Revamping Cloud Gaming with Distributed Engines

While cloud gaming has brought considerable advantages for its customers, from the point of view of cloud providers, multiple aspects related to infrastructure management still fall short of such kind of service. Indeed, differently from traditional cloud-ready applications, modern game engines are still based on monolithic software architectures. This aspect precludes the applicability of fine-grained resource management and service orchestration schemes, ultimately leading to poor cost-effectiveness. To mitigate these shortcomings, we propose a Cloud-Oriented Distributed Engine for Gaming (CODEG). Thanks to its distributed nature, CODEG is capable of fully exploiting the resource heterogeneity present in cloud data centers, while providing the possibility of spanning its service on multiple network layers up to the edge clouds

The PPARβ/δAgonist GW0742 Relaxes Pulmonary Vessels and Limits Right Heart Hypertrophy in Rats with Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension

Copyright: © 2010 Harrington et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are creditedBackground: Pulmonary vascular diseases are increasingly recognised as important clinical conditions. Pulmonary hypertension associated with a range of aetiologies is difficult to treat and associated with progressive morbidity and mortality. Current therapies for pulmonary hypertension include phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, endothelin receptor antagonists, or prostacyclin mimetics. However, none of these provide a cure and the clinical benefits of these drugs individually decline over time. There is, therefore, an urgent need to identify new treatment strategies for pulmonary hypertension. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here we show that the PPARβ/δ agonist GW0742 induces vasorelaxation in systemic and pulmonary vessels. Using tissue from genetically modified mice, we show that the dilator effects of GW0742 are independent of the target receptor PPARβ/δ or cell surface prostacyclin (IP) receptors. In aortic tissue, vascular relaxant effects of GW0742 were not associated with increases in cGMP, cAMP or hyperpolarisation, but were attributed to inhibition of RhoA activity. In a rat model of hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension, daily oral dosing of animals with GW0742 (30 mg/kg) for 3 weeks significantly reduced the associated right heart hypertrophy and right ventricular systolic pressure. GW0742 had no effect on vascular remodelling induced by hypoxia in this model. Conclusions/Significance: These observations are the first to show a therapeutic benefit of 'PPARβ/δ' agonists in experimental pulmonary arterial hypertension and provide pre-clinical evidence to favour clinical trials in man.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Diazepam Impairs Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses and Ameliorates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

Currently there is increasing attention on the modulatory effects of benzodiazepines on the immune system. Here, we evaluate how Diazepam (DZ) affects both innate and adaptive immunity. We observed that treatment with DZ and Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on macrophages or dendritic cells (DCs) induced a defective secretion of IL-12, TNF-α, IL-6 and a lesser expression of classical activation markers as NO production and CD40 in comparison with LPS condition. More importantly, mice pre-treated with DZ and then challenged to LPS induced-septic shock showed reduced death. The DZ treatment shifted the LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine production of peritoneal cells (PCs) to an anti-inflammatory profile commanded by IL-10. In agreement with this, DZ treatment prevented LPS-induced DC ability to initiate allogeneic Th1 and Th17 responses in vitro when compared with LPS-matured DC. Since these inflammatory responses are the key in the development of the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), we treated EAE mice preventively with DZ. Mice that received DZ showed amelioration of clinical signs and immunological parameters of the disease. Additionally, DZ reduced the release of IFN-γ and IL-17 by splenocytes from untreated sick mice in vitro. For this reason, we decided to treat diseased mice therapeutically with DZ when they reached the clinical score of 1. Most importantly, this treatment ameliorated clinical signs, reduced the MOG-specific inflammatory cytokine production and prevented axonal damage. Altogether, these results indicate that DZ is a potent immunomodulator capable of controlling undesired innate and adaptive immune responses, both at the beginning of these responses and also once they have started.Fil: Falcón, Cristian Roberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Fernández Hurst, Nicolás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Vivinetto, Ana Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Lopez, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Zurita, Adolfo Ramón. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Gatti, Gerardo Alberto. Fundación Para El Progreso de la Medicina; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Cervi, Laura Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología; ArgentinaFil: Monferran, Clara Graciela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Roth, German Alfredo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba; Argentin

Oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural on supported ag, au, pd and bimetallic pd-au catalysts: Effect of the support

Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal, through project UIDB/00100/2020 of the Centro de Quimica Estrutural; Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry-LAQV,financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UIDB/50006/2020); FCT Scientific Employment Stimulus-Institutional Call (CEECINST/00102/2018) and PTDC/QEQ-QIN/3967/2014; Tomsk Polytechnic University Competitiveness Enhancement Program project VIU-RSCBMT-197/2020; Russian Foundation of Basic Research, project 18-29-24037; Tomsk Polytechnic University State Task `Science' (project FSWW-2020-0011) andMICINN project CTQ2017-86170-R (Spain).Oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a major feedstock derived from waste/fresh biomass, into 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is an important transformation for the production of biodegradable plastics. Herein, we investigated the effect of the support (unmodified and modified titania, commercial alumina, and untreated and treated Sibunit carbon) of mono-and bimetallic catalysts based on noble metals (Ag, Au, Pd) on selective HMF oxidation with molecular oxygen to FDCA under mild and basic reaction conditions. The higher selectivity to FDCA was obtained when metals were supported on Sibunit carbon (Cp). The order of noble metal in terms of catalyst selectivity was: Ag < Au < Pd < PdAu. Finally, FDCA production on the most efficient PdAu NPs catalysts supported on Sibunit depended on the treatment applied to this carbon support in the order: PdAu/Cp < PdAu/Cp-HNO3 < PdAu/Cp-NH4OH. These bimetallic catalysts were characterized by nitrogen adsorption-desorption, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Hammet indicator method and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The functionalization of Sibunit surface by HNO3 and NH4OH led to a change in the contribution of the active states of Pd and Au due to promotion effect of N-doping and, as a consequence, to higher FDCA production. HMF oxidation catalyzed by bimetallic catalysts is a structure sensitive reaction.publishersversionpublishe

