Search

The meningeal lymphatics system plays diverse roles in facilitating neuroimmune function at brain borders, yet its specific contribution toward glial function and homeostasis is not known. In this issue of Immunity , Das Neves et al. (2024) describe a novel role for the meningeal lymphatics in maintaining oligodendrocyte survival and myelination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a devastating neuromuscular disease caused by hypomorphic loss of function in the survival motor neuron (SMN) protein. SMA presents across a broad spectrum of disease severity. Unfortunately, genetic models of intermediate SMA have been difficult to generate in vertebrates and are thus unable to address key aspects of disease etiology. To address these issues, we developed a Drosophila model system that recapitulates the full range of SMA severity, allowing studies of pre-onset biology as well as late-stage disease processes. Results: Here, we carried out transcriptomic and proteomic profiling of mild and intermediate Drosophila models of SMA to elucidate molecules and pathways that contribute to the disease. Using this approach, we elaborated a role for the SMN complex in the regulation of innate immune signaling. We find that mutation or tissue-specific depletion of SMN induces hyperactivation of the immune deficiency (IMD) and Toll pathways, leading to overexpression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and ectopic formation of melanotic masses in the absence of an external challenge. Furthermore, the knockdown of downstream targets of these signaling pathways reduced melanotic mass formation caused by SMN loss. Importantly, we identify SMN as a negative regulator of a ubiquitylation complex that includes Traf6, Bendless, and Diap2 and plays a pivotal role in several signaling networks. Conclusions: In alignment with recent research on other neurodegenerative diseases, these findings suggest that hyperactivation of innate immunity contributes to SMA pathology. This work not only provides compelling evidence that hyperactive innate immune signaling is a primary effect of SMN depletion, but it also suggests that the SMN complex plays a regulatory role in this process in vivo. In summary, immune dysfunction in SMA is a consequence of reduced SMN levels and is driven by cellular and molecular mechanisms that are conserved between insects and mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stronger integration and coordination among Humanitarian, Development and Peacebuilding actors (hereafter, the Triple Nexus), is gaining traction in the international development debate. However, there is a sense of deep unease among some civil society organisations that adding peace into humanitarian work may compromise their impartiality. This paper will address some of civil society's reservations on the Triple Nexus by reframing peace around human security, steering away from traditional conceptions of militarised security. It will also provide examples of how peace can be realised as part of an integrated Triple Nexus approach. Finally, adaptive peacebuilding will be explored to exemplify how being agile is key to delivering on the Triple Nexus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic disruptions to the biogenesis of spliceosomal small-nuclear ribonucleoproteins in Drosophila cause wide-spread alternative splicing changes, including changes to the splicing of pre-mRNA for Ribosomal protein S21 (RpS21). Using a transposon mutant for the Phosphorylated adaptor for RNA export (Phax) gene, we demonstrate that changes in the splicing of RpS21 transcripts have a strong influence on the developmental progression of PhaxSH/SH mutants. Different alleles of the Drosophila RpS21 gene are circulating in common laboratory strains and cell lines. These alleles exhibit differences in RpS21 intron retention and splicing efficiency. Differences in the splicing of RpS21 transcripts account for prior conflicting observations of the phenotypic severity of PhaxSH/SH mutant stocks. The alleles uncover a strong splicing enhancer in RpS21 transcripts that can fully suppress the larval lethality and partially suppress the pupal lethality exhibited by PhaxSH/SH mutant lines. In the absence of the splicing enhancer, the splicing of RpS21 transcripts can be modulated in trans by the SR-rich B52 splicing factor. As PhaxSH/SH mutants exhibit wide-spread splicing changes in transcripts for other genes, findings here establish the importance of a single alternative splicing event, RpS21 splicing or intron retention, to the developmental progression of Drosophila. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a survey of faculty members at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) in Los Angeles, California, regarding their attitudes about libraries' and librarians' roles in the area of fake news. This study is a continuation of a previous paper that reviewed the origins of fake news and faculty perceptions of the concept (Weiss et al., 2020). The survey results suggest that faculty members have differing views of how libraries and librarians can help them address fake news. Across disciplines, ages, and genders, faculty members' views show little belief in the use of the library or librarians to help combat fake news. Notably, only lecturers seem to have a strong view of libraries and librarians playing helpful roles in dealing with the fake news phenomenon. These findings may have future implications for librarians who attempt to address fake news with either their faculty or their students. It may be necessary to develop broader outreach and awareness programs to change traditional conceptions of academic librarians and library services, which are often conflated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common way of illustrating phylogeographic results is through the use of haplotype networks. While these networks help to visualize relationships between individuals, populations, and species, evolutionary studies often only quantitatively analyze genetic diversity among haplotypes and ignore other network