Fluctuational-electrodynamic theory and dynamics of heat transfer in multiple dipolar systems

A general fluctuational-electrodynamic theory is developed to investigate radiative heat exchanges between objects which are assumed small compared with their thermal wavelength (dipolar approximation) in N-body systems immersed in a thermal bath. This theoretical framework is applied to study the dynamic of heating/cooling of three-body systems. We show that many-body interactions allow to tailor the temperature field distribution and to drastically change the time scale of thermal relaxation processes.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure

Exact treatment of operator difference equations with nonconstant and noncommutative coefficients

We study a homogeneous linear second-order difference equation with nonconstant and noncommuting operator coefficients in a vector space. We build its exact resolutive formula consisting of the explicit noniterative expression of a generic term of the unknown sequence of vectors. Some nontrivial applications are reported in order to show the usefulness and the broad applicability of the resul

The human Cranio Facial Development Protein 1 (Cfdp1) gene encodes a protein required for the maintenance of higher-order chromatin organization

The human Cranio Facial Development Protein 1 (Cfdp1) gene maps to chromosome 16q22.2-q22.3 and encodes the CFDP1 protein, which belongs to the evolutionarily conserved Bucentaur (BCNT) family. Craniofacial malformations are developmental disorders of particular biomedical and clinical interest, because they represent the main cause of infant mortality and disability in humans, thus it is important to understand the cellular functions and mechanism of action of the CFDP1 protein. We have carried out a multi-disciplinary study, combining cell biology, reverse genetics and biochemistry, to provide the first in vivo characterization of CFDP1 protein functions in human cells. We show that CFDP1 binds to chromatin and interacts with subunits of the SRCAP chromatin remodeling complex. An RNAi-mediated depletion of CFDP1 in HeLa cells affects chromosome organization, SMC2 condensin recruitment and cell cycle progression. Our findings provide new insight into the chromatin functions and mechanisms of the CFDP1 protein and contribute to our understanding of the link between epigenetic regulation and the onset of human complex developmental disorders

Valproate in Conversion Disorder: A Case Report

Few data are in literature about the pharmacological treatment of conversion disorder and there are not any studies about the use of Valproate extended release (ER) in treating conversion disorder. In this article, we are reporting a case of an Italian woman with a diagnosis of conversion disorder treated effectively and quickly by Valproate ER

Quetiapine Sustained Release in Treatment of Delirium Induced by Cerebral Metastasis

While haloperidol represents the first-line treatment of delirium, some studies have shown that atypical antipsychotics could be used as an efficacious treatment in delirium management. This article reports a case of a delirious patient, treated effectively and quickly with Quetiapine sustained release with negligible side effects

Potential application and beneficial effects of a marine microalgal biomass produced in a high-rate algal pond (HRAP) in diets of European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax

Microalgae have been used as live food in aquatic species. In recent years, the interest in microalgae has considerably increased, thanks to the evolution of production techniques that have identified them as an ecologically attractive aquafeed ingredient. The present study provides the first data about the effects of dietary inclusion of a microalgae consortium grown in a high-rate algal pond system on zootechnical performance, morphometric indices, and dietary nutrient digestibility as well as morphology and functionality of the digestive system of European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax. A dietary treatment including a commercial mono-cultured microalgae (Nannochloropsis sp.) biomass was used for comparison. Six hundred and thirty-six European sea bass juveniles (18 \ub1 0.28 g) were randomly allotted into 12 experimental groups and fed 4 different diets for 10 weeks: a control diet based on fish meal, fish oil, and plant protein sources; a diet including 10% of Nannochloropsis spp. biomass (100 g/kg diet); and two diets including two levels (10% and 20%) of the microalgal consortium (100 and 200 g/kg diet). Even at the highest dietary inclusion level, the microalgal consortium (200 g/kg diet) did not affect feed palatability and fish growth performance. A significant decrease in the apparent digestibility of dry matter, protein, and energy was observed in diets including 10 and 20% of the microalgal consortium, but all fish exhibited a wellpreserved intestinal histomorphology. Moreover, dietary inclusion with the microalgal consortium significantly increased the enzymatic activity ofmaltase, sucrase-isomaltase, and &4-glutamil transpeptidase in the distal intestine of the treated European sea bass. Algal consortium grown using fish farm effluents represents an attempt to enhance the utilization of natural biomasses in aquafeeds when used at 10 % as substitute of vegetable ingredients in diet for European sea bass

Prvi podaci o staništu, prehrani i dužinsko-masenom odnosu vrste Gobius incognitus Kovačić & Šanda, 2016 (Pisces: Gobiidae)

In this work, we present first data on biological and ecological aspects of Gobius incognitus from specimens from the Ionian Sea (central Mediterranean Sea). In particular, we provided first data on habitat preference, diet and length-weight relationship of G. incognitus on material with confirmed species identity. The species preferred “mixed bottom” (sand and rocks), where it reached relatively high abundances. The diet analysis showed that G. incognitus is a generalist and opportunistic feeder. However, small benthic crustaceans were the most important prey group. The mean total length of specimens was 6.72 ± 1.85 cm and the growth was positive allometric.U ovom radu iznose se prvi podatci o biološkim i ekološkim značajkama vrste Gobius incognitus na temelju uzoraka iz Jonskog mora (središnji dio Sredozemnog mora). Posebno se ističu podatci o staništu, prehrani i dužnsko - masenom odnosu. Vrsta Gobius incognituspreferirala je „miješano dno“ (pijesak i stijene), gdje je dostigla relativno veliku brojnost. Analiza prehrane pokazala je da G. incognitus slijedi oportunistički način prehrane. Međutim, mali bentoski rakovi bili su najvažniji plijen. Srednja ukupna dužina iznosila je 6,72 ± 1,85 cm, a rast je bio alometrijski pozitivan

Texture and color analysis of lentils and rice for instant meal using image processing techniques

Typical approaches for measuring color and texture properties are mostly timeconsuming. An image-based method was used to evaluate texture and color in lentils and rice subjected to freeze-drying for an instant meal. Cooked and cooked freeze-dried rehydrated lentils and rice were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Texture properties were analyzed by texture analyzer and image analysis. Color was performed with a digital camera. Significant differences for color and texture (P < 0.05) were observed for cooked and cooked freeze-dried rehydrated lentils and rice. A linear trend with a linear correlation was applied for mechanical and image features. Results showed that image features such as contrast, correlation, energy and homogeneity calculated from Gray-level co-occurrence matrix had high correlations with mechanical features of hardness, adhesiveness, chewiness and gumminess for lentils, and for rice, mechanical features adhesiveness, gumminess and image features homogeneity and contrast. With this approach to quality, image processing techniques can be a useful tool.Instituto de Tecnología de AlimentosFil: Pieniazek, Facundo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina.Fil: Sancho, Ana Maria. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Tecnología de Alimentos, Argentina.Fil: Messina, Valeria. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas para la Defensa. Departamento de Investigaciones en Sólidos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina