From Collapse to Freezing in Random Heteropolymers

We consider a two-letter self-avoiding (square) lattice heteropolymer model of N_H (out ofN) attracting sites. At zero temperature, permanent links are formed leading to collapse structures for any fraction rho_H=N_H/N. The average chain size scales as R = N^{1/d}F(rho_H) (d is space dimension). As rho_H --> 0, F(rho_H) ~ rho_H^z with z={1/d-nu}=-1/4 for d=2. Moreover, for 0 < rho_H < 1, entropy approaches zero as N --> infty (being finite for a homopolymer). An abrupt decrease in entropy occurs at the phase boundary between the swollen (R ~ N^nu) and collapsed region. Scaling arguments predict different regimes depending on the ensemble of crosslinks. Some implications to the protein folding problem are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, Revtex, figs upon request. New interpretation and emphasis. Submitted to Europhys.Let

Low intensity treatment for clinically anxious youth: a randomised controlled comparison against face-to-face intervention

Methods to deliver empirically validated treatments for anxious youth that require fewer therapist resources (low intensity) are beginning to emerge. However, the relative efficacy of low-intensity treatment for youth anxiety against standard face-to-face delivery has not been comprehensively evaluated. Young people aged 6–16 years with a primary anxiety disorder (N = 281) were randomly allocated to treatment delivered either face-to-face or in a low-intensity format. Face-to-face treatment comprised ten, 60-min sessions delivered by a qualified therapist. Low intensity comprised information delivered in either printed (to parents of children under 13) or electronic (to adolescents aged 13 +) format and was supported by up to four telephone sessions with a minimally qualified therapist. Youth receiving face-to-face treatment were significantly more likely to remit from all anxiety disorders (66%) than youth receiving low intensity (49%). This difference was reflected in parents’ (but not child) reports of child’s anxiety symptoms and life interference. No significant moderators were identified. Low intensity delivery utilised significantly less total therapist time (175 min) than face-to-face delivery (897 min) and this was reflected in a large mean difference in therapy costs ($A735). Standard, face-to-face treatment for anxious youth is associated with significantly better outcomes than delivery of similar content using low-intensity methods. However, the size of this difference was relatively small. In contrast, low-intensity delivery requires markedly less time from therapists and subsequently lower treatment cost. Data provide valuable information for youth anxiety services. Clinical trial registration information: A randomised controlled trial of standard care versus stepped care for children and adolescents with anxiety disorders; https://anzctr.org.au/; ACTRN12612000351819

Fine Selmer Groups and Isogeny Invariance

We investigate fine Selmer groups for elliptic curves and for Galois representations over a number field. More specifically, we discuss Conjecture A, which states that the fine Selmer group of an elliptic curve over the cyclotomic extension is a finitely generated $\mathbb{Z}_p$-module. The relationship between this conjecture and Iwasawa's classical $\mu=0$ conjecture is clarified. We also present some partial results towards the question whether Conjecture A is invariant under isogenies.Comment: 20 page

VR/AR and hearing research: current examples and future challenges

A well-known issue in clinical audiology and hearing research is the level of abstraction of traditional experimental assessments and methods, which lack ecological validity and differ significantly from real-life experiences, often resulting in unreliable outcomes. Attempts to deal with this matter by, for example, performing experiments in real-life contexts, can be problematic due to the difficulty of accurately identifying control-specific parameters and events. Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) have the potential to provide dynamic and immersive audiovisual experiences that are at the same time realistic and highly controllable. Several successful attempts have been made to create and validate VR-based implementations of standard audiological and linguistic tests, as well as to design procedures and technologies to assess meaningful and ecologically-valid data. Similarly, new viewpoints on auditory perception have been provided by looking at hearing training and auditory sensory augmentation, aiming at improving perceptual skills in tasks such as speech understanding and sound-source localisation. In this contribution, we bring together researchers active in this domain. We briefly describe experiments they have designed, and jointly identify challenges that are still open and common approaches to tackle the