Application of participatory action research to climate change adaptation in Africa : a reference guide

French version available in IDRC Digital Library: Application de la recherche-action participative à l'adaptation aux changements climatiques en Afrique : manuel de référenceThe Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA) program works to establish a self-sustained African body of expertise on adaptation defined by African communities, decision-makers, and institutions. This Reference Guide presents a “best bet” approach to the application of participatory action research (PAR) in addressing adaptation challenges. Diverse PAR tools and processes are portrayed in detail, including basics used throughout the PAR process (facilitation, process documentation), preparatory steps in building teams and engaging stakeholders, ways of understanding the problem or opportunity and conceptualizing change, planning, managing of change, and the role of empirical research as inputs to decision making

Application de la recherche-action participative à l'adaptation aux changements climatiques en Afrique : manuel de référence

Version anglaise disponible dans la Bibliothèque numérique du CRDI : Application of participatory action research to climate change adaptation in Africa : a reference guid

Observational constraints on the spectral index of the cosmological curvature perturbation

We evaluate the observational constraints on the spectral index $n$, in the context of the $\Lambda$CDM hypothesis which represents the simplest viable cosmology. We first take $n$ to be practically scale-independent. Ignoring reionization, we find at a nominal 2-$\sigma$ level $n\simeq 1.0 \pm 0.1$. If we make the more realisitic assumption that reionization occurs when a fraction $f\sim 10^{-5}$ to 1 of the matter has collapsed, the 2-$\sigma$ lower bound is unchanged while the 1-$\sigma$ bound rises slightly. These constraints are compared with the prediction of various inflation models. Then we investigate the two-parameter scale-dependent spectral index, predicted by running-mass inflation models, and find that present data allow significant scale-dependence of $n$, which occurs in a physically reasonable regime of parameter space.Comment: ReVTeX, 15 pages, 5 figures and 3 tables, uses epsf.sty Improved treatment of reionization and small bug fixed in the constant n case; more convenient parameterization and better treatment of the n dependence in the CMB anisotropy for the running mass case; conclusions basically unchanged; references adde

Latex peptidases of Calotropis procera for dehairing of leather as an alternative to environmentally toxic sodium sulfide treatment

Dehairing of crude leather is a critical stage performed at the beginning of its processing to obtain industrially useful pieces. Tanneries traditionally apply a chemical process based on sodium sulfide. Since this chemical reactive is environmentally toxic and inefficiently recycled, innovative protocols for reducing or eliminating its use in leather depilation are welcomed. Therefore, latex peptidases from Calotropis procera (CpLP) and Cryptostegia grandiflora (CgLP) were assayed for this purpose. Enzyme activity on substrates representative of skin such as hide powder azure (UHPA), elastin (UE), azocollagen (UAZOCOL), keratin (UK), and epidermis (UEP) was determined, while depilation activity was assayed on cow hide. Only CpLP was active against keratin (13.4 UK) and only CgLP was active against elastin (0.12 UE). CpLP (93.0 UHPA, 403.6 UAZOCOL, 36.3 UEP) showed higher activity against the other substrates than CgLP (47.6 UHPA, 261.5 UAZOCOL, 8.5 UEP). In pilot assays, CpLP (0.05% w/v with sodium sulfite 0.6% w/v as activator) released hairs from cow hide pieces. Macroscopic and microscopic analyses of the hide revealed that the dehairing process was complete and the leather structure was preserved. The proteolytic system of C. procera is a suitable bioresources to be exploited by tanneries.Fil: Lopez, Laura Maria Isabel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Centíficas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero; ArgentinaFil: Viana, Carolina A.. Universidade Estadual Do Ceara; BrasilFil: Errasti, María Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Centíficas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero; ArgentinaFil: Garro, María Laura. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Centíficas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero; ArgentinaFil: Martegani, José Eduardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Centíficas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero; ArgentinaFil: Mazzilli, German Ariel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Centíficas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero; ArgentinaFil: Freitas, Cléverson D. T.. Universidade Estadual Do Ceara; BrasilFil: Araújo, Ídila M. S.. EMBRAPA Agrotropical; BrasilFil: da Silva, Rafaela O.. Universidade Estadual Do Ceara; BrasilFil: Ramos, Márcio V.. Universidade Estadual Do Ceara; Brasi

Evaluación de tratamiento de semillas con TymiriumTM para el control del síndrome de la muerte súbita de la soja

PosterFusarium tucumaniae y F. virguliforme son las especies predominantes causantes del síndrome de la muerte súbita de la soja (SMS) en Argentina. Esta enfermedad puede afectar el rendimiento incluso en cultivares parcialmente resistentes, no siendo efectivos los tratamientos de semilla con los productos disponibles en Argentina. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el efecto de tratamientos de semilla con TYMIRIUM™ (SYNGENTA), una nueva tecnología basada en el ingrediente activo cyclobutrifluram, sobre la incidencia del SMS.EEA PergaminoFil: Lenzi, Lisandro German. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Marcos Juárez. Grupo Mejoramiento de Soja; ArgentinaFil: Couretot, Lucrecia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino. Fitopatología; ArgentinaFil: Costa, A. Syngenta; ArgentinaFil: Gadban, Laura. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Marcos Juárez; ArgentinaFil: Samoiloff, Anabela. Actividad privada; ArgentinaFil: Russián, Hernan Darío. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino. Fitopatología; Argentin