Genetic and Epigenomic Modifiers of Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy (DN), the most common chronic and progressive complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), strongly affects patients’ quality of life. DN could be present as peripheral, autonomous or, clinically also relevant, uremic neuropathy. The etiopathogenesis of DN is multifactorial, and genetic components play a role both in its occurrence and clinical course. A number of gene polymorphisms in candidate genes have been assessed as susceptibility factors for DN, and most of them are linked to mechanisms such as reactive oxygen species production, neurovascular impairments and modified protein glycosylation, as well as immunomodulation and inflammation. Different epigenomic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNA action have been studied in DN, which also underline the importance of “metabolic memory” in DN appearance and progression. In this review, we summarize most of the relevant data in the field of genetics and epigenomics of DN, hoping they will become significant for diagnosis, therapy and prevention of DN.     

Performance-Analyse und -Optimierung in der Softwareentwicklung

Nicht-funktionale Anforderungen an ein Softwaresystem beschreiben Aspekte, die nicht direkt die Funktionalit?t, wie sie der Benutzer sieht, betreffen.     

Agens Faber: Toward a Theory of Artefacts for MAS

Human intelligence has evolved along with the use of more and more sophisticated tools, allowing Homo Faber (from Homo Habilis to Homo Sapiens Sapiens) to cope with environment changes, as well as to adapt the environment to his needs. Analogously, in this seminal paper we introduce the notion of Agens Faber, conveying the idea that agent intelligence should not be considered as separated by the agent ability to perceive and affect the environment—and so, that agent intelligence is strictly related to the artefacts that enable, mediate and govern any agent (intelligent) activity.

Along this line, we first discuss the notion of artefact for MAS in general, then we try to devise out the admissible / required / desirable features of an artefact for MAS. We elaborate on the many sorts of possible relations between agents and artefacts, focusing in particular on the issue of the rational exploitation of artefacts, and also rough out a possible taxonomy of artefacts for MAS.     

Clozapine-induced seizures and EEG abnormalities in ambulatory psychiatric patients

Being motor nerves neurinomas originating from ocular nerves are very rare, unless associated with neurofibromatosis. Authors describe two cases of oculomotor nerve i.e. third nerve, Schwann cell tumours. One of them presented as a cavernous sinus mass in a middle aged lady while the other was a middle aged man with a large cisterno-cavernous tumour. Surgical approach is discussed and the relevant literature reviewed.     

Qualitative analysis of motion properties of semistate models of large-scale systems

This paper studies the behavior of motions of large-scale (LS) semistate systems (SSS) governed byP _i (t)x _i =M _i (t,x _i )x _i +f _i (t)+h _i (t, x), i=1,2,...,s, =(x ₁ ^T x ₂ ^T x _s ^T )^T, where matricesP _i (t) are singular. Using Lyapunov's approach and the tools for LS system analysis, a variant of attractivity and ultimate boundedness of appropriate time-variable sets are investigated. The results are based on a specific choice of the aggregate functions. It is assumed that the reduction of equations to a normal form of lower order is inconvenient. The aggregation-decomposition approach used in this paper reduces the dimensionality of an aggregate matrix of the system to the number of its systems. Motion properties of LS systems are deduced from the properties of its isolated subsystems, the character of interconnections, and the conditions imposed on the system aggregate matrix. Sufficient algebraic conditions for the above-mentioned motion properties are developed.