A rapid method for isolation of total nucleic acids from Aspergillus nidulans

With the development of molecular biology techniques and their application to the analysis of cellular events, the isolation of total nucleic acids in Aspergillus nidulans for Southern and Northern hybridization has become routine

Attribute-based Access Control on Solid Pods using Privacy-friendly Credentials

Our demo showcases how a user is granted access to resources stored on a Solid Pod, i. e., a web server that adheres to the Solid Protocol, using Web-based Verifiable Credentials. To protect the privacy of the user, we rely on the BBS+ signatures scheme allowing for selective disclosure of only those attributes necessary. We present a PWA where a user can (a) request a Verifiable Credential from another user, (b) store it on their own Solid Pod, and (c) use it to gain access to a resource on a third user’s Solid Pod

A SoLiD app to participate in a scalable semantic supply chain network on the blockchain (Demo)

To allow for inter-organisational processes in networks withlow trust, Supply Chains and corresponding information are moving tothe blockchain. On the blockchain, this information poses a scalabilitychallenge. To tackle this challenge, we propose a solution that minimisesthe data stored on the blockchain, which we base on semantic datamodelling in knowledge graphs, decentralised management of interlinkeddata, and a light-weight Smart Contract. In this demo, we focus onthe web agent to participate in Supply Chain networks built using ourapproach, and our corresponding data modellin

Knowledge Base Evolution Analysis: A Case Study in the Tourism Domain

Stakeholders -- curator, consumer, etc. -- in the tourism domain routinely need to combine and compare statistical indicators about tourism. In this context, various Knowledge Bases (KBs) have been designed and developed in the Linked Open Data (LOD) cloud in order to support decision-making process in Tourism domain. Such KBs evolve over time: their data (instances) and schemes can be updated, extended, revised and refactored. However, unlike in more controlled types of knowledge bases, the evolution of KBs exposed in the LOD cloud is usually unrestrained, what may cause data to suffer from a variety of issues. This paper attempts to address the impact of KB evolution in tourism domain by showing how entity evolves over time using the 3cixty KB. We show that using multiple versions of the KB through time can help to understand inconsistency in the data collection process

Chronic y-secretase inhibition reduces amyloid plaque-associated instability of pre- and postsynaptic structures

The loss of synapses is a strong histological correlate of the cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Amyloid bpeptide (Ab), a cleavage product of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), exerts detrimental effects on synapses, a process thought to be causally related to the cognitive deficits in AD. Here, we used in vivo two-photon microscopy to characterize the dynamics of axonal boutons and dendritic spines in APP/Presenilin 1 (APPswe/PS1L166P)–green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic mice. Time-lapse imaging over 4 weeks revealed a pronounced, concerted instability of pre- and postsynaptic structures within the vicinity of amyloid plaques. Treatment with a novel sulfonamide-type g-secretase inhibitor (GSI) attenuated the formation and growth of new plaques and, most importantly, led to a normalization of the enhanced dynamics of synaptic structures close to plaques. GSI treatment did neither affect spines and boutons distant from plaques in amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1-GFP (APPPS1-GFP) nor those in GFP-control mice, suggesting no obvious neuropathological side effects of the drug

Synthetic simulations of the extragalactic sky seen by eROSITA I. Pre-launch selection functions from Monte-Carlo simulations

Context. Studies of galaxy clusters provide stringent constraints on models of structure formation. Provided that selection effects are under control, large X-ray surveys are well suited to derive cosmological parameters, in particular those governing the dark energy equation of state. Aims. We forecast the capabilities of the all-sky eROSITA (extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array) survey to be achieved by the early 2020s. We bring special attention to modelling the entire chain from photon emission to source detection and cataloguing. Methods. The selection function of galaxy clusters for the upcoming eROSITA mission is investigated by means of extensive and dedicated Monte-Carlo simulations. Employing a combination of accurate instrument characterisation and a state-of-the-art source detection technique, we determine a cluster detection efficiency based on the cluster fluxes and sizes. Results. Using this eROSITA cluster selection function, we find that eROSITA will detect a total of approximately 10(5) clusters in the extra-galactic sky. This number of clusters will allow eROSITA to put stringent constraints on cosmological models. We show that incomplete assumptions on selection effects, such as neglecting the distribution of cluster sizes, induce a bias in the derived value of cosmological parameters. Conclusions. Synthetic simulations of the eROSITA sky capture the essential characteristics impacting the next-generation galaxy cluster surveys and they highlight parameters requiring tight monitoring in order to avoid biases in cosmological analyses.Peer reviewe

