152 research outputs found
Learning tactile skills through curious exploration
We present curiosity-driven, autonomous acquisition of tactile exploratory skills on a biomimetic robot finger equipped with an array of microelectromechanical touch sensors. Instead of building tailored algorithms for solving a specific tactile task, we employ a more general curiosity-driven reinforcement learning approach that autonomously learns a set of motor skills in absence of an explicit teacher signal. In this approach, the acquisition of skills is driven by the information content of the sensory input signals relative to a learner that aims at representing sensory inputs using fewer and fewer computational resources. We show that, from initially random exploration of its environment, the robotic system autonomously develops a small set of basic motor skills that lead to different kinds of tactile input. Next, the system learns how to exploit the learned motor skills to solve supervised texture classification tasks. Our approach demonstrates the feasibility of autonomous acquisition of tactile skills on physical robotic platforms through curiosity-driven reinforcement learning, overcomes typical difficulties of engineered solutions for active tactile exploration and underactuated control, and provides a basis for studying developmental learning through intrinsic motivation in robots
Chemical and dynamical identification of emission outflows during the HALO campaign EMeRGe in Europe and Asia
The number of large urban agglomerations is steadily increasing worldwide. At a local scale, their emissions lead to air pollution, directly affecting people\u27s health. On a global scale, their emissions lead to an increase of greenhouse gases, affecting climate. In this context, in 2017 and 2018, the airborne campaign EMeRGe (Effect of Megacities on the transport and transformation of pollutants on the Regional to Global scales) investigated emissions of European and Asian major population centres (MPCs) to improve the understanding and predictability of pollution outflows. Here, we present two methods to identify and characterise pollution outflows probed during EMeRGe. First, we use a set of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as chemical tracers to characterise air masses by specific source signals, i.e. benzene from anthropogenic pollution of targeted regions, acetonitrile from biomass burning (BB, primarily during EMeRGe-Asia), and isoprene from fresh biogenic signals (primarily during EMeRGe-Europe. Second, we attribute probed air masses to source regions and estimate their individual contribution by constructing and applying a simple emission uptake scheme for the boundary layer which combines FLEXTRA back trajectories and EDGAR carbon monoxide (CO) emission rates (acronyms are provided in the Appendix). During EMeRGe-Europe, we identified anthropogenic pollution outflows from northern Italy, southern Great Britain, the BelgiumâNetherlandsâRuhr (BNR) area and the Iberian Peninsula. Additionally, our uptake scheme indicates significant long-range transport of pollution from the USA and Canada. During EMeRGe-Asia, the pollution outflow is dominated by sources in China and Taiwan, but BB signals from Southeast Asia and India contribute as well. Outflows of pre-selected MPC targets are identified in less than 20â% of the sampling time, due to restrictions in flight planning and constraints of the measurement platform itself. Still, EMeRGe combines in a unique way near- and far-field measurements, which show signatures of local and distant sources, transport and conversion fingerprints, and complex air mass compositions. Our approach provides a valuable classification and characterisation of the EMeRGe dataset, e.g. for BB and anthropogenic influence of potential source regions and paves the way for a more comprehensive analysis and various model studies
Transcriptomic analysis identifies lactoferrin-induced quiescent circuits in neonatal macrophages
IntroductionUpon birth, a hitherto naĂŻve immune system is confronted with a plethora of microbial antigens due to intestinal bacterial colonization. To prevent excessive inflammation and disruption of the epithelial barrier, physiological mechanisms must promote immune-anergy within the neonatal gut. As high concentrations of human lactoferrin (hLF), a transferrin glycoprotein shown to modulate macrophage function, are frequently encountered in colostrum, its direct interaction with intestinal macrophages may satisfy this physiological need. Thus, the primary objective of this study was to investigate transcriptional changes induced by human lactoferrin in neonatal monocyte-derived macrophages.MethodsCord blood-derived monocytes were differentiated with M-CSF in presence or absence of 500 ”g/mL hLF for 7 days and afterwards stimulated with 1 ng/mL LPS or left untreated. RNA was then isolated and subjected to microarray analysis.ResultsDifferentiation of cord blood-derived monocytes in presence of hLF induced a distinct transcriptional program defined by cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase, induction of IL-4/IL-13-like signaling, altered extracellular matrix interaction, and enhanced propensity for cell-cell interaction. Moreover, near-complete abrogation of transcriptional changes induced by TLR4 engagement with LPS was observed in hLF-treated samples.DiscussionThe global transition towards an M2-like homeostatic phenotype and the acquisition of quiescence elegantly demonstrate the ontogenetical relevance of hLF in attenuating pro-inflammatory signaling within the developing neonatal intestine. The marked anergy towards proinflammatory stimuli such as LPS further underlines the glycoproteinâs potential therapeutic relevance
LUCIFER@LBT view of star-forming galaxies in the cluster 7C 1756+6520 at z~1.4
Galaxy clusters are key places to study the contribution of {\it nature}
(i.e. mass, morphology) and {\it nurture} (i.e.environment) in the formation
and evolution of galaxies. Recently, a number of clusters at z1, i.e.
