Effects of gabergic phenols on the dynamic and structure of lipid bilayers: A molecular dynamic simulation approach

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate and invertebrate nervous system. GABAA receptors are activated by GABA and their agonists, and modulated by a wide variety of recognized drugs, including barbiturates, anesthetics, and benzodiazepines. The phenols propofol, thymol, chlorothymol, carvacrol and eugenol act as positive allosteric modulators on GABAA-R receptor. These GABAergic phenols interact with the lipid membrane, therefore, their anesthetic activity could be the combined result of their specific activity (with receptor proteins) as well as nonspecific interactions (with surrounding lipid molecules) modulating the supramolecular organization of the receptor environment. Therefore, we aimed to contribute to a description of the molecular events that occur at the membrane level as part of the mechanism of general anesthesia, using a molecular dynamic simulation approach. Equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the presence of GABAergic phenols in a DPPC bilayer orders lipid acyl chains for carbons near the interface and their effect is not significant at the bilayer center. Phenols interacts with the polar interface of phospholipid bilayer, particularly forming hydrogen bonds with the glycerol and phosphate group. Also, potential of mean force calculations using umbrella sampling show that propofol partition is mainly enthalpic driven at the polar region and entropic driven at the hydrocarbon chains. Finally, potential of mean force indicates that propofol partition into a gel DPPC phase is not favorable. Our in silico results were positively contrasted with previous experimental data.Fil: Miguel, Virginia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Villarreal, Marcos Ariel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Garcia, Daniel Asmed. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas; Argentin

Monte Carlo simulation with fixed steplength for diffusion processes in nonhomogeneous media

Monte Carlo simulation is one of the most important tools in the study of diffusion processes. For constant diffusion coefficients, an appropriate Gaussian distribution of particle's steplengths can generate exact results, when compared with integration of the diffusion equation. It is important to notice that the same method is completely erroneous when applied to non-homogeneous diffusion coefficients. A simple alternative, jumping at fixed steplengths with appropriate transition probabilities, produces correct results. Here, a model for diffusion of calcium ions in the neuromuscular junction of the crayfish is used as a test to compare Monte Carlo simulation with fixed and Gaussian steplength.Fil: Ruiz Barlett, María Virginia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Hoyuelos, Miguel Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Martin, Hector Omar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata; Argentin

Ethics and Civil Drones: European Policies and Proposals for the Industry

This open access book disseminates some of the results of the European H2020 AiRT Project (Technology transfer of RPAs for the creative industry). In particular, it presents findings related to mitigating safety and security concerns when civil drones are piloted by the service sector (mainly, the creative industry). European policies regarding drones generally focus on outdoor drones, but they are also used indoors. Moreover, a number of European countries have fragmented regulations on drone use, and as a result, European institutions are attempting address these issues. This work is based on a detailed study of the European policies, a comparative analysis of the regulation in various European countries, an analysis of the drone sector in Europe, and primary data from members of the creative industry. The authors created focus groups in Spain, the UK and Belgium in order to discuss with the creative industry the concerns on safety and security when using civil drones for their work. Based on these results, the book offers advice to the European industry, as well as new insights for academics and policymakers

Sex Determination by Morphological Measurements of Young Rockhopper Penguins (\u3cem\u3eEudyptes chrysocome\u3c/em\u3e) During the Crèche Phase

To provide an easy and reliable work tool to identify the sex of Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) chicks, we weighed and measured 95 nestlings in the crèche phase during 24-31 January 2017 on the Falkland Islands, Argentina. Sex was subsequently determined using DNA analyses of blood from the same individuals. Significant differences were found in bill length (exposed culmen), bill depth and width, flipper length, and diagonal tarsus, but stepwise discriminant analysis showed bill length to be the best predictor for sex determination. Our model correctly classified 82.7% of males and 90.2% of females (overall correct classification 86.2%). Threshold bill length was 36.64 mm, with values above this point being males and values below being females. Therefore, it appears that measuring bill length is an easy, immediate, and accurate method to sex Rockhopper Penguins during the crèche phase

Desinstitucionalización de las creencias y Responsabilidad Social Empresarial, entre el neopentecostalismo y la espiritualidad

