density functional. The Cl-·arginine and Br -·arginine complexes are important prototypes for the phenomenon of anion-induced zwitterion formation. Results are presented for the canonical (noncharge separated) and zwitterionic (charge separated) tautomers of the clusters, as well as the numerous conformational isomers of the clusters. We find that all of the M06 functions perform well in terms of predicting the general trends in the conformer relative energies and identifying the global minimum conformer. This is in contrast to the B3LYP functional, which performed significantly less well for the canonical tautomers of the clusters where dispersion interactions contribute more significantly to the conformer energetics. We find that the M06 functional gave the lowest mean unsigned error for the relative energies of the canonical conformers (2. 10 and 2. 36 kJ/mol for Br-·arginine and Cl-·arginine), while M06-2X gave the lowest mean unsigned error for the zwitterionic conformers (0. 85 and 1. 23 kJ/mol for Br-·arginine and Cl -·arginine), thus providing insight into the types of physical systems where each of these functionals should perform best.
|
[
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
10.1109/INFOCOM.2016.7524507
|
A Novel Framework For Modeling And Mitigating Distributed Link Flooding Attacks
|
Distributed link-flooding attacks constitute a new class of attacks with the potential to segment large areas of the Internet. Their distributed nature makes detection and mitigation very hard. This work proposes a novel framework for the analytical modeling and optimal mitigation of such attacks. The detection is modeled as a problem of relational algebra, representing the association of potential attackers (bots) to potential targets. The analysis seeks to optimally dissolve all but the malevolent associations. The framework is implemented at the level of online Traffic Engineering (TE), which is naturally triggered on link-flooding events. The key idea is to continuously re-route traffic in a manner that makes persistent participation to link-flooding events highly improbable for any benign source. Thus, bots are forced to adopt a suspicious behavior to remain effective, revealing their presence. The load-balancing objective of TE is not affected at all. Extensive simulations on various topologies validate our analytical findings.
|
[
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
10.1512/iumj.2014.63.5209
|
Symmetrization of plurisubharmonic and convex functions
|
We show that Schwarz symmetrization does not increase the Monge-Ampere energy for S1-invariant plurisubharmonic functions in the ball. As a result, we derive a sharp Moser-Trudinger inequality for such functions. We also show that similar results do not hold for other balanced domains except for complex ellipsoids, and discuss related questions for convex functions.
|
[
"Mathematics"
] |
10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0148-16.2016
|
Β Catenin Is Required For Endothelial Cyp1B1 Regulation Influencing Metabolic Barrier Function
|
The canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is crucial for blood–brain barrier (BBB) formation in brain endothelial cells. Although glucose transporter 1, claudin-3, and plasmalemma vesicular-associated protein have been identified as Wnt/β-catenin targets in brain endothelial cells, further downstream targets relevant to BBB formation and function are incompletely explored. By Affymetrix expression analysis, we show that the cytochrome P450 enzyme Cyp1b1 was significantly decreased in β-catenin-deficient mouse endothelial cells, whereas its close homolog Cyp1a1 was upregulated in an aryl hydrocarbon receptor-dependent manner, hence indicating that β-catenin is indispensable for Cyp1b1 but not for Cyp1a1 expression. Functionally, Cyp1b1 could generate retinoic acid from retinol leading to cell-autonomous induction of the barrier-related ATP-binding cassette transporter P-glycoprotein. Cyp1b1 could also generate 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid from arachidonic acid, decreasing endothelial barrier function in vitro . In mice in vivo pharmacological inhibition of Cyp1b1 increased BBB permeability for small molecular tracers, and Cyp1b1 was downregulated in glioma vessels in which BBB function is lost. Hence, we propose Cyp1b1 as a target of β-catenin indirectly influencing BBB properties via its metabolic activity, and as a potential target for modulating barrier function in endothelial cells. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Wnt/β-catenin signaling is crucial for blood–brain barrier (BBB) development and maintenance; however, its role in regulating metabolic characteristics of endothelial cells is unclear. We provide evidence that β-catenin influences endothelial metabolism by transcriptionally regulating the cytochrome P450 enzyme Cyp1b1 . Furthermore, expression of its close homolog Cyp1a1 was inhibited by β-catenin. Functionally, Cyp1b1 generated retinoic acid as well as 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid that regulated P-glycoprotein and junction proteins, respectively, thereby modulating BBB properties. Inhibition of Cyp1b1 in vivo increased BBB permeability being in line with its downregulation in glioma endothelia, potentially implicating Cyp1b1 in other brain pathologies. In conclusion, Wnt/β-catenin signaling regulates endothelial metabolic barrier function through Cyp1b1 transcription.
|
[
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing"
] |
10.1534/genetics.115.183285
|
Natural Selection and Genetic Diversity in the Butterfly Heliconius melpomene
|
Abstract
A combination of selective and neutral evolutionary forces shape patterns of genetic diversity in nature. Among the insects, most previous analyses of the roles of drift and selection in shaping variation across the genome have focused on the genus Drosophila. A more complete understanding of these forces will come from analyzing other taxa that differ in population demography and other aspects of biology. We have analyzed diversity and signatures of selection in the neotropical Heliconius butterflies using resequenced genomes from 58 wild-caught individuals of Heliconius melpomene and another 21 resequenced genomes representing 11 related species. By comparing intraspecific diversity and interspecific divergence, we estimate that 31% of amino acid substitutions between Heliconius species are adaptive. Diversity at putatively neutral sites is negatively correlated with the local density of coding sites as well as nonsynonymous substitutions and positively correlated with recombination rate, indicating widespread linked selection. This process also manifests in significantly reduced diversity on longer chromosomes, consistent with lower recombination rates. Although hitchhiking around beneficial nonsynonymous mutations has significantly shaped genetic variation in H. melpomene, evidence for strong selective sweeps is limited overall. We did however identify two regions where distinct haplotypes have swept in different populations, leading to increased population differentiation. On the whole, our study suggests that positive selection is less pervasive in these butterflies as compared to fruit flies, a fact that curiously results in very similar levels of neutral diversity in these very different insects.
