973 research outputs found
Técnicas LMI para sistemas com restrições algébricas no estado /
No full textDissertação (Mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico
Diasporas and democratization in the post-communist world
No full textIf diaspora communities are socialized with democratic values in Western societies, they could be expected to be sympathetic to the democratization of their home countries. However, there is a high degree of variation in their behavior. Contrary to the predominant understanding in the literature that diasporas act in exclusively nationalist ways, this article argues that they do engage with the democratization of their home countries. Various challenges to the sovereignty of their homelands explain whether diasporas involve with procedural or liberal aspects of democratization. Drawing evidence from the activities of the Ukrainian, Serbian, Albanian and Armenian diasporas after the end of communism, I argue that unless diasporas are linked to home countries that enjoy both international legal and domestic sovereignty, they will involve only with procedural aspects of democratization. Diasporas filter international pressure to democratize post-communist societies by utilizing democratic procedures to advance unresolved nationalist goals
Role of dysbindin in dopamine receptor trafficking and cortical GABA function.
No full textDysbindin has been implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, but little is known about how dysbindin affects neuronal function in the circuitry underlying psychosis and related behaviors. Using a dysbindin knockout line (dys(-/-)) derived from the natural dysbindin mutant Sandy mice, we have explored the role of dysbindin in dopamine signaling and neuronal function in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Combined cell imaging and biochemical experiments revealed a robust increase in the dopamine receptor D2, but not D1, on cell surface of neurons from dys(-/-) cortex. This was due to an enhanced recycling and insertion, rather than reduced endocytosis, of D2. Disruption of dysbindin gene resulted in a marked decrease in the excitability of fast-spiking (FS) GABAergic interneurons in both PFC and striatum. Dys(-/-) mice also exhibited a decreased inhibitory input to pyramidal neurons in layer V of PFC. The increased D2 signaling in dys(-/-) FS interneurons was associated with a more pronounced increase in neuronal firing in response to D2 agonist, compared to that in wild-type interneurons. Taken together, these results suggest that dysbindin regulates PFC function by facilitating D2-mediated modulation of GABAergic function
Absolute parameters of young stars: HX Velorum
No full textWe present combined photometric and spectroscopic analyses of the southern multiple star HX Vel. High-resolution spectra of this system were taken at the University of Canterbury Mt. John Observatory in the years 2009-2015. Absolute parameters for HX Vel tend to confirm its young and near-main-sequence nature. We specify the main adopted parameters of the (non-eclipsing) close binary as follows: M-1 = 8.5 +/- 1.7, M-2 = 5.4 +/- 1.2, R-1 = 5.0 +/- 0.3, R-2 = 3.1 +/- 0.2, (circle dot); T-1 25 000 +/- 1300, T-2 20 000 +/- 2500 (K); systemic M-V -4.2 +/- 0.2. These parameters are sensitive to the low inclination, where we find a small disparity between the photometrically optimal 28 +/- 2 degrees and an adopted value of 26 degrees that gives better consistency with main-sequence stellar modelling. The relationship of HX Vel to the galactic cluster IC 2395 and OB association Vela OB1C is also considered, in the context of photometric parallaxes found for HX Vel and other cluster members.School of Chemical and Physical Sciences of the Victoria University of Wellington; Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand; Variable Stars South sectionGenerous allocations of time on the 1m McLennnan Telescope and HERCULES spectrograph at the University of Canterbury Mt John Observatory in support of the Southern Binaries Programme have been made available through its TAC and supported by its Director, Dr. K. Pollard and previous Director, Prof. J. B. Hearnshaw. Useful help at the telescope were provided by the UCMJOmanagement (N. Frost and previously A. Gilmore and P. Kilmartin). Considerable assistance with the use and development of the HRSP software (leading up to the latest version 5) was given by its author Dr. J. Skuljan. Encouragement and support for this programme have been shown by the the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences of the Victoria University of Wellington, as well as the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand and its Variable Stars South section (http://www.variablestarssouth.org)
Fe powder catalyzed highly efficient synthesis of alkenyl halides via direct coupling of alcohols and alkynes with aqueous HX as exogenous halide sources
No full textA simple and efficient catalytic method for the synthesis of alkenyl halides via direct coupling of alcohols and alkynes using aqueous HX (X=Cl, Br) as halide sources has been developed under mild conditions in the presence of Fe powder (1 mol %). In comparison with the high loading of FeX3 in previously reported protocols, the present approach provides a remarkable attractive methodology to a diverse range of alkenyl halides due to the advantages of simple operation and low-level metal contamination. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Ethanol ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma Up to 5.0 cm by using a multipronged injection needle with high-dose strategy
No full textPURPOSE: To investigate whether ethanol ablation by using a multipronged needle delivery system (multipronged ethanol ablation) could eradicate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) up to 5.0 cm in diameter with a single-session high-dose strategy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The hospital ethics committee approved the prospective study, and each patient provided written informed consent. One hundred forty-one patients (125 men, 16 women; mean age, 53 years; range, 27-76 years) with 164 primary or recurrent HCC ranging from 1.3 to 5.0 cm in diameter (mean, 2.9 cm +/- 0.9) were treated with high-dose multipronged ethanol ablation. Patients were unsuitable for surgery, declined surgery and radiofrequency ablation, or had tumors located at unfavorable sites. Primary technique effectiveness (PTE) (complete ablation within two sessions), local tumor progression (LTP), and complications after the treatment were observed. Twenty risk factors of local effectiveness and complications were analyzed by means of univariate and multivariate analysis.
RESULTS: Mean number of treatment sessions was 1.1. The mean volume of ethanol per tumor was 31 mL (range, 8-68 mL). PTE was achieved in 134 (95%) of 141 patients and was significantly associated with tumor pattern (capsulated vs noncapsulated, P = .018). After a mean follow-up period of 25 months, LTP was observed in 16 (12%) of 134 patients, and in nine (56%) patients, LTP occurred in tumors 3.1-5.0 cm in diameter. Alanine aminotransferase level (P = .023) was the independent risk factor for LTP. Three (2%) of 141 patients had major complications.
CONCLUSION: Multipronged ethanol ablation with a high-dose strategy can be used to treat HCC up to 5.0 cm in diameter effectively and safely, often in a single sessio
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