Emergence of planar cell polarity from the interplay of asymmetric interaction and tissue-level gradients

Planar cell polarity (PCP) - asymmetric localization of proteins at cell-cell interface - is essential for embryonic development and physiological functions. Abnormalities in PCP can lead to neural tube closure defects, misalignment in hair follicles etc. Thus, decoding the mechanism responsible for PCP establishment and maintenance remains an open fundamental question. While various molecules-broadly classified into 'global' and 'local' modules have been well investigated; their necessity and sufficiency in explaining PCP and connecting their perturbations and defects in experimentally observed patterns has not been examined. Here, we develop a minimal model that captures the proposed features of these two modules- a tissue level gradient (global) and asymmetric localization of protein complexes (local). Our model results suggest that while polarity can emerge in absence of a gradient; the gradient can provide the direction of polarity as well as offer robustness for maintenance of PCP in presence of stochastic perturbations. We also recapitulated swirling patterns (seen experimentally) and the features of non-domineering autonomy; using only three free parameters in the model - protein binding rate; concentration of proteins forming heterodimer across cell boundaries and steepness of gradient. Our results explain how self-stabilizing asymmetric localisations in presence of tissue-level gradient can lead to robust PCP patterns in diverse biological systems and reveals the minimal design principles for a polarized system.

Pelatihan dan Pendampingan Digital Marketing bagi UMKM Jasa Laundry menuju UMKM Go Digital

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), especially laundry services in Plosokandang, Tulungagung Regency. Their primary customers, college students, no longer use their services because of online teaching and learning. The use of social media digital marketing is one solution to promote products and services. Unfortunately, many MSMEs lack this skill. This community service project focuses on training and assisting MSMEs in designing digital marketing content and posting them on their official social media. Canva software was chosen as a tool for content creation because it is simple and quick to use, with minimal design capabilities. Canva offers ready-made templates, so users only need to add their own personal touches. Then, the content is shared on the official social media accounts (Instagram or Facebook Pages). Participants’ and partners’ knowledge and skills improved after following the training. The average increase in participant knowledge of Canva material is 18.62 points, while social media material is 10.79 points. These training and mentoring activities have a positive impact on skills and knowledge related to using Canva and social media for digital marketing. Another effect of digital marketing on social media is an increase in revenue turnover, customer numbers, customer reach, and market sectors.

A Minimal Design of a Human Infant Presence: A Case Study Toward Interactive Doll Therapy for Older Adults With Dementia

We introduce a minimal design approach to manufacture an infant-like robot for interactive doll therapy that provides emotional interactions for older people with dementia. Our approach stimulates their imaginations and then facilitates positive engagement with the robot by just expressing the most basic elements of humanlike features. Based on this approach, we developed HIRO, a baby-sized robot with an abstract body representation and no facial features. The recorded voice of a real human infant emitted by robots enhances the robot’s human-likeness and facilitates positive interaction between older adults and the robot. Although we did not find any significant difference between HIRO and an infant-like robot with a smiling face, a field study showed that HIRO was accepted by older adults with dementia and facilitated positive interaction by stimulating their imagination. We also discuss the importance of a minimal design approach in elderly care during post–COVID-19 world.

Assessing the Impact of Changes on Design and Material of Howe Bridges by Finite Element Analysis

This paper presents an investigation of changes on design and material of a Howe bridge under vertical loads. Specifically, it aimed to find out how small changes on Howe bridge design and material affected von Mises stresses as well as stresses at Z direction. As a method, it was used a finite element analysis (linear-elastic) by Autodesk F-360. Half of a bridge was designed (one bridge side) and loaded with a central higher load and two equal smaller lateral loads. In essence, von Mises stresses (s) and stress at Z direction (sz) decreased on stresses values until a certain design change, which was proportional to a raise of mass due to beams added on the trusses. With a change of material to a lighter metal, from steel to aluminum, it was possible to overcome the mass drawback brought by steel and utterly possible to end up for a more effective design for a Howe truss bridge by applying minimal design changes.

Groups discipline resource use under scarcity

Scarcity sharpens the conflict between short term gains and long term sustainability. Psychological research documents that decision makers focus on immediate needs under scarcity and use available resources more effectively. However, decision makers also borrow too much from future resources and overall performance decreases as a consequence. Using an online experiment, we study how scarcity affects borrowing decisions in groups. We first document that scarcity affects groups in a similar way as individuals. Then, we go on to show that the negative effect of scarcity is weaker for groups than for individuals. Even in a minimal design that excludes direct interaction or communication, the fact that participants know that their own behavior affects and can be partly observed by another participant disciplines their use of scarce resources. Our results thus highlight the benefit of groups as units of human organization.

Screenic fashion: horizontality, minimal materiality and manual operation

Focusing on a one-minute ‘fashion film’ by the Dutch fashion designer Alexander van Slobbe for the retrospective exhibition on his work in Utrecht’s Centraal Museum in 2010, this article investigates the interconnectedness of film and fashion through their mutual concern with the processes of crafting and dressing. A close reading of Van Slobbe’s film highlights a current return to a minimal design aesthetic in both fashion and film that shows fashion as a process or as a ‘manual’ operation. This film goes beyond the portrait of a fashion designer, becoming a meditation on the material practice of designing, crafting and viewing. That practice involves an intimacy with materiality constituting the fashion garment as a material, crafted and dynamic sartorial object that requires an axial positionality stemming from horizontal closeness. Ultimately, this article presents horizontality as being part of the experience of both moving images and fashion as a material object. The aim is thus to reflect on what is termed ubiquitous ‘screenic fashion’ (as a peculiar affinity between fashion and screen) by considering an alignment of horizontality and materiality as related to a current and vivid concern in the field of fashion and clothes-making.

Method of component approach to design of sustainable radio equipment

The article considers the task of designing promising radio equipment. The classification of the components (elements) of the developed samples by their novelty (innovativeness) is given. They are divided into reuse components, which are characterized by minimal design risks, cost and time costs, into innovative (new) components, which have the highest risk of creation, high cost and time costs, but at the same time determine the progressiveness of the created radio engineering Means and on the combined components. The following is the statement of the problem of optimizing the layout of a sample of radio equipment during design by the criterion of «efficiency-cost». The generalized indicator for evaluating the effectiveness of radio equipment of stable functioning is substantiated, including private indicators of reliability, noise immunity, and also cost indicators. To solve this problem, a method of sequential analysis of options is proposed.

A Wirebonding Instrument for Insulated and Coaxial Wires

A tool has been developed that supports a novel microelectronic integration paradigm whereby interconnects between components are directly established by means of microcoax wire bonding. A near-term use case of the tool is to facilitate rapid prototyping of high-bandwidth systems. When further matured, it will be able to rapidly integrate complex systems with hundreds or thousands of interconnects with minimal design time. Automatic stripping and bonding of coax wires having overall diameters between 50 and 100 μm present an array of process challenges that pose interesting demands on the material system of the wire and the bonding tool. This study reviewed a microcoax bonding system that is currently in development at Draper which is able to strip, feed, and bond microcoax wire. The system utilizes a combination of electric flame-off and thermal reflow to strip outer metal shielding and polymer dielectric layers, respectively. It leverages a rotary wire feed mechanism to precisely control wire position so that predetermined wire lengths can be established. Progress in the design of the wires, tooling, and software control architecture is reviewed.