Heterotic sigma models on T8T^8 and the Borcherds automorphic form Φ12\Phi_{12}

We consider the spectrum of BPS states of the heterotic sigma model with $(0,8)$ supersymmetry and $T^8$ target, as well as its second-quantized counterpart. We show that the counting function for such states is intimately related to Borcherds' automorphic form $\Phi_{12}$, a modular form which exhibits automorphy for $O(2,26;{\mathbb Z})$. We comment on possible implications for Umbral moonshine and theories of AdS$_3$ gravity.Comment: 12 pages; v2 error (involving fermion zero modes) correcte

Do Topical Repellents Divert Mosquitoes Within a\ud Community?

Repellents are compounds which interfere with the mosquito’s olfactory system hindering them to identify their hosts and succeeding in taking a blood-meal [1]. However, repellents do not eliminate the host-seeking mosquitoes, they simply reduce human-vector contact. Consequently, there is a possibility that individuals, who do not use repellents, experience more bites than usual because mosquitoes are diverted from the repellent users. The objective of this study was to measure if diversion occurs from households that use repellents to those that don’t within a community with incomplete topical repellent coverag An interventional study was performed in three villages of southern Tanzania using 15%-DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) and a placebo lotion. Three coverage scenarios were investigated: complete repellent coverage (all households were given 15%-DEET), incomplete repellent coverage (80% of households were given DEET-15% and 20% were given a placebo lotion) and no repellent coverage (all households were given a placebo lotion). The coverage scenarios were rotated between villages. Mosquito densities were measured through aspiration of indoor and outdoor resting mosquitoes respective to each enrolled household. Data was analysed using mixed-effects models and the no coverage scenario was used as reference. Placebo users living in a village where 80% of the households used 15%-DEET were likely to have nearly three times more mosquitoes (p<0.001) resting in their dwellings in comparison to households in a village where nobody uses repellent (Table 1) There is strong evidence that mosquitoes are diverted between households that use repellent to those that don’t. This study arises questions on health equity associated with repellent usage. Policy makers should take into consideration these results while devising vector control programs, as less privileged individuals are likely to suffer more mosquito bites and therewith be more exposed to vector-borne diseases if universal coverage is not reached

#Scanners 2 – The MOMENT: a new brain-controlled movie

While many still consider interactive movies an unrealistic idea, current delivery platforms like Netflix, commercial VR, and the proliferation of wearable sensors mean that adaptive and responsive entertainment experiences are an immediate reality. Our prior work demonstrated a brain-responsive movie that showed different views of scenes depending on levels of attention and meditation produced by a commercialised home-entertainment brain sensor. Based on lessons learned, this demonstration exhibits the new interactions designed for our new brain-controlled movie, The MOMENT, being released in 2018

Woody Biomass Use Trends, Barriers, and Strategies: Perspectives of US Forest Service Managers

The use of woody biomass is being promoted across the United States as a means of increasing energy independence, mitigating climate change, and reducing the cost of hazardous fuels reduction treatments and forest restoration projects. The opportunities and challenges for woody biomass use on the national forest system are unique. In addition to making woody biomass usage pencil out, national forest managers must also navigate substantial public engagement and forest planning processes that add to the complexity of fostering woody biomass use opportunities on the national forest system. We report on the results of a survey of US Forest Service managers and staff members (n = 339) about the trends in, barriers to, and strategies for fostering woody biomass use on national forests and their surrounding communities. The results highlight the economic and market challenges as well as the need for a basket of policies focused on a broad array of strategies for biomass use

Examining the reliability of using fNIRS in realistic HCI settings for spatial and verbal tasks

Recent efforts have shown that functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has potential value for brain sensing in HCI user studies. Research has shown that, although large head movement significantly affects fNIRS data, typical keyboard use, mouse movement, and non-task-related verbalisations do not affect measurements during Verbal tasks. This work aims to examine the Reliability of fNIRS, by 1) confirming these prior findings, and 2) significantly extending our understanding of how artefacts affect recordings during Spatial tasks, since much of user interfaces and interaction is inherently spatial. Our results show that artefacts have a significantly different impact during Verbal and Spatial tasks. We contribute clearer insights into using fNIRS as a tool within HCI user studies

Cellular and Molecular Responses Unique to Major Injury Are Dispensable for Planarian Regeneration

The fundamental requirements for regeneration are poorly understood. Planarians can robustly regenerate all tissues after injury, involving stem cells, positional information, and a set of cellular and molecular responses collectively called the “missing tissue” or “regenerative” response. follistatin, which encodes an extracellular Activin inhibitor, is required for the missing tissue response after head amputation and for subsequent regeneration. We found that follistatin is required for the missing tissue response regardless of the wound context, but causes regeneration failure only after head amputation. This head regeneration failure involves follistatin-mediated regulation of Wnt signaling at wounds and is not a consequence of a diminished missing tissue response. All tested contexts of regeneration, including head regeneration, could occur with a defective missing tissue response, but at a slower pace. Our findings suggest that major cellular and molecular programs induced specifically by large injuries function to accelerate regeneration but are dispensable for regeneration itself. In regenerative organisms, a large array of cellular responses are triggered at major injuries. However, which of these responses are fundamentally required for regeneration to occur remains unknown. Tewari et al. find that hallmark cellular and molecular responses induced uniquely at large injuries are dispensable for planarian regeneration. Keywords: regeneration; wound response; WnT signaling; TGF-β signaling; planarians; follistatinNational Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant R01GM080639