A Reverse Hex Solver

We present Solrex,an automated solver for the game of Reverse Hex.Reverse Hex, also known as Rex, or Misere Hex, is the variant of the game of Hex in which the player who joins her two sides loses the game. Solrex performs a mini-max search of the state space using Scalable Parallel Depth First Proof Number Search, enhanced by the pruning of inferior moves and the early detection of certain winning strategies. Solrex is implemented on the same code base as the Hex program Solver, and can solve arbitrary positions on board sizes up to 6x6, with the hardest position taking less than four hours on four threads.Comment: Presented at Computers and Games 2016 Leiden, International Conference on Computers and Games. Springer International Publishing, 201

An integrated theoretical-experimental approach to accelerate translational tissue engineering

Implantable devices utilizing bioengineered tissue are increasingly showing promise as viable clinical solutions. The design of bioengineered constructs is currently directed according to the results of experiments which are used to test a wide range of different combinations and spatial arrangements of biomaterials, cells and chemical factors. There is an outstanding need to accelerate the design process and reduce financial costs, whilst minimizing the required number of animal-based experiments. These aims could be achieved through the incorporation of mathematical modelling as a preliminary design tool. Here we focus on tissue-engineered constructs for peripheral nerve repair, which are designed to aid nerve and blood vessel growth and repair after peripheral nerve injury. We offer insight into the role that mathematical modelling can play within tissue engineering and motivate the use of modelling as a tool capable of improving and accelerating the design of nerve repair constructs in particular. Specific case studies are presented in order to illustrate the potential of mathematical modelling to direct construct design

Rice endosperm is cost-effective for the production of recombinant griffithsin with potent activity against HIV

Protein microbicides containing neutralizing antibodies and antiviral lectins may help to reduce the rate of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) if it is possible to manufacture the components in large quantities at a cost affordable in HIV‐endemic regions such as sub‐Saharan Africa. We expressed the antiviral lectin griffithsin (GRFT), which shows potent neutralizing activity against HIV, in the endosperm of transgenic rice plants (Oryza sativa), to determine whether rice can be used to produce inexpensive GRFT as a microbicide ingredient. The yield of (OS)GRFT in the best‐performing plants was 223 μg/g dry seed weight. We also established a one‐step purification protocol, achieving a recovery of 74% and a purity of 80%, which potentially could be developed into a larger‐scale process to facilitate inexpensive downstream processing. (OS)GRFT bound to HIV glycans with similar efficiency to GRFT produced in Escherichia coli. Whole‐cell assays using purified (OS)GRFT and infectivity assays using crude extracts of transgenic rice endosperm confirmed that both crude and pure (OS)GRFT showed potent activity against HIV and the crude extracts were not toxic towards human cell lines, suggesting they could be administered as a microbicide with only minimal processing. A freedom‐to‐operate analysis confirmed that GRFT produced in rice is suitable for commercial development, and an economic evaluation suggested that 1.8 kg/ha of pure GRFT could be produced from rice seeds. Our data therefore indicate that rice could be developed as an inexpensive production platform for GRFT as a microbicide component

The Cognitive‐Functional Composite is sensitive to clinical progression in early dementia: Longitudinal findings from the Catch‐Cog study cohort

Introduction: In an attempt to capture clinically meaningful cognitive decline in early dementia, we developed the Cognitive-Functional Composite (CFC). We investigated the CFC's sensitivity to decline in comparison to traditional clinical endpoints. Methods: This longitudinal construct validation study included 148 participants with subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, or mild dementia. The CFC and traditional tests were administered at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. Sensitivity to change was investigated using linear mixed models and r2 effect sizes. Results: CFC scores declined over time (β = −.16, P <.001), with steepest decline observed in mild Alzheimer's dementia (β = −.25, P <.001). The CFC showed medium-to-large effect sizes at succeeding follow-up points (r2=.08-.42), exhibiting greater change than the Clinical Dementia Rating scale (r2=.02-.12). Moreover, change on the CFC was significantly associated with informant reports of cognitive decline (β =.38, P <.001). Discussion: By showing sensitivity to decline, the CFC could enhance the monitoring of disease progression in dementia research and clinical practice

Enhancing seedling survival on former floodplain grazing land in the Capertee Valley, Australia

© 2017 Ecological Society of Australia and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd Active revegetation is an essential component of biodiversity conservation for fragmented ecosystems and the species that depend on them. However, key knowledge gaps exist around the most cost-effective revegetation strategies to employ in different contexts. This article reports on a revegetation trial undertaken in the Capertee Valley of New South Wales, Australia, to assist the conservation of the critically endangered bird, the Regent Honeyeater (Anthochaera phrygia). Seven treatments were compared to assess their cost-effectiveness for enhancing plant survival at a floodplain site with a history of grazing on introduced pastures. While overall survival rates were low, treatments involving tree guards had higher survival rates and were more cost-effective than treatments without guards. Weed growth, animal activity and water stress all appeared to play a role in the low survival rates at this site, with enhanced weed control emerging as a priority for future trials at similar sites