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

Glycosylated metal chelators as anti-parasitic agents with tunable selectivity

Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania amazonensis are the causative agents of Chagas’ disease and leishmaniasis, respectively. These conditions affect millions of people worldwide, especially in developing countries. As such, there is an urgent need for novel, efficient and cost-effective treatments for these diseases, given the growing resistance and side-effects of current therapies. This work details the synthesis and evaluation of the anti-parasitic activity of novel amino- and iminopyridyl metal chelators, their glycosylated derivatives and some of their metal complexes. Our results revealed the potent and metal-dependent activity for the aminopyridyl compounds: Cu(II) complexes were most effective against T. cruzi trypomastigotes, while Zn(II) complexes presented excellent activity against L. amazonensis promastigotes. In addition, the compounds showed excellent selectivity indexes and very low relative toxicity as judged by in vitro and in vivo studies, respectively, using RAW macrophages and Galleria mellonella larvae model