Real time noise and wavelength correlations in octave-spanning supercontinuum generation

We use dispersive Fourier transformation to measure shot-to-shot spectral instabilities in femtosecond supercontinuum generation. We study both the onset phase of supercontinuum generation with distinct dispersive wave generation, as well as a highly-unstable supercontinuum regime spanning an octave in bandwidth. Wavelength correlation maps allow interactions between separated spectral components to be identified, even when such interactions are not apparent in shot-to-shot or average measurements. Experimental results are interpreted using numerical simulations. Our results show the clear advantages of dispersive Fourier transformation for studying spectral noise during supercontinuum generation.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure

Attenuating Muscle Damage Biomarkers and Muscle Soreness After an Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage with Branched-Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) Supplementation:A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis with Meta-regression

Background: Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation is one of the most popular strategies used by the general population and athletes to reduce muscle soreness and accelerate the recovery process of muscle damage biomarkers after an intense exercise or training session. Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the effects of BCAA supplementation on muscle damage biomarkers and muscle soreness after exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). Methods: The systematic literature search for randomized controlled trials was conducted using seven databases, up to September 13th, 2022. The eligibility criteria for selecting studies were as follows: studies performed on healthy active participants, using BCAA at least once, controlled with a placebo or control group, performing resistance or endurance exercises, and followed up at least once post-EIMD. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the “SIGN RCT checklist”. Random-effects meta-analyses were processed to compute the standardized mean difference (Hedges’ g). Meta-regression analyses were completed with daily and total dosage and supplementation as continuous moderator variables. Results: Of the 18 studies included in this meta-analysis, 13 were of high quality and five were of acceptable quality. Our results revealed BCAA supplementation elicits a significant effect on reducing creatine kinase (CK) levels immediately (g = − 0.44; p = 0.006) and 72 h (g = − 0.99; p = 0.002), but not 24 h, 48 h, and 96 h post-EIMD. Additionally, a significant effect on delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) was identified at 24 h (g = − 1.34; p < 0.001), 48 h (g = − 1.75; p < 0.001), 72 h (g = − 1.82; p < 0.001), and 96 h (g = − 0.82; p = 0.008), but not immediately post-EIMD. No significant effect was found on lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels at any time point. Meta-regression indicated higher daily and total dosages of BCAA, and longer supplementation periods were related to the largest beneficial effects on CK (total dosage and supplementation period) at 48 h, and on DOMS at 24 h (only daily dosage). Conclusion: The overall effects of BCAA supplementation could be considered useful for lowering CK and DOMS after EIMD, but not LDH. The longer supplementation period prior to the EIMD could be more effective for CK and DOMS reduction

Conflict Management for Multiple Resource Users in Pastoralist and Agro-Pastoralist Contexts

Livelihood systems in rural social formations often involve the utilization of natural resources for multiple purposes (e.g. wetlands which are used for both cropping and for grazing) or by more than one user (as when rangelands are grazed by different herdowners or groups of herdowners). Disputes or conflicts are common in these situations, and institutional frameworks for resolving disputes and managing conflict have usually evolved in response.European Research Council (ERC

Gene encoder: a feature selection technique through unsupervised deep learning-based clustering for large gene expression data

© 2020, Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature. Cancer is a severe condition of uncontrolled cell division that results in a tumor formation that spreads to other tissues of the body. Therefore, the development of new medication and treatment methods for this is in demand. Classification of microarray data plays a vital role in handling such situations. The relevant gene selection is an important step for the classification of microarray data. This work presents gene encoder, an unsupervised two-stage feature selection technique for the cancer samples’ classification. The first stage aggregates three filter methods, namely principal component analysis, correlation, and spectral-based feature selection techniques. Next, the genetic algorithm is used, which evaluates the chromosome utilizing the autoencoder-based clustering. The resultant feature subset is used for the classification task. Three classifiers, namely support vector machine, k-nearest neighbors, and random forest, are used in this work to avoid the dependency on any one classifier. Six benchmark gene expression datasets are used for the performance evaluation, and a comparison is made with four state-of-the-art related algorithms. Three sets of experiments are carried out to evaluate the proposed method. These experiments are for the evaluation of the selected features based on sample-based clustering, adjusting optimal parameters, and for selecting better performing classifier. The comparison is based on accuracy, recall, false positive rate, precision, F-measure, and entropy. The obtained results suggest better performance of the current proposal

The Science of Marine Protected Areas (3rd edition, Mediterranean)

The main purpose of the booklet is to present the latest scientific information about the effects of MPAs in the Mediterranean in order to inform current management dialogues. This is particularly relevant given the increasing legislative frameworks and political initiatives to implement networks of MPAs in countries across the Mediterranean Sea. Importantly, this Edition does much more than simply tailor the earlier content for the Mediterranean region. The edition update the basic content of the booklet, drawing on the wealth of new published scientific literature, highlighting case studies from the Mediterranean Sea

Hundreds of variants clustered in genomic loci and biological pathways affect human height

Most common human traits and diseases have a polygenic pattern of inheritance: DNA sequence variants at many genetic loci influence the phenotype. Genome-wide association (GWA) studies have identified more than 600 variants associated with human traits, but these typically explain small fractions of phenotypic variation, raising questions about the use of further studies. Here, using 183,727 individuals, we show that hundreds of genetic variants, in at least 180 loci, influence adult height, a highly heritable and classic polygenic trait. The large number of loci reveals patterns with important implications for genetic studies of common human diseases and traits. First, the 180 loci are not random, but instead are enriched for genes that are connected in biological pathways (P = 0.016) and that underlie skeletal growth defects (P < 0.001). Second, the likely causal gene is often located near the most strongly associated variant: in 13 of 21 loci containing a known skeletal growth gene, that gene was closest to the associated variant. Third, at least 19 loci have multiple independently associated variants, suggesting that allelic heterogeneity is a frequent feature of polygenic traits, that comprehensive explorations of already-discovered loci should discover additional variants and that an appreciable fraction of associated loci may have been identified. Fourth, associated variants are enriched for likely functional effects on genes, being over-represented among variants that alter amino-acid structure of proteins and expression levels of nearby genes. Our data explain approximately 10% of the phenotypic variation in height, and we estimate that unidentified common variants of similar effect sizes would increase this figure to approximately 16% of phenotypic variation (approximately 20% of heritable variation). Although additional approaches are needed to dissect the genetic architecture of polygenic human traits fully, our findings indicate that GWA studies can identify large numbers of loci that implicate biologically relevant genes and pathways.

Flow of foam through a convergent channel

International audienceWe study experimentally the flow of a foam confined as a bubble monolayer between two plates through a convergent channel. We quantify the velocity, the distribution and orientation of plastic events, and the elastic stress, using image analysis. We use two different soap solutions: a sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution, with a negligible wall friction between the bubbles and the confining plates, and a mixture containing a fatty acid, giving a large wall friction. We show that for SDS solutions, the velocity profile obeys a self-similar form which results from the superposition of plastic events, and the elastic deformation is uniform. For the other solution, the velocity field differs and the elastic deformation increases towards the exit of the channel. We discuss and quantify the role of wall friction on the velocity profile, the elastic deformation, and the rate of plastic events