properties. Here, we present a new metric, haplotype network branch diversity (HBd), as an easy way to quantifiably compare haplotype network complexity. Our metric builds off the logic of combining genetic and topological diversity to estimate complexity previously used by the published metric haplotype network diversity (HNd). However, unlike HNd which uses a combination of network features to produce complexity values that cannot be defined in probabilistic terms, thereby obscuring the values' implication for a sampled population, HBd uses frequencies of haplotype classes to incorporate topological information of networks, keeping the focus on the population and providing easy-to-interpret probabilistic values for randomly sampled individuals. The goal of this study is to introduce this more intuitive metric and provide an R script that allows researchers to calculate diversity and complexity indices from haplotype networks. A group of datasets, generated manually (model dataset) and based on published data (empirical dataset), were used to illustrate the behavior of HBd and both of its terms, haplotype diversity, and a new index called branch diversity. Results followed a predicted trend in both model and empirical datasets, from low metric values in simple networks to high values in complex networks. In short, the new combined metric joins genetic and topological diversity of haplotype networks, into a single complexity value. Based on our analysis, we recommend the use of HBd, as it makes direct comparisons of network complexity straightforward and provides probabilistic values that can readily discriminate situations that are difficult to resolve with available metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying how isolation can impact population divergence and adaptation in co-distributed species can bring us closer to understanding how landscapes affect biodiversity. The Sargo, Anisotremus davidsonii (Haemulidae), and the Longjaw mudsucker, Gillichthys mirabilis (Gobiidae), offer a notable framework to study such mechanisms as their Pacific populations cross phylogeographic breaks at Point Conception, California, United States, and Punta Eugenia, Mexico, and are separated to those in the Sea of Cortez by the Baja California peninsula. Here, thousands of loci are genotyped from 48 Sargos and 73 mudsuckers using RADseq to characterize overall genomic divergence, and search for common patterns of putatively neutral and non-neutral structure based on outlier loci among populations with hypothesized different levels of isolation. We further search for parallels between population divergence and the total proportion of outliers, outlier FST distribution, and the proportion of outliers matching coding regions in GenBank. Statistically significant differentiation is seen across Point Conception in mudsucker (FST = 0.15), Punta Eugenia in Sargo (FST = 0.02), and on either side of the Baja California peninsula in both species (FST = 0.11 and 0.23, in Sargo and mudsucker, respectively). Each species shows structure using neutral and non-neutral loci. Finally, higher population divergence yields a more even distribution of outliers along their differentiation range but does not always translate into higher outlier proportions or higher rates in which outliers are matched to coding regions. If repeated in similar systems, observed genomic patterns might reveal speciation signatures in diverse networks of population isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyses of mitochondrial DNA and morphological variation were performed on specimens of all five currently recognised Syngnathus pipefish species from the eastern Pacific Ocean with type localities currently considered to lie within the Californian marine biogeographic province: kelp pipefish Syngnathus californiensis, bay pipefish S. leptorhynchus, barred pipefish S. auliscus, barcheek pipefish S. exilis and chocolate pipefish S. euchrous. Results consistently differentiate S. auliscus from the other species and fail to distinguish all other specimens as distinct species, as indicated by extensive morphological overlap as well as incomplete lineage sorting and considerably low genetic divergence for 16s and coI genes(<1%). This study presents a taxonomic revision of eastern Pacific Syngnathus spp. and proposes the synonymy of S. leptorhynchus, S. euchrous and S. exilis, under the senior synonym, S. californiensis. There is still a need to study populations of Syngnathus spp. from north and south of the Californian province to assess whether these too are synonyms of the two‐species recognised here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I describe a phenomenon that has not yet been described in the epistemology literature. I label this phenomenon expression-style exclusion. Expression-style exclusion is an example of how social injustice affects whether audiences are in good epistemic states and whether speakers can exercise their epistemic capacities. Expression-style exclusion can cause audiences to have less rather than more understanding of a non-dominant speakers' argument. And if expression-style exclusion obtains, then non-dominant speakers are less likely to express arguments in expression styles or ways of speaking such that they maximize their audiences' understanding of them. This phenomenon partly explains the prevalence of white ignorance. I also argue that if expression-style exclusion obtains, then in addition to expressive and assertive speech act kinds, there is a further kind of speech act, namely a speech that aims to cause understanding in one's audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to present the mechanism study of methylene blue (MB) discoloration using spent Li-ion battery cathode tape and hydrogen peroxide. The recycled cathode used in this work is composed of 72% of LiCoO2, 18% of carbon, and 10% of Al. The value found for surface area is 8.9 m2/g and the ZCP value occurs in pH = 2.95. Different from what is proposed in the literature, the most likely mechanism of methylene blue discoloration is