THE EFFECT OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS ON EMERGING MARKETS. A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE STOCK MARKET SITUATION BEFORE AND AFTER

In this paper the authors present the findings of an analyses carried out to establish whether the BRIC’s stock market returns were affected by the U.S. financial stress during the 2008 Financial Crisis. To do this the authors studied the relationship between the U.S. Stock Markets and the BRIC countries’ stock and bond market returns. They carried out a regression analysis which consisted of running an equation of the dependent variable - the BRIC’s stock market returns, against a number of regressors -explanatory variables, which include the U.S.’ industrial production, the U.S.’ unemployment rate, the U.S.’ S&P500, the Michigan confidence index, the BRIC’s consumer price index, the industrial production, the Gross Domestic Product and the consumer price index of each individual country; Brazil, Russia, India and China respectively. Then the authors used a single-equation time series model to explain spillover effects emanating from the US onto the BRIC markets. They analysed the whole data series from 2003 to 2014. Then sub-divided this data to analyse the post crisis effects on the BRICS equity market. The index of Brazil, Russia, India and China respectively. - BOVESPA (Brazil), MICEX (Russia), NIFTY (India) and China Security Index (CSI300) were the dependent variables of the model. Moreover, the model takes the US stock market index, the S&P500 as a benchmark variable. Results obtained, revealed that the BRICs were subject to a spillover effect during and following the financial crisis

Safety 4.0 for collaborative robotics in the factories of the future

Technology changes present a constant drive for evolvement in the manufacturing industry. This development has brought about a complete change in the way the industry implements technologies. The complexity of state-of-the-art technologies is on the increase as new and unforeseen perils continue to emerge. One of the main challenges being faced is the adaptation of manufacturing systems to the latest safety and security considerations. The research hypothesis being investigated is that a logically structured procedure incorporating safety and security would be able to assist in designing an ergonomic and collaborative manufacturing system while identifying and analysing risks, eventually establishing feasible solutions for these specific burdens. This paper therefore contributes a methodology which was developed to address issues of safety and security in the design and implementation of cyber-physical production systems in collaborative environments.peer-reviewe

Sustainability analysis of a compressed air system

The scope of this study was to conduct a sustainability analysis of compressed air systems in industry. This was accomplished by evaluating the financial aspect, environmental impacts, and societal effects in the working environment of the system and to society as a whole. A literature review was carried out and three different approaches were identified in order to improve the sustainability of a compressed air system. A specific compressed air system at Toly Products Malta Ltd was investigated through power logging of the air compressors and loss analyses through leak identification and quantification exercises. These exercises were carried out using an ultrasonic leak detector and through some minor works, losses were reduced by 32 per cent. This led to the formation of several recommendations with regard to sustainable compressed air production and use and for the implementation of a compressed air monitoring system.peer-reviewe

Aortic coarctation : never too late to diagnose, never too late to treat

We present two cases of severe aortic coarctation detected in adulthood and who underwent successful relief by transcatheter stent deployment using a new covered stent, Optimus® stent (AndraTec GmbH Koblenz, Germany). One patient is a 46-year old female with resistant arterial hypertension, in whom coarctation was suspected on a follow-up transthoracic echocardiogram for bicuspid aortic valve disease and subsequently confirmed on magnetic resonance imaging. The second patient is a 68-year old male whose coarctation was diagnosed incidentally at coronary angiography being performed as part of the preoperative work-up for severe aortic stenosis. Suprasternal views to assess aortic arch and flows in the proximal descending aorta should be a standard part of every transthoracic echocardiogram. Treatment of aortic coarctation should be considered irrespective of patient’s age.peer-reviewe

Metformin increases APP expression and processing via oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and NF-κB activation: Use of insulin to attenuate metformin's effect

AbstractClinical and experimental biomedical studies have shown Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to be a risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study demonstrates the effect of metformin, a therapeutic biguanide administered for T2DM therapy, on β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism in in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models. Furthermore, the protective role of insulin against metformin is also demonstrated. In LAN5 neuroblastoma cells, metformin increases APP and presenilin levels, proteins involved in AD. Overexpression of APP and presenilin 1 (Pres 1) increases APP cleavage and intracellular accumulation of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ), which, in turn, promotes aggregation of Aβ. In the experimental conditions utilized the drug causes oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, decrease of Hexokinase-II levels and cytochrome C release, all of which lead to cell death. Several changes in oxidative stress-related genes following metformin treatment were detected by PCR arrays specific for the oxidative stress pathway. These effects of metformin were found to be antagonized by the addition of insulin, which reduced Aβ levels, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death. Similarly, antioxidant molecules, such as ferulic acid and curcumin, are able to revert metformin's effect. Comparable results were obtained using peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Finally, the involvement of NF-κB transcription factor in regulating APP and Pres 1 expression was investigated. Upon metformin treatment, NF-κB is activated and translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, where it induces increased APP and Pres 1 transcription. The use of Bay11-7085 inhibitor suppressed the effect of metformin on APP and Pres 1 expression

