Traffic Offloading/Onloading in Multi-RAT Cellular Networks

We analyze next generation cellular networks, offering connectivity to mobile users through multiple radio access technologies (RATs), namely LTE and WiFi. We develop a framework based on the Markovian agent formalism, which can model several aspects of the system, including user traffic dynamics and radio resource allocation. In particular, through a mean-field solution, we show the ability of our framework to capture the system behavior in flash-crowd scenarios, i.e., when a burst of traffic requests takes place in some parts of the network service area. We consider a distributed strategy for the user RAT selection, which aims at ensuring high user throughput, and investigate its performance under different resource allocation scheme

Collaborative platforms for streamlining workflows in Open Science

Despite the internet’s dynamic and collaborative nature, scientists continue to produce grant proposals, lab notebooks, data files, conclusions etc. that stay in static formats or are not published online and therefore not always easily accessible to the interested public. Because of limited adoption of tools that seamlessly integrate all aspects of a research project (conception, data generation, data evaluation, peer-reviewing and publishing of conclusions), much effort is later spent on reproducing or reformatting individual entities before they can be repurposed independently or as parts of articles.

We propose that workflows - performed both individually and collaboratively - could potentially become more efficient if all steps of the research cycle were coherently represented online and the underlying data were formatted, annotated and licensed for reuse. Such a system would accelerate the process of taking projects from conception to publication stages and allow for continuous updating of the data sets and their interpretation as well as their integration into other independent projects.

A major advantage of such workflows is the increased transparency, both with respect to the scientific process as to the contribution of each participant. The latter point is important from a perspective of motivation, as it enables the allocation of reputation, which creates incentives for scientists to contribute to projects. Such workflow platforms offering possibilities to fine-tune the accessibility of their content could gradually pave the path from the current static mode of research presentation into
a more coherent practice of open science

Resolving the clumpy circumstellar environment of the B[e] supergiant LHA 120-S 35

Context. B[e] supergiants are massive post-main-sequence stars, surrounded by a complex circumstellar environment where moleculesand dust can survive. The shape in which the material is distributed around these objects and its dynamics as well as the mechanismsthat give rise to these structures are not well understood.Aims. The aim of this work is to deepen our knowledge of the structure and kinematics of the circumstellar disc of the B[e] supergiantLHA 120-S 35.Methods. High-resolution optical spectra were obtained in three different years. Forbidden emission lines, that contribute to trace thedisc at different distances from the star, are modelled in order to determine the kinematical properties of their line-forming regions,assuming Keplerian rotation. In addition, we used low-resolution near-infrared spectra to explore the variability of molecular emission.Results. LHA 120-S 35 displays an evident spectral variability in both optical and infrared regions. The P-Cygni line profiles of H i,as well as those of Fe ii and O i, suggest the presence of a strong bipolar clumped wind. We distinguish density enhancements in theP-Cygni absorption component of the first Balmer lines, which show variations in both velocity and strength. The P-Cygni profileemission component is double-peaked, indicating the presence of a rotating circumstellar disc surrounding the star. We also observeline-profile variations in the permitted and forbidden features of Fe ii and O i. In the infrared, we detect variations in the intensity ofthe H i emission lines as well as in the emission of the CO band-heads. Moreover, we find that the profiles of each [Ca ii] and [O i]emission lines contain contributions from spatially different (complete or partial) rings. Globally, we find evidence of detached multi-ring structures, revealing density variations along the disc. We identify an inner ring, with sharp edge, where [Ca ii] and [O i] linesshare their forming region with the CO molecular bands. The outermost regions show a complex structure, outlined by fragmentedclumps or partial-ring features of Ca ii and O i. Additionally, we observe variations in the profiles of the only visible absorptionfeatures, the He i lines.Conclusions. We suggest that LHA 120-S 35 has passed through the red-supergiant (RSG) phase and evolves back bluewards in theHertzsprung-Russell diagram. In this scenario, the formation of the complex circumstellar structure could be the result of the wind-wind interactions of the post-RSG wind with the previously ejected material from the RSG. The accumulation of material in thecircumstellar environment could be attributed to enhanced mass-loss, probably triggered by stellar pulsations. However, the presenceof a binary companion can not be excluded. Finally, we find that LHA 120-S 35 is the third B[e] supergiant belonging to a youngstellar cluster.Fil: Torres, Andrea Fabiana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas; ArgentinaFil: Cidale, Lydia Sonia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas; ArgentinaFil: Kraus, M.. Tartu Observatory, Estonia; Estonia. Astronomický Ústav, Akademie Ved Ceské Republiky; República ChecaFil: Arias, María Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas; ArgentinaFil: Barba, Rodolfo Hector. Universidad de La Serena; ChileFil: Maravelias, G.. Universidad de Valparaiso; Chile. Astronomický Ústav, Akademie Ved Ceské Republiky; República ChecaFil: Borges Fernandes, M.. Ministério de Ciencia, Tecnologia e Innovacao. Observatorio Nacional; Brasi

Kiwi forego vison in the guidance of their nocturnal activities

We propose that the Kiwi visual system has undergone adaptive regression evolution driven by the trade-off between the relatively low rate of gain of visual information that is possible at low light levels, and the metabolic costs of extracting that information

Aplastic anemia: immunosuppressive therapy in 2010

Acquired aplastic anemia (AA) is the typical bone marrow failure syndrome characterized by an empty bone marrow; an immune-mediated pathophysiology has been demonstrated by experimental works as well as by clinical observations. Immunusuppressive therapy (IST) is a key treatment strategy for aplastic anemia; since 20 years the standard IST for AA patients has been anti-thymocyte globuline (ATG) plus cyclosporine A (CyA), which results in response rates ranging between 50% and 70%, and even higher overall survival. However, primary and secondary failures after IST remain frequent, and to date all attempts aiming to overcome this problem have been unfruitful. Here we review the state of the art of IST for AA in 2010, focusing on possible strategies to improve current treatments. We also discuss very recent data which question the equality of different ATG preparations, leading to a possible reconsideration of the current standards of care for AA patients

