The Multicultural State: Hypothesis for Framing a Concept

The contribution focuses on framings of the concept of the multicultural state. Only in recent times have certain questions prompted a re-thinking of previous definitions of the dogmatic category of state. The difficulty of tracing practical aspects back to theoretical models has led to seeing the multicultural state as an advanced and emancipated form when compared to other concepts of state. Beyond the self-qualification as a multicultural state, specific national experiences have been assumed as models for the determination of constituent phenomena based on multiculturalism. The essay thus examines a few prototypes of genetically multicultural states. On the one hand, India, whose distinctiveness lies in a non-Western anticipatory multicultural constitutionalism. On the other hand, it will be analyzed those legal orders that share a common historical experience (Commonwealth of Nations), whose Western colonial heritage has remained the constitutive basis of the post-colonial experience; namely, Canada, the United States of America, Australia, and New Zealand

On the number of limit cycles in asymmetric neural networks

The comprehension of the mechanisms at the basis of the functioning of complexly interconnected networks represents one of the main goals of neuroscience. In this work, we investigate how the structure of recurrent connectivity influences the ability of a network to have storable patterns and in particular limit cycles, by modeling a recurrent neural network with McCulloch-Pitts neurons as a content-addressable memory system. A key role in such models is played by the connectivity matrix, which, for neural networks, corresponds to a schematic representation of the "connectome": the set of chemical synapses and electrical junctions among neurons. The shape of the recurrent connectivity matrix plays a crucial role in the process of storing memories. This relation has already been exposed by the work of Tanaka and Edwards, which presents a theoretical approach to evaluate the mean number of fixed points in a fully connected model at thermodynamic limit. Interestingly, further studies on the same kind of model but with a finite number of nodes have shown how the symmetry parameter influences the types of attractors featured in the system. Our study extends the work of Tanaka and Edwards by providing a theoretical evaluation of the mean number of attractors of any given length $L$ for different degrees of symmetry in the connectivity matrices.Comment: 35 pages, 12 figure

Towards a Different Understanding of Legal Traditions: Comparative Law Insights

In the legal field, the definition of the term ‘tradition’ suffers from heterogeneous understandings. These epistemological difficulties hint at one of the determinants of the definition of ‘legal tradition’, namely, an appeal to predominantly endogenous cultural aspects and not purely legal forms of legitimacy in the narrow sense. ‘Tradition’ and ‘legal tradition’ are not two autonomous semantic fields, but rather different attempts for conceptualising experience. Methodologically, the ‘seeds’ of the concept of ‘legal tradition’ are scattered within the manuals of the last century, but classifications of legal traditions expose a relativistic attitude. Considering the legal experiences to date most prevalent, this contribution aims to propose a tripartition of legal traditions into (1) supernatural eschatological transcendent (Talmudic and Islamic legal forms); (2) supernatural cosmogonic immanent (Chthonic, Hindu, Confucian, Buddhist legal forms); and (3) Western/North Atlantic (civil law, common law, and their variants)

Modelling of thrombus formation using smoothed particle hydrodynamics method

In this paper a novel model, based on the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method, is proposed to simulate thrombus formation. This describes the main phases of the coagulative cascade through the balance of four biochemical species and three type of platelets. SPH particles can switch from fluid to solid phase when specific biochemical and physical conditions are satisfied. The interaction between blood and the forming blood clot is easily handled by an innovative monolithic FSI approach. Fluid-solid coupling is modelled by introducing elastic binds between solid particles, without requiring detention and management of the interface between the two media. The proposed model is able to realistically reproduce the thromboembolic process, as confirmed by the comparison of numerical results with experimental data available in the literature

Mechanical forces regulate the interactions of fibronectin and collagen I in extracellular matrix