the oxidation/delitiation of LiCoO2 and the reduction of H2O2 forming OH∙. Thus, in this paper, an important and promising alternative for discoloration of textile industry dyes using spent Li-ion battery cathode is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) were tested with a yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) (8 mol% YO-ZrO)/gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) (CeGd O) bilayer electrolyte and two lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrite (LSCF) composition as functional cathode layer: LaSrCoFeO (LSCF 1) and LaSrCoFeO (LSCF 2). The functional cathode layers were made of 50 % ( w/ w) LSCF and 50 % ( w/ w) GDC. Microstructural characterization was performed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and power measurements were performed under oxygen and hydrogen atmospheres. The microscopy studies showed that the LSCF 2 functional layer is more uniform and adherent to the electrolyte and the cathode collector than the LSCF 1 functional layer, which has cracks, chips, and lower adhesion. The use of the LSCF 2 layer allowed an approximately 25-fold reduction in ohmic resistance (0.06 Ω cm) compared with the LSCF 1 layer (1.5 Ω cm). The power measurements showed a considerable increase in the power cell using LSCF 2 (approximately 420 mW cm) compared with the power cell using LSCF 1 (approximately 180 mW cm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical and surface analyses were carried out to study the leaching of chalcopyrite in acid media, aiming to increase copper extraction from low-grade chalcopyrite ores. Unpublished results include the use of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to characterize the dissolution resistance of chalcopyrite surfaces in 0.1 mol·L − 1 of hydrochloric, nitric or sulfuric acids. Potentiodynamic polarization, atomic absorption spectrometry and EIS analysis showed that hydrochloric acid solutions are more efficient leaching agents than nitric and sulfuric acids. The impedance results suggested that the chalcopyrite dissolution is a diffusion-controlled process in hydrochloric and sulfuric acids. The use of Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometers (SEM/EDS) allowed the partial identification of lead and bismuth sulfides as impurities. Two products were identified on the surface of chalcopyrite after anodic polarization, i.e., sulfur in the sulfuric acid only and covellite in all three acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to present an alternative to recycling of spent Li-ion batteries applied to electrochemical sensor manufacturing. The cobalt, from cathode of Li-ion batteries, was recovered by electrodeposition onto AISI 430 stainless steel substrate and applied as glucose sensor. The composition of cathode utilized was obtained by AAS measures and corresponds to LiNi 0,40 Co 0,60 O 2 . Despite this composition, in the cobalt electrodeposition onto AISI 430 stainless steel the Ni is less of 1.7% (w/w) due the anomalous electrodeposition. The sensitivity of cobalt electrode for glucose detection is 70.2 μA/mmol cm 2 and the linear range is 1–10 mmol/L. This result shows that the Co electrodeposited onto AISI 430 stainless steel is a promissory and low-cost non-enzymatic glucose sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents, for the first time, the recycling and use of spent Li-ion battery cathode tape as a catalyst in the degradation of an organic dye. In our proposal, two major environmental problems can be solved: the secure disposal of cell phone batteries and the treatment of effluents with potentially toxic organic dyes. The spent Li-ion battery cathode investigated in this paper corresponds to 29% of the mass of Li-ion batteries and is made up of 83% LiCoO 2 , 14.5% C and less than 2.5% Al, Al 2 O 3 and Co 3 O 4 . The use of spent Li-ion battery cathode tape increased the degradation velocity constant of methylene blue in the absence of light by about 200 times in relation to pure H 2 O 2 . This increase can be explained by a reduction in the activation energy from 83 kJ mol −1 to 26 kJ mol −1 . The mechanism of degradation promoted by LiCoO 2 is probably related to the generation of superoxide radical (O 2 − ). The rupture of the aromatic rings of methylene blue was analyzed by ESI-MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum cans with an organic coating are used in Brazil as packaging for carbonated beverages (soft drinks, beer), which act as electrolyte solutions. These electrolytes, in contact with the inner metal can, initiate a corrosion process of aluminum. The presence of metallic ions can change the flavor of the beverage, compromising the product quality. This work aims to evaluate the corrosion resistance of aluminum in beer environment using the technique of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and the Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) were used to evaluate the metal surface. Two batches with different coating thickness were analyzed for the same date of manufacture. The electrolyte resistance and the aluminum charge transfer resistance in beer varied depending on the batch analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the electrochemical reactivity between La0.6Sr0.4Co0.8Fe0.2O3 (LSCF) and cobalt-coated stainless steel was investigated in air at 700°C. The cobalt electrodeposition onto ferritic stainless steel has an important role in decreasing of chromium poisoning on the cathode side of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The polarization resistance of a symmetrical cell composed by LSCF//YSZ//LSCF at 700°C was evaluated using 430 stainless steel as electrical interconnects. The polarization resistance for cobalt-coated interconnects was 0.92Ωcm2 and for uncoated interconnects was 5.1Ωcm2. The formation of Co3O4 layer seems to block the chromium migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, a new anode for oxygen evolution reaction was developed from recycling of spent Li-ion cathode. After heating at 400 °C for 24 h, the spent cathode has