corresponding to the first epochs of the cluster formation, has been discovered
and confirmed spectroscopically. We present new observations obtained with the
{\sc LUCIFER} spectrograph at Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) of a sample of
star-forming galaxies associated with a large scale structure around the radio
galaxy 7C1756+6520 at z=1.42. Combining our spectroscopic data and the
literature photometric data, we derived some of the properties of these
galaxies: star formation rate, metallicity and stellar mass. With the aim of
analyzing the effect of the cluster environment on galaxy evolution, we have
located the galaxies in the plane of the so-called Fundamental Metallically
Relation (FMR), which is known not to evolve with redshift up to z for
field galaxies, but it is still unexplored in rich environments at low and high
redshift. We found that the properties of the galaxies in the cluster 7C
1756+6520 are compatible with the FMR which suggests that the effect of the
environment on galaxy metallicity at this early epoch of cluster formation is
marginal. As a side study, we also report the spectroscopic analysis of a
bright AGN, belonging to the cluster, which shows a significant outflow of gas.Comment: Accepted for publication by MNRAS, 10 pages, 6 figures, 3 table
First results from NA60 on low mass muon pair production in In-In collisions at 158 GeV/nucleon
The NA60 experiment at the CERN SPS studies dimuon production in
proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions. The combined information from a
novel vertex telescope made of radiation-tolerant silicon pixel detectors and
from the muon spectrometer previously used in NA50 allows for a precise
measurement of the muon vertex and a much improved dimuon mass resolution. We
report on first results from the data taken for Indium-Indium collisions at 158
AGeV/nucleon in 2003, concentrating on a subsample of about 370 000 muon pairs
in the mass range GeV/. The light vector mesons and
are completely resolved, with a mass resolution of about 23 MeV/
at the . The transverse momentum spectra of the are measured over
the continuous range GeV/c; the inverse slope parameter of
the spectra is found to increase with centrality, with an average value of
MeV.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures. Plenary talk, SQM2004 conference, Cape Town,
South Africa 15-20 September, 2004. To be published in Journal of Physics G:
Nuclear and Particle Physic
Viscosity and Diffusion: Crowding and Salt Effects in Protein Solutions
We report on a joint experimental-theoretical study of collective diffusion
in, and static shear viscosity of solutions of bovine serum albumin (BSA)
proteins, focusing on the dependence on protein and salt concentration. Data
obtained from dynamic light scattering and rheometric measurements are compared
to theoretical calculations based on an analytically treatable spheroid model
of BSA with isotropic screened Coulomb plus hard-sphere interactions. The only
input to the dynamics calculations is the static structure factor obtained from
a consistent theoretical fit to a concentration series of small-angle X-ray
scattering (SAXS) data. This fit is based on an integral equation scheme that
combines high accuracy with low computational cost. All experimentally probed
dynamic and static properties are reproduced theoretically with an at least
semi-quantitative accuracy. For lower protein concentration and low salinity,
both theory and experiment show a maximum in the reduced viscosity, caused by
the electrostatic repulsion of proteins. The validity range of a generalized
Stokes-Einstein (GSE) relation connecting viscosity, collective diffusion
coefficient, and osmotic compressibility, proposed by Kholodenko and Douglas
[PRE 51, 1081 (1995)] is examined. Significant violation of the GSE relation is
found, both in experimental data and in theoretical models, in semi-dilute
systems at physiological salinity, and under low-salt conditions for arbitrary
protein concentrations
ERIS: revitalising an adaptive optics instrument for the VLT
ERIS is an instrument that will both extend and enhance the fundamental
diffraction limited imaging and spectroscopy capability for the VLT. It will
replace two instruments that are now being maintained beyond their operational
lifetimes, combine their functionality on a single focus, provide a new
wavefront sensing module that makes use of the facility Adaptive Optics System,
and considerably improve their performance. The instrument will be competitive
with respect to JWST in several regimes, and has outstanding potential for
studies of the Galactic Center, exoplanets, and high redshift galaxies. ERIS
had its final design review in 2017, and is expected to be on sky in 2020. This
contribution describes the instrument concept, outlines its expected
