Neuroprotective Effect of Melatonin: A Novel Therapy against Perinatal Hypoxia-Ischemia

17 p.

Against ambiguity

This paper argues that the widespread belief that ambiguity is beneficial in design communication stems from conceptual confusion. Communicating imprecise, uncertain and provisional ideas is a vital part of design teamwork, but what is uncertain and provisional needs to be expressed as clearly as possible. This paper argues that viewing design communication as conveying permitted spaces for further designing is a useful rationalisation for understanding what designers need from their notations and computer tools, to achieve clear communication of uncertain ideas. The paper presents a typology of ways that designs can be uncertain. It discusses how sketches and other representations of designs can be both intrinsically ambiguous, and ambiguous or misleading by failing to convey information about uncertainty and provisionality, with reference to knitwear design, where communication using inadequate representations causes severe problems. It concludes that systematic use of meta-notations for conveying provisionality and uncertainty can reduce these problems.

Para uma teoria do direito internacional do consumidor: a proteção do consumidor no livre comércio internacional

O consumidor é o agente vulnerável na relação de consumo internacional. O processo de globalização se apresenta, para o consumidor, como uma globalização do consumo. A globalização do consumo se caracteriza pelo comércio e fornecimento internacional de produtos e serviços por empresários/fornecedores transnacionais/globais, utilizando marcas de renome mundial, acessíveis a todos os consumidores do planeta, e agrava a vulnerabilidade do consumidor no mercado. A proteção jurídica do consumidor internacional é uma necessidade que os sistemas jurídicos nacionais não se mostram aptos a prover adequadamente, assim como o Direito Internacional também não. A presente tese demonstra a deficiência da Ciência do Direito na proteção do consumidor no contexto da globalização; demonstra como o próprio comércio internacional é prejudicado ao não priorizar de maneira absoluta e efetiva a proteção do consumidor na OMC, bem como ao mostrar-se apático diante dos diferentes níveis de proteção proporcionada aos consumidores em cada diferente sistema jurídico nacional; demonstra, também, como a proteção do consumidor de maneira uniforme e global por um direito comum aos Estados é possível e será capaz de tornar mais eficiente economicamente o processo de globalização do consumo, ao encorajar a participação mais intensa do consumidor no mercado internacional; e propõe a construção de um novo ramo do Direito dedicado ao problema, o Direito Internacional do Consumidor (DIC), por meio da elaboração de uma Teoria do Direito Internacional do Consumidor. O Direito Internacional do Consumidor pretende ser um direito comum e universal de proteção ao consumidor, fundado em métodos, conceitos, institutos, normas e princípios jurídicos universais. O DIC dialogará com outros ramos do Direito Público e Privado, especialmente o Direito Internacional Econômico, o Direito Internacional do Comércio, o Direito Internacional Privado, o Direito Processual Civil Internacional, e o Direito do Consumidor. Pretende-se com isto atender ao ideal de promover o livre comércio internacional com respeito aos Direitos Humanos.

O novo perfil da culpa na responsabilidade civil: a culpa como critério para gradação da indenização

A presente tese propõe um estudo teórico dos perfis estrutural e funcional da culpa a partir do novo marco normativo introduzido no direito brasileiro pelo parágrafo único, do artigo 944 do Código Civil. Por meio de uma análise da disciplina normativa da culpa na seara da responsabilidade civil extracontratual, demonstra-se, neste trabalho que, a despeito do incremento das hipóteses de responsabilidade objetiva, a culpa ainda detém papel relevante no Direito Civil brasileiro. Além de atuar como fator de surgimento do dever de indenizar, a culpa também desempenha hoje a importante função de critério para fixação do valor da indenização. Os estudos realizados comprovam que esses diferentes papéis da culpa lhe imprimem contornos normativos distintos, não sendo mais possível hoje a adoção de uma teoria unitária para a descrição desse instituto jurídico. Ao contrário de seu perfil na esfera das regras de imputação de responsabilidade, onde é apreciada de forma abstrata e objetiva, no plano em que atua como critério de definição da extensão da indenização, a culpa assume feições concretas e pessoais. O estudo foi realizado mediante pesquisa bibliográfica, que compreendeu levantamento de doutrina, jurisprudência e legislação pertinentes.

