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Collective payments for ecosystem services (PES) programs make payments to groups, conditional on specified aggregate land-management outcomes. Such collective contracting may be well suited to settings with communal land tenure or decision-making. Given that collective contracting does not require costly individual-level information on outcomes, it may also facilitate conditioning on additionality (i.e., conditioning payments upon clearly improved outcomes relative to baseline). Yet collective contracting often suffers from free-riding, which undermines group outcomes and may be exacerbated or ameliorated by PES designs. We study impacts of conditioning on additionality within a number of collective PES designs. We use a framed field-laboratory experiment with participants from a new PES program in Mexico. Because social interactions are critical within collective processes, we assess the impacts from conditioning on additionality given: (1) group participation in contract design, and (2) a group coordination mechanism. Conditioning on above-baseline outcomes raised contributions, particularly among initially lower contributors. Group participation in contract design increased impact, as did the coordination mechanism.

Las instituciones tradicionales, la cultura y la simbologia son aspectos centrales en el manejo de los recursos naturales en las sociedades indigenas de la Amazonia. Los lideres — autoridades religiosas y civiles— tienen un papel importante como depositarios del conocimiento tradicional asi como por su influencia en la resolucion de conflictos y en la toma de decisiones. En este documento presentamos los resultados del Juego de la Pesca en el que participaron personas del pueblo cubeo, habitantes de la cuenca del rio Cuduyari, en el departamento del Vaupes. Encontramos que mientras los grupos que pudieron comunicarse se mantuvieron con una mayor disponibilidad del recurso, los que no pudieron comunicarse tendieron a su agotamiento. La presencia de lideres en los grupos con comunicacion tuvo un impacto positivo en la sostenibilidad del recurso, lo que se debio tanto a su propio comportamiento como a su influencia en el comportamiento de los demas participantes.

The impact of altering the solvent pH value on the photodynamic action of thionine has been studied computationally by means of density functional theory and multi-reference interaction methods. To this end, we have investigated the electronic structure of the ground and excited states of diprotonated (TH₂²+) and neutral imine (T) forms of thionine (TH+). It is well known experimentally that the T₁ state of TH+ undergoes acid-base equilibrium reactions resulting in a pronounced pH effect for the efficiency of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) production. Our results show that the energy transfer reactions from the T₁ state of TH₂²+ and T to ³O₂ correspond to reversible equilibrium processes, whereas in TH+ this process is very exothermic in vacuum (-0.66 eV) and in aqueous solution (-0.49 eV). These facts explain the experimental observation of a much smaller efficiency of ¹O₂ production for TH₂²+ than for TH+. Moreover, we found that the pH value significantly affects the intersystem crossing (ISC) kinetics impacting the concentration of triplet state species available for energy transfer. In very acidic aqueous solution (pH 10⁷s-1). According to these results, maximum ISC efficiency is expected for intermediate acidic pH values (TH+, ∼10⁹ s-1).

Pyridopyrimidines are heterocyclic aromatic compounds known by their antibacterial and medicinal properties. In this work, a series of pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine indole derivatives were synthesized by three-component one pot cyclocondensation Michael reaction between 2,6-diaminopirimidin-4(3H)-one, 3-(2-cyanoacetyl)indole and aromatic aldehydes in boiling acetic acid as solvent. The compounds differ with respect to the substituents of the aromatic aldehyde which are comprised by -C6H5, -4-ClC6H4, -4-NO2C6H4, -3,4-OCH2OC6H3, -3-OCH3,4-OH,5-NO2C6H2, and -3,4,5-tri-H3COC6H2, respectively. The compounds were synthesized with reasonable yields. They were characterized by and IR, mass, and NMR spectrometry. The protocol employed offers the convenient advantages of a one-step synthesis, considerable savings of solvents, and easy isolation of reaction products. In addition, DFT and TD-DFT quantum chemical calculations were used to characterize the geometry and electronic structure of the compounds.

Fluorescent sensors with selectivity and sensitivity to metal ions are an active field in supramolecular chemistry for biochemical, analytical, and environmental problems. Mg

The ethanolic extract of Syzygium cumini fruits was characterized and evaluated in the photogeneration of singlet oxygen (1O2) under visible light radiation. This process was studied from a theoretical approach by the survey of the generated electronic excited states, after photoexcitation of the most abundant anthocyanin of the extract, i.e. delphinidin-3,5-diglucoside. It was determinated that the adiabatic energy of the optimized T1(πH-1 → πL*) state was 1.55 eV and that the overall energy transfer releases ∼0.58 eV in an exothermic process. Therefore, this state is the responsible of promoting electron transfer reactions and subsequent formation of 1O2 through illumination.

5574 Background: Treatment options in recurrent endometrial carcinoma (EC) are limited. Endometrioid EC shows alterations in PTEN, a possible biomarker of response to PARP inhibitors (PARPi). Similarly, homologous recombination deficiency (HRd), a biomarker of response to PARPi in ovarian cancer, is associated with serous EC harbouring TP53 mutations. Preclinical EC models have shown synergy between combining a PARPi and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI). Methods: A pilot multi-centre, non-randomized, phase II trial enrolled patients (pts) with recurrent serous or endometrioid EC in two consecutive cohorts (NCT03016338). In the first cohort (C1) pts received niraparib 200 or 300 mg qd, based on baseline body weight and platelet count, in 4 week (w) cycles. In the second cohort (C2) niraparib was given with dostarlimab 500 mg q 3 w for 4 cycles, followed by 1000 mg q 6 w thereafter. There was no limit on prior lines of therapy. Prior ICI was not allowed in C2. Primary endpoint was clinical benefit rate (CBR; complete, partial response or stable disease ≥16w). Secondary endpoints included toxicity assessment and ORR. CT scans were performed q 8 w. Potential biomarkers were assessed in archival tissue by IHC (PTEN, p53, MMR, PDL-1 [threshold 1%]) and a NGS panel (including TP53, PTEN, POLE and other HRd genes). Tumour mutational