Hormonal Mechanisms in Essential Hypertension

“Essential” hypertension is related to multiple mechanisms that affect cardiac output and peripheral resistance and is a consequence of the interaction between external factors and genetic factors. Neuro-hormonal factors are essential in the pathophysiology of hypertension and among them the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) has a main role in the physiological and pathological response of the cardiovascular system. RAAS functions as an endocrine system, but also has paracrine and autocrine functions in many tissues and organs. RAAS regulates extracellular fluid volume and peripheral resistance via systemic and local actions in various tissues. RAAS also participates in endothelial dysfunction, inflammation and vascular fibrosis, cardiac fibrosis and cardiovascular remodelling, with worsening hypertension and target organ injury. Aldosterone is involved in “essential” hypertension via discrete variations in the regulation of aldosterone synthesis in the absence of confirmed primary hyperaldosteronism. A complete evaluation of these systems is needed for a thorough understanding of hypertension.

Optimal composition of tasks in cloud manufacturing platform: a novel hybrid GWO-GA approach

Emerging cloud manufacturing paradigm aims towards providing highly integrated solutions via enabling cooperation between distributed manufacturing resources and capabilities. Implementation of this groundbreaking idea, however, is facing serious challenges springing from the currently centralized industrial structures. In order to help it make its way out, researchers have to address a number of pivotal issues in this regard. Service composition and optimal selection (SCOS), which tackles the problem of optimally selecting and combining available resources into a composite service is one of them. To deal with this NP-hard problem, we developed a novel hybrid algorithm based on the recentlyintroduced grey wolf optimizer (GWO) in which evolutionary operators are also embedded into the hunting mechanism of the basic algorithm.This approach not only makes it possible to adapt an algorithm with continuous structure such as GWO to solve a combinatorial problem such as SCOS, but also empowers it with providing higher exploration through crossover and mutation operators. Experiments conducted clearly proves the superior performance of the proposed algorithm over existing discrete variations of GWO and genetic algorithm, especially in large-scale SCOS problems.

Monitoring for Coastal Resilience: Preliminary Data from Five Italian Sandy Beaches

Video-monitoring can be exploited as a valuable tool to acquire continuous, high-quality information on the evolution of beach morphology at a low cost and, on such basis, perform beach resilience analyses. This manuscript presents preliminary results of an ongoing, long-term monitoring programme of five sandy Italian beaches along the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian sea. The project aims at analyzing nearshore morphologic variabilities on a time period of several years, to link them to resilience indicators. The observations indicate that most of the beach width variations can be linked to discrete variations of sandbar systems, and most of all to an offshore migration and decay of the outermost bars. Further, the largest net shoreline displacements across the observation period are experienced by beaches with a clear NOM (Net Offshore Migration)-type evolution of the seabed.

Diverse pro-inflammatory endotoxin recognition systems of mammalian innate immunity

In humans and other mammals, recognition of endotoxins—abundant surface lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria—provides a potent stimulus for induction of inflammation and mobilization of host defenses. The structurally unique lipid A region of LPS is the principal determinant of this pro-inflammatory activity. This region of LPS is normally buried within the bacterial outer membrane and aggregates of purified LPS, making even more remarkable its picomolar potency and the ability of discrete variations in lipid A structure to markedly alter the pro-inflammatory activity of LPS. Two recognition systems—MD-2/TLR4 and “LPS-sensing” cytosolic caspases—together confer LPS responsiveness at the host cell surface, within endosomes, and at sites physically accessible to the cytosol. Understanding how the lipid A of LPS is delivered and recognized at these diverse sites is crucial to understanding how the magnitude and character of the inflammatory responses are regulated.

Algorithm of numerical optimization of steel structures on basis of minimum weight criterion

The description of the algorithm of steel structures optimal design is described in the article. The calculation model is represented by flat and spatial rod elements. The problem of optimization is resolved with the help of mathematical programming. The material consumption is taken as a criterion of optimality. A wide range of inspections is presented in the form of regulatory requirements for strength, rigidity and local stability. The geometry parameters of the sections are varied, as well as the external geometry of the nodes of the final element model. Both continuous and discrete variations might be possible. The algorithm is implemented in two versions: on the basis of imitating the short-term problem and with the direct reference to the target and restrictive functions at each step of optimization process. The results of the solution of the steel framework optimization problem during on-going and discrete variations of geometric parameters are presented. The solutions obtained are estimated on uniqueness.

Dimensional and discrete variations on the psychosis continuum in a Dutch crowd-sourcing population sample

BackgroundMild psychotic experiences are common in the general population. Although transient and benign in most cases, these experiences are predictive of later mental health problems for a significant minority. The goal of the present study was to perform examinations of the dimensional and discrete variations in individuals’ reporting of subclinical positive and negative psychotic experiences in a unique Dutch internet-based sample from the general population.MethodsPositive and negative subclinical psychotic experiences were measured with the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences in 2870 individuals. First, the prevalence of these experiences and their associations with demographics, affect, psychopathology and quality of life were investigated. Next, latent class analysis was used to identify data-driven subgroups with different symptom patterns, which were subsequently compared on aforementioned variables.ResultsSubclinical psychotic experiences were commonly reported. Both positive and negative psychotic experiences were associated with younger age, more negative affect, anxiety and depression as well as less positive affect and poorer quality of life. Seven latent classes (‘Low psychotic experiences’, ‘Lethargic’, ‘Blunted’, ‘Distressed’, ‘Paranormal’, ‘Distressed_grandiose’ and ‘Distressed/positive psychotic experiences’) were identified that demonstrated both dimensional differences in the number/severity of psychotic experiences and discrete differences in the patterns of reported experiences.ConclusionSubclinical psychotic experiences show both dimensional severity variations and discrete symptom-pattern variations across individuals. To understand and capture all interindividual variations in subclinical psychotic experiences, their number, nature and context (co-occurrence patterns) should be considered at the same time. Only some psychotic experiences may lay on a true psychopathological psychosis continuum.

OPTIMIZATION OF THE STACK IN A STANDING WAVE THERMOACOUSTIC REFRIGERATOR AT DIFFERENT DESIGN TEMPERATURES

Although numerous successful thermoacoustic refrigerators have been reported to date, the performance of these systems is still lower than their vapor compression counter parts. Optimization is imperative to identify the upper limit of the performance in order to be competitive and accepted by the general public. However, optimization methods adopted so far, experimentally and numerically, involved discrete variations of the selected parameters of interest. This paper presents the results of an optimization using the Lagrange Multiplier method, a mathematical approach never used before. The simultaneous optimization of the stack length and center position at various design temperatures is performed for a standard thermoacoustic refrigerator design. Results show similar pattern and trend with previous results with a 24.7% higher stack coefficient of performance achievable. This is promising considering that only two of the design parameters have been optimized.

PORTFOLIO FORMATION MEMORY

Real estate investment trade (REIT) memory as illustrated by variations including their Greeks tend to vary during the [0;[Formula: see text]32] window of portfolio formation, i.e. acquisitions. This is partly due to acquisition activities and intensity which tend to be “higher” during the time to expiration. Prior REIT studies explored variances based on long-term measures without focusing on the discrete nature of variations. This article, empirically presents discrete variations at different points in time. Results illustrate that memory decreases as time to expiration approaches maturity. Given high intensity during acquisitions, one infers that memory illustrated in this paper is likely to be optimal one.