|
[
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems"
] |
10.1016/j.biomaterials.2010.01.008
|
A mixture model for water uptake, degradation, erosion and drug release from polydisperse polymeric networks
|
We introduce a general class of mixture models suitable to describe water-dependent degradation and erosion of biodegradable polymers in conjunction with drug release. The ability to predict and quantify degradation and erosion has direct impact in a variety of biomedical applications and is a useful design tool for biodegradable implants and tissue engineering scaffolds. The model is based on a finite number of constituents describing the polydisperse polymeric system, each representing chains of an average size, and two additional constituents, water and drug. Hydrolytic degradation of individual chains occurs at the molecular level and mixture constituents diffuse individually accordingly to Fick's 1st law at the bulk level - such analysis confers a multi-scale aspect to the resulting reaction-diffusion system. A shift between two different types of behavior, each identified to surface or bulk erosion, is observed with the variation of a single non-dimensional parameter measuring the relative importance of the mechanisms of reaction and diffusion. Mass loss follows a sigmoid decrease in bulk eroding polymers, whereas decreases linearly in surface eroding polymers. Polydispersity influences degradation and erosion of bulk eroding polymers and drug release from unstable surface eroding matrices is dramatically enhanced in an erosion-controlled release.
|
[
"Materials Engineering",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions",
"Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences"
] |
10.1057/9780230249486_2
|
Understandings Of Global Health Governance The Contested Landscape
|
The geographical redistribution of malarious mosquitoes as a consequence of global climate change; the spread of meningococcal disease among pilgrims to the annual Hajj pilgrimage; the spread of resistance as a result of irrational use of antibiotics and other drugs; the implications for access to essential medicines of trade measures protecting intellectual property rights; the worsening of the tobacco pandemic as a result of the global restructuring of the tobacco industry; the weakening of health services in very poor countries as a result of health worker migration — all of these issues, and many others — have come to define a rapidly expanding agenda known as global health (Lee and Collin, 2005). Global health is now among the fastest growing fields, as reflected in the rapid expansion of teaching, scholarly research and policy initiatives worldwide.
|
[
"Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution",
"Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases",
"Human Mobility, Environment, and Space",
"Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems"
] |
339681
|
Integrated Real-time Feedback Control and post-processing for image Restoration
|
My goal is to develop new computational tools for image restoration by real-time feedback control with full images recorded by a CCD camera. iCON will enable to breakaway from the existing quasi-static Adaptive Optics (AO) or off-line phase diversity approaches. The improvements over these existing image restoration methods are a consequence of three innovative steps taken in this project. The first is the modelling through system identification of the coupled dynamics between the temporal and spatial varying dynamics of the wavefront aberrations that blur the images. New multidimensional distributed Subspace Identification methods will be developed to derive mathematical models that predict the coupled dynamics of the total imaging plant. The use of subspace identification will enable to extract accurate prediction models since no a priori model parameterization is needed, since no use is made of nonlinear parameter optimization and since use can be made of closed-loop data. The accurate predictions are used in the real-time feedback controller to correct the aberrations when they actually occur. The second is the enabled use of the CCD image recording for both identification and real-time control. This sensor provides much more detailed information on the wavefront aberration and the object compared to classically used AO pupil wavefront sensors, e.g. a Shack-Hartmann. The third is the coupling between real-time image restoration and post-processing whereby the real-time feedback provides accurate prior information for the complicated nonlinear optimization in post-processing. The new iCON methodology will enable to consider spatio-temporal feedback on the total imaging plant from the onset of the instrument design cycle. This will lead to finding a better balance between imaging resolution on one hand and size, cost and complexity on the other. Therefore iCON will be a key enabling technology for developing low cost high resolution imaging instruments.
|
[
"Systems and Communication Engineering",
"Computer Science and Informatics"
] |
10.1083/jcb.201501089
|
The actin-binding protein EPS8 binds VE-cadherin and modulates YAP localization and signaling
|
Vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin transfers intracellular signals contributing to vascular hemostasis. Signaling through VE-cadherin requires association and activity of different intracellular partners. Yes-associated protein (YAP)/TAZ transcriptional cofactors are important regulators of cell growth and organ size. We show that EPS8, a signaling adapter regulating actin dynamics, is a novel partner of VE-cadherin and is able to modulate YAP activity. By biochemical and imaging approaches, we demonstrate that EPS8 associates with the VE-cadherin complex of remodeling junctions promoting YAP translocation to the nucleus and transcriptional activation. Conversely, in stabilized junctions, 14-3-3-YAP associates with the VE-cadherin complex, whereas Eps8 is excluded. Junctional association of YAP inhibits nuclear translocation and inactivates its transcriptional activity both in vitro and in vivo in Eps8-null mice. The absence of Eps8 also increases vascular permeability in vivo, but did not induce other major vascular defects. Collectively, we identified novel components of the adherens junction complex, and we introduce a novel molecular mechanism through which the VE-cadherin complex controls YAP transcriptional activity.
|
[
"Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration",
"Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions"
] |
10.1007/s10711-012-9763-8
|
The index of Floer moduli problems for parametrized action functionals
|
We define an index for the critical points of parametrized Hamiltonian action functionals. The expected dimension of moduli spaces of parametrized Floer trajectories equals the difference of indices of the asymptotes.
|
[
"Mathematics"
] |
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