MNDO Study of the Dimerization of Borane

The dimerization of borane has been investigated with the MNDO method. Three pathways have been studied by imposing different symmetry restrictions: C2h symmetry, least-motion, and with no symmetry at all. The activation energies of the three pathways are 3.8, 31.5, and 2.7 kcal/mol, respectively. In view of the known tendency of MNDO to yield high energy for transition states, the low activation energy of the la\u27St pathway probably means that the dimerization has no or a very small energy barrier. Moreover, it turns out that C, symmetry is retained automatically for this pathway

Adaptive reuse of heritage architecture and its external effects on sustainable built environment—Hedonic pricing model and case studies in Hong Kong

The integration of the sustainable development perspective into the discussion of heritage conservation by UNESCO in 2015 represents an acknowledgement of the values of heritage conservation in the agenda of sustainable development. This paper aims to provide empirical evidence regarding how heritage conservation fits into the overall sustainable development in Hong Kong by examining the external effects generated by architectural heritage conservation onto their adjacent neighborhood. By two adaptive reuse heritage case studies with respective hedonic pricing analysis on their adjacent property prices, this paper presents the results of how residential property prices have been increased as a result of heritage adaptive reuse. The analysis suggests that an established heritage grading mechanism along with a socially inclusive conservation approach with community stakeholders not only maintains the authenticity of the cultural heritage, but also brings substantial social and economic benefits to the neighboring communities. The research findings add new knowledge

Assessment of Agricultural Information Needs in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States: Eastern Africa: Country study Mauritius

This study aims to provide an overview of main agricultural services and actors in terms of their strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for collaboration with CTA; to identify the agricultural information and ICM capacity building needs of key strategic partners for CTA products and services; and to have an update of the status of ICM and ICTs in Mauritius

A study of the relationship between joke preferences and some personality dimensions

It is the aim of this study to investigate and discover some of the relationship between joke preferences and personality dimensions. Laughter holds an important position among the philosophers and the tender-minded psychologists. However, though there are many advantages for the experimental study of jokes, great many obstacles have to be overcome. Theories of laughter are abundant, but none of them offer a comprehensive and satisfactory solution to the secret of laughter. Following H. J. Eysenck's example, the theories were classified into cognitive, conative, and affective theories, in addition to the miscellaneous theories and the combined theories, A review of the previous studies offers a few useful hints for the present research, though the literature is quite scanty, and a lack of integration is evidenced. In the first part of the present study, following H. J. Eysenck's hint, the jokes were divided into sexual vs. non-sexual jokes, simple vs, complex jokes, personal vs. impersonal jokes, and orectic vs. cognitive jokes. The subjects' scores on this Joke Preference Scale were correlated with their scores on the Eysenck Personality Inventory, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and J. R. Davitz's Metaphor Test. Five significant correlations were found. In the second part of the study, the same jokes were factor analysized by the technique of principal component. A new sample was used while the same personality tests were used. The subjects' factor scores on the joke components were correlated with their factor scores on the personality components, and their raw scores on the personality variables. Thirteen significant correlations were found. A comparison of the results from the two parts of the study shows that the findings from both parts were fairly consistent. While the present study seems to confirm and clarify some of the previous studies, it also discovers some new relationship between joke preference and personality.<p

Defining novel functions for cerebrospinal fluid in ALS pathophysiology

Despite the considerable progress made towards understanding ALS pathophysiology, several key features of ALS remain unexplained, from its aetiology to its epidemiological aspects. The glymphatic system, which has recently been recognised as a major clearance pathway for the brain, has received considerable attention in several neurological conditions, particularly Alzheimer's disease. Its significance in ALS has, however, been little addressed. This perspective article therefore aims to assess the possibility of CSF contribution in ALS by considering various lines of evidence, including the abnormal composition of ALS-CSF, its toxicity and the evidence for impaired CSF dynamics in ALS patients. We also describe a potential role for CSF circulation in determining disease spread as well as the importance of CSF dynamics in ALS neurotherapeutics. We propose that a CSF model could potentially offer additional avenues to explore currently unexplained features of ALS, ultimately leading to new treatment options for people with ALS.</p

