Evolution and development of brain networks: from Caenorhabditis elegans to Homo sapiens

Neural networks show a progressive increase in complexity during the time course of evolution. From diffuse nerve nets in Cnidaria to modular, hierarchical systems in macaque and humans, there is a gradual shift from simple processes involving a limited amount of tasks and modalities to complex functional and behavioral processing integrating different kinds of information from highly specialized tissue. However, studies in a range of species suggest that fundamental similarities, in spatial and topological features as well as in developmental mechanisms for network formation, are retained across evolution. 'Small-world' topology and highly connected regions (hubs) are prevalent across the evolutionary scale, ensuring efficient processing and resilience to internal (e.g. lesions) and external (e.g. environment) changes. Furthermore, in most species, even the establishment of hubs, long-range connections linking distant components, and a modular organization, relies on similar mechanisms. In conclusion, evolutionary divergence leads to greater complexity while following essential developmental constraints.     

Indoor robot gardening: design and implementation

This paper describes the architecture and implementation of a distributed autonomous gardening system with applications in urban/indoor precision agriculture. The garden is a mesh network of robots and plants. The gardening robots are mobile manipulators with an eye-in-hand camera. They are capable of locating plants in the garden, watering them, and locating and grasping fruit. The plants are potted cherry tomatoes enhanced with sensors and computation to monitor their well-being (e.g. soil humidity, state of fruits) and with networking to communicate servicing requests to the robots. By embedding sensing, computation, and communication into the pots, task allocation in the system is de-centrally coordinated, which makes the system scalable and robust against the failure of a centralized agent. We describe the architecture of this system and present experimental results for navigation, object recognition, and manipulation as well as challenges that lie ahead toward autonomous precision agriculture with multi-robot teams.     

Heat and mass transfer characteristics of radiative hybrid nanofluid flow over a stretching sheet with chemical reaction

Unsteady magnetohydrodynamic heat and mass transfer analysis of hybrid nanoliquid flow over a stretching surface with chemical reaction, suction, slip effects, and thermal radiation is analyzed in this study. A combination of alumina (Al₂O₃) and titanium oxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles are taken as hybrid nanoparticles and water is considered as the basefluid. Using the similarity transformation method, the governing equations are changed into a system of ordinary differential equations. These equations together with boundary conditions are numerically evaluated by using the Finite element method. The influence of various pertinent parameters on the profiles of fluids concentration, temperature, and velocity is calculated and the outcomes are plotted through graphs. The values of nondimensional rates of heat transfer, mass transfer, and velocity are also analyzed and the results are depicted in tables. Temperature sketches of hybrid nanoliquid intensified in both the steady and unsteady cases as the volume fraction of both nanoparticles rises.     

Structural Modifications and Extended Spectral Response of CeO2/CoPc Nanocomposites for Potential Applications

CeO₂/CoPc nanocomposites were synthesized by simple chemical method. Thermal behavior of these nanocomposites was studied by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. The as‐synthesized nanocomposite samples were characterized by various techniques. A decrease in band‐gap energy together with an improved absorption intensity of the composite material confirms the role of the cobalt phthalocyanine in the absorption properties of CeO₂/CoPc composite. This study confirms structural modifications and extended spectral response of the synthesized CeO₂/CoPc nanocomposites. The results demonstrate that CeO₂/CoPc nanocomposite samples are promising materials for organic light‐emitting diodes, solar cells, and optoelectronic devices.     

Silver–ethylene glycol and copper–ethylene glycol based thermally radiative nanofluid characteristics between two rotating stretchable disks with modified Fourier heat flux

In the present analysis, our aim is to investigate the mass and heat transport of silver (Ag)–ethylene glycol (EG) and copper (Cu)–EG-based nanofluids between two rotating stretchable disks under the convective boundary conditions. We have also incorporated Cattaneo–Christov heat flux, thermal radiation, and chemical reaction in the fluid flow. The system of coupled partial differential equations is transformed into ordinary differential equations by using similarity transformations. The finite element method has been accomplished to find numerical solutions to transformed equations. The behavior of radial and tangential velocity, temperature fields, and concentration fields influenced by the various parameters are sketched through graphs. The local skin friction coefficient, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number are also calculated for the pertinent parameters and displayed the results through tables. It is perceived that velocity sketches of both nanoliquids degenerate with larger values of thermal relaxation parameters. Also, the values local Nusselt number of both Ag–EG, and Cu–EG based Cattaneo–Christov nanofluid intensifies with improving values of stretching parameter at the lower disk, whereas, it impedes at the upper disk.     