LiCoO2 and Co3O4 in its composition. This new material was mixed with graphite and conformed in tablet for application as anode in oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline solution (NaOH 6.0 mol L−1). The concentrations of cathode in this mixture were 0, 10, 20 and 50% in mass. The best condition was 10% in mass. Under this condition the evolution of oxygen reaches 1010 mA cm−2, however, for pure graphite the current density reaches only 600 mA cm−2. Thus, this work offers an optimal choice for the waste generated by the Li-ion batteries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The current model for MLV genomic RNA (gRNA) packaging predicts that of the thousands of Gag proteins in a budding virion, only a small number (≤1%) may be necessary to recruit gRNA. Here, we examined the threshold limits of functional Gag required to package gRNA using wild-type (WT) and packaging deficient mutant nucleocapsid (NC) phenotypically mixed virions. Although gRNA packaging was severely diminished for the NC mutant, the residual encapsidated RNA dimer displayed motility on gels, thermostability, and integrity that was indistinguishable from that of WT. In phenotypically mixed virions, gRNA encapsidation recovered to within approximately two-fold of WT levels when the amount of WT NC was 5–10% of the total. Our results demonstrate that NC''s roles in gRNA dimerization and packaging are genetically separable. Additionally, MLV gRNA packaging does not require 100% WT NC, but the amount of functional NC required is greater than the predicted minimum. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The supercapacitive behavior of the metallic cobalt recycled from Li-ion batteries has been studied in this work. The reversibility of both redox process (Co/Co) and (Co/Co) in KOH 6 mol L is very high and promising for capacitive applications in electrochemical devices. The specific capacitances calculated from cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy show a good agreement, giving the value of 625 Fg. The electrode morphology presents a high porosity, thus an electrical equivalent circuit composed of two parallel resistance and capacitance elements in series was proposed. The specific capacitance values calculated from charge/discharge curves at 0.23 and 2.3 mA/cm are 601 and 384 Fg, respectively. Thereby, it was observed that metallic cobalt recycled from ion-Li batteries is compatible with other supercapacitive materials. This shows that cobalt recycling from Li-ion batteries is economically and environmentally viable for application in supercapacitor devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, oxygen evolution reaction (OER) mechanism in La0.6Sr0.4Co0.8Fe0.2O3 was investigated in KOH solution by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and voltammetric measurements. The Tafel slopes and reaction orders evaluated in this paper are consistent with the B. O’Grady’s Path for oxygen evolution on oxides. The activation energy for OER in La0.6Sr0.4Co0.8Fe0.2O3 was 28.3 kJ mol−1. The obtained apparent porosity of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.8Fe0.2O3 electrode is 48% and the roughness factor is around 1.6 × 104. The polarization resistance of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.8Fe0.2O3 is much low compared with other similar oxides. This can be due the high roughness and high porosity in addition to the low active energy for the process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this work the metallic cobalt was electrodeposited on 430 steel in order to obtain a low electrical resistance film made to CoO. Pure cobalt was obtained by acidic dissolution of lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO) present in exhausted Li-ion battery cathode. The electrodeposition was performed with a 96% efficiency at a potential of 1.50 V versus Ag/AgCl. The electrodeposited cobalt showed the face-centered cubic (23%) and hexagonal centered (77%) phases. After oxidation at 850 °C for 1000 h in air, the cobalt layer was transformed into the CoO phase. On the other hand, a sample without cobalt showed the usual CrO and FeCrO phases. After 1000 h at 850 °C, in air the area specific resistance of the sample with the cobalt oxide layer was 0.038 Ω cm, while it was 1.30 Ω cm for the bare sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local classifiers are sometimes called lazy learners because they do not train a classifier until presented with a test sample. However, such methods are generally not completely lazy because the neighborhood size k (or other locality parameter) is usually chosen by cross validation on the training set, which can require significant preprocessing and risks overfitting. We propose a simple alternative to cross validation of the neighborhood size that requires no preprocessing: instead of committing to one neighborhood size, average the discriminants for multiple neighborhoods. We show that this forms an expected estimated posterior that minimizes the expected Bregman loss with respect to the uncertainty about the neighborhood choice. We analyze this approach for six standard and state-of-the-art local classifiers, including discriminative adaptive metric kNN (DANN), a local support vector machine (SVM-KNN), hyperplane distance nearest neighbor (HKNN), and a new local Bayesian quadratic discriminant analysis (local BDA). The empirical effectiveness of this technique versus cross validation is confirmed with experiments on seven benchmark data sets, showing that similar classification performance can be attained without any training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Retroviruses selectively package two copies of their RNA genomes via mechanisms that have yet to be fully deciphered. Recent studies with small fragments of the Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMuLV) genome suggested that selection may be mediated by an RNA switch mechanism, in which conserved UCUG elements that are sequestered by base-pairing in the monomeric RNA become exposed upon dimerization to allow binding