Developmental Study of the Hippocampal Formation in Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta): I. Early Ablations Spare Discrimination Learning but Not Recognition Memory.

In clinical cases of amnesia that followed bilateral excisions of medial temporal lobe structures, with some perceptual learning abilities intact, damage to the hippocampus was presumed to be the critical factor. The authors' search for an animal model of amnesia, based on ablations aimed at the hippocampal formation in infant rhesus monkeys, provides support for this view. Ablations of the hippocampal formation in 2-month-old infants tested shortly after recovery from surgery resulted in a deficit on a recognition memory task but left intact the ability to learn the concurrent object discrimination task, even though the latter task was administered with the use of a massed practice procedure. Thus, early damage, unlike that at 2 years of age or later, allowed the authors to dissociate associative learning with repeated trials, independent of hippocampal functions and recognition memory that depends on the integrity of the hippocampus. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Replica Management in the European DataGrid Project

Within the European DataGrid project, Work Package 2 has designed and implemented a set of integrated replica management services for use by data intensive scientific applications. These services, based on the web services model, enable movement and replication of data at high speed from one geographical site to another, management of distributed replicated data, optimization of access to data, and the provision of a metadata management tool. In this paper we describe the architecture and implementation of these services and evaluate their performance under demanding Grid conditions.This work was partially funded by the European Commission program IST- 2000-25182 through the European DataGrid Project.     

Free‐slip boundary conditions for simulating free‐surface incompressible flows through the particle finite element method

The possibility of using free‐slip conditions within the context of the particle finite element method (PFEM) is investigated. For high Reynolds number engineering applications in which tangential effects at the fluid–solid boundaries are not of primary interest, the use of free‐slip conditions can alleviate the need for very fine boundary layer meshes. Two novel ways for the imposition of free‐slip conditions in the framework of the PFEM are presented. The proposed approach emphasizes robustness and simplicity, while retaining a sufficient level of generality. These two methods are then tested in the case of dam break and sloshing problems, and their respective advantages and drawbacks are discussed. It is also shown how the use of free‐slip conditions can indirectly improve mass conservation properties of the PFEM, even when coarse meshes are employed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation and Characterization of Dentin Phosphophoryn‐Derived Peptide‐Functionalized Lignin Nanoparticles for Enhanced Cellular Uptake

The surface modification of nanoparticles (NPs) using different ligands is a common strategy to increase NP?cell interactions. Here, dentin phosphophoryn‐derived peptide (DSS) lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) are prepared and characterized, the cellular internalization of the DSS‐functionalized LNPs (LNPs‐DSS) into three different cancer cell lines is evaluated, and their efficacy with the widely used iRGD peptide is compared. It is shown that controlled extent of carboxylation of lignin improves the stability at physiological conditions of LNPs formed upon solvent exchange. Functionalization with DSS and iRGD peptides maintains the spherical morphology and moderate polydispersity of LNPs. The LNPs exhibit good cytocompatibility when cultured with PC3‐MM2, MDA‐MB‐231, and A549 in the conventional 2D model and in the 3D cell spheroid morphology. Importantly, the 3D cell models reveal augmented internalization of peptide‐functionalized LNPs and improve antiproliferative effects when the LNPs are loaded with a cytotoxic compound. Overall, LNPs‐DSS show equal or even superior cellular internalization than the LNPs‐iRGD, suggesting that DSS can also be used to enhance the cellular uptake of NPs into different types of cells, and release different cargos intracellularly.     

Physiopathology of IL-12 in human solid neoplasms: blood levels of IL-12 in early or advanced cancer patients, and their variations with surgery and immunotherapy

Working with psychotraumatized war veterans we perceived their extremely regressive position, which is accompanied by several destructive and autodestructive compulsions. Facing the multiple traumatic experiences which they lived through, a certain degree of regression has been appearing, since even a satisfying "nourishing-indulgence of their needs" cannot completely make up for their pre-war position. In this way occurred the splitting between ideal (introjected) object and real object, in which were projected all bad experiences, and which is still persecuting and wants to destroy. Through interactions between all group members of traumatized patients we analyzed the phenomena and the specificities of these groups-particularly their regressive position. The aim of the group psychotherapy was to enable progressive overcoming of regressive position and transition into a more mature stage of development, thus creating a favorable climate for growing up and independence.     

