Role assigning and taking in cloud computing

The widespread use of cloud computing (CC) has brought to the forefront information technology (IT) governance issues, rendering the lack of expertise in handling CC-based IT controls a major challenge for business enterprises and other societal organizations. In the cloud-computing context, this study identifies and ranks the determinants of role assigning and taking by IT people. The study’s integrative research links CC and IT governance to humane arrangements, as it validates and ranks role assigning and taking components through in-depth interviews with twelve IT decision-makers and forty-four Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) members, engaged as panelists in a Delphi technique implementation. The empirical results recognize skills and competencies as prioritized determinants of IT controls, while IT security, risk and compliance emerge as capabilities crucial to evaluate and manage CC service providers. Despite the study’s generalizability limitations, its findings highlight future research paths and provide practical guidelines toward the high technology of open-market IT self-governance. The latter entails the humane flows of collegial control and responsibility, as opposed to the inhumane flows of authority and power, under the sequestered technique of the bureaucratically-hierarchized IT hetero-governanc

Effect of Microwave Radiation on the Synthesis of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) and the Subsequent Photovoltaic Performance of CdS/P3HT Solar Cells

Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is a semiconductor polymer that has been proved to be a good electron donor in organic or hybrid solar cells. In this work, a detailed study of P3HT synthesis in CH2Cl2 solvent by oxidative method with and without MW assistance has been conducted. Effects of synthesis process parameters on the physical properties of P3HT products and their application in hybrid CdS/P3HT photovoltaic devices were studied. It is observed that the use of MW as well as the reaction time affected the reaction yield and properties of the polymer products. It was found that, by the traditional method (without MW), the maximum yield and the properties of the polymer products were similar after 2 h or 24 h of synthesis. The optimal reaction time with MW for P3HT polymerization in CH2Cl2 solvent was 1 h, and the obtained P3HT product showed similar or better properties than those P3HT polymers synthesized by the traditional method in the same solvent. The effect of using MW during the synthesis was to increase yield and crystal size of P3HT. Larger energy conversion efficiency of ITO/CdS/P3HT/CP-Au devices was obtained when the P3HT product had higher molecular weight and head/tail-head/tail (HT-HT) triad contents

Alterações morfométricas na retina, coroide e nervo ótico após infeção por SARS-CoV-2

O novo coronavírus responsável pela síndrome respiratória aguda grave (SARS-CoV- 2) surgiu associado à pandemia por COVID-19. A enzima conversora da angiotensina 2 (ACE-2), com aparente importância na COVID-19, pela interação com as proteínas na superfície do vírus, tem expressão em vários tecidos oculares e várias alterações como conjuntivite, uveíte, vasculite e neurite foram descritas inicialmente em modelos animais. Em estudos mais recentes, embora na maioria em doentes COVID-19 moderados/grave, tem sido descrito o comprometimento da superfície ocular anterior e do polo posterior reforçando a ideia de neurotropismo (pela facilidade de envolvimento do sistema nervoso central) que classicamente é descrito em outros coronavirus. Algumas alterações do polo posterior incluem o compromisso vascular/ isquémico tornando relevante também a observação da coroide. A SARS-CoV-2 tem sido associada à diminuição das camadas internas da retina e à presença de lesões hiperrefletivas, micro-hemorragias e manchas algodonosas. No entanto, o envolvimento da retina e a coróide em doentes previamente infetados com COVID-19 ainda não é totalmente compreendido. De forma a clarificar o envolvimento dos fatores de neuro-degeneração e vasculares, descritos em indivíduos recuperados de COVID-19 moderada/grave, é fundamental perceber que alterações existem ao nível da retina interna e da coroide, em indivíduos recuperados de COVID-19 ligeira. Questão de investigação: Existem alterações morfométricas da retina, coroide e nervo ótivo em indivíduos recuperados de COVID-19 ligeira?info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Dual/Primal Mesh Optimization for Polygonized Implicit Surfaces