to the cognate nucleocapsid (NC) domains of the viral Gag proteins. Here we show that a large fragment of the MoMuLV 5′ untranslated region that contains all residues necessary for efficient RNA packaging (ΨWT; residues 147–623) also exhibits a dimerization-dependent affinity for NC, with the native dimer ([ΨWT]2) binding 12±2 NC molecules with high affinity (K d =17±7 nM) and with the monomer, stabilized by substitution of dimer-promoting loop residues with hairpin-stabilizing sequences (ΨM), binding 1–2 NC molecules. Identical dimer-inhibiting mutations in MoMuLV-based vectors significantly inhibit genome packaging in vivo (∼100-fold decrease), whereas a large deletion of nearly 200 nucleotides just upstream of the gag start codon has minimal effects. Our findings support the proposed RNA switch mechanism and further suggest that virus assembly may be initiated by a complex comprising as few as 12 Gag molecules bound to a dimeric packaging signal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV) selectively encapsidates host mY1 and mY3 RNAs. These noncoding RNA polymerase III transcripts are normally complexed with the Ro60 and La proteins, which are autoantigens associated with rheumatic disease that function in RNA biogenesis and quality control. Here, MLV replication and mY RNA packaging were analyzed using Ro60 knockout embryonic fibroblasts, which contain only ∼3% as much mY RNA as wild-type cells. Virus spread at the same rate in wild-type and Ro knockout cells. Surprisingly, MLV virions shed by Ro60 knockout cells continued to package high levels of mY1 and mY3 (about two copies of each) like those from wild-type cells, even though mY RNAs were barely detectable within producer cells. As a result, for MLV produced in Ro60 knockout cells, encapsidation selectivity from among all cell RNAs was even higher for mY RNAs than for the viral genome. Whereas mY RNAs are largely cytoplasmic in wild-type cells, fractionation of knockout cells revealed that the residual mY RNAs were relatively abundant in nuclei, likely reflecting the fact that most mY RNAs were degraded shortly after transcription in the absence of Ro60. Together, these data suggest that these small, labile host RNAs may be recruited at a very early stage of their biogenesis and may indicate an intersection of retroviral assembly and RNA quality control pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a world of supercapitalism, the tensions between business and public interests are expected to rise, thereby calling corporations to assume new roles in society. In response to this trend, corporations will be in demand of an innovative kind of leadership exercised at all levels by a new breed of ethical, reflective and creative decision-makers. Among the qualifications involved in developing the leadership skills of these decision-makers, the MBA stands out as a world’s leading one. However, empirical research conducted in English and French business schools indicates that MBA curricula are not typically designed to provide participants with a broader understanding of leadership that could fully engage them in their learning experiences. To improve this situation, MBA lecturers and curriculum developers need to broaden their educational agenda by means of a reconceptualisation of leadership studies. Drawn from the empirical findings mentioned above and the work of Barnett on criticality, this paper proposes a pedagogical framework for leadership studies that involves three levels of leadership criticality combined with the three domains of critical beings. The objective is to provide a basis for the development of appropriate learning activities that will encourage MBA participants to strive towards developing themselves as critical beings namely, to think and act in such a way that the societal imprint of corporations will be more ‘attuned’ with the ideals of democracy, social justice, and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews and extends the field of similarity-based classification, presenting new analyses, algorithms, data sets, and a comprehensive set of experimental results for a rich collection of classification problems. Specifically, the generalizability of using similarities as features is analyzed, design goals and methods for weighting nearest-neighbors for similarity-based learning are proposed, and different methods for consistently converting similarities into kernels are compared. Experiments on eight real data sets compare eight approaches and their variants to similarity-based learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local learning methods, such as local linear regression and nearest neighbor classifiers, base estimates on nearby training samples, neighbors. Usually, the number of neighbors used in estimation is fixed to be a global "optimal" value, chosen by cross validation. This paper proposes adapting the number of neighbors used for estimation to the local geometry of the data, without need for cross validation. The term enclosing neighborhood is introduced to describe a set of neighbors whose convex hull contains the test point when possible. It is proven that enclosing neighborhoods yield bounded estimation variance under some assumptions. Three such enclosing neighborhood definitions are presented: natural neighbors, natural neighbors inclusive, and enclosing k-NN. The effectiveness of these neighborhood definitions with local linear regression is tested for estimating lookup tables for color management. Significant improvements in error metrics are shown, indicating that enclosing neighborhoods may be a promising adaptive neighborhood definition for other local learning tasks as well, depending on the density of training samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a laboratory study of a solution-mediated phase transition of irbesartan form A into form B. The following stages are observed and studied: dissolution of form A until the apparent saturation is reached, form A dissolution which strictly compensates for the form B nucleation and growth, form A is completely dissolved and crystallization of form B is only observed until the concentration reaches the solubility of form B. In the first stages of the transformation, the dissolution of form A, we evidenced two distinct behaviors in function of undersaturation: (1) at higher undersaturation, dissolution is controlled by mass transfer and (2) at lower undersaturation, dissolution is controlled by surface process. The influence of the temperature is also shown. In the last part of this work we showed that from the knowledge of the crystal structure and experimental morphology additives can be selected. A surfactant, dodecyl amine chloride, has an accelerating effect on the dissolution of form A and hinder the growth of form B. Adipic acid slows down the dissolution rate of form A, but has no effect on the growth rate of form B. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Several nuclear reactor designs rely on passive containment cooling systems. The so-called containment wall condenser relies on natural circulation loops to extract heat from high-temperature steam in the containment to a water tank at ambient pressure. In such passive systems, phase changes can happen and cause flow instabilities in the cooling loop. The flashing-induced instability occurs when the heated fluid in the riser suddenly vaporizes due to a hydrostatic pressure decrease. This instability causes periodic flow peaks, which are of major concern but whose characteristics have not been studied quantitatively. This paper presents two analytical models that predict the flashing frequency and a maximum flow amplitude from geometry and basic operating parameters such as power level and reservoir temperature. The expressions are derived from a physical analysis and do not involve any calibration constants. The flashing frequency appears to be driven by the power level, the inlet temperature and the riser pipe geometry. For the amplitude, the maximum flow rate can be expressed in a Froude number that depends only on the total pressure losses. These models are validated against PASI experiments and system-scale simulations with the CATHARE 3 code, both performed as part of the European Commission funded PASTELS project. Additional data from numerous experimental studies in the literature are used to extend the validity range of the frequency model. Successfully validated against experimental data and additional simulations, these models provide an explicit relationship between oscillations characteristics and design parameters, making them valuable tools for nuclear engineers. • Flashing frequency is proportional to the power-to-volume ratio. • Flashing frequency can be derived from power, inlet temperature and riser pipe geometry. • Flashing amplitude can be derived from riser head and total pressure losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the Canadian context, the physical activity levels of children and youth in the after school time period has become a source of public health concern. We argue that this concern is informed by broader public health crises, in particular the ‘global obesity epidemic’ and the closely related ‘global pandemic of physical inactivity', and that these so-called ‘crises’ operate as part of a discursive regime that serves to justify after school interventions aimed at increasing the physical activity practices of children and youth. Although the objectives of such interventions are seemingly well intentioned, we suggest that such interventions nonetheless harbor difficult to discern, but potentially pernicious consequences, for the communities in which they are implemented. We focus our attention on the place-specific effects of one Public Health Agency of Canada-funded after school physical activity intervention – After the School Bell Rings (ASBR) – that was implemented in the mostly Indigenous, northern community of Placid, Manitoba. Based on a critical analysis of the ASBR program itself, along with interviews and focus groups with children, parents and recreation providers (n = 10) from the community of Placid, we contend that the ASBR serves to govern Indigenous recreation at a distance. We argue that when implemented in the place-specific context of Placid, the ASBR functions as part of a broader governmental assemblage composed of loosely connected discourses, institutions, socio-structural conditions and individuals that, when assembled, ultimately serve to govern geographically and culturally distinct communities. We conclude by suggesting that the objectives of broad-based health interventions, such as the goal of increasing after school physical activity levels, should not be universally implemented across diverse locales, but need to account for the diverse, place-specific priorities and needs of the communities into which they are implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Understanding the evolutionary consequences of anthropogenic change is imperative for estimating long‐term species resilience. While contemporary genomic data can provide us with important insights into recent demographic histories, investigating past change using present genomic data alone has limitations. In comparison, temporal genomics studies, defined herein as those that incorporate time series genomic data, utilize museum collections and repeated field sampling to directly examine evolutionary change. As temporal genomics is applied to more systems, species and questions, best practices can be helpful guides to make the most efficient use of limited resources. Here, we conduct a systematic literature review to synthesize the effects of temporal genomics methodology on our ability to detect evolutionary changes. We focus on studies investigating recent change within the past 200 years, highlighting evolutionary processes that have occurred during the past two centuries of accelerated anthropogenic pressure. We first identify the most frequently studied taxa, systems, questions and drivers, before highlighting overlooked areas where further temporal genomic studies may be particularly enlightening. Then, we provide guidelines