Mechanical Stress Inference for Two Dimensional Cell Arrays

Many morphogenetic processes involve mechanical rearrangement of epithelial tissues that is driven by precisely regulated cytoskeletal forces and cell adhesion. The mechanical state of the cell and intercellular adhesion are not only the targets of regulation, but are themselves likely signals that coordinate developmental process. Yet, because it is difficult to directly measure mechanical stress {\it in vivo} on sub-cellular scale, little is understood about the role of mechanics of development. Here we present an alternative approach which takes advantage of the recent progress in live imaging of morphogenetic processes and uses computational analysis of high resolution images of epithelial tissues to infer relative magnitude of forces acting within and between cells. We model intracellular stress in terms of bulk pressure and interfacial tension, allowing these parameters to vary from cell to cell and from interface to interface. Assuming that epithelial cell layers are close to mechanical equilibrium, we use the observed geometry of the two dimensional cell array to infer interfacial tensions and intracellular pressures. Here we present the mathematical formulation of the proposed Mechanical Inverse method and apply it to the analysis of epithelial cell layers observed at the onset of ventral furrow formation in the {\it Drosophila} embryo and in the process of hair-cell determination in the avian cochlea. The analysis reveals mechanical anisotropy in the former process and mechanical heterogeneity, correlated with cell differentiation, in the latter process. The method opens a way for quantitative and detailed experimental tests of models of cell and tissue mechanics

Analyzing the Evolution of Vocabulary Terms and Their Impact on the LOD Cloud

Vocabularies are used for modeling data in Knowledge Graphs (KGs) like the Linked Open Data Cloud and Wikidata. During their lifetime, vocabularies are subject to changes. New terms are coined, while existing terms are modified or deprecated. We first quantify the amount and frequency of changes in vocabularies. Subsequently, we investigate to which extend and when the changes are adopted in the evolution of KGs. We conduct our experiments on three large-scale KGs: the Billion Triples Challenge datasets, the Dynamic Linked Data Observatory dataset, and Wikidata. Our results show that the change frequency of terms is rather low, but can have high impact due to the large amount of distributed graph data on the web. Furthermore, not all coined terms are used and most of the deprecated terms are still used by data publishers. The adoption time of terms coming from different vocabularies ranges from very fast (few days) to very slow (few years). Surprisingly, we could observe some adoptions before the vocabulary changes were published. Understanding the evolution of vocabulary terms is important to avoid wrong assumptions about the modeling status of data published on the web, which may result in difficulties when querying the data from distributed sources

Rapid Detection of the Change in Surface Flow Patterns Near Fish Passages at Hydropower Dams With the Use of UAS Based Videos Under Controlled Discharge Conditions

The importance of keeping river environments healthy drives the scientific community towards the improvement of sustainable and validated environmental monitoring approaches. Accurate data on the state of the ecosystems provided rapidly are key in order to correctly assess, which interventions and management decisions are suitable, and which must be avoided. This paper analyses a rapid non-intrusive approach to change detection in surface flow patterns near fish passages at hydropower dams with the goal to improve the understanding of factors influencing fish passage discoverability. This, in turn, is of great relevance to the sustainability of migrating riverine fish populations from both ecological and economical perspectives. The present study includes three unique experiments performed at a large-scale hydropower dam site with an integrated fish passage under controlled discharge conditions. The analysis is performed with the use of the freely available KLT-IV software. The use of an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) as a camera carrier platform provides the key flexibility in terms of any study site selection. The use of KLT-IV speeds up and simplifies flow pattern analysis, especially when compared to labour-intensive modelling relying on point-based ground truth data. In this paper, we demonstrate that the selected approach can be effectively applied to identify changes in surface flow patterns both in terms of flow velocity magnitudes and in terms of flow directions. It shows that the identification of actual flow patterns near the fish passage entrance provides more information on the potential discoverability of the fish passage than traditionally measured bulk discharge values alone

Measurement of the Collins and Sivers asymmetries on transversely polarised protons

The Collins and Sivers asymmetries for charged hadrons produced in deeply inelastic scattering on transversely polarised protons have been extracted from the data collected in 2007 with the CERN SPS muon beam tuned at 160 GeV/c. At large values of the Bjorken x variable non-zero Collins asymmetries are observed both for positive and negative hadrons while the Sivers asymmetry for positive hadrons is slightly positive over almost all the measured x range. These results nicely support the present theoretical interpretation of these asymmetries, in terms of leading-twist quark distribution and fragmentation functions.Comment: 9 Pages, 5 figure