Precise tracking of vaccine-responding T-cell clones reveals convergent and personalized response in identical twins

T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire data contain information about infections that could be used in disease diagnostics and vaccine development, but extracting that information remains a major challenge. Here we developed a statistical framework to detect TCR clone proliferation and contraction from longitudinal repertoire data. We applied this framework to data from three pairs of identical twins immunized with the yellow fever vaccine. We identified 500-1500 responding TCRs in each donor and validated them using three independent assays. While the responding TCRs were mostly private, albeit with higher overlap between twins, they could be well predicted using a classifier based on sequence similarity. Our method can also be applied to samples obtained post-infection, making it suitable for systematic discovery of new infection-specific TCRs in the clinic

Maintenance of long-term experiments for unique insights into forest growth dynamics and trends: review and perspectives

In this review, the unique features and facts of long-term experiments are presented. Long-term experimental plots provide information of forest stand dynamics which cannot be derived from forest inventories or small temporary plots. Most comprise unthinned plots which represent the site specific maximum stand density as an unambiguous reference. By measuring the remaining as well as the removed stand, the survey of long-term experiments provides the total production at a given site, which is most relevant for examining the relationship between site conditions and stand productivity on the one hand and between stand density and productivity on the other. Thus, long-term experiments can reveal the site-specific effect of thinning and species mixing on stand structure, production and carbon sequestration. If they cover an entire rotation or even the previous and following generation on a given site, they reveal a species' long-term behaviour and any growth trends caused by environmental changes. Second, we exploit the unique data of European long-term experiments, some of which have been surveyed since 1848. We show the long-term effect of different density regimes on stand dynamics and an essential trade-off between total stand volume production and mean tree size. Long-term experiments reveal that tree species mixing can significantly increase stand density and productivity compared with monospecific stands. Thanks to surveys spanning decades or even a century, we can show the changing long-term-performance of different provenances and acceleration of stand production caused by environmental change, as well as better understand the growth dynamics of natural forests. Without long-term experiments forest science and practice would be not in a position to obtain such findings which are of the utmost relevance for science and practice. Third, we draw conclusions and show perspectives regarding the maintenance and further development of long-term experiments. It would require another 150years to build up a comparable wealth of scientific information, practical knowledge, and teaching and training model examples. Although tempting, long-term experiments should not be sacrificed for cost-cutting measures. Given the global environmental change and the resulting challenges for sustainable management, the network of long-term experiments should rather be extended regarding experimental factors, recorded variables and inter- and transdisciplinary use for science and practice

X-Ray Fluorescence Determination of Major Elements in Powder Chromium Ore Samples Prepared as Pressed Pellets

Предложен способ рентгенофлуоресцентного определения основных элементов (Cr, Fe, Si, Al, Mg), а также Mn и Ti в порошковых пробах хромовых руд. Измерения проводили на волноводисперсионном рентгенофлуоресцентном спектрометре S 4 Pioneer (Bruker AXS). Подготовка проб включала дополнительное измельчение порошков калибровочных образцов и анализируемых проб, которое обеспечивало размер частиц порошка менее 50 мкм. Для измерения готовили таблетки прессованием порошков на подложке из борной кислоты. Дополнительное измельчение позволило уменьшить влияние гранулометрического состава порошков на погрешность определения главных полезных компонентов: хрома и железа. В качестве калибровочной функции использовали эмпирическое уравнение Лукаса-Туса, имеющееся в опциях программного обеспечения спектрометра. Отклонения результатов рентгенофлуоресцентного анализа от результатов химического анализа с фотометрическим или атомно-абсорбционным окончанием для четырех контрольных проб составили менее: 0.34 % мас. для Cr2O3 (в диапазоне 18–56 % мас.), 0.16 % мас. для Fe2O3 (в диапазоне 10–26 % мас.), 0.29 % мас. для Al2O3 (в диапазоне 5–20 % мас.), 0.013 % мас. для MnO (в диапазоне 0.1–0.2 % мас.), 0.03 % мас. для TiO2 (в диапазоне 0.09–0.67 % мас.). Для MgO (в диапазоне 14–32 % мас.) и SiO2 (в диапазоне 2–22 % мас.) погрешность определения может быть более 1 % мас., что превышает допустимую для количественного определенияX‑ray fluorescence techniques is proposed for the determination of the main elements (Cr, Fe, Si, Al, Mg), as well as Mn and Ti, in powder samples of chromium ores. The measurements were carried out using wavelength- dispersive X‑ray fluorescence spectrometer S 4 Pioneer (Bruker AXS). Sample preparation included additional grinding of calibration and analyzed samples, which ensured a powder particle size of less than 50 μm. Pellets were prepared for measurements by pressing powders on a boric acid substrate. Additional grinding made it possible to reduce the influence of the granulometric composition of powders on the error in determining the main useful components: chromium and iron. The available in the software options of the spectrometer empirical Lucas- Tooth equation was used as a calibration function. Deviations between X‑ray fluorescence and chemical analysis (photometry or atomic absorption spectrometry) results for four test samples were less than: 0.34 wt.% for Cr2O3 (in the range of 18–56 wt.%), 0.16 wt.% for Fe2O3 (in the range of 10–26 wt.%), 0.29 wt.% for Al2O3 (in the range of 5–20 wt.%), 0.013 wt.% for MnO (in the range of 0.1–0.2 wt.%), 0.03 wt.% for TiO2 (in the range of 0.09–0.67 wt.%). For the MgO (in the range of 14–32 wt.%) and SiO2, (in the range of 2–22 wt.%), the error can be more than 1 wt.% that exceeds the allowable error for quantitative determinatio