Improving mental health and social participation outcomes in older adults with depression and anxiety: Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Background Increasing both the frequency and quality of social interactions within treatments for anxiety and depressive disorders in older adults may improve their mental health outcomes and quality of life. This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy and cost utility of an enhanced cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) plus social participation program in a sample of older adults with depression and/or anxiety. Methods A total of 172 community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older with an anxiety and/or depressive disorder will be randomly allocated to either an enhanced CBT plus social participation program (n = 86) or standard CBT (n = 86). Both treatments will be delivered during 12 weekly individual sessions utilising structured manuals and workbooks. Participants will be assessed at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 12-month follow-up. The primary outcome evaluates mean change in clinician-rated diagnostic severity of anxiety and depressive disorders from baseline to post-treatment (primary endpoint) based on a semi-structured diagnostic interview. Secondary outcomes evaluate changes in symptomatology on self-report anxiety and depression measures, as well as changes in social/community participation, social network, and perceived social support, loneliness, quality of life, and use of health services. Economic benefits will be evaluated using a cost-utility analysis to derive the incremental cost utility ratios for the enhanced CBT program. Discussion Outcomes from this study will provide support for the establishment of improved psychosocial treatment for older adults with anxiety and/or depression. Study outcomes will also provide health systems with a clear means to reduce the impact of poor emotional health in older age and its associated economic burden. In addition to the empirical validation of a novel treatment, the current study will contribute to the current understanding of the role of social participation in older adult wellbeing

Synthesis and structural characterization of a mimetic membrane-anchored prion protein

During pathogenesis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) an abnormal form (PrPSc) of the host encoded prion protein (PrPC) accumulates in insoluble fibrils and plaques. The two forms of PrP appear to have identical covalent structures, but differ in secondary and tertiary structure. Both PrPC and PrPSc have glycosylphospatidylinositol (GPI) anchors through which the protein is tethered to cell membranes. Membrane attachment has been suggested to play a role in the conversion of PrPC to PrPSc, but the majority of in vitro studies of the function, structure, folding and stability of PrP use recombinant protein lacking the GPI anchor. In order to study the effects of membranes on the structure of PrP, we synthesized a GPI anchor mimetic (GPIm), which we have covalently coupled to a genetically engineered cysteine residue at the C-terminus of recombinant PrP. The lipid anchor places the protein at the same distance from the membrane as does the naturally occurring GPI anchor. We demonstrate that PrP coupled to GPIm (PrP-GPIm) inserts into model lipid membranes and that structural information can be obtained from this membrane-anchored PrP. We show that the structure of PrP-GPIm reconstituted in phosphatidylcholine and raft membranes resembles that of PrP, without a GPI anchor, in solution. The results provide experimental evidence in support of previous suggestions that NMR structures of soluble, anchor-free forms of PrP represent the structure of cellular, membrane-anchored PrP. The availability of a lipid-anchored construct of PrP provides a unique model to investigate the effects of different lipid environments on the structure and conversion mechanisms of PrP

Aspectos económicos y ambientales de la producción de hidrógeno en la provincia de Córdoba, a partir de recursos eólicos

En este trabajo se presenta la Evaluación Económica y Ambiental del proyecto de instalación de un parque eólico en la provincia de Córdoba con fines de producción de hidrógeno. El potencial de hidrógeno eólico se analiza para cada departamento de la provincia, considerando los requerimientos energéticos del electrolizador y el factor de capacidad de los sitios analizados. Se analizaron cuatro aspectos del sistema: la evaluación del recurso eólico, el análisis del costo de producción de hidrógeno vía electrólisis, los requerimientos de energía eólica anual para producir hidrógeno y la evaluación de impacto ambiental del proyecto. Para ello se modela una planta que genera una potencia nominal de 60 MW. A partir del costo modelado de producción de la energía, se determina el de producción de hidrógeno. El presente análisis contribuirá a definir los desafíos y oportunidades para la producción de hidrógeno/eólico, que definirán una futura economía del hidrógeno.This paper presents the Economic and Environmental Project evaluation for installation of a wind farm in the province of Cordoba for the purpose of hydrogen production. The potential of hydrogen wind is analyzed for each department province, considering the energy requirements of the electrolyzer and the capacity factor of samples analyzed. We analyzed four aspects of system: hydrogen resource assessment, cost analysis of hydrogen production via electrolysis, wind energy requirements to produce hydrogen and annual assessment project's environmental impact. For this purpose a plant that generates a nominal power of 60 MW was modeled. From a model of cost production of energy the cost production of hydrogen was determined. This analysis should help to define the challenges and opportunities for the production of hydrogen / wind, defining a future hydrogen economy.Asociación Argentina de Energías Renovables y Medio Ambiente (ASADES

