pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Structural and nanomechanical comparison of epitaxially and solution-grown amyloid β25-35 fibrils

Aβ25-35, the fibril-forming, biologically active toxic fragment of the full-length amyloid β-peptide also forms fibrils on mica by an epitaxial assembly mechanism. Here we investigated,
by using atomic force microscopy, nanomechanical manipulation and FTIR spectroscopy, whether the epitaxially-grown fibrils display structural and mechanical features similar to the
ones evolving under equilibrium conditions in bulk solution. Unlike epitaxially-grown fibrils, solution-grown fibrils displayed a heterogeneous morphology and an apparently helical
structure. While fibril assembly in solution occurred on a time scale of hours, on mica surface fibrils appeared within a few minutes. Both types of fibrils showed a similar plateau-like
nanomechanical response characterized by the appearance of force staircases. The IR spectra of both fibril types contained an intense peak between 1620 and 1640 cm-1 indicating that β-
sheets dominate their structure. A shift in the amide I band towards greater wavenumbers in epitaxially assembled fibrils suggests that their structure is less compact than that of solution grown fibrils. Thus, equilibrium conditions are required for a full structural compaction.
Epitaxial Aβ25-35 fibril assembly, while significantly accelerated, may trap the fibrils in less compact configurations. Considering that under in vivo conditions the assembly of amyloid fibrils is influenced by the presence of extracellular matrix components, the ultimate fibril
structure is likely to be influenced by the features of underlying matrix elements
Distributed orientation agreement in a group of robots

In this article, a method for the agreement of a set of robots on a common reference orientation based on a distributed consensus algorithm is described. It only needs that robots detect the relative positions of their neighbors and communicate with them. Two different consensus algorithms based on the exchange of information are proposed, tested and analyzed. Systematic experiments were carried out in simulation and with real robots in order to test the method. Experimental results show that the robots are able to agree on the reference orientation under certain conditions. Scalability with an increasing number of robots was tested successfully in simulation with up to 49 robots. Experiments with real robots succeeded proving that the proposed method works in reality
Scratch Cell Test: A Simple, Cost Effective Screening Tool to Evaluate Self-Healing in Anti-Corrosion Coatings

A quick and simple scratch cell set up to evaluate the self-healing of an hybrid sol-gel (ormosil) coating was fabricated. This methacrylate-based anti-corrosion coating was applied on the aerospace aluminium alloy AA2024-T3, and cured at room temperature. This technique of evaluation requires minimum instrumentation. The inhibitors cerium nitrate, benzotriazole and 8-hydroxy quinoline (8-HQ) were used in the study. The self-healing ability of the inhibitors decreased in the following order: 8-HQ, BTZ and Ce. 8-HQ showed the highest self-healing ability and was comparable to the commercial hexavalent chromium conversion coating—Alodine. Spectroscopic analysis of the electrolyte and EDX of the coatings indicated the movement of the inhibitor from the coating to the site of damage, thereby effecting self-healing. It was observed that an increased inhibitor concentration in the coatings did not accelerate the healing process. Inhibitor release was slower in the coatings doped with inhibitor-loaded nano-containers, when compared to inhibitor-spiked coatings. This property of controlled release is desirable in self-healing coatings. Electro impedance studies further confirmed self-healing efficiency of the coatings. The scratch cell study reported here is the first of its kind with the ormosil under study on AA2024-T3 aluminium alloy. The results are encouraging and warranty a quick and simple qualitative screening of the self-healing potential of the inhibitors with minimum instrumentation
Phase Field Modeling of Fracture and Stress Induced Phase Transitions

We present a continuum theory to describe elastically induced phase
transitions between coherent solid phases. In the limit of vanishing elastic
constants in one of the phases, the model can be used to describe fracture on
the basis of the late stage of the Asaro-Tiller-Grinfeld instability. Starting
from a sharp interface formulation we derive the elastic equations and the
dissipative interface kinetics. We develop a phase field model to simulate
these processes numerically; in the sharp interface limit, it reproduces the
desired equations of motion and boundary conditions. We perform large scale
simulations of fracture processes to eliminate finite-size effects and compare
the results to a recently developed sharp interface method. Details of the
numerical simulations are explained, and the generalization to multiphase
simulations is presented
Semiclassical force for electroweak baryogenesis: three-dimensional
  derivation

We derive a semiclassical transport equation for fermions propagating in the
presence of a CP-violating planar bubble wall at a first order electroweak
phase transition. Starting from the Kadanoff-Baym (KB) equation for the
two-point (Wightman) function we perform an expansion in gradients, or
equivalently in the Planck constant h-bar. We show that to first order in h-bar
the KB equations have a spectral solution, which allows for an on-shell
description of the plasma excitations. The CP-violating force acting on these
excitations is found to be enhanced by a boost factor in comparison with the
1+1-dimensional case studied in a former paper. We find that an identical
semiclassical force can be obtained by the WKB method. Applications to the MSSM
are also mentioned.Comment: 19 page
Deformation gradients imprint the direction and speed of en masse fibroblast migration for fast healing