Attenuation of choroidal tickness in patients with Alzheimer disease: evidence from an Italian prospective study

INTRODUCTION: To compare the 12-month choroidal thickness (CT) change between Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and normal subjects. METHODS: In this prospective, observational study, 39 patients with a diagnosis of mild to moderate AD and 39 age-matched control subjects were included. All the subjects underwent neuropsychological (Mini Mental State Examination, Alzheimer disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale, and the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale) and ophthalmological evaluation, including spectral domain optical coherence tomography, at baseline and after 12 months. CT was measured manually using the caliper tool of the optical coherence tomography device. RESULTS: After 12 months, AD patients had a greater reduction of CT than controls (P≤0.05, adjusted for baseline CT, age, sex, axial length, and smoking). DISCUSSION: CT in patients with AD showed a rate of thinning greater than what could be expected during the natural course of aging

An intact signal peptide on dengue virus E protein enhances immunogenicity for CD8+ T cells and antibody when expressed from modified vaccinia Ankara

Dengue is a global public health concern and this is aggravated by a lack of vaccines or antiviral therapies. Despite the well-known role of CD8(+) T cells in the immunopathogenesis of Dengue virus (DENV), only recent studies have highlighted the importance of this arm of the immune response in protection against the disease. Thus, the majority of DENV vaccine candidates are designed to achieve protective titers of neutralizing antibodies, with less regard for cellular responses. Here, we used a mouse model to investigate CD8(+) T cell and humoral responses to a set of potential DENV vaccines based on recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara (rMVA). To enable this study, we identified two CD8(+) T cell epitopes in the DENV-3 E protein in C57BL/6 mice. Using these we found that all the rMVA vaccines elicited DENV-specific CD8(+) T cells that were cytotoxic in vivo and polyfunctional in vitro. Moreover, vaccines expressing the E protein with an intact signal peptide sequence elicited more DENV-specific CD8(+) T cells than those expressing E proteins in the cytoplasm. Significantly, it was these same ER-targeted E protein vaccines that elicited antibody responses. Our results support the further development of rMVA vaccines expressing DENV E proteins and add to the tools available for dengue vaccine development.Parts of this work were supported by the InstitutoNacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Vacinas–INCTV (National Insti-tute of Science and Technology of Vaccines) and by a FAPEMIGPPM grant (CBB, PPM-00461-11). BRQ was a CAPES/PDSE fellow-ship recipient (8815-11-9). FGF is a CNPq fellowship recipient. DCTis an ARC Future Fellow (FT110100310)

Role of mTOR signaling in tumor microenvironment. An overview

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway regulates major processes by integrating a variety of exogenous cues, including diverse environmental inputs in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In recent years, it has been well recognized that cancer cells co-exist and co-evolve with their TME, which is often involved in drug resistance. The mTOR pathway modulates the interactions between the stroma and the tumor, thereby affecting both the tumor immunity and angiogenesis. The activation of mTOR signaling is associated with these pro-oncogenic cellular processes, making mTOR a promising target for new combination therapies. This review highlights the role of mTOR signaling in the characterization and the activity of the TME’s elements and their implications in cancer immunotherapy

Wikis in scholarly publishing

Scientific research is a process concerned with the creation, collective accumulation, contextualization, updating and maintenance of knowledge. Wikis provide an environment that allows to collectively accumulate, contextualize, update and maintain knowledge in a coherent and transparent fashion. Here, we examine the potential of wikis as platforms for scholarly publishing. In the hope to stimulate further discussion, the article itself was drafted on "Species-ID":http://species-id.net/w/index.php?title=Wikis_in_scholarly_publishing&oldid=3815 - a wiki that hosts a prototype for wiki-based scholarly publishing - where it can be updated, expanded or otherwise improved

Rilevamento di ozono presso i siti forestali UN/ECE Level I nella Provincia di Trento nel 2007

A causa del suo alto potere ossidante, dei suoi elevati livelli e della sua ampia diffusione in aree rurali e forestali, l’ozono troposferico (O3) è ritenuto il contaminante gassoso di potenziale maggiore pericolosità per la vegetazione agraria, semi-naturale e forestale. L’obiettivo del presente studio è ottenere stime realistiche dell’esposizione ad O3 della vegetazione forestale della provincia di Trento, essenziali per poter valutare se siano ipotizzabili effetti di questo inquinante sulla vegetazione. A tale scopo sono stati installati 15 siti di misura delle concentrazioni di O3, riferendosi ai punti della rete UE e UN/ECE di monitoraggio delle foreste di Livello I della provincia di Trento; l’ozono è stato misurato utilizzando campionatori passivi, che forniscono un dato settimanale, successivamente convertito in valori di concentrazione media oraria. L’affidabilità dei dati ottenuti è stata verificata per confronto con i dati forniti in parallelo da centraline automatiche. Le concentrazioni medie settimanali di O3 rilevate nel periodo 6 giugno - 19 settembre 2007 sono risultate comprese tra 62.4±12.4 e 130.6±22.3 μg*m-3. In termini di AOT40, l’indicatore di rischio utilizzato dalla normativa UE e dall’UN/ECE, i valori sono tali da prefigurare frequenti superamenti dei livelli critici nel corso della stagione estiva 2007. Si discutono nel dettaglio andamenti spaziali e temporali dei dati raccolti e si ipotizza una linea futura per la prosecuzione del lavoro nell’ottica di una maggiore comprensione del fenomeno