Heat and mass transport in random velocity fields with application to dispersion in porous media

The effective equations describing the transport of a Brownian passive tracer in a random velocity field are derived, assuming that the lengthscales and timescales on which the transport process takes place are much larger than the scales of variations in the velocity field. The effective equations are obtained by applying the method of homogenization, that is a multiple-scale perturbative analysis in terms of the small ratio between the characteristic micro- and macro-lengthscales. After expanding the dependent variable and both space and time gradients in terms of , equating coefficients of like powers of yields expressions to determine the dependent variable up to any order of approximation. Finally, a Fickian constitutive relation is determined, where the effective transport coefficients are expressed in terms of the ensemble properties of the velocity field. Our results are applied to the transport of passive tracers in the stationary flow field generated in dilute fixed beds of randomly distributed spheroids, finding the effective diffusivity as a function of the spheroid eccentricity. Our result generalizes the expression of Koch and Brady (1985), who considered spherical inclusions, and is readily applied to the cases of random beds of slender fibers and flat disks.     

SCALA: Scalable Modular Rail based Multi-agent Robotic System for Fine Manipulation over Large Workspaces

Current industrial fabrication and automation systems are faced with the challenge of obtaining great accuracy and fine manipulation over a large workspace. In this article, SCALA, a novel framework for robots that move on modular ad-hoc dedicated rails is presented. The goal is to have several agents moving simultaneously and rapidly on these scaffolds, with excellent positional accuracy. Such modular rails can be used to form 2D or 3D scaffolds that can be installed vertically and horizontally. The pros and cons of each of the designs are discussed, and some early stage prototypes are developed for validation purposes. The final prototype is demonstrated passing a junction in vertical, horizontal and hang-down scenarios.     

BROWNIAN MOTION OF CONTINUOUS DEFORMABLE BODIES

The fluctuations of continuous elastic bodies are studied, applying the equipartition principle of energy to each normal mode of vibration. The mean square displacement of the particles from their equilibrium configurations is expressed through an infinite series, which is always converging, provided that the elasticity condition is satisfied even at high modes of vibration.     

Layout design in dynamic environments: Strategies and quantitative indices

The design of a layout is a critical step, which may have a major influence on the success of a plant, particularly when demand is uncertain and variable. In order to counter this variability, one of two strategies is generally adopted, i.e. the identification of either a robust or an agile layout. This study proposes the adoption of indices that will help in identifying the strategy to be preferred. Starting from the case of a single row layout, the results of an experimental campaign are presented and discussed in order to show the efficacy of the indices themselves. Their calculation takes into account the profile of demand over time together with the product route sheets.     

Biodegradable sunflower protein films naturally activated with antioxidant compounds

The aim of this work was to study the formation of biodegradable films from sunflower protein isolates having different concentrations of phenolic compounds, which are present in sunflower seeds and are retained during the isolation of proteins from the residual pellet of the oil industry. Films were obtained by casting from aqueous dispersions of the isolates, using glycerol as plasticizer. Although proteins from different sunflower protein isolates presented different structural properties, such as surface hydrophobicity, the films obtained did not differ significantly regarding thickness (64–80 μm), density (∼1.47 g/cm⁻³), water content (∼25%), water vapor permeability (∼1.4 × 10⁻¹⁰ g H₂O/Pa.s.m), mechanical properties (traction), glass transition temperature, or type of interactions involved in the protein network, which in all cases were mainly hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and disulfide bonds. Sunflower protein films contained phenolic compounds had antioxidant activity. As the concentration of these compounds increased the films also presented increasing opacity and greenish tones, with absorption maximums at wavelengths similar to those of chlorophyll (which suggests their potential use in mulching for impeding weed growth).