En masse cell migration is more relevant than single cell migration in physiological processes of tissue formation, such as embryogenesis, morphogenesis and wound healing. In these situations, cells are influenced by the proximity of other cells including interactions facilitated by substrate mechanics. Here we found that when fibroblasts migrated en masse over a hydrogel, they established a well-defined deformation field by traction forces and migrated along a trajectory defined by field gradients. The mechanics of the hydrogel determined the magnitude of the gradient. For materials stiff enough to withstand deformation related to cellular traction forces, such patterns did not form. Furthermore, migration patterns functioned poorly on very soft matrices where only a minimal traction gradient could be established. The largest degree of alignment and migration velocity occurred on the gels with the largest gradients. Granulation tissue formation in punch wounds of juvenile pigs was correlated strongly with the modulus of the implanted gel in agreement with in vitro en masse cell migration studies. These findings provide basic insight into the biomechanical influences on fibroblast movement in early wounds and relevant design criteria for development of tissue-engineered constructs that aim to stimulate en masse cell recruitment for rapid wound healing
Exploring, exploiting and evolving diversity of aquatic ecosystem models: a community perspective

Here, we present a community perspective on how to explore, exploit and evolve the diversity in aquatic ecosystem models. These models play an important role in understanding the functioning of aquatic ecosystems, filling in observation gaps and developing effective strategies for water quality management. In this spirit, numerous models have been developed since the 1970s. We set off to explore model diversity by making an inventory among 42 aquatic ecosystem modellers, by categorizing the resulting set of models and by analysing them for diversity. We then focus on how to exploit model diversity by comparing and combining different aspects of existing models. Finally, we discuss how model diversity came about in the past and could evolve in the future. Throughout our study, we use analogies from biodiversity research to analyse and interpret model diversity. We recommend to make models publicly available through open-source policies, to standardize documentation and technical implementation of models, and to compare models through ensemble modelling and interdisciplinary approaches. We end with our perspective on how the field of aquatic ecosystem modelling might develop in the next 5–10 years. To strive for clarity and to improve readability for non-modellers, we include a glossary
Adsorption of bovine serum albumin on Zr co-sputtered a-C(:H) films: implication on wear behaviour

The use of protective coatings in biomedical field is an ongoing scientific challenge. Among different materials, carbon-based coatings are considered a potential surface treatment for orthopaedic implants. In this study, the effect of Zr incorporation in amorphous carbon coatings on the wear behaviour under protein containing lubrication was investigated. The coatings were deposited by dc unbalanced magnetron sputtering in Ar (non-hydrogenated) and Ar+CH4 (hydrogenated) discharges onto Ti based biomedical substrate. To improve the adhesion between the film and substrate a functional gradient Ti based layer was deposited (~550 nm). The surface wettability was evaluated to assess the effect of the Zr and hydrogen content. The films with Zr were found to be hydrophobic enhancing the protein adsorption onto the surface; no significant differences were found when H was incorporated in the films. The adsorption layer characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed a well defined nitrogen peak originating from the organic layer. The tribological properties of the film were evaluated by unidirectional pin-on-disc testing with diluted bovine serum lubrication and physiological solution at 37±3 C°. The friction and the wear of the coatings were very low compared to uncoated substrates in both lubrication conditions. The ability of the surfaces to adsorb proteins was considered as the driving force for wear resistance acting as a protecting layer. In addition, the incorporation of Zr decreased the wear of the counterbody (Ti alloy) due to higher albumin adsorption
Chaos-revealing multiplicative representation of quantum eigenstates

URL: http://www-spht.cea.fr/articles/T90/010International audienceThe quantization of the two-dimensional toric and spherical phase spaces is considered in analytic coherent state representations. Every pure quantum state admits there a finite multiplicative parametrization by the zeros of its Husimi function. For eigenstates of quantized systems, this description explicitly reflects the nature of the underlying classical dynamics: in the semiclassical regime, the distribution of the zeros in the phase space becomes one-dimensional for integrable systems, and highly spread out (conceivably uniform) for chaotic systems. This multiplicative representation thereby acquires a special relevance for semiclassical analysis in chaotic systems
Exploring the Role of Social Media in Chronic Care Management

