Compact Bandpass Filter Using Two Ring Resonators and Two Open Stubs

© 2018 IEEE. A compact bandpass filter (BPF) using two ring resonators and two open stubs is proposed, where fifth-order passband with twelve transmission zeros at the stopband is realized. For demonstration, a filter example with center frequency of 2.04 GHz and 3 dB fractional bandwidth of 18.6% is designed. Good performance including high selectivity in the passband and sharp stopband rejection for the filter has been realized

Dyrithiopsis lakefuxianensis gen et sp. nov. from Fuxian Lake, Yunnan, China and notes on the taxonomic confusion surrounding Dyrithium

A new taxon with Dyrithium-like characteristics was collected from Lake Fuxian in China. The taxon is typical of the Amphisphaeriaceae in that it has relatively large, ostiolate, immersed ascomata, unitunicate asci with a J+ subapical ring, and brown ascospores. It is similar to Dyrithium in that it has muriform ascospores, but considerable confusion surrounds this genus. In Dyrithium asci are bitunicate and lack a J+ subapical ring, while this was not true of our species. A new genus, Dyrithiopsis, therefore is established to accommodate this new taxon. Details of its anamorph also are provided, based on cultural studies. Parsimony analyses of part of the large-subunit rDNA provide further evidence to support the familial placement of this new genus in the Amphisphaeriaceae. The taxonomic position of Dyrithium also is discussed.published_or_final_versio

Phylogenetics and evolution of nematode-trapping fungi (Orbiliales) estimated from nuclear and protein coding genes

The systematic classification of nematode-trapping fungi is redefined based on phylogenies inferred from sequence analyses of 28S rDNA, 5.8S rDNA and ß-tubulin genes. Molecular data were analyzed with maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian analysis. An emended generic concept of nematode-trapping fungi is provided. Arthrobotrys is characterized by adhesive networks, Dactylellina by adhesive knobs, and Drechslerella by constricting-rings. Phylogenetic placement of taxa characterized by stalked adhesive knobs and non-constricting rings also is confirmed in Dactylellina. Species that produce unstalked adhesive knobs that grow out to form loops are transferred from Gamsylella to Dactylellina, and those that produce unstalked adhesive knobs that grow out to form networks are transferred from Gamsylella to Arthrobotrys. Gamsylella as currently circumscribed cannot be treated as a valid genus. A hypothesis for the evolution of trapping-devices is presented based on multiple gene data and morphological studies. Predatory and nonpredatory fungi appear to have been derived from nonpredatory members of Orbilia. The adhesive knob is considered to be the ancestral type of trapping device from which constricting rings and networks were derived via two pathways. In the first pathway adhesive knobs retained their adhesive material forming simple two-dimension networks, eventually forming complex three-dimension networks. In the second pathway adhesive knobs lost their adhesive materials, with their ends meeting to form nonconstricting rings and they in turn formed constricting rings with three inflated-cells.published_or_final_versio

Using DNA Methylation Patterns to Infer Tumor Ancestry

Background: Exactly how human tumors grow is uncertain because serial observations are impractical. One approach to reconstruct the histories of individual human cancers is to analyze the current genomic variation between its cells. The greater the variations, on average, the greater the time since the last clonal evolution cycle (‘‘a molecular clock hypothesis’’). Here we analyze passenger DNA methylation patterns from opposite sides of 12 primary human colorectal cancers (CRCs) to evaluate whether the variation (pairwise distances between epialleles) is consistent with a single clonal expansion after transformation. Methodology/Principal Findings: Data from 12 primary CRCs are compared to epigenomic data simulated under a single clonal expansion for a variety of possible growth scenarios. We find that for many different growth rates, a single clonal expansion can explain the population variation in 11 out of 12 CRCs. In eight CRCs, the cells from different glands are all equally distantly related, and cells sampled from the same tumor half appear no more closely related than cells sampled from opposite tumor halves. In these tumors, growth appears consistent with a single ‘‘symmetric’ ’ clonal expansion. In three CRCs, the variation in epigenetic distances was different between sides, but this asymmetry could be explained by a single clonal expansion with one region of a tumor having undergone more cell division than the other. The variation in one CRC was complex and inconsistent with a simple single clonal expansion

3D multi-agent models for protein release from PLGA spherical particles with complex inner morphologies

In order to better understand and predict the release of proteins from bioerodible micro- or nanospheres, it is important to know the influences of different initial factors on the release mechanisms. Often though it is difficult to assess what exactly is at the origin of a certain dissolution profile. We propose here a new class of fine-grained multi-agent models built to incorporate increasing complexity, permitting the exploration of the role of different parameters, especially that of the internal morphology of the spheres, in the exhibited release profile. This approach, based on Monte-Carlo (MC) and Cellular Automata (CA) techniques, has permitted the testing of various assumptions and hypotheses about several experimental systems of nanospheres encapsulating proteins. Results have confirmed that this modelling approach has increased the resolution over the complexity involved, opening promising perspectives for future developments, especially complementing in vitro experimentation

Pleosporales

One hundred and five generic types of Pleosporales are described and illustrated. A brief introduction and detailed history with short notes on morphology, molecular phylogeny as well as a general conclusion of each genus are provided. For those genera where the type or a representative specimen is unavailable, a brief note is given. Altogether 174 genera of Pleosporales are treated. Phaeotrichaceae as well as Kriegeriella, Zeuctomorpha and Muroia are excluded from Pleosporales. Based on the multigene phylogenetic analysis, the suborder Massarineae is emended to accommodate five families, viz. Lentitheciaceae, Massarinaceae, Montagnulaceae, Morosphaeriaceae and Trematosphaeriaceae

Forecasting Player Behavioral Data and Simulating in-Game Events

Understanding player behavior is fundamental in game data science. Video games evolve as players interact with the game, so being able to foresee player experience would help to ensure a successful game development. In particular, game developers need to evaluate beforehand the impact of in-game events. Simulation optimization of these events is crucial to increase player engagement and maximize monetization. We present an experimental analysis of several methods to forecast game-related variables, with two main aims: to obtain accurate predictions of in-app purchases and playtime in an operational production environment, and to perform simulations of in-game events in order to maximize sales and playtime. Our ultimate purpose is to take a step towards the data-driven development of games. The results suggest that, even though the performance of traditional approaches such as ARIMA is still better, the outcomes of state-of-the-art techniques like deep learning are promising. Deep learning comes up as a well-suited general model that could be used to forecast a variety of time series with different dynamic behaviors

Fault-tolerant formation driving mechanism designed for heterogeneous MAVs-UGVs groups

A fault-tolerant method for stabilization and navigation of 3D heterogeneous formations is proposed in this paper. The presented Model Predictive Control (MPC) based approach enables to deploy compact formations of closely cooperating autonomous aerial and ground robots in surveillance scenarios without the necessity of a precise external localization. Instead, the proposed method relies on a top-view visual relative localization provided by the micro aerial vehicles flying above the ground robots and on a simple yet stable visual based navigation using images from an onboard monocular camera. The MPC based schema together with a fault detection and recovery mechanism provide a robust solution applicable in complex environments with static and dynamic obstacles. The core of the proposed leader-follower based formation driving method consists in a representation of the entire 3D formation as a convex hull projected along a desired path that has to be followed by the group. Such an approach provides non-collision solution and respects requirements of the direct visibility between the team members. The uninterrupted visibility is crucial for the employed top-view localization and therefore for the stabilization of the group. The proposed formation driving method and the fault recovery mechanisms are verified by simulations and hardware experiments presented in the paper