for future study and sample designs while identifying key considerations that may influence statistical and analytical power. Our aim is to provide recommendations to a broad array of researchers interested in using temporal genomics in their work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Assembly of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) particles is initiated in the cytoplasm by the formation of a ribonucleoprotein complex comprising the dimeric RNA genome and a small number of viral Gag polyproteins. Genomes are recognized by the nucleocapsid (NC) domains of Gag, which interact with packaging elements believed to be located primarily within the 5′-leader (5′-L) of the viral RNA. Recent studies revealed that the native 5′-L exists as an equilibrium of two conformers, one in which dimer-promoting residues and NC binding sites are sequestered and packaging is attenuated, and one in which these sites are exposed and packaging is promoted. To identify the elements within the dimeric 5′-L that are important for packaging, we generated HIV-1 5′-L RNAs containing mutations and deletions designed to eliminate substructures without perturbing the overall structure of the leader and examined effects of the mutations on RNA dimerization, NC binding, and packaging. Our findings identify a 159-residue RNA packaging signal that possesses dimerization and NC binding properties similar to those of the intact 5′-L and contains elements required for efficient RNA packaging. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We consider the problem of document binarization as a pre-processing step for optical character recognition (OCR) for the purpose of keyword search of historical printed documents. A number of promising techniques from the literature for binarization, pre-filtering, and post-binarization denoising were implemented along with newly developed methods for binarization: an error diffusion binarization, a multiresolutional version of Otsu''s binarization, and denoising by despeckling. The OCR in the ABBYY FineReader 7.1 SDK is used as a black box metric to compare methods. Results for 12 pages from six newspapers of differing quality show that performance varies widely by image, but that the classic Otsu method and Otsu-based methods perform best on average. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Tumor angiogenesis is critical for the growth and progression of cancer. As such, angiostasis is a treatment modality for cancer with potential utility for multiple types of cancer and fewer side effects. However, clinical success of angiostatic monotherapies has been moderate, at best, causing angiostatic treatments to lose their early luster. Previous studies demonstrated compensatory mechanisms that drive tumor vascularization despite the use of angiostatic monotherapies, as well as the potential for combination angiostatic therapies to overcome these compensatory mechanisms. We screened clinically approved angiostatics to identify specific combinations that confer potent inhibition of tumor-induced angiogenesis. We used a novel modification of the ex ovo chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model that combined confocal and automated analyses to quantify tumor angiogenesis induced by glioblastoma tumor onplants. This model is advantageous due to its low cost and moderate throughput capabilities, while maintaining complex in vivo cellular interactions that are difficult to replicate in vitro. After screening multiple combinations, we determined that glioblastoma-induced angiogenesis was significantly reduced using a combination of bevacizumab (Avastin®) and temsirolimus (Torisel®) at doses below those where neither monotherapy demonstrated activity. These preliminary results were verified extensively, with this combination therapy effective even at concentrations further reduced 10-fold with a CI value of 2.42E-5, demonstrating high levels of synergy. Thus, combining bevacizumab and temsirolimus has great potential to increase the efficacy of angiostatic therapy and lower required dosing for improved clinical success and reduced side effects in glioblastoma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pan-girder (PG) bridges became popular in Texas, USA, in the 1950s and 1960s as a viable alternative for short-span bridges due to their speed of construction, low-labour requirements and cost–effectiveness. However, these bridges were designed for lighter live loads than the current AASHTO HL-93 loading, resulting in gradual decline in their usage. Existing PG bridges may have various structural and non-structural deteriorations because they are nearing or have crossed their service lives. In this study, the existing condition of four selected PG bridges in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex were visually inspected to assess their current condition. The bridges exhibited significant concrete spalling, cracking and crushing, resulting in exposed and corroded steel rebars. The newest bridge, built in 1992, experienced less severe damage than the other three bridges built in 1955–1971. The bridges' safety could be compromised due to deteriorations and lighter design live loads. Therefore, the following recommendations were made: (a) glue a polyvinyl chloride pipe on the form-lowering holes extending beyond the concrete surface of the arch to minimise water infiltration and related damage; (b) conduct load testing and ratings to verify the structural safety and load-carrying capacity of the deteriorated bridges; and (c) retrofit to upgrade the existing bridge condition and safety and mitigate against further damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Exercise preconditioning provides immediate protection against cardiac ischemia in clinical/preclinical studies in subjects without chronic kidney disease. In individuals requiring renal replacement therapy, hemodialysis (HD) results in significant circulatory stress, causing acute ischemia with resultant recurrent and cumulative cardiac injury (myocardial stunning). Intradialytic exercise (IDE) has been utilized to improve functional status in individuals receiving HD. The objective of this study was to explore the role of IDE as a preconditioning intervention and assess its effect on HD-induced myocardial stunning. Methods We performed a single-center cross-sectional exploratory study in adults on chronic HD participating in a clinical IDE program. HD-induced cardiac stunning was evaluated over two HD sessions within the same week: a control visit (no exercise) and an exposure visit (usual intradialytic cycling). Echocardiography was performed at the same three time points for each visit. Longitudinal strain values for 12 left ventricular segments were generated using speckle-tracking software to assess the presence of HD-induced regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMAs), defined as a ≥20% reduction in strain; two or more RWMAs represent myocardial stunning. Results A total of 19 patients were analyzed (mean age 57.2 ± 11.8 years, median dialysis vintage 3.8 years). The mean number of RWMAs during the control visit was 4.5 ± 2.6, falling to 3.6 ± 2.7 when incorporating IDE (a reduction of −0.95 ± 2.9; P = 0.17). At peak HD stress, the mean number of RWMAs was 5.8 ± 2.7 in the control visit versus 4.0 ± 1.8 during the exposure visit (a reduction of −1.8 ± 2.8; P = 0.01). Conclusion We demonstrated for the first time that IDE is associated with a significant reduction in HD-induced acute cardiac injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compressed and stabilized earthen masonry (CSEM) offers a sustainable, affordable, and locally appropriate alternative to traditional residential construction. It provides a method that can enable the community to solve their own housing needs instead of aiding them just one time. While a significant amount of work has recently been done to engineer earthen masonry systems, research gaps remain. To address some of these research gaps, the goals of this paper include understanding the capacity of unreinforced and reinforced CSEM walls against extreme wind loads and developing a systematic approach to the schematic design of residential structures with safe rooms utilizing a combination of empirical data, statistical analysis, and available codes and standards. For this purpose, experimentally obtained compressive strength data for compressed and 10% cement-stabilized earth blocks, soil-based mortars, and CSEM assemblies are statistically analyzed. The test data are then benchmarked to a similar study with concrete masonry units and traditional mortars to understand the relative level of variability of CSEM assemblies and interactions of units and mortar in each type of masonry. After such analysis, the CSEM characteristic strength is computed statistically, following TMS 602 (specification for masonry structures) criteria for concrete and clay masonry. The characteristic strength is then used in the design of a conceptual single-family dwelling with a tornado-resistant safe room, assumed to be located in Winnebago, Nebraska. The site selection has a significance in that the Indian reservation in Winnebago is a plausible location for this technology's future adoption due to their acute housing needs and the habitants' open-minded approach to sustainable building design. The study's findings indicate that with a proper recipe for the local soils, a good workmanship of CSEM components, and a careful design of the CSEM walls and connections, this technology can be utilized in a residence located in an area subject to tornadoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversity patterns are determined by biogeographic, energetic, and anthropogenic factors, yet few studies have combined them into a large‐scale framework in order to decouple and compare their relative effects on fish faunas. Using an empirical dataset derived from 1527 underwater visual censuses (UVC) at 18 oceanic islands (five different marine provinces), we determined the relative influence of such factors on reef fish species richness, functional dispersion, density and biomass estimated from each UVC unit. Species richness presented low variation but was high at large island sites. High functional dispersion, density, and biomass were found at islands with large local species pool and distance from nearest reef. Primary productivity positively affected fish richness, density and biomass confirming that more productive areas support larger populations, and higher biomass and richness on oceanic islands. Islands densely populated by humans had lower fish species richness and biomass reflecting anthropogenic effects. Species richness, functional dispersion, and biomass were positively related to distance from the mainland. Overall, species richness and fish density were mainly influenced by biogeographical and energetic factors, whereas functional dispersion and biomass were strongly influenced by anthropogenic factors. Our results extend previous hypotheses for different assemblage metrics estimated from empirical data and confirm the negative impact of humans on fish assemblages, highlighting the need for conservation of oceanic islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 5'-leader of the HIV-1 genome regulates multiple functions during viral replication via mechanisms that have yet to be established. We developed a nuclear magnetic resonance approach that enabled direct detection of structural elements within the intact leader (712-nucleotide dimer) that are critical for genome packaging. Residues spanning the gag start codon (AUG) form a hairpin in the monomeric leader and base pair with residues of the unique-5' region (U5) in the dimer. U5:AUG formation promotes dimerization by displacing and exposing a dimer-promoting hairpin and enhances binding by the nucleocapsid (NC) protein, which is the cognate domain of the viral Gag polyprotein that directs packaging. Our findings support a packaging mechanism in which translation, dimerization, NC binding, and packaging are regulated by a common RNA structural switch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]