A new method for improving polygonizations of implicit surfaces with sharp features is proposed. The method is based on the observation that, given an implicit surface with sharp features, a triangle mesh whose triangles are tangent to the implicit surface at certain inner triangle points gives a better approximation of the implicit surface than the standard marching cubes mesh \cite{Lorensen} (in our experiments we use VTK marching cubes \cite{VTK}). First, given an initial triangle mesh, its dual mesh composed of the triangle centroids is considered. Then the dual mesh is modified such that its vertices are placed on the implicit surface and the mesh dual to the modified dual mesh is considered. Finally the vertex positions of that ``double dual'' mesh are optimized by minimizing a quadratic energy measuring a deviation of the mesh normals from the implicit surface normals computed at the vertices of the modified dual mesh. In order to achieve an accurate approximation of fine surface features, these basic steps are combined with adaptive mesh subdivision and curvature-weighted vertex resampling. The proposed method outperforms approaches based on the mesh evolution paradigm in speed and accuracy

Rett-like Phenotypes in <i>HNRNPH2</i>-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder

Rett Syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a prevalence of 1:10,000 to 15,000 females worldwide. Classic Rett Syndrome presents in early childhood with a period of developmental regression, loss of purposeful hand skills along with hand stereotypies, gait abnormalities, and loss of acquired speech. Atypical RTT is diagnosed when a child shows some but not all the phenotypes of classic RTT, along with additional supporting criteria. Over 95% of classic RTT cases are attributed to pathogenic variants in Methyl-CpG Binding Protein 2 (MECP2), though additional genes have been implicated in other RTT cases, particularly those with the atypical RTT clinical picture. Other genetic etiologies have emerged with similar clinical characteristics to RTT Syndrome. Our team has characterized HNRNPH2-related neurodevelopmental disorder (HNRNPH2-RNDD) in 33 individuals associated with de novo pathogenic missense variants in the X-linked HNRNPH2 gene, characterized by developmental delay, intellectual disability, seizures, autistic-like features, and motor abnormalities. We sought to further characterize RTT clinical features in this group of individuals by using caregiver report. Twenty-six caregivers completed electronic surveys, with only 3 individuals having previously received an atypical RTT diagnosis, and no individuals with a typical RTT diagnosis. Caregivers reported a high number of behaviors and/or phenotypes consistent with RTT, including the major criteria of the syndrome, such as regression of developmental skills and abnormal gait. Based on the survey results, 12 individuals could meet the diagnostic clinical criteria for atypical RTT Syndrome. In summary, individuals with HNRNPH2-RNDD exhibit clinical characteristics that overlap with those of RTT, and therefore, HNRNPH2-RNDD, should be considered on the differential diagnosis list with this clinical picture

Caracterización óptica y morfológica de materiales compuestos de P3OT y nanotubos de carbono funcionalizados

El presente artículo evalúa el efecto de la funcionalización sobre la dispersión de nanotubos de carbono de pared sencilla (SWCNTs, Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes) y de pared múltiple (MWCNTs, Multi Wall Carbon Nanotubes) en películas compuestas de los nanotubos con poli-3-octiltiofeno (P3OT). El método de funcionalización empleado fue mediante el uso de HNO3, H2O2 y el ácido [2-(3-tienil)etil]-fosfónico a bajas concentraciones, periodos de tratamiento relativamente cortos y aplicación de baja energía de sonicación. El objetivo de emplear condiciones experimentales leves es lograr funcionalizar a los nanotubos (CNTs) ocasionando daño mínimo en su estructura. Se observaron mediante TEM y SEM cambios en la morfología superficial de los nanotubos tratados y de las películas compuestas, estos cambios se corroboraron también a través de FTIR. En las propiedades ópticas de absorbancia de las películas compuestas de SWCNTs-P3OT se observó la aparición de nuevas bandas de energía, diferentes a las del P3OT pristino