Part 5: Social MediaInternational audienceThis paper examines how social media can support communities of patients with chronic illness and their care givers. This study is a qualitative case study and is informed by grounded theory. Sociomateriality is adopted as a theoretical lens to understand and explain the key findings. Our findings suggest that there is a dynamic relation between the contrary roles that social media in chronic care management and this is not only attributed to the functionalities of these technologies but to the attributes of patients and their states of health. We were also able to observe how these technologies are bounded up with human activities in the ways that separating them is not possible. What we learnt from our findings is that the ways patients and carers use of social media can change their perceptions about their conditions, and influence how they understand and approach the management process
A new characterisation method for rubber

International audienceThis paper deals with the mechanical characterisation of elastomeric materials. An original method is proposed to identity the material parameters. It consists of performing only one heterogeneous mechanical test, measuring the displacement/strain field using suitable Digital Image Correlation software and applying an inverse method, namely the Virtual Fields Method, to process the resulting displacement/strain maps. For this purpose, a new apparatus is designed to be adapted to a conventional tensile machine. This apparatus enables us to obtain simultaneously uniaxial tension, pure shear and equibiaxial tension, using only one sample. The heterogeneity of the kinematic fields induced by the test is first discussed in relation to two criteria. The main features of the identification method are then presented, and results provided by a test performed on an elastomeric material are discussed in the context of hyperelasticity
A Survey on Image Segmentation using Metaheuristic-based Deformable Models: State of the Art and Critical Analysis

International audienceDeformable models are segmentation techniques that adapt a curve to maximize its overlap with the actual contour of an object of interest within an image. Such a process requires the definition of an optimization framework whose most critical issues include choosing an optimization method which exhibits robustness with respect to noisy and highly-multimodal search spaces, selecting the optimization and segmentation algorithms’parameters, choosing the representation for encoding prior knowledge on the image domain of interest, and initializing the curve in a location which favors its convergence onto the boundary of the object of interest.<br>All these problems are extensively discussed within this manuscript, with reference to the family of global stochastic optimization techniques generally termed metaheuristics, designed to solve complex optimization and machine learning problems. In particular, we present a complete study on the application of metaheuristics to image segmentation based on deformable models. This survey studies, analyzes and contextualizes the most notable and recent works on this topic, proposing an original categorization for these hybrid approaches. It aims to serve as a reference work which proposes some guidelines for choosing and designing the most appropriate combination of deformable models and metaheuristics when facing a given segmentation problem.<br>After recalling the principles underlying deformable models and metaheuristics, we broadly review the different metaheuristic-based approaches to image segmentation based on deformable models, and conclude with a general discussion about methodological and design issues as well as future research and applications trends
A numerical parametric study of the mechanical action of pulsatile blood flow onto axisymmetric stenosed arteries

International audienceIn the present paper, a fluid-structure interaction model is developed, questioning how the mechanical action of the blood onto an atheromatous plaque is affected by the length and the severity of the stenosis. An axisymmetric model is considered. The fluid is assumed Newtonian. The plaque is modelled as a heterogeneous hyperelastic anisotropic solid composed of the arterial wall, the lipid core and the fibrous cap. Transient velocity and pressure conditions of actual pulsatile blood flow are prescribed. The simulation is achieved using the Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian scheme in the COMSOL commercial Finite Element package. The results reveal different types of behavior in function of the length (denoted L) and severity (denoted S) of the stenosis. Whereas large plaques (L > 10 mm) are mostly deformed under the action of the blood pressure, it appears that shorter plaques (L < 10 mm) are significantly affected by the shear stresses. The shear stresses tend to deform the plaque by pinching it. This effect is called: "the pinching effect". It has an essential influence on the mechanical response of the plaque. For two plaques having the same radius severity S = 45%, the maximum stress in the fibrous cap is 50% larger for the short plaque (L = 5 mm) than for a larger plaque (L = 10 mm), and the maximum wall shear stress is increased by 100%. Provided that they are confirmed by experimental investigations, these results may offer some new perspectives for understanding the vulnerability of short plaques
Astronomical Image Denoising Using Dictionary Learning

International audienceAstronomical images suffer a constant presence of multiple defects that are consequences of the atmospheric conditions and of the intrinsic properties of the acquisition equipment. One of the most frequent defects in astronomical imaging is the presence of additive noise which makes a denoising step mandatory before processing data. During the last decade, a particular modeling scheme, based on sparse representations, has drawn the attention of an ever growing community of researchers. Sparse representations offer a promising framework to many image and signal processing tasks, especially denoising and restoration applications. At first, the harmonics, wavelets and similar bases, and overcomplete representations have been considered as candidate domains to seek the sparsest representation. A new generation of algorithms, based on data-driven dictionaries, evolved rapidly and compete now with the off-the-shelf fixed dictionaries. Although designing a dictionary relies on guessing the representative elementary forms and functions, the framework of dictionary learning offers the possibility of constructing the dictionary using the data themselves, which provides us with a more flexible setup to sparse modeling and allows us to build more sophisticated dictionaries. In this paper, we introduce the centered dictionary learning (CDL) method and we study its performance for astronomical image denoising. We show how CDL outperforms wavelet or classic dictionary learning denoising techniques on astronomical images, and we give a comparison of the effects of these different algorithms on the photometry of the denoised images
Recent advances in the structural and molecular biology of type IV secretion systems

