Experimental analysis of the station keeping response of a double-barge float-over system with an elastically scaled physical model

In this paper, an experimental investigation of the global response to waves relative to a newly developed float-over concept by TechnipFMC Rome Operating Center for transportation, installation and decommissioning of the off-shore platform topside is presented. A flexible scaled model of the float-over system was tested in the wave basin to determine the range of the sea-state conditions for which the response of the catamaran float-over is acceptable for mating operations. The present analysis is part of a more extensive experimental campaign which has involved also the use of a scaled rigid physical model (Dessi et al., 2016) and numerical simulations for which the collected data provide also a validation database

Aerobic Exercise and Pharmacological Treatments Counteract Cachexia by Modulating Autophagy in Colon Cancer

Recent studies have correlated physical activity with a better prognosis in cachectic patients, although the underlying mechanisms are not yet understood. In order to identify the pathways involved in the physical activity-mediated rescue of skeletal muscle mass and function, we investigated the effects of voluntary exercise on cachexia in colon carcinoma (C26)-bearing mice. Voluntary exercise prevented loss of muscle mass and function, ultimately increasing survival of C26-bearing mice. We found that the autophagic flux is overloaded in skeletal muscle of both colon carcinoma murine models and patients, but not in running C26-bearing mice, thus suggesting that exercise may release the autophagic flux and ultimately rescue muscle homeostasis. Treatment of C26-bearing mice with either AICAR or rapamycin, two drugs that trigger the autophagic flux, also rescued muscle mass and prevented atrogene induction. Similar effects were reproduced on myotubes in vitro, which displayed atrophy following exposure to C26-conditioned medium, a phenomenon that was rescued by AICAR or rapamycin treatment and relies on autophagosome-lysosome fusion (inhibited by chloroquine). Since AICAR, rapamycin and exercise equally affect the autophagic system and counteract cachexia, we believe autophagy-triggering drugs may be exploited to treat cachexia in conditions in which exercise cannot be prescribed

Cuerpo y disciplina, orden y poder: Del Instructor Popular a los Tribunales Infantiles

A fines del siglo XIX, en la República Argentina, el periódico mendocino El Instructor Popular publica el intercambio epistolar entre dos graduados de la Escuela Normal de Paraná: Carlos Norberto Vergara y Ernesto A.Bavio. Reprender, reformar y corregir el error, las faltas y la ignorancia, fueron las justificaciones para hacer uso de punteros y palmetas e incorporar la pena, el dolor y la culpa como correctivos, en las instituciones educativas de "la letra con la sangre entra" en manos de "maestros normales que quieren gobernar con el lático". El espistolario visibiliza y reprueba ciertas prácticas que tuvieron al cuerpo infantil como territorio de anclaje para la institucionalización educativa. Puntear esa conjetura nos permite trazar continuidades y discontinuidades entre los "principios de la disciplina" y "los castigos corporales" como antecedentes para los "tribunales infantiles", implementados en la Escuela Quintana de la Provincia de Mendoza, por Florencia Fossatti, en las primeras décadas del siglo XX.Fil: Alvarado, Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Ciencias Humanas, Sociales y Ambientales; Argentin

Global sourcing of low-inorganic arsenic rice grain

Arsenic in rice grain is dominated by two species: the carcinogen inorganic arsenic (the sum of arsenate and arsenite) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). Rice is the dominant source of inorganic arsenic into the human diet. As such, there is a need to identify sources of low-inorganic arsenic rice globally. Here we surveyed polished (white) rice across representative regions of rice production globally for arsenic speciation. In total 1180 samples were analysed from 29 distinct sampling zones, across 6 continents. For inorganic arsenic the global x ~ x~ was 66 μg/kg, and for DMA this figure was 21 μg/kg. DMA was more variable, ranging from < 2 to 690 μg/kg, while inorganic arsenic ranged from < 2 to 399 μg/kg. It was found that inorganic arsenic dominated when grain sum of species was < 100 μg/kg, with DMA dominating at higher concentrations. There was considerable regional variance in grain arsenic speciation, particularly in DMA where temperate production regions had higher concentrations. Inorganic arsenic concentrations were relatively consistent across temperate, subtropical and northern hemisphere tropical regions. It was only in southern hemisphere tropical regions, in the eastern hemisphere that low-grain inorganic arsenic is found, namely East Africa (x ~ x~  < 10 μg/kg) and the Southern Indonesian islands (x ~ x~  < 20 μg/kg). Southern hemisphere South American rice was universally high in inorganic arsenic, the reason for which needs further exploration

Rice grain cadmium concentrations in the global supply-chain

One of cadmium’s major exposure routes to humans is through rice consumption. The concentrations of cadmium in the global polished (white), market rice supply-chain were assessed in 2270 samples, purchased from retailers across 32 countries, encompassing 6 continents. It was found on a global basis that East Africa had the lowest cadmium with a median for both Malawi and Tanzania at 4.9 μg/kg, an order of magnitude lower than the highest country, China with a median at 69.3 μg/kg. The Americas were typically low in cadmium, but the Indian sub-continent was universally elevated. In particular certain regions of Bangladesh had high cadmium, that when combined with the high daily consumption rate of rice of that country, leads to high cadmium exposures. Concentrations of cadmium were compared to the European Standard for polished rice of 200 μg/kg and 5% of the global supply-chain exceeded this threshold. For the stricter standard of 40 μg/kg for processed infant foods, for which rice can comprise up to 100% by composition (such as rice porridges, puffed rice cereal and cakes), 25% of rice would not be suitable for making pure rice baby foods. Given that rice is also elevated in inorganic arsenic, the only region of the world where both inorganic arsenic and cadmium were low in grain was East Africa