An Impacting Descent Probe for Europa and the other Galilean Moons of Jupiter

We present a study of an impacting descent probe that increases the science return of spacecraft orbiting or passing an atmosphere-less planetary body of the solar system, such as the Galilean moons of Jupiter. The descent probe is a carry-on small spacecraft (< 100 kg), to be deployed by the mother spacecraft, that brings itself onto a collisional trajectory with the targeted planetary body in a simple manner. A possible science payload includes instruments for surface imaging, characterisation of the neutral exosphere, and magnetic field and plasma measurement near the target body down to very low-altitudes (~1 km), during the probe's fast (~km/s) descent to the surface until impact. The science goals and the concept of operation are discussed with particular reference to Europa, including options for flying through water plumes and after-impact retrieval of very-low altitude science data. All in all, it is demonstrated how the descent probe has the potential to provide a high science return to a mission at a low extra level of complexity, engineering effort, and risk. This study builds upon earlier studies for a Callisto Descent Probe (CDP) for the former Europa-Jupiter System Mission (EJSM) of ESA and NASA, and extends them with a detailed assessment of a descent probe designed to be an additional science payload for the NASA Europa Mission.Comment: 34 pages, 11 figure

Towards non-parametric fiber-specific T1T_1 relaxometry in the human brain

Purpose: To estimate fiber-specific $T_1$ values, i.e. proxies for myelin content, in heterogeneous brain tissue. Methods: A diffusion-$T_1$ correlation experiment was carried out on an in vivo human brain using tensor-valued diffusion encoding and multiple repetition times. The acquired data was inverted using a Monte-Carlo inversion algorithm that retrieves non-parametric distributions $\mathcal{P}(\mathbf{D},R_1)$ of diffusion tensors and longitudinal relaxation rates $R_1 = 1/T_1$. Orientation distribution functions (ODFs) of the highly anisotropic components of $\mathcal{P}(\mathbf{D},R_1)$ were defined to visualize orientation-specific diffusion-relaxation properties. Finally, Monte-Carlo density-peak clustering (MC-DPC) was performed to quantify fiber-specific features and investigate microstructural differences between white-matter fiber bundles. Results: Parameter maps corresponding to $\mathcal{P}(\mathbf{D},R_1)$'s statistical descriptors were obtained, exhibiting the expected $R_1$ contrast between brain-tissue types. Our ODFs recovered local orientations consistent with the known anatomy and indicated possible differences in $T_1$ relaxation between major fiber bundles. These differences, confirmed by MC-DPC, were in qualitative agreement with previous model-based works but seem biased by the limitations of our current experimental setup. Conclusions: Our Monte-Carlo framework enables the non-parametric estimation of fiber-specific diffusion-$T_1$ features, thereby showing potential for characterizing developmental or pathological changes in $T_1$ within a given fiber bundle, and for investigating inter-bundle $T_1$ differences.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (MRM) on the 14th of June 202

Economic Implications of Additive Manufacturing and the Contribution of MIS

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Springer at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12599-015-0374-4

Investigations of vesicle gels by pulsed and modulated gradient NMR diffusion techniques

Vesicle gels are surfactant systems that form stiff gels with rather low amounts of surfactant. So far their structures have mostly been investigated using scattering techniques, which are generally appropriate for the study of structures on the nm-length-scale. Here we examine these gels using two complementary diffusion NMR techniques, which are both sensitive to structures on the mm-scale. The presented results imply structural features on the mm-scale, indicating a more complex structure than just that of densely packed small vesicles, as previously found for these systems. It is demonstrated that a combination of the diffusion NMR methods, described here, can provide useful insights, when morphological features extend over a wide range of length scales

Head Mounted Display Interaction Evaluation: Manipulating Virtual Objects in Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) is getting close to real use cases,which is driving the creation of innovative applications and the unprecedented growth of Head-Mounted Display (HMD) devices in consumer availability. However, at present there is a lack of guidelines, common form factors and standard interaction paradigms between devices, which has resulted in each HMD manufacturer creating their own specifications. This paper presents the first experimental evaluation of two AR HMDs evaluating their interaction paradigms, namely we used the HoloLens v1 (metaphoric interaction) and Meta2 (isomorphic interaction). We report on precision, interactivity and usability metrics in an object manipulation task-based user study. 20 participants took part in this study and significant differences were found between interaction paradigms of the devices for move tasks, where the isomorphic mapped interaction outperformed the metaphoric mapped interaction in both time to completion and accuracy, while the contrary was found for the resize task. From an interaction perspective, the isomorphic mapped interaction (using the Meta2) was perceived as more natural and usable with a significantly higher usability score and a significantly lower task-load index. However, when task accuracy and time to completion is key mixed interaction paradigms need to be considered

Digital Work Design

Erworben im Rahmen der Schweizer Nationallizenzen (http://www.nationallizenzen.ch)More and more academic studies and practitioner reports claim that human work is increasingly disrupted or even determined by information and communication technology (ICT) (Cascio and Montealegre 2016). This will make a considerable share of jobs currently performed by humans susceptible to automation (e.g., Frey and Osborne 2017; Manyika et al. 2017). These reports often sketch a picture of ‘machines taking over’ traditional domains like manufacturing, while ICT advances and capabilities seem to decide companies’ fate. Consequently, ICT is often put at the core of innovative efforts. While this applies to nearly all areas of workplace design, a recent popular example of increasing technology centricity is ‘Industry 4.0’, which is often delineated as ‘machines talking to computers’

