Erg-O: ergonomic optimization of immersive virtual environments

Interaction in VR involves large body movements, easily inducing fatigue and discomfort. We propose Erg-O, a manipulation technique that leverages visual dominance to maintain the visual location of the elements in VR, while making them accessible from more comfortable locations. Our solution works in an open-ended fashion (no prior knowledge of the object the user wants to touch), can be used with multiple objects, and still allows interaction with any other point within user's reach. We use optimization approaches to compute the best physical location to interact with each visual element, and space partitioning techniques to distort the visual and physical spaces based on those mappings and allow multi-object retargeting. In this paper we describe the Erg-O technique, propose two retargeting strategies and report the results from a user study on 3D selection under different conditions, elaborating on their potential and application to specific usage scenarios

Ultrasensitive biosensing platform for Mycobacterium tuberculosis detection based on functionalized graphene devices

Tuberculosis (TB) has high morbidity as a chronic infectious disease transmitted mainly through the respiratory tract. However, the conventional diagnosis methods for TB are time-consuming and require specialists, making the diagnosis of TB with point-of-care (POC) detection difficult. Here, we developed a graphene-based field-effect transistor (GFET) biosensor for detecting the MPT64 protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with high sensitivity as a POC detection platform for TB. For effective conjugation of antibodies, the graphene channels of the GFET were functionalized by immobilizing 1,5-diaminonaphthalene (1,5-DAN) and glutaraldehyde linker molecules onto the graphene surface. The successful immobilization of linker molecules with spatial uniformity on the graphene surface and subsequent antibody conjugation were confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The GFET functionalized with MPT64 antibodies showed MPT64 detection with a detection limit of 1 fg/mL in real-time, indicating that the GFET biosensor is highly sensitive. Compared to rapid detection tests (RDT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, the GFET biosensor platform developed in this study showed much higher sensitivity but much smaller dynamic range. Due to its high sensitivity, the GFET biosensor platform can bridge the gap between time-consuming molecular diagnostics and low-sensitivity RDT, potentially aiding in early detection or management of relapses in infectious diseases

Inferring transcriptomic cell states and transitions only from time series transcriptome data

Abstract Cellular stages of biological processes have been characterized using fluorescence-activated cell sorting and genetic perturbations, charting a limited landscape of cellular states. Time series transcriptome data can help define new cellular states at the molecular level since the analysis of transcriptional changes can provide information on cell states and transitions. However, existing methods for inferring cell states from transcriptome data use additional information such as prior knowledge on cell types or cell-type-specific markers to reduce the complexity of data. In this study, we present a novel time series clustering framework to infer TRAnscriptomic Cellular States (TRACS) only from time series transcriptome data by integrating Gaussian process regression, shape-based distance, and ranked pairs algorithm in a single computational framework. TRACS determines patterns that correspond to hidden cellular states by clustering gene expression data. TRACS was used to analyse single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing data and successfully generated cluster networks that reflected the characteristics of key stages of biological processes. Thus, TRACS has a potential to help reveal unknown cellular states and transitions at the molecular level using only time series transcriptome data. TRACS is implemented in Python and available at http://github.com/BML-cbnu/TRACS/

Erosion-induced changes in soil biogeochemical and microbiological properties in Swiss Alpine grasslands

