The relation between symmetry in food packaging and approach and avoidance words

Research on aesthetic science has demonstrated that people generally prefer symmetrical over asymmetrical compositions. However, it remains unclear whether and how such compositions relate to the concepts of approach and avoidance motivation, especially in consumer contexts. In addition, it is not known how symmetry may influence such concepts in contexts where objects can differ in terms of their hedonic values (symmetry/product taste congruency). In the present research, we evaluated the relation between visual symmetry of the packaging of products with different hedonic value (sweet, non-sweet, non-food) and approach and avoidance words. In two experiments, we found evidence that people associate symmetrical designs with approach words more often than asymmetrical designs. Importantly, however, we did not find evidence that such an effect is influenced by the hedonic value of the products. Our results have value for scholars and practitioners interested in the effect of aesthetic features of brand elements (such as a product’s packaging) on consumer motivation

Optimising Load Flexibility for the Day Ahead in Distribution Networks with Photovoltaics

This paper has been presented at: 2019 IEEE Milan PowerTechIn this paper a methodology is proposed to calculate the load demand flexibility that could be activated within the next 24-hours for solving the technical impacts of contingencies that may come up in an unbalanced low voltage distribution networks with high penetration of intermittent DG sources. The methodology is formulated within a Demand Response program environment via load shifting as flexibility enabler mechanism. To achieve that, a non-linear optimisation problem is formulated based on an unbalanced optimal power flow, which allows the determination of the load flexibility that each Demand Response customer could provide at the request of the Distribution System Operator. The demand as well as weather conditions are forecasted for the day ahead. The optimisation problem is solved in a sequence fashion, within a daily framework, splitting the whole problem in optimisation blocks. In each block, the flexible load demand is obtained and the load demand forecasting its updated for the upcoming blocks based on the changes in the scheduled load demand. The methodology is applied to a real distribution network with the load data received from the smart metering infrastructure. The results obtained show the strength of the methodology in solving the technical problems of the network under high unbalanced operation.The work done by Valentin Rigoni and Alireza Soroudi is supported by a research grant from Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) under the SFI Strategic Partnership Programme Grant No. SF/15/SPP/E3125. The opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Science Foundation Ireland. Jose Angel Velasco and Hortensia Amaris are supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the National Program for Research under the project OSIRIS (RTC-2014-1556-3)

Calciphylaxis following kidney transplantation: a case report

Introduction: Calciphylaxis occurring after kidney transplantation is rare and rarely reported. It results in chronic non-healing wounds and is associated with a poor prognosis and is often fatal. We present a case of proximal lower limb calciphylaxis that occurred early after kidney transplantation. The patient had no classic associated risk factors. He had previously had a total parathyroidectomy but had normal serum calcium-phosphate product and parathyroid hormone levels. The clinical outcome of this case was favorable and highlights some fundamental issues relating to management. Case prsentation: A 70-year-old British Caucasian man with end-stage renal failure secondary to IgA nephropathy presented six months post kidney transplantation with cutaneous calciphylaxis lesions involving the medial aspect of the thigh bilaterally. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of rapid onset cutaneous calciphylaxis occurring soon after kidney transplantation that was associated with a favorable outcome. Cutaneous calciphylaxis lesions should be promptly managed with meticulous wound care, antimicrobial therapy and the correction of calcium-phosphate product where indicated

A SNP transferability survey within the genus Vitis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Efforts to sequence the genomes of different organisms continue to increase. The DNA sequence is usually decoded for one individual and its application is for the whole species. The recent sequencing of the highly heterozygous <it>Vitis vinifera </it>L. cultivar Pinot Noir (clone ENTAV 115) genome gave rise to several thousand polymorphisms and offers a good model to study the transferability of its degree of polymorphism to other individuals of the same species and within the genus.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This study was performed by genotyping 137 SNPs through the SNPlex™ Genotyping System (Applied Biosystems Inc.) and by comparing the SNPlex sequencing results across 35 (of the 137) regions from 69 grape accessions. A heterozygous state transferability of 31.5% across the unrelated cultivars of <it>V. vinifera</it>, of 18.8% across the wild forms of <it>V. vinifera</it>, of 2.3% among non-<it>vinifera Vitis </it>species, and of 0% with <it>Muscadinia rotundifolia </it>was found. In addition, mean allele frequencies were used to evaluate SNP informativeness and develop useful subsets of markers.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Using SNPlex application and corroboration from the sequencing analysis, the informativeness of SNP markers from the heterozygous grape cultivar Pinot Noir was validated in <it>V. vinifera </it>(including cultivars and wild forms), but had a limited application for non-<it>vinifera Vitis </it>species where a resequencing strategy may be preferred, knowing that homology at priming sites is sufficient. This work will allow future applications such as mapping and diversity studies, accession identification and genomic-research assisted breeding within <it>V. vinifera</it>.</p

Expression of LPP3 in Bergmann glia is required for proper cerebellar sphingosine-1-phosphate metabolism/signaling and development

Bioactive lipids serve as intracellular and extracellular mediators in cell signaling in normal and pathological conditions. Here we describe that an important regulator of some of these lipids, the lipid phosphate phosphatase-3 (LPP3), is abundantly expressed in specific plasma membrane domains of Bergmann glia (BG), a specialized type of astrocyte with key roles in cerebellum development and physiology. Mice selectively lacking expression of LPP3/Ppap2b in the nervous system are viable and fertile but exhibit defects in postnatal cerebellum development and modifications in the cytoarchitecture and arrangement of BG with a mild non-progressive motor coordination defect. Lipid and gene profiling studies in combination with pharmacological treatments suggest that most of these effects are associated with alterations in sphingosine-1- phosphate (S1P) metabolism and signaling. Altogether our data indicate that LPP3 participates in several aspects of neuron-glia communication required for proper cerebellum developmen

Drought conditions disrupt atmospheric carbon uptake in a Mediterranean saline lake

Inland saline lakes play a key role in the global carbon cycle, acting as dynamic zones for atmospheric carbon exchange and storage. Given the global decline of saline lakes and the expected increase of periods of drought in a climate change scenario, changes in their potential capacity to uptake or emit atmospheric carbon are expected. Here, we conducted continuous measurements of CO2 and CH4 fluxes at the ecosystem scale in an endorheic saline lake of the Mediterranean region over nearly 2 years. Our focus was on determining net CO2 and CH4 exchanges with the atmosphere under both dry and flooded conditions, using the eddy covariance (EC) method. We coupled greenhouse gas flux measurements with water storage and analysed meteorological variables like air temperature and radiation, known to influence carbon fluxes in lakes. This extensive data integration enabled the projection of the net carbon flux over time, accounting for both dry and wet conditions on an interannual scale. We found that the system acts as a substantial carbon sink by absorbing atmospheric CO2 under wet conditions. In years with prolonged water storage, it is predicted that the lake's CO2 assimilation capacity can surpass 0.7 kg C m2 annually. Conversely, during extended drought years, a reduction in CO2 uptake capacity of more than 80 % is expected. Regarding CH4, we measured uptake rates that exceeded those of well-aerated soils such as forest soils or grasslands, reaching values of 0.2 µmol m−2 s−1. Additionally, we observed that CH4 uptake during dry conditions was nearly double that of wet conditions. However, the absence of continuous data prevented us from correlating CH4 uptake processes with potential environmental predictors. Our study challenges the widespread notion that wetlands are universally greenhouse gas emitters, highlighting the significant role that endorheic saline lakes can play as a natural sink of atmospheric carbon. However, our work also underscores the vulnerability of these ecosystem services in the current climate change scenario, where drought episodes are expected to become more frequent and intense in the coming years.</p