Despite the crucial role of extracellular matrix (ECM) in directing cell fate in healthy and diseased tissues--particularly in development, wound healing, tissue regeneration and cancer--the mechanisms that direct the assembly and regulate hierarchical architectures of ECM are poorly understood. Collagen I matrix assembly in vivo requires active fibronectin (Fn) fibrillogenesis by cells. Here we exploit Fn-FRET probes as mechanical strain sensors and demonstrate that collagen I fibres preferentially co-localize with more-relaxed Fn fibrils in the ECM of fibroblasts in cell culture. Fibre stretch-assay studies reveal that collagen I's Fn-binding domain is responsible for the mechano-regulated interaction. Furthermore, we show that Fn-collagen interactions are reciprocal: relaxed Fn fibrils act as multivalent templates for collagen assembly, but once assembled, collagen fibres shield Fn fibres from being stretched by cellular traction forces. Thus, in addition to the well-recognized, force-regulated, cell-matrix interactions, forces also tune the interactions between different structural ECM components.233157 - European Research Council; PN2 EY016586 - NEI NIH HH

Long-term follow-up of Zoon balanitis: a retrospective cohort study

Dear Editor, Zoon balanitis (ZB) is an infammatory disease afecting genital mucosa, particularly the glans and the inside of the foreski

A Functional End-Use of Avocado (cv. Hass) Waste through Traditional Semolina Sourdough Bread Production

In recent years, a main goal of research has been to exploit waste from agribusiness industries as new sources of bioactive components, with a view to establishing a circular economy. Non-compliant avocado fruits, as well as avocado seeds and peels, are examples of promising raw materials due to their high nutritional yield and antioxidant profiles. This study aimed to recycle avocado food waste and by-products through dehydration to produce functional bread. For this purpose, dehydrated avocado was reduced to powder form, and bread was prepared with different percentages of the powder (5% and 10%) and compared with a control bread prepared with only semolina. The avocado pulp and by-products did not alter organoleptically after dehydration, and the milling did not affect the products' color and retained the avocado aroma. The firmness of the breads enriched with avocado powder increased due to the additional fat from the avocado, and alveolation decreased. The total phenolic content of the fortified breads was in the range of 2.408-2.656 mg GAE/g, and the antiradical activity was in the range of 35.75-38.235 mmol TEAC/100 g (p < 0.0001), depending on the percentage of fortification

Enhanced photogeneration of polaron pairs in neat semicrystalline donor-acceptor copolymer films via direct excitation of interchain aggregates

We investigate the photogeneration of polaron pairs (PPs) in neat films of the semicrystalline donor–acceptor semiconducting copolymer PCPDTBT. Carefully selecting the solution-processing procedures, we obtain films with different amounts of crystallinity and interchain aggregation. We compare the photogeneration of PPs between the films by monitoring their photoinduced absorption in ultrafast pump–probe experiments, selectively exciting nonaggregated or aggregated polymer chains. The direct photoexcitation of interchain π-aggregates results in prompt (<100 fs) charge generation. Compared to the case where nonaggregated chains are excited, we find an 8-fold increase in the prompt PP to singlet-exciton ratio. We also show that highly crystalline lamellar nanostructures not containing π-stacked or any light-absorbing aggregates do not improve the efficiency of PP photogeneration. Our results show that light absorption from interchain aggregates is highly beneficial for charge photogeneration in semiconducting polymers and should be taken into account when optimizing film morphologies for photovoltaic devices

Identifying Strategies for Energy Consumption Reduction and Energy Efficiency Improvement in Fruit and Vegetable Producing Cooperatives: A Case Study in the Frame of TESLA Project☆

Abstract TESLA (Transfering Energy Save Laid on Agroindustry) is a EU project pointing to the reduction of energy consumption and the improvement of energy efficiency in key agro-food sectors' cooperatives, as those processing fruit and vegetables. After a general analysis of energy consumptions during the first phase of the project, the processes responsible for the higher energy consumptions in these fruit and vegetable industries, as cold storage, have been identified. In the second phase of the project, a few case studies aimed at proposing customized solutions for reducing energy wastage and for improving energy efficiency in specific selected cooperatives have been performed. In this manuscript we report preliminary results of a case study carried out in an Italian horticulture cooperative having several production lines for fresh (1 st range) and minimally processed (4 th range) fruit and vegetable products. In this cooperative, an in-depth energy audit has been performed, and additionally a process simulation software has been applied to model, evaluate and improve the operations in this processing centre and in the supply chain from the primary production sites. Such case study may be used as an example for similar cooperatives of the fruit and vegetables sector, thus contributing in making this sector more economically and energetically sustainable