performance, and highlights where it will most excel.Comment: 12 pages, Proc SPIE 10702 "Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation
for Astronomy VII
Bioaerosols in the Amazon rain forest: temporal variations and vertical profiles of Eukarya, Bacteria, and Archaea
The Amazon rain forest plays a major role in global hydrological cycling, and biogenic aerosols are likely to influence the formation of clouds and precipitation. Information about the sources and altitude profiles of primary biological aerosol particles, however, is sparse. We used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), a molecular biological staining technique largely unexplored in aerosol research, to investigate the sources and spatiotemporal distribution of Amazonian bioaerosols on the domain level. We found wet season bioaerosol number concentrations in the range of 1â5âĂâ105âmâ3 accounting for >â70â% of the coarse mode aerosol. Eukaryotic and bacterial particles predominated, with fractions of âŒâ56â% and âŒâ26â% of the intact airborne cells. Archaea occurred at very low concentrations. Vertical profiles exhibit a steep decrease in bioaerosol numbers from the understory to 325âm height on the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO), with a stronger decrease in Eukarya compared to Bacteria. Considering earlier investigations, our results can be regarded as representative for near-pristine Amazonian wet season conditions. The observed concentrations and profiles provide new insights into the sources and dispersion of different types of Amazonian bioaerosols as a solid basis for model studies on biosphereâatmosphere interactions such as bioprecipitation cycling.</p
Is IRAS 01072+4954 a True-Seyfert 2? Hints from Near Infrared Integral Field Spectroscopy
In contrast to the predictions of the unified model, some X-ray unobscured
Seyfert 2 galaxies have been discovered in the last decade. One of them, the
starburst/Seyfert composite galaxy IRAS 01072+4954 (z=0.0236), has a typical
Type~1 X-ray emission, while its optical spectrum resembles an HII galaxy and
lacks the expected broad lines. We performed near-infrared integral-field
observations of this object with the aim to determine the nature of its nuclear
emission and to find indications for the existence or absence of a broad-line
region. Several reasons have been proposed to explain such peculiar emission.
We studied the validity of such hypotheses, including the possibility for it to
be True-Seyfert~2. We found little obscuration towards the nucleus A_V = 2.5
mag, and a nuclear star-formation rate Sigma_SFR < 11.6 Msun yr^{-1} kpc^{-2},
which is below the average in Seyferts. Unresolved hot-dust emission with T ~
1150 K seems to indicate the presence of a torus with its axis close to the
line of sight. We found that IRAS 01072+4954 hosts a low mass black hole with
an estimated mass of M_BH ~ 10^5 Msun and an upper limit of 2.5x10^6 Msun. Its
bolometric luminosity is L_bol ~ 2.5x10^{42} erg/s, which yields a high
accretion rate with an Eddington ratio ~ 0.2. If the relations found in more
massive systems also apply to this case, then IRAS 01072+4954 should show broad
emission lines with FWHM_{broad} ~(400-600) km/s. Indeed, some indications for
such narrow broad-line components are seen in our data, but the evidence is not
yet conclusive. This source thus seems not to be a True-Seyfert 2, but an
extreme case of a narrow line Seyfert 1, which, due to the faintness of the
active nucleus, does not have strong FeII emission in the optical.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures. A&A Accepted versio
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COPI-coated vesicles mediate trafficking within the Golgi apparatus and from the Golgi to the endoplasmic reticulum. The structures of membrane protein coats, including COPI, have been extensively studied with in vitro reconstitution systems using purified components. Previously we have determined a complete structural model of the in vitro reconstituted COPI coat (Dodonova et al., 2017). Here, we applied cryo-focused ion beam milling, cryo-electron tomography and subtomogram averaging to determine the native structure of the COPI coat within vitrified Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells. The native algal structure resembles the in vitro mammalian structure, but additionally reveals cargo bound beneath beta'-COP. We find that all coat components disassemble simultaneously and relatively rapidly after budding. Structural analysis in situ, maintaining Golgi topology, shows that vesicles change their size, membrane thickness, and cargo content as they progress from cis to trans, but the structure of the coat machinery remains constant
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