Chemical mediation of egg capsule deposition by mud snails

Mud snails (Ilyanassa obsoleta = Nassarius obsoletus = Nassa obsoleta) deposit eggs in protective capsules on hard substrata in soft bottom environments. We studied sites of egg capsule deposition and snail movement responses to odors to determine if chemoreception plays a role in deposition site selection. From results of field surveys, laboratory experiments, and field experiments, we conclude that mud snails use chemoreception for capsule deposition. Attractive odors originate from mud snail and whelk egg capsules and from living bivalves. Evidence for attractive odors from conspecifics is equivocal. Capsules are deposited on living odor sources and nearby hard substrates. We hypothesize that deposition of capsules on living substrates increases the likelihood that embryos will survive by decreasing the chance of smothering of embryos by sediments.     

Granularity in reciprocity

Witnessing in merging biological, social and algorithmic realities is crucial to trust, as modelled in the YUTPA framework. Being witness and bearing witness is fundamental to human interaction. System participation in human communities of practice challenges the notion of witnessing and therefore the ability to build trust. Nevertheless, through trial and error, people in a variety of practices have found ways to establish the presence and develop trust in merging realities. This paper presents the results of 20 in-depth interviews with professionals from a variety of disciplines and nations. The conclusion of cumulative analysis is that systems do not witness themselves, but their output deeply affects the mental maps that human beings make of each other, the world around them and their own self. Essential qualities human beings seek when being involved with other beings are defined by granularity and reciprocity in the design of time (duration of engagement, synchronizing performance, integrating rhythms and moments to signify), place (body sense, material interaction, emotional space and situated agency), relation (shared meaning, engagement, reputation and use) and action (tuning, reciprocity, negotiation and quality of deeds). By designing granular interaction in 4 dimensions, reciprocity in witnessing obtains significance and the basis for establishing trust in a variety of presences emerges while human agency acquires potential.     

A multi-start iterated local search with tabu list and path relinking for the two-echelon location-routing problem

The two-echelon location-routing problem (LRP-2E) is raised by the design of transportation networks with two types of trips: first-level trips serving from one main depot a set of satellite depots, to be located, and second-level trips supplying customers from these satellites. In the proposed multi-start iterated local search (MS-ILS), three greedy randomized heuristics are used cyclically to get initial solutions. Each ILS run alternates between two search spaces: LRP-2E solutions, and travelling salesman (TSP) tours covering the main depot and the customers. The number of iterations allotted to a run is reduced whenever a known solution (stored in a tabu list) is revisited. MS-ILS can be reinforced by a path-relinking procedure (PR), used internally for intensification, as post-optimization, or both. On two sets with 24 and 30 LRP-2E instances, MS-ILS outperforms on average two GRASP algorithms and adding PR brings a further improvement. Our metaheuristic also surpasses a tabu search on 30 instances for a more general problem with several main depots. It is still effective on a particular case, the capacitated location-routing problem (CLRP): In a comparison with four published metaheuristics, only one (LRGTS, Prins et al., 2007) does better.     

Effect of automatic image realignment on visuomotor coordination in simulated laparoscopic surgery

During laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon's hand-eye coordination is often disrupted by the incongruent mapping between the orientation of the endoscopic view and the actual operative field. Two experiments were conducted to examine the effect of automatic image realignment on the performance of laparoscopic surgery. The first experiment investigated how visual-motor misalignment impacted laparoscopic surgery performance. Novice subjects were randomly assigned to one of the two paired viewing conditions in a simulated laparoscopic surgery environment: 1) the endoscope was either at the center of the modeled workspace with an optical axis of 90°, or at -45° from the midline of the subjects with an optical axis 45°; 2) the endoscope was either at 0°, or at 180° from the midline of the subjects, both with an optical axis of 45°. Each group of twelve subjects performed a dynamic point-and-touch task under the assigned pair of viewing conditions, each with eight image orientations, in a repeated-measures mixed design. The second experiment examined whether the automatic realigning mechanism that was activated mid-task (such that a congruent mapping between display and control was re-established if the mapping at the beginning of the task had been misaligned) was helpful to improve performance. Twelve novice subjects performed the same task as in the first experiment in a repeated-measures design. Performance was examined under three misaligned visuomotor mappings, each followed by the realigned mapping activated by the automatic realigning mechanism. Results showed that performance was best when the endoscopic image was perfectly aligned with the actual task space (0° image orientation), but degraded progressively as a function of deviation from perfect alignment. Subjects' performance maintained a consistent pattern across 8 image orientations regardless of optical axis orientation and endoscope location. Performance was improved with the automatic realigning mechanism. It is recommended that any solution to restore the visuomotor congruency in laparoscopic surgery should first align the image with the task space. This work has implications for the design of visualization systems in laparoscopic surgery.     