T lymphocytes against solid malignancies: winning ways to defeat tumours

In the last decades, a novel field has emerged in the cure of cancer, by boosting the ability of the patient’s immune system to recognize and kill tumour cells. Although excellent and encouraging results, exploiting the effect of genetically modified T cells, have been obtained, it is now evident that tumour malignancies can evolve several mechanisms to escape such immune responses, thus continuing their growth in the body. These mechanisms are in part due to tumour cell metabolic or genetic alterations, which can render the target invisible to the immune system or can favour the generation of an extracellular milieu preventing immune cell infiltration or cytotoxicity. Such mechanisms may also involve the accumulation inside the tumour microenvironment of different immune-suppressive cell types, which further down-regulate the activity of cytotoxic immune cells either directly by interacting with them or indirectly by releasing suppressive molecules. In this review, we will first focus on describing several mechanisms by which tumour cells may dampen or abrogate the immune response inside the tumour microenvironment and, second, on current strategies that are adopted to cope with and possibly overcome such alterations, thus ameliorating the efficacy of the current-in-use anti-cancer immuno-therapies

Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) Extract Prevents Neurodegeneration in the HFD Mouse Model by Modulating Astrocytes and Microglia Activation

Obesity and related metabolic dysfunctions are associated with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) is a cyanobacterium considered a suitable supplement for its nutritional profile and beneficial properties. The potential neuroprotective effect of an AFA extract, commercialized as KlamExtra®, including the two AFA extracts Klamin® and AphaMax®, in High-Fat Diet (HFD)-fed mice was explored. Three groups of mice were provided with a standard diet (Lean), HFD or HFD supplemented with AFA extract (HFD + AFA) for 28 weeks. Metabolic parameters, brain insulin resistance, expression of apoptosis biomarkers, modulation of astrocytes and microglia activation markers, and Aβ deposition were analyzed and compared in the brains of different groups. AFA extract treatment attenuated HFD-induced neurodegeneration by reducing insulin resistance and loss of neurons. AFA supplementation improved the expression of synaptic proteins and reduced the HFD-induced astrocytes and microglia activation, and Aβ plaques accumulation. Together, these outcomes indicate that regular intake of AFA extract could benefit the metabolic and neuronal dysfunction caused by HFD, decreasing neuroinflammation and promoting Aβ plaques clearanc

Language lateralization mapping (reversibly) masked by non-dominant focal epilepsy: a case report

Language lateralization in patients with focal epilepsy frequently diverges from the left-lateralized pattern that prevails in healthy right-handed people, but the mechanistic explanations are still a matter of debate. Here, we debate the complex interaction between focal epilepsy, language lateralization, and functional neuroimaging techniques by introducing the case of a right-handed patient with unaware focal seizures preceded by aphasia, in whom video-EEG and PET examination suggested the presence of focal cortical dysplasia in the right superior temporal gyrus, despite a normal structural MRI. The functional MRI for language was inconclusive, and the neuropsychological evaluation showed mild deficits in language functions. A bilateral stereo-EEG was proposed confirming the right superior temporal gyrus origin of seizures, revealing how ictal aphasia emerged only once seizures propagated to the left superior temporal gyrus and confirming, by cortical mapping, the left lateralization of the posterior language region. Stereo-EEG-guided radiofrequency thermocoagulations of the (right) focal cortical dysplasia not only reduced seizure frequency but led to the normalization of the neuropsychological assessment and the “restoring” of a classical left-lateralized functional MRI pattern of language. This representative case demonstrates that epileptiform activity in the superior temporal gyrus can interfere with the functioning of the contralateral homologous cortex and its associated network. In the case of presurgical evaluation in patients with epilepsy, this interference effect must be carefully taken into consideration. The multimodal language lateralization assessment reported for this patient further suggests the sensitivity of different explorations to this interference effect. Finally, the neuropsychological and functional MRI changes after thermocoagulations provide unique cues on the network pathophysiology of focal cortical dysplasia and the role of diverse techniques in indexing language lateralization in complex scenarios

The THESEUS space mission concept: science case, design and expected performances

THESEUS is a space mission concept aimed at exploiting Gamma-Ray Bursts for investigating the early Universe and at providing a substantial advancement of multi-messenger and time-domain astrophysics. These goals will be achieved through a unique combination of instruments allowing GRB and X-ray transient detection over a broad field of view (more than 1sr) with 0.5¿1 arcmin localization, an energy band extending from several MeV down to 0.3¿keV and high sensitivity to transient sources in the soft X-ray domain, as well as on-board prompt (few minutes) follow-up with a 0.7¿m class IR telescope with both imaging and spectroscopic capabilities. THESEUS will be perfectly suited for addressing the main open issues in cosmology such as, e.g., star formation rate and metallicity evolution of the inter-stellar and intra-galactic medium up to redshift 10, signatures of Pop III stars, sources and physics of re-ionization, and the faint end of the galaxy luminosity function. In addition, it will provide unprecedented capability to monitor the X-ray variable sky, thus detecting, localizing, and identifying the electromagnetic counterparts to sources of gravitational radiation, which may be routinely detected in the late ¿20s/early ¿30s by next generation facilities like aLIGO/ aVirgo, eLISA, KAGRA, and Einstein Telescope. THESEUS will also provide powerful synergies with the next generation of multi-wavelength observatories (e.g., LSST, ELT, SKA, CTA, ATHENA).© 2018 COSPARS.E. acknowledges the financial support from contracts ASI-INAF 1/009/10/0, NARO15 ASI-INAF 1/037/12/0 and ASI 2015-046-R.0. R.H. acknowledges GACR grant 13-33324S. S.V. research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no 606176. D.S. was supported by the Czech grant 1601116S GA CR. Maria Giovanna Dainotti acknowledges funding from the European Union through the Marie Curie Action FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IOF, under grant agreement No. 626267 (>Cosmological Candles>)