Soil erosion can alter the storage of carbon (C) and other biogeochemical properties in both eroding and depositional soils. Little is yet known about soil microbial responses to erosion-induced changes in the quantity and quality of organic matter in mountain grasslands. To examine biogeochemical and microbiological responses to soil erosion, we compared the concentrations and stable isotope ratios of C and N, and microbial properties in eroding upslope (oxic), and depositional downslope (oxic) and wetland soils among three grasslands in the Swiss Alps. Compared to the reference site (Moos), the eroding upslope soils (Laui and Bielen) tended to have lower N concentrations and δ15N. The depositional wetland soils had higher δ13C and lower δ15N and C and N concentrations compared to the reference wetland, reflecting the influence of dry, oxic soils from eroding slopes. The depositional wetland soils had lower water-extractable organic C (WEOC) concentrations and optical intensities (UV absorbance and humic- and protein-like fluorescence) compared to the reference wetland. The activity of soil enzymes was positively related to most of the measured parameters indicative of organic matter quantity (e.g., %C and %N) and quality (e.g., WEOC and protein-like fluorescence), exhibiting significantly lower values in the sheet erosion-affected wetland (Bielen) than at the other sites. 16S rRNA gene copy numbers in the wetland were smaller than in the upland soil at all sites and greatest at Laui among three sites, indicating a potential alteration of the microbial community by the deposited oxic soils and attached microbial cells. The results suggest that soils deposited from the eroding slopes can slow down organic matter decomposition in the depositional wetland soils through decreases in the availability of labile organic matter and enzyme activity. Further research is required to elucidate erosion-induced changes in the activity and abundance of wetland microbial communities

The Relationship between Future Anxiety Due to COVID-19 and Vigilance: The Role of Message Fatigue and Autonomy Satisfaction

How does future anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic relate to people’s willingness to remain vigilant and adhere to preventive measures? We examined the mediating role of message fatigue and the moderating role of autonomy satisfaction in the relationship between future anxiety due to COVID-19 and willingness to remain vigilant. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with adults residing in the United States in June 2021 when numerous U.S. states re-opened following the CDC’s relaxed guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals. Our data showed that message fatigue mediated the relationship between future anxiety due to the pandemic and willingness to remain vigilant. The data further revealed that autonomy satisfaction significantly moderated the mediation. Namely, the role of message fatigue in the indirect relationship between future anxiety and willingness to remain vigilant was significant only among people low to moderate in autonomy satisfaction; its role in the indirect path was not significant for those high in autonomy satisfaction. Notably, independent of the mechanism involving message fatigue, future anxiety was directly and positively associated with willingness to remain vigilant regardless of the levels of autonomy satisfaction. Implications of these findings are discussed in light of psychological and behavioral responses to the current pandemic and policy directions

Predicting Potential Habitat Changes of Two Invasive Alien Fish Species with Climate Change at a Regional Scale

Developing national-level policies related to climate change induced expansions of invasive species requires predictive modelling at a regional scale level. This study aimed to predict future changes in the habitat distributions of two major invasive alien fish species, Micropterus salmoides and Lepomis macrochirus, in South Korea. An ensemble system with multiple species distribution models was used for the prediction, and gridded water portion data from the linear-structure information on river channels inputted as habitat characteristics of freshwater ecosystem into the models. Bioclimatic variables at 20-year intervals from 2001 to 2100 were generated from predicted temperature and precipitation data under the representative concentration pathway 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. The overall distribution probabilities of the potential habitats increased with time in both climate change scenarios, and the potential habitats were predicted to expand to upstream areas. Combined with regional ecological value information, such as biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems, these results can be an important basis for deriving regional priority information for managing alien species in climate change. Additionally, the modelling approach is highly applicable to various national-level policies for ecosystem conservation since it is not greatly restricted by spatial scales

A Collective Vision for Agriculture Climate Services in the Asia-Pacific Region

© 2022 American Meteorological Society.The second Asia-Pacific Agriculture Climate Services Week is a successive workshop to the first Asia-Pacific Agriculture Climate Services Week held in July 2019. This conference convened many participants working in diverse sectors including agriculture, meteorology, hydrology, disaster risk management, and anticipatory action to promote knowledge exchange and cross-sectoral cooperation. The Week explored opportunities and challenges at the local, national, and regional level as well as innovations across involved sectors. The outcome will facilitate development of the collective roadmap for agriculture climate services (ACS) in the region. The theme of each day makes up each section of this paper, and pivotal ideas among what was discussed are stated.N