Minimum variance prediction and control for adaptive optics

Adaptive Optics (AO) systems enable to compensate the adverse effects of atmospheric turbulence on ground-based telescopes’ images in real time, using a deformable mirror (DM) inserted in the telescope’s optical path, and measurements provided by a wavefront sensor (WFS). This paper revisits minimum-variance (MV) control design for astronomical AO systems in a state-space framework. It presents a survey of the modeling and control issues arising in this multi-variable disturbance rejection problem. In a linear time-invariant framework, and under some mild assumptions, the optimal solution to MV control for AO systems is shown to be a discrete-time LQG controller. This result holds for a DM with instantaneous response, and for a fairly general class of DM’s dynamics. The state-space approach is extended to Wide-field Adaptive Optics (WfAO) configurations involving several DMs and/or WFSs. Integral-action control used in existing AO systems is compared with the LQG controller. Experimental WfAO results obtained on a laboratory test bench are presented, showing significant improvement in performance. Finally, open issues and perspectives of applicative and/or theoretical interests are discussed.     

Investigation of Functional Hemispheric Asymmetry of Language in Tinnitus Sufferers.

The authors tested functional hemispheric asymmetry through word dichotic listening and lateralized lexical decision tasks in tinnitus patients and controls stimulated by a continuous tinnitus-like noise to test the influence of a tinnitus-like external stimulation. A classic right-ear advantage was shown in the auditory task for all but right-ear tinnitus patients, who performed as equally badly when the stimuli were presented to the right and left ears. Concerning the visual task, all participants demonstrated the expected right visual field advantage for word stimuli. Moreover, those who submitted to external stimulation demonstrated normal asymmetric patterns. These data suggest a specific effect of tinnitus on central processing and provide evidence for a functional reorganization induced by this auditory phantom perception. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Automated Hybridization of X-ray Absorber Elements A Path to Large Format Microcalorimeter Arrays

We have developed an automated die-scale process for the attachment of X-ray absorbers onto microcalorimeters. Here, we describe the process for the production of absorber tiles on a handle wafer, their attachment to the microcalorimeter, and the removal of the supporting handle wafer. The process is shown to be a robust path to large format arrays of microcalorimeters.      

Role of miRNAs in Human T Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Induced T Cell Leukemia: A Literature Review and Bioinformatics Approach

Human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) was identified as the first pathogenic human retrovirus and is estimated to infect 5 to 10 million individuals worldwide. Unlike other retroviruses, there is no effective therapy to prevent the onset of the most alarming diseases caused by HTLV-1, and the more severe cases manifest as the malignant phenotype of adult T cell leukemia (ATL). MicroRNA (miRNA) dysfunction is a common feature of leukemogenesis, and it is no different in ATL cases. Therefore, we sought to analyze studies that reported deregulated miRNA expression in HTLV-1 infected cells and patients’ samples to understand how this deregulation could induce malignancy. Through in silico analysis, we identified 12 miRNAs that stood out in the prediction of targets, and we performed functional annotation of the genes linked to these 12 miRNAs that appeared to have a major biological interaction. A total of 90 genes were enriched in 14 KEGG pathways with significant values, including TP53, WNT, MAPK, TGF-β, and Ras signaling pathways. These miRNAs and gene interactions are discussed in further detail for elucidation of how they may act as probable drivers for ATL onset, and while our data provide solid starting points for comprehension of miRNAs’ roles in HTLV-1 infection, continuous effort in oncologic research is still needed to improve our understanding of HTLV-1 induced leukemia.