Exploring the Use of Harvesters in Large-Diameter Hardwood-Dominated Stands

The use of fully-mechanized operations, normally targeted at coniferous species, has also been on the rise in mixed-species and continuous-cover forests comprised of a strong share of deciduous species. With special form characteristics (complex crowns, large-diameter branches, forks and sweeps, high wood density, etc.), deciduous trees can lead to wide-ranging harvesting productivities, often divergent from those originally derived from coniferous species. Due to the importance and growing interest in mechanizing operations in close-to-nature mixedwood and deciduous stands, obtaining insight on harvesting productivity in large-diameter deciduous trees was of interest. This study located in Bavaria, Germany, monitored four harvesters (two wheeled and two tracked machines) operated in four distinct harvest blocks (case studies), all of which had a high percentage of large-diameter European beech and oak trees. Harvesting productivity and volume recovery was assessed and quantified. Based on the field inventory of European beech and oak trees and continuous time-and-motion study, average harvesting productivity ranged from 29 to 43 m3/PMH0 (productive machine hours without delay), whereas volume recovery fluctuated between 73% and 85% for trees that were completely felled and processed by machines. Because of the rather limited sample size and the variable conditions between case studies, results should only be used as general orientation on the performance of the tested machines and additional research is suggested to further understand the influence of tree form characteristics on impediments to mechanized processing

Gamification in education: threats or new opportunities

This article discusses the expediency and efficiency of implementing gamification in education. This study is a meta-analysis of the modern experience of gamification application obtained from numerous international studies, practical cases, and reports of educational entities. The influence of gamification technologies on cognition and learning processes was proved by hardware neurobiological research of students’ brain activity during a game using electroencephalography, functional magnetic resonance tomography, and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. On the basis of an analysis of gamification effects regarding efficiency improvement due to perceptive learning, the conclusions were obtained used in a generalized list of opportunities, problems, and threats of application of gamification elements in education. This study systematizes practical results presented by corporate cases and reference literature, which mention the necessity to use specialized online platforms or automated control systems for systematic implementation of gamification into education. The practical cases in the context of education considered the results of gamification application mainly as positive; however, at the same time, negative results were mentioned, which should be analyzed and which also should be included in the list of threats in this study

Parallel Computational Algorithm for Object-Oriented Modeling of Manipulation Robots

An algorithm for parallel calculations in a dynamic model of manipulation robots obtained by the Lagrange–Euler method is developed. Independent components were identified in the structure of the dynamic model by its decomposition. Using the technology of object-oriented programming, classes corresponding to the structures of the selected components of the dynamic model were described. The algorithmization of parallel computing is based on the independence of the calculation of objects of individual classes and the sequence of matrix operations. The estimation of the execution time of parallel algorithms, the resulting acceleration, and the efficiency of using processors is given

Insights into the late Holocene vegetation history of the East European forest-steppe: case study Sudzha (Kursk region, Russia)

Today, the East European forest-steppe is an agricultural landscape with very few remains of its former natural vegetation. The history of the transformation from natural vegetation to a human-made landscape in the area of Sudzha (Kursk region, Russia) is studied here. We compare the off-site pollen record Sudzha with three on-site pollen records obtained from the archaeological site Kurilovka-2. The sediment core Sudzha covering the last 2,500 years was taken from an oxbow lake in an area with archaeological sites of the early Slavonic period (3rd–8th centuries ce). The Sudzha pollen record indicates dominance of broadleaf forests and meadow steppes in the area from 2,500 to 200 cal year bp with two major settlement phases one between ~ 2,000 and 1,600 cal year bp (~ 50 bce to 350 ce) and the other between 1,100 and 600 cal year bp (850 and 1350 ce) followed by a total deforestation and transformation to an agricultural landscape over the last 200–300 years. Similar changes in the last 300–400 years are indicated by the three on-site pollen records. It is noteworthy, however, that the record Sudzha does not provide an intensive signal of human impact during the 5th–8th centuries ce. This points to a quite restricted spatial influence of the Early Slavonic settlements on the vegetation, leading to a relatively low contribution of palynological anthropogenic indicators to the regional pollen rain signal

Particle approximation for first order stochastic partial differential equations

SIGLEAvailable at INIST (FR), Document Supply Service, under shelf-number : 14802 E, issue : a.1991 n.1502 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc