Homeobox genes in normal and abnormal vasculogenesis

Homeobox containing genes are a family of transcription factors regulating normal development and controlling primary cellular processes (cell identity, cell division and differentiation) recently enriched by the discovery of their interaction with miRNAs and ncRNAs. Class I human homeobox genes (HOX genes) are characterized by a unique genomic network organization: four compact chromosomal loci where 39 sequence corresponding genes can be aligned with each other in 13 antero-posterior paralogous groups. The cardiovascular system is the first mesoderm organ-system to be generated during embryonic development; subsequently it generates the blood and lymphatic vascular systems. Cardiovascular remodelling is involved through homeobox gene regulation and deregulation in adult physiology (menstrual cycle and wound healing) and pathology (atherosclerosis, arterial restenosis, tumour angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis). Understanding the role played by homeobox genes in endothelial and smooth muscle cell phenotype determination will be crucial in identifying the molecular processes involved in vascular cell differentiation, as well as to support future therapeutic strategies. We report here on the current knowledge of the role played by homeobox genes in normal and abnormal vasculogenesis and postulate a common molecular mechanism accounting for the involvement of homeobox genes in the regulation of the nuclear export of specific transcripts potentially capable of generating endothelial phenotype modification involved in new vessel formation

F10RS SGB No. 8 (Budget)

A Bill to budget the funds of the Student Government of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College for the fiscal year 2010-2011; to appropriate funds for activities, projects, and programs of the Student Government; and to appropriate grants to certain student groups and organizations according to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Student Government

Graficity: costruzione e rappresentazione di una vision

Peer Reviewe

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL

Performance management is „a strategic and integrated approach to delivering sustained succes to organizations, by improving the performance of the people who working in them, and by developing the capabilities of teams and individual contributions” [1]. At the same time, it is a systematic approach of the human resource management, in general, and of the performance assessment, in particular, using goals, performance, appreciation and feedback as a means of motivating the employees to understand and to fully exploit their creative potential to achieve the organizational goals. [1] Armstrong M. and  Baron D., Relating Competencies to Pay: The UK Experience, Compensation and Benefits Review, May-June, 1998, pp. 28 – 39

Supplier Selection Criteria for Sustainable Supply Chains

In today’s global business environment, suppliers can have a significant impact on the buyer’s supply chain. Selecting the right supplier can be a critical decision for manufacturers and distributors, and to aid in the supplier selection decision making process a large number of selection criteria have been proposed in the literature. Supplier selection criteria have traditionally focused on metrics that impact the buyer’s costs. But due to increased business awareness of the importance of sustainability, supplier selection criteria have now come to include measures on environmental and social performance. While environmental metrics for supplier selection have received some attention in the academic literature, there is a lack of research on criteria that can be used to assess suppliers on social factors. This research adds to the supplier selection criteria literature by identifying both environmental and social factors that can be used to evaluate suppliers in the Food and Beverage, Food and Staples Retailing, and Personal and Household Products industries. We develop these factors by evaluating the supplier codes of conduct of companies that have been recognized by external groups for their efforts in sustainable business operations. We also analyze each company’s web site and most recent sustainability report to corroborate our findings. Our framework will consist of a stratified list of criteria based on importance illustrating how these criteria can facilitate the selection of a sustainable supplier

Nanogravimetric and Optical Characterizations of Thrombin Interaction with a Self-Assembled Thiolated Aptamer

Efficient biorecognition of thrombin (TB), a serine protease with crucial role in physiological and pathological blood coagulation, is a hot topic in medical diagnostics. In this work, we investigate the ability of synthetic thrombin aptamer (TBA), immobilized on a gold substrate, to bind thrombin by two different label-free techniques: the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and the spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). By QCM characterization in the range from 20 to 110 nM, we demonstrate high specificity of TBA-TB interaction and determine affinity constant (Kd) of17.7±0.3 nM, system sensitivity of0.42±0.03 Hz nM−1, and limit of detection (LOD) of240±20 pM. The interaction between TBA and TB is also investigated by SE, an all-optical method, by quantifying the thickness increase of the TBA film assembled on gold substrate. AFM characterization of TBA and TB molecules deposited on flat silicon surface is also supplied

Design and Development of Heterogenous Combustion Systems for Lean Burn Applications