Aspectos económicos y ambientales de la producción de hidrógeno en la provincia de Córdoba, a partir de recursos eólicos

En este trabajo se presenta la Evaluación Económica y Ambiental del proyecto de instalación de un parque eólico en la provincia de Córdoba con fines de producción de hidrógeno. El potencial de hidrógeno eólico se analiza para cada departamento de la provincia, considerando los requerimientos energéticos del electrolizador y el factor de capacidad de los sitios analizados. Se analizaron cuatro aspectos del sistema: la evaluación del recurso eólico, el análisis del costo de producción de hidrógeno vía electrólisis, los requerimientos de energía eólica anual para producir hidrógeno y la evaluación de impacto ambiental del proyecto. Para ello se modela una planta que genera una potencia nominal de 60 MW. A partir del costo modelado de producción de la energía, se determina el de producción de hidrógeno. El presente análisis contribuirá a definir los desafíos y oportunidades para la producción de hidrógeno/eólico, que definirán una futura economía del hidrógeno.This paper presents the Economic and Environmental Project evaluation for installation of a wind farm in the province of Cordoba for the purpose of hydrogen production. The potential of hydrogen wind is analyzed for each department province, considering the energy requirements of the electrolyzer and the capacity factor of samples analyzed. We analyzed four aspects of system: hydrogen resource assessment, cost analysis of hydrogen production via electrolysis, wind energy requirements to produce hydrogen and annual assessment project's environmental impact. For this purpose a plant that generates a nominal power of 60 MW was modeled. From a model of cost production of energy the cost production of hydrogen was determined. This analysis should help to define the challenges and opportunities for the production of hydrogen / wind, defining a future hydrogen economy.Asociación Argentina de Energías Renovables y Medio Ambiente (ASADES

Aspectos económicos y ambientales de la producción de hidrógeno en la provincia de Córdoba, a partir de recursos eólicos

En este trabajo se presenta la Evaluación Económica y Ambiental del proyecto de instalación de un parque eólico en la provincia de Córdoba con fines de producción de hidrógeno. El potencial de hidrógeno eólico se analiza para cada departamento de la provincia, considerando los requerimientos energéticos del electrolizador y el factor de capacidad de los sitios analizados. Se analizaron cuatro aspectos del sistema: la evaluación del recurso eólico, el análisis del costo de producción de hidrógeno vía electrólisis, los requerimientos de energía eólica anual para producir hidrógeno y la evaluación de impacto ambiental del proyecto. Para ello se modela una planta que genera una potencia nominal de 60 MW. A partir del costo modelado de producción de la energía, se determina el de producción de hidrógeno. El presente análisis contribuirá a definir los desafíos y oportunidades para la producción de hidrógeno/eólico, que definirán una futura economía del hidrógeno.This paper presents the Economic and Environmental Project evaluation for installation of a wind farm in the province of Cordoba for the purpose of hydrogen production. The potential of hydrogen wind is analyzed for each department province, considering the energy requirements of the electrolyzer and the capacity factor of samples analyzed. We analyzed four aspects of system: hydrogen resource assessment, cost analysis of hydrogen production via electrolysis, wind energy requirements to produce hydrogen and annual assessment project's environmental impact. For this purpose a plant that generates a nominal power of 60 MW was modeled. From a model of cost production of energy the cost production of hydrogen was determined. This analysis should help to define the challenges and opportunities for the production of hydrogen / wind, defining a future hydrogen economy.Asociación Argentina de Energías Renovables y Medio Ambiente (ASADES