Bacteria use type IV secretion (T4S) systems to deliver DNA and protein substrates to a diverse range of prokaryotic and eukaryotic target cells. T4S systems have great impact on human health, as they are a major source of antibiotic resistance spread among bacteria and are central to infection processes of many pathogens. Therefore, deciphering the structure and underlying translocation mechanism of T4S systems is crucial to facilitate development of new drugs. The last five years have witnessed considerable progress in unraveling the structure of T4S system subassemblies, notably that of the T4S system core complex, a large 1MegaDalton (MDa) structure embedded in the double membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and made of 3 of the 12 T4S system components. However, the recent determination of the structure of ∼3MDa assembly of 8 of these components has revolutionized our views of T4S system architecture and opened up new avenues of research, which are discussed in this review
Stress-strain behaviour of the sediments in the tertiary basins associated with the Alentejo? Plasencia fault in the province of Caceres (Spain)

An analysis of the geotechnical information obtained from a large number of field tests (pressuremeter) and laboratory tests (identification, state, and mechanics) on the clay deposits in the small tertiary basins associated with the Alentejo?Plasencia fault in the province of Caceres (Spain) has made it possible to classify them and predict their response to different levels of stress and strain. This geotechnical classification process must consider an appropriate model of constitution. The present article is based on the use of the Hardening Soil Model to facilitate predictions of the stress?strain behaviour of these tertiary clay deposits
Aged-engineered nanoparticles effect on sludge anaerobic digestion performance and associated microbial communities

To investigate the potential effect of aged engineered nanoparticles (a-ENPs) on sludge digestion performance, 150 L pilot anaerobic digesters (AD) were fed with a blend of primary and waste activated sludge spiked either with a mixture of silver oxide, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide or a mixture of their equivalent bulk metal salts to achieve a target concentration of 250, 2000, and 2800 mg kg− 1 dry weight, respectively. Volatile fatty acids (VFA) were 1.2 times higher in the spiked digesters and significantly different (p = 0.05) from the control conditions. Specifically, isovaleric acid concentration was 2 times lower in the control digester compared to the spiked digesters, whereas hydrogen sulfide was 2 times lower in the ENPs spiked digester indicating inhibitory effect on sulfate reducing microorganisms. Based on the ether-linked isoprenoids concentration, the total abundance of methanogens was 1.4 times lower in the ENPs spiked digester than in the control and metal salt spiked digesters. Pyrosequencing indicated 80% decrease in abundance and diversity of methanogens in ENPs spiked digester compared to the control digester. Methanosarcina acetivorans and Methanosarcina barkeri were identified as nano-tolerant as their relative abundance increased by a factor of 6 and 11, respectively, compared to the other digesters. The results further provide compelling evidence on the resilience of Fusobacteria, Actinobacteria and the Trojan horse-like effect of ENPs which offered a competitive advantage to some organisms while reducing microbial abundance and diversity
Entanglement and collective quantum operations

We show how shared entanglement, together with classical communication and local quantum operations, can be used to perform an arbitrary collective quantum operation upon N spatially-separated qubits. A simple teleportation-based protocol for achieving this, which requires 2(N-1) ebits of shared, bipartite entanglement and 4(N-1) classical bits, is proposed. In terms of the total required entanglement, this protocol is shown to be optimal for even N in both the asymptotic limit and for 'one-shot' applications
Air-steam gasification of sewage sludge in a bubbling bed reactor: Effect of alumina as a primary catalyst

Numerous references can be found in scientific literature regarding biomass gasification. However, there are few works related to sludge gasification. A study of sewage sludge gasification process in a bubbling fluidised bed gasifier on a laboratory scale is here reported. The aim was to find the optimum conditions for reducing the production of tars and gain more information on the influx of different operating variables in the products resulting from the gasification of this waste. The variables studied were the equivalence ratio (ER), the steam-biomass ratio (SB) and temperature. Specifically, the ER was varied from 0.2 to 0.4, the SB from 0 to 1 and the temperature from 750 °C (1023 K) to 850 °C (1123 K). Although it was observed that tar production could be considerably reduced (up to 72%) by optimising the gasification conditions, the effect of using alumina (aluminium oxide, of proven efficacy in destroying the tar produced in biomass gasification) as primary catalyst in air and air-steam mixture tests was also verified. The results show that by adding small quantities of alumina to the bed (10% by weight of fed sludge) considerable reductions in tar production can be obtained (up to 42%) improving, at the same time, the lower heating value (LHV) of the gas and carbon conversion