COVID-19, SARS and MERS:A neurological perspective

Central to COVID-19 pathophysiology is an acute respiratory infection primarily manifesting as pneumonia. Two months into the COVID-19 outbreak, however, a retrospective study in China involving more than 200 participants revealed a neurological component to COVID-19 in a subset of patients. The observed symptoms, the cause of which remains unclear, included impaired consciousness, skeletal muscle injury and acute cerebrovascular disease, and appeared more frequently in severe disease. Since then, findings from several studies have hinted at various possible neurological outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Here, we review the historical association between neurological complications and highly pathological coronaviruses including SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. We draw from evidence derived from past coronavirus outbreaks, noting the similarities and differences between SARS and MERS, and the current COVID-19 pandemic. We end by briefly discussing possible mechanisms by which the coronavirus impacts on the human nervous system, as well as neurology-specific considerations that arise from the repercussions of COVID-19.</p

COVID-19, SARS and MERS:A neurological perspective

Central to COVID-19 pathophysiology is an acute respiratory infection primarily manifesting as pneumonia. Two months into the COVID-19 outbreak, however, a retrospective study in China involving more than 200 participants revealed a neurological component to COVID-19 in a subset of patients. The observed symptoms, the cause of which remains unclear, included impaired consciousness, skeletal muscle injury and acute cerebrovascular disease, and appeared more frequently in severe disease. Since then, findings from several studies have hinted at various possible neurological outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Here, we review the historical association between neurological complications and highly pathological coronaviruses including SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. We draw from evidence derived from past coronavirus outbreaks, noting the similarities and differences between SARS and MERS, and the current COVID-19 pandemic. We end by briefly discussing possible mechanisms by which the coronavirus impacts on the human nervous system, as well as neurology-specific considerations that arise from the repercussions of COVID-19.</p

Is mitochondrial dysfunction a driving mechanism linking COPD to nonsmall cell lung carcinoma?

© ERS 2017. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are at increased risk of developing nonsmall cell lung carcinoma, irrespective of their smoking history. Although the mechanisms behind this observation are not clear, established drivers of carcinogenesis in COPD include oxidative stress and sustained chronic inflammation. Mitochondria are critical in these two processes and recent evidence links increased oxidative stress in COPD patients to mitochondrial damage. We therefore postulate that mitochondrial damage in COPD patients leads to increased oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, thereby increasing the risk of carcinogenesis. The functional state of the mitochondrion is dependent on the balance between its biogenesis and degradation (mitophagy). Dysfunctional mitochondria are a source of oxidative stress and inflammasome activation. In COPD, there is impaired translocation of the ubiquitin-related degradation molecule Parkin following activation of the Pink1 mitophagy pathway, resulting in excessive dysfunctional mitochondria. We hypothesise that deranged pathways in mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy in COPD can account for the increased risk in carcinogenesis. To test this hypothesis, animal models exposed to cigarette smoke and developing emphysema and lung cancer should be developed. In the future, the use of mitochondria-based antioxidants should be studied as an adjunct with the aim of reducing the risk of COPD-associated cancer

Cerebrospinal fluid cytotoxicity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis:a systematic review of in vitro studies

Various studies have suggested that a neurotoxic cerebrospinal fluid profile could be implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Here, we systematically review the evidence for cerebrospinal fluid cytotoxicity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and explore its clinical correlates. We searched the following databases with no restrictions on publication date: PubMed, Embase and Web of Science. All studies that investigated cytotoxicity in vitro following exposure to cerebrospinal fluid from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients were considered for inclusion. Meta-analysis could not be performed, and findings were instead narratively summarized. Twenty-eight studies were included in our analysis. Both participant characteristics and study conditions including cerebrospinal fluid concentration, exposure time and culture model varied considerably across studies. Of 22 studies assessing cell viability relative to controls, 19 studies reported a significant decrease following exposure to cerebrospinal fluid from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, while three early studies failed to observe any difference. Seven of eight studies evaluating apoptosis observed significant increases in the levels of apoptotic markers following exposure to cerebrospinal fluid from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, with the remaining study reporting a qualitative difference. Although five studies investigated the possible relationship between cerebrospinal fluid cytotoxicity and patient characteristics, such as age, gender and disease duration, none demonstrated an association with any of the factors. In conclusion, our analysis suggests that cerebrospinal fluid cytotoxicity is a feature of sporadic and possibly also of familial forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Further research is, however, required to better characterize its underlying mechanisms and to establish its possible contribution to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis pathophysiology.</p