Maxwell nanofluid heat and mass transfer analysis over a stretching sheet

The Buongiorno model Maxwell nanofluid flow, heat and mass transfer characteristics over a stretching sheet with a magnetic field, thermal radiation, and chemical reaction is numerically investigated in this analysis. This model incorporates the effects of Brownian motion and thermophoresis. The governing partial differential equations are transformed into a coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equation by using the similarity transformation technique. The resultant nonlinear differential equations are solved by using the Finite element method. The sketches of velocity, temperature and concentration with diverse values of magnetic field parameter (0.1 ≤ M ≤ 1.5), Deborah number (0.0 ≤ β ≤ 0.19), radiation parameter (0.1 ≤ R ≤ 0.7), Prandtl number (0.5 ≤ Pr ≤ 0.8), Brownian motion parameter (0.1 ≤ Nb ≤ 0.7), thermophoretic parameter (0.2 ≤ Nt ≤ 0.8), Chemical reaction parameter (1.0 ≤ Cr ≤ 2.5) and Lewis number (1.5 ≤ Le ≤ 3.0) have investigated and are depicted through plots. Moreover, the values of the Skin-friction coefficient, Nusselt number, and Sherwood numbers are also computed and are shown in tables. The sequels of this analysis reviewed that the values of Skin-friction coefficient and Sherwood number intensified with hiked values of Deborah number (β), whereas, the values of Nusselt number decelerate as values of (β) improves.     

Migration and international health policies

Parity, age at first birth, age at menarche, and a family history of breast cancer have each been associated consistently with breast cancer risk. Whether this increase in risk is mediated, at least in part, through changes in endogenous hormone levels is unclear. We conducted a cross-sectional study of the relationships between these factors and plasma hormone levels in 216 healthy postmenopausal women in the Nurses' Health Study (United States). The hormones evaluated were estradiol, percent and total free estradiol, percent and total bioavailable estradiol, estrone, estrone sulfate, and prolactin. After controlling for age, body mass index (weight/height2), and alcohol use, we observed inverse associations between estrone sulfate and parity (r = -0.15, P = 0.03) and between percent bioavailable estradiol and age at first birth (r = -0.17, P = 0.02). Although women with a family history of breast cancer tended to have higher estrogen levels compared with women without such history, the differences were not statistically significant. Age at menarche was not related significantly to any of the hormones. These data provide some additional evidence that the inverse relationship observed between parity and breast cancer risk may be mediated, at least in part, through decreased estrogen levels. Our data do not support a substantial influence of either family history of breast cancer or age at menarche on postmenopausal estrogen or prolactin levels.     

Bioecology of macrobenthic communities in the microtidal monsoonal Kodungallur–Azhikode Estuary,southwest coast of India

A comprehensive study of the macrobenthic communities in the Kodungallur–Azhikode Estuary (KAE) was conducted during 2009–2011 period. A total of 18,846 organisms were collected, with 60% being malacostracans, followed by polychaetes (20%), molluscs (9%) and ‘others’ group (11%). A total of 79 species in 71 genera belonging to 49 families were identified, with 33 spp. being polychaetes, 26 spp. being malacostracans, 11 spp. being molluscs and 9 spp. being in the ‘others’ group. A single species of opportunistic amphipod (Americorophium triaeonyx) comprised more than 62.05% of the total numerical abundance of macrobenthos. The other dominant species were Obelia bidentata, Arcuatula senhousia, Cirolana fluviatilis, Prionospio cirrifera and Capitella sp. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) results indicated environmental parameters such as water column salinity, turbidity, sediment Eh, substratum type, chlorophyll‐a concentration, depth and organic matter in sediment were the significant factors influencing the distribution of macrobenthic species in the KAE. The present study provides baseline information for future KAE benthic studies.     

Increased in vitro Anti-HIV Activity of Caffeinium-Functionalized Polyoxometalates

Polyoxometalates (POMs), molecular metal oxide anions, are inorganic clusters with promising antiviral activity. Herein we report increased anti-HIV-1 activity of a POM when electrostatically combined with organic counter-cations. To this end, Keggin-type cerium tungstate POMs have been combined with organic methyl-caffeinium (Caf) cations, and their cytotoxicity, antiviral activity and mode of action have been studied. The novel compound, Caf₄K[β₂-CeSiW₁₁O₃₉]×H₂O, exhibits sub-nanomolar antiviral activity and inhibits HIV-1 infectivity by acting on an early step of the viral infection cycle. This work demonstrates that combination of POM anions and organic bioactive cations can be a powerful new strategy to increase antiviral activity of these inorganic compounds.