This paper aims to explore the impact of recent transformations in the socio-religious field, in the economic and political spheres – more specifically, those derived from the processes of religious deinstitutionalization. The current literature on the subject has elaborated at least two hypotheses regarding this topic: one characterizes the current scenario in terms of neo-Pentecostalization of the world, while the other is oriented more towards concepts such as spirituality. We concentrate on a case study that synthesizes the religious dimension with politics and economics: the field of Corporate Social Responsibility – CSR. In empirical terms, we set out to study the first International Congress of Social Responsibility (CIRS), which took place in October 2013 in Argentina. Two results can be highlighted from our study: on the one hand, CSR involves networks that express an area of social power that concentrates different resources. On the other hand, there is a range of values that go from spirituality to “NGO-ism”, and that is characterized by different ways of collective construction centered on the individual as an agent of transformation.Este artículo tiene como objetivo explorar el impacto de las transformaciones recientes en el campo socio-religioso, en los ámbitos económico y político, más específicamente, las derivadas de los procesos de desinstitucionalización religiosa. La literatura actual sobre el tema ha elaborado al menos dos hipótesis al respecto: una caracteriza el escenario actual en términos de neopentecostalización del mundo, mientras que la otra se orienta más hacia conceptos como el de espiritualidad. Nos concentramos en un estudio de caso que sintetiza la dimensión religiosa con la política y la económica: el campo de la Responsabilidad Social Empresarial – RSE. En términos empíricos, nos propusimos estudiar el primer Congreso Internacional de Responsabilidad Social (CIRS), que tuvo lugar en octubre de 2013 en Argentina. De nuestro estudio se pueden destacar dos resultados: por un lado, La RSE involucra redes que expresan un espacio de poder social que concentra diferentes recursos. Por otro lado, existe una gama de valores que van desde la espiritualidad hasta el “ONG-ismo”, y que se caracteriza por diferentes formas de construcción colectiva centradas en el individuo como agente de transformación.Fil: Donatello, Luis Miguel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones Laborales; ArgentinaFil: Galán, Virginia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Carrera de Sociología; ArgentinaFil: Velisone, Julia Evangelina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Carrera de Sociología; Argentin

Skewed sex ratios in a newly established osprey population

With recent increases in the numbers of reintroduction projects, it has become crucial to know the main factors that allow colonization of new areas and prevent the extinction of small and reintroduced populations. Dispersal is one of the most important phenomena in population biology with consequences to the proportion of individuals that keep breeding in the natal population and the number of individuals that move to other populations to breed. We studied changes in offspring sex ratio and differences in dispersal patterns between the sexes in a reintroduced population of osprey (Pandion haliaetus). Results showed that at the beginning of the colonization process breeding pairs produced more males, which dispersed shorter distances and were more philopatric than females. However, with increasing breeding population size over the years, the offspring production was skewed to females, which dispersed longer distances from their natal area and tended to breed in different areas. Here we suggest that changes in offspring sex ratio during colonization processes, together with differences in dispersal pattern between sexes, could influence colonization rate and the probability of success of future reintroduction projects

Entrepreneurial intention of engineering students: the role of social norms and entrepreneurial self-efficacy

This article belongs to the Special Issue Business, Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Sustainable Development.This paper examines the impact of entrepreneurial education on intention to undertake entrepreneurial activity in the future. The study is based on a sample of 208 engineering students. Specifically, we explore the contingent effect of social norms on the relationship between entrepreneurial education and intention to undertake entrepreneurial activity, as well as the role ofsocial norms on the association between entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intention. We utilize a comprehensive questionnaire distributed among engineering students. Our findings indicate that entrepreneurial education is positively associated with the intention to undertake entrepreneurial activity, in addition to demonstrating a positive moderation effect role of social norms on the relationship between entrepreneurial self-effcacy and entrepreneurial intention. The study provides empirical support to devise new educational initiatives that can further support students and young entrepreneurs in their current or future entrepreneurial projects.This study has been partially supported by financial aid from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Grant# ECO2015-67296-R, MINECO/FEDER) and from the Community of Madrid and European Social Fund (Grant# CM S2015/HUM-3417-INNCOMCON). The APC was founded by University Carlos III of Madrid

Effects of flooding on mental health: a case-control study

3rd International Congress on Neurobiology, Psychopharmacology & Treatment guidance (May 30th - June 2nd, 2013)Background: Post-disaster mental health problems may affect population in different ways. Population exposure to a natural disaster has been associated with psychological distress, in particular, in the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Most people experience distress after their exposure to an extreme event. For people with good psychosocial resilience and access to social support, mental health problems can be relatively less important since supporting relationships and inner capabilities may begin the adaptation processes. Mental disorders occur often, but less commonly than dis-tress, and in some cases they may require intensive and long term continuing interventions and treatment