Regulation of Apoptotic Pathways by Stylophora pistillata (Anthozoa, Pocilloporidae) to Survive Thermal Stress and Bleaching

Elevated seawater temperatures are associated with coral bleaching events and related mortality. Nevertheless, some coral species are able to survive bleaching and recover. The apoptotic responses associated to this ability were studied over 3 years in the coral Stylophora pistillata from the Gulf of Eilat subjected to long term thermal stress. These include caspase activity and the expression profiles of the S. pistillata caspase and Bcl-2 genes (StyCasp and StyBcl-2-like) cloned in this study. In corals exposed to thermal stress (32 or 34°C), caspase activity and the expression levels of the StyBcl-2-like gene increased over time (6–48 h) and declined to basal levels within 72 h of thermal stress. Distinct transcript levels were obtained for the StyCasp gene, with stimulated expression from 6 to 48 h of 34°C thermal stress, coinciding with the onset of bleaching. Increased cell death was detected in situ only between 6 to 48 h of stress and was limited to the gastroderm. The bleached corals survived up to one month at 32°C, and recovered back symbionts when placed at 24°C. These results point to a two-stage response in corals that withstand thermal stress: (i) the onset of apoptosis, accompanied by rapid activation of anti-oxidant/anti-apoptotic mediators that block the progression of apoptosis to other cells and (ii) acclimatization of the coral to the chronic thermal stress alongside the completion of symbiosis breakdown. Accordingly, the coral's ability to rapidly curb apoptosis appears to be the most important trait affecting the coral's thermotolerance and survival

ELSA in industrial robotics

Purpose of ReviewIndustry is changing; converging technologies allow a fourth Industrial Revolution, where it is envisaged that robots will work alongside humans. We investigate how the research community is responding to the ethical, legal, and social aspects of industrial robots, with a primary focus on manufacturing industry.Recent FindingsThe literature shows considerable interest in the impact of robotics and automation on industry. This interest spans many disciplines, which is to be expected given that the ELS impacts of industrial robotics may be profound in their depth and far-reaching in their scope.SummaryWe suggest that the increasing importance of human-robot interaction (HRI) reduces the differentiation between industrial robotics and other robotic domains and that the main challenges to successful adoption for the benefit of human life are above all political and economic. Emerging standards and legal frameworks may scaffold this success, but it is apparent that getting it wrong might have repercussions that last for generations

Managing changes initiated by industrial big data technologies : a technochange management model

With the adoption of Internet of Things and advanced data analytical technologies in manufacturing firms, the industrial sector has launched an evolutionary journey toward the 4th industrial revolution, or so called Industry 4.0. Industrial big data is a core component to realize the vision of Industry 4.0. However, the implementation and usage of industrial big data tools in manufacturing firms will not merely be a technical endeavor, but can also lead to a thorough management reform. By means of a comprehensive review of literature related to Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, industrial big data, information systems (IS) and technochange management, this paper aims to analyze potential changes triggered by the application of industrial big data in manufacturing firms, from technological, individual and organizational perspectives. Furthermore, in order to drive these changes more effectively and eliminate potential resistance, a conceptual technochange management model was developed and proposed. Drawn upon theories reported in literature of IS technochange management, this model proposed four types of interventions that can be used to copy with changes initiated by industrial big data technologies, including human process intervention, techno-structural intervention, human resources management intervention and strategic intervention. This model will be of interests and value to practitioners and researchers concerned with business reforms triggered by Industry 4.0 in general and by industrial big data technologies in particular

The conservation and uniqueness of the caspase family in the basal chordate, amphioxus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The caspase family, which plays a central role in apoptosis in metazoans, has undergone an expansion in amphioxus, increasing to 45 members through domain recombination and shuffling.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In order to shed light on the conservation and uniqueness of this family in amphioxus, we cloned three representative caspase genes, designated as <it>bbtCaspase-8, bbtCaspase-1/2 </it>and <it>bbtCaspase3</it>-like, from the amphioxus <it>Branchiostoma belcheri tsingtauense</it>. We found that <it>bbtCaspase-8 </it>with conserved protein architecture is involved in the Fas-associated death domain-Caspase-8 mediated pro-apoptotic extrinsic pathway, while <it>bbtCaspase3</it>-like may mediate a nuclear apoptotic pathway in amphioxus. Also, <it>bbtCaspase-1/2 </it>can co-localize with <it>bbtFADD2 </it>in the nucleus, and be recruited to the cytoplasm by amphioxus apoptosis associated speck-like proteins containing a caspase recruitment domain, indicating that <it>bbtCaspase-1/2 </it>may serve as a switch between apoptosis and caspase-dependent innate immune response in invertebrates. Finally, amphioxus extrinsic apoptotic pathway related caspases played important roles in early embryogenesis.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study not only demonstrates the conservation of <it>bbtCaspase-8 </it>in apoptosis, but also reveals the unique features of several amphioxus caspases with novel domain architectures arose some 500 million years ago.</p