Stability against crystallization and spectroscopic properties of Tm3+ doped fluorophosphate glasses

Fluorophosphate glasses with various content of Al(PO3)(3) were prepared. With the increment of Al(PO3)(3) content, density decreases while refractive index increases, and transition temperature, crystallization peak temperature and melt temperature increase which were suggested by differential scanning calorimetry. These glasses exhibit the best stability against crystallization with 7-9 mol'Yo Al(PO3)(3) content. Normalized Raman spectra were used to analyze structure and phonon state. The increment of Al(PO3)(3) content does not affect phonon energy but results in the augment of phonon density. Absorption spectra were measured. H-3(6) -> F-3(4) transition exhibits absorption at L band of the third communication window. Compared with the energy of Tm3+ excited states in other glass system, F-3(4) energy of Tm3+ in these glasses is considerable higher and H-3(4) energy is considerable lower, and it can be predicted that emission band of H-3(4) -> F-3(4) transition is close to the amplified band of gain-shift Tm3+ doped fiber amplifier. Analyses of Judd-Ofelt theory suggest when Al(PO3)(3) content is no more than 7 mol%, Judd-Ofelt parameters Omega(t) and the lifetime of H-3(4) energy level of TM3+ vary little with the increment of Al(PO3)(3) content, and when Al(PO3)(3) content is more than 7 mol%, Omega(2) and Omega(6) increase and radiative lifetime of H-3(4) energy level of Tm3+ drops sharply with the increment of Al(PO3)(3) content. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lipid Nanoparticles as Carriers for RNAi against Viral Infections: Current Status and Future Perspectives

The efforts made to develop RNAi-based therapies have led to productive research in the field of infections in humans, such as hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), herpetic keratitis, human papillomavirus, or influenza virus. Naked RNAi molecules are rapidly digested by nucleases in the serum, and due to their negative surface charge, entry into the cell cytoplasm is also hampered, which makes necessary the use of delivery systems to exploit the full potential of RNAi therapeutics. Lipid nanoparticles (LNP) represent one of the most widely used delivery systems for in vivo application of RNAi due to their relative safety and simplicity of production, joint with the enhanced payload and protection of encapsulated RNAs. Moreover, LNP may be functionalized to reach target cells, and they may be used to combine RNAi molecules with conventional drug substances to reduce resistance or improve efficiency. This review features the current application of LNP in RNAi mediated therapy against viral infections and aims to explore possible future lines of action in this field.

Comparison of echogram measurements against data expectations and assumptions for distinguishing seafloor substrates

Defining types of seafloor substrate and relating them to the distribution of fish and invertebrates is an important but difficult goal. An examination of the processing steps of a commercial acoustics analyzing software program, as well as the data values produced by the proprietary first echo measurements, revealed potential benef its and drawbacks for distinguishing acoustically distinct seafloor substrates. The positive aspects were convenient processing steps such as gain adjustment, accurate bottom picking, ease of bad data exclusion, and the ability to average across successive pings in order to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. A noteworthy drawback with the processing was the potential for accidental inclusion of a second echo as if it were part of the first echo. Detailed examination of the echogram measurements quantified the amount of collinearity, revealed the lack of standardization (subtraction of mean, division by standard deviation) before principal components analysis (PCA), and showed correlations of individual echogram measurements with depth and seafloor slope. Despite the facility of the software, these previously unknown processing pitfalls and echogram measurement characteristics may have created data artifacts that generated user-derived substrate classifications, rather than actual seafloor substrate types.

Postantifungal Effect of Micafungin against the Species Complexes of Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis

Micafungin is an effective antifungal agent useful for the therapy of invasive candidiasis. Candida albicans is the most common cause of invasive candidiasis; however, infections due to non-C. albicans species, such as Candida parapsilosis, are rising. Killing and postantifungal effects (PAFE) are important factors in both dose interval choice and infection outcome. The aim of this study was to determinate the micafungin PAFE against 7 C. albicans strains, 5 Candida dubliniensis, 2 Candida Africana, 3 C. parapsilosis, 2 Candida metapsilosis and 2 Candida orthopsilosis. For PAFE studies, cells were exposed to micafungin for 1 h at concentrations ranging from 0.12 to 8 mu g/ml. Time-kill experiments (TK) were conducted at the same concentrations. Samples were removed at each time point (0-48 h) and viable counts determined. Micafungin (2 mu g/ml) was fungicidal (>= 3 log(10) reduction) in TK against 5 out of 14 (36%) strains of C. albicans complex. In PAFE experiments, fungicidal endpoint was achieved against 2 out of 14 strains (14%). In TK against C. parapsilosis, 8 mu g/ml of micafungin turned out to be fungicidal against 4 out 7 (57%) strains. Conversely, fungicidal endpoint was not achieved in PAFE studies. PAFE results for C. albicans complex (41.83 +/- 2.18 h) differed from C. parapsilosis complex (8.07 +/- 4.2 h) at the highest tested concentration of micafungin. In conclusion, micafungin showed significant differences in PAFE against C. albicans and C. parapsilosis complexes, being PAFE for the C. albicans complex longer than for the C. parapsilosis complex.