Do Europe's borders need multi-faceted biometric protection

In today’s world, terrorism has become a dire and global threat. Within Europe, terror attacks and participation in terrorist organisations by EU citizens are on the rise. To deal with this, the European Union has introduced some significant legal changes to the Schengen agreement – the treaty that led to the creation of Europe’s Schengen area where internal border checks have largely been abolished. The most recent and interesting of these changes has meant that systematic controls are being introduced at border crossings

Effects of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NAME on different memory components as assessed in the object recognition task in the rat

Nitric oxide (NO) is sought to be an intracellular messenger in the central nervous system and its implication in learning and memory is well documented. Compounds that inhibit nitric oxide synthase (NOS), the key synthesizing enzyme, block cognition, though discrepant findings, in this context, have also been reported. The present study was designed to investigate in the rat: (a) the effects on recognition memory exerted by low doses of the NOS inhibitor L-NAME and (b) the ability of this compound in modulating different mnemonic processes (acquisition, storage and retrieval). For this aim, the object recognition task was selected. In a first study, pre- or post-training systemic administration of L-NAME (1, 3 and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) did not disrupt animals' performance in this recognition memory paradigm. Subsequently, L-NAME (1 and 3, but not 10 mg/kg, i.p.) antagonized delay-dependent deficits in the object recognition task suggesting that L-NAME affected acquisition, storage and retrieval of information. These results indicate that the NOS inhibitor L-NAME may modulate different aspects of memory. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Supporting hybrid manufacturing: ringing process and human/robot control to the cloud

In this paper, we outline the architecture design of the HORSE system for support of hybrid manufacturing processes. The HORSE project aims at providing integrated end-to-end manufacturing process management and advanced control of hybrid manufacturing work cells. In these hybrid cells, human and robotic actors collaborate flexibly and safely. As the HORSE system should support SME organizations, we map part of the architecture to a cloud environment to avoid costly and complex software installations for small organizations. We show how well-structured architecture design is the basis for a modular software structure of a complex cyber-physical system with partial cloud support

Developing a cyber-physical system for hybrid manufacturing in an internet-of-things context

\u3cp\u3eThis chapter describes design and development of the HORSE system for processoriented hybrid manufacturing that seamlessly integrates human and robotics actors in vertical manufacturing cells that are horizontally coupled in end-to-end manufacturing processes. The HORSE system supports advanced dynamic actor allocation to work cells, direct robot control and human actor instruction, closedloop local event processing, and near-real-time global event processing. The system handles abstract process definitions and status information on the one hand and directly interfaces to industrial sensors and actuators on the other hand, making it a system with a strong cyber-physical character. The physical side of the system is deployed in an internet-of-things context, where the things are the industrial robots controlled by the HORSE system, the sensors feeding data to the system, and the products being manufactured in the industrial process managed by the system. The system will be deployed in real-world, industrial pilot scenarios in a European Horizon 2020 project.\u3c/p\u3

Effects of the active constituents of Crocus sativus L., crocins, in an animal model of anxiety

Crocus sativus L. is a plant cultivated in various parts of the world. Crocins are among the active components of Crocus sativus L. The present study was designed to investigate in the rat whether or not crocins possess anxiolytic properties. For this aim, the light/dark test was selected. Either crocins, at a dose which did not influence animals' motor activity (50 mg/kg), or diazepam (1.5 mg/kg), significantly increased the latency to enter the dark compartment and prolonged the time spent in the lit chamber in the rats. Conversely, lower doses of crocins (15-30 mg/kg) did not substantially modify animals' behaviour. The present results indicate that treatment with these active constituents of Crocus sativus L. induce anxiolytic-like effects in the rat. (C) 2008 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved

Sutureless aortic valve implantation in patient with porcelain aorta via unclamped aorta and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest

Severe atherosclerotic calcification of the ascending aorta, the so-called porcelain aorta, precludes cardiac surgeons from placing an aortic cross-clamp and direct aortic cannulation due to the increased risk of systemic embolism and stroke. In the present report, we support the option of sutureless valve implantation in a case of a porcelain ascending aorta, with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and also without aortic cross-clamp