Combustion with a high surface area continuous solid immersed within the flame, referred to as combustion in porous media, is an innovative approach to combustion as the solid within the flame acts as an internal regenerator distributing heat from the combustion byproducts to the upstream reactants. By including the solid structure, radiative energy extraction becomes viable, while the solid enables a vast extension of flammability limits compared to conventional flames, while offering dramatically reduced emissions of NOx and CO, and dramatically increased burning velocities. Efforts documented within are used for the development of a streamlined set of design principles, and characterization of the flame\u27s behavior when operating under such conditions, to aid in the development of future combustors for lean burn applications in open flow systems. Principles described herein were developed from a combination of experimental work and reactor network modeling using CHEMKIN-PRO. Experimental work consisted of a parametric analysis of operating conditions pertaining to reactant flow, combustion chamber geometric considerations and the viability of liquid fuel applications. Experimental behavior observed, when utilizing gaseous fuels, was then used to validate model outputs through comparing thermal outputs of both systems. Specific details pertaining to a streamlined chemical mechanism to be used in simulations, included within the appendix, and characterization of surface area of the porous solid are also discussed. Beyond modeling the experimental system, considerations are also undertaken to examine the applicability of exhaust gas recirculation and staged combustion as a means of controlling the thermal and environmental output of porous combustion systems. This work was supported by ACS PRF 51768-ND10 and NSF IIP 1343454

Spatiotemporal abundances and habitat use of the new species of shark Carcharhinus humani within the iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area (Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa), with considerations on zonation effect

openSharks are one of the most evolutionarily distinct and functionally diverse vertebrate radiation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature es- timated that one-quarter of sharks are threatened with extinction, making them the most threatened vertebrate lineage after amphibians. Conservation efforts for this group have historically been hindered by the paucity of data regarding their ecology and biology, imputable to resource limitations and in- herent intricacies related to researching highly-migratory species in the marine environment. As a result, almost half of global sharks and rays are classi- fied as Data Deficient by the IUCN, hence excluded by the list of priorities of many regional conventions and fisheries commissions, which are a fundamen- tal precursor to potential species-specific protection. Carcharhinus humani, is a newly described and data deficient species of whaler shark, occurring in the Western Indian Ocean. This research project aimed at building base- line ecological data on this species within the iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area (KZN, South Africa), using Baited Remote Underwater Video Surveys (BRUVs). Spatiotemporal structuring of C. humani population was inspected for the first time incorporating sexual-based segregation over a study period of two years. Average lengths of individuals occurring in this area were measured. Preferences of substrate type and depth ranges were surveyed and included in a mixed-model analysis assessing the effect of the different protection levels present in the MPA. This study revealed that C. humani constitutes a res- ident population within the iSimagaliso MPA, as females can be sighted all year around. Males seem to arrive in the area during the warmer months, sup- porting the hypothesis that this species mates in summer. Preferences were displayed for sandy substrates, and individuals were more commonly sighted at depth ranges of 26-35 m. Finally, protection level was one of the main factors influencing Human’s whaler sharks distribution, as they tended to aggregate in no-take zones, especially during the alleged mating season. This study rep- resented the first step in the process of departing C.humani from the Data Deficient classification, setting the basis for future research on this species.Sharks are one of the most evolutionarily distinct and functionally diverse vertebrate radiation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature es- timated that one-quarter of sharks are threatened with extinction, making them the most threatened vertebrate lineage after amphibians. Conservation efforts for this group have historically been hindered by the paucity of data regarding their ecology and biology, imputable to resource limitations and in- herent intricacies related to researching highly-migratory species in the marine environment. As a result, almost half of global sharks and rays are classi- fied as Data Deficient by the IUCN, hence excluded by the list of priorities of many regional conventions and fisheries commissions, which are a fundamen- tal precursor to potential species-specific protection. Carcharhinus humani, is a newly described and data deficient species of whaler shark, occurring in the Western Indian Ocean. This research project aimed at building base- line ecological data on this species within the iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area (KZN, South Africa), using Baited Remote Underwater Video Surveys (BRUVs). Spatiotemporal structuring of C. humani population was inspected for the first time incorporating sexual-based segregation over a study period of two years. Average lengths of individuals occurring in this area were measured. Preferences of substrate type and depth ranges were surveyed and included in a mixed-model analysis assessing the effect of the different protection levels present in the MPA. This study revealed that C. humani constitutes a res- ident population within the iSimagaliso MPA, as females can be sighted all year around. Males seem to arrive in the area during the warmer months, sup- porting the hypothesis that this species mates in summer. Preferences were displayed for sandy substrates, and individuals were more commonly sighted at depth ranges of 26-35 m. Finally, protection level was one of the main factors influencing Human’s whaler sharks distribution, as they tended to aggregate in no-take zones, especially during the alleged mating season. This study rep- resented the first step in the process of departing C.humani from the Data Deficient classification, setting the basis for future research on this species