Busy Beaver Scores and Alphabet Size

We investigate the Busy Beaver Game introduced by Rado (1962) generalized to non-binary alphabets. Harland (2016) conjectured that activity (number of steps) and productivity (number of non-blank symbols) of candidate machines grow as the alphabet size increases. We prove this conjecture for any alphabet size under the condition that the number of states is sufficiently large. For the measure activity we show that increasing the alphabet size from two to three allows an increase. By a classical construction it is even possible to obtain a two-state machine increasing activity and productivity of any machine if we allow an alphabet size depending on the number of states of the original machine. We also show that an increase of the alphabet by a factor of three admits an increase of activity

Diffusion du coton génétiquement modifié en Chine : leçons sur les facteurs et les limites d’un succès

Les résultats d’une enquête récente en Chine confirment le succès de l’utilisation de variétés génétiquement modifiées de coton. Cette réussite n’est pas uniquement due aux qualités intrinsèques de ces variétés. Elle provient d’un ensemble favorable de facteurs techniques et économiques et surtout à des règles de diffusion très différentes de celles imposées dans les autres pays.Successful diffusion of genetically modified varieties of cotton in China is being confirmed by the outputs of a recent survey. This success does not derive only from the intrinsic advantages of these varieties but from a set of favourable technical and economical factors, furthermore from specific diffusion rules very different from those imposed so far elsewhere in the world.

Audio Cartography: Visual Encoding of Acoustic Parameters

Our sonic environment is the matter of subject in multiple domains which developed individual means of its description. As a result, it lacks an established visual language through which knowledge can be connected and insights shared. We provide a visual communication framework for the systematic and coherent documentation of sound in large-scale environments. This consists of visual encodings and mappings of acoustic parameters into distinct graphic variables that present plausible solutions for the visualization of sound. These candidate encodings are assembled into an application-independent, multifunctional, and extensible design guide. We apply the guidelines and show example maps that acts as a basis for the exploration of audio cartography

The Community Resilience and Sustainability Education Lab: Promoting responsible management education through innovative learning experiences

[presentation] This work regards the use of an education lab as an academic mechanism for linking communities and their sustainable challenges to educational activities that enrich learning experiences and faculty development. Universities are expected to cultivate the human and professional capacities that students need to meet the present and future demands of people, society, and the planet, encompassing managerial, professional, and technical skills. Consequently, this prevailing situation necessitates prompt attention and a steadfast commitment to the development of educational approaches that ensure both the effectiveness and efficiency of teaching processes, as well as the pertinence of learning experiences. In response, global efforts in Higher Education (HE) are underway to leverage innovative teaching and learning approaches for advancing relevant learning outcomes. This is the case of sustainability education to ensure that all learners acquire the requisite knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development. However, it is claimed that HE is insufficiently promoting sustainability awareness and capacities that translate into practice. Hence, this work aims to address this gap by proposing a systematic approach for community engagement to nurture sustainability-related learning scenarios for active learning activities. At Aston University in the UK, two initiatives, namely Public Engagement and the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), are guiding sustainability education efforts. To this end, the Community Resilience and Sustainability Education Lab (CoRSEL) endeavours to promote community engagement through meaningful, active, and enriching teaching and learning experiences. CoRSEL serves as an educational laboratory that supports research and scholarship aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Aston’s vision of a civic university. Accordingly, the lab employs pedagogical approaches that enrich learning experiences addressing complex sustainability issues concerning food security, transport and mobility, environmental impact, health and well-being, and social inclusion, among others. CoRSEL adopts a working model that prioritizes building relationships with the public and communities, enhancing students' competencies as responsible citizens, fostering community-related skills among faculty, conducting disciplinary and educational research, and engaging organizations in community efforts. The learning experiences offered by CoRSEL, as the core output of the lab, incorporate novel pedagogical approaches, such as active learning, competency-based education, experiential learning, challenge-based learning, and service learning. These approaches promote hands-on, collaborative, and autonomous learning among students. Such learning experiences can be framed within a pedagogical framework that establishes a research agenda on innovation in HE. Examples of these learning experiences refer to food supply limitations during the COVID-19 pandemic, urban mobility issues in logistic operations, solid waste generation in retail operations, and the effects of high-calorie products’ retail on food security, among others. Through these endeavours, CoRSEL seeks to influence actions related to the public and communities, develop a repository of students' portfolios showcasing academic evidence, support knowledge dissemination, and enhance research publication. Already, the lab has facilitated the enrichment of three modules and has contributed to strengthening national and international collaborations. Future steps include expanding the collaboration network to attract community-academic partners, incorporating new colleagues at Aston University, developing additional learning experiences, and evaluating their impact on learning and the community

Late Endosomes Act as mRNA Translation Platforms and Sustain Mitochondria in Axons.

Local translation regulates the axonal proteome, playing an important role in neuronal wiring and axon maintenance. How axonal mRNAs are localized to specific subcellular sites for translation, however, is not understood. Here we report that RNA granules associate with endosomes along the axons of retinal ganglion cells. RNA-bearing Rab7a late endosomes also associate with ribosomes, and real-time translation imaging reveals that they are sites of local protein synthesis. We show that RNA-bearing late endosomes often pause on mitochondria and that mRNAs encoding proteins for mitochondrial function are translated on Rab7a endosomes. Disruption of Rab7a function with Rab7a mutants, including those associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2B neuropathy, markedly decreases axonal protein synthesis, impairs mitochondrial function, and compromises axonal viability. Our findings thus reveal that late endosomes interact with RNA granules, translation machinery, and mitochondria and suggest that they serve as sites for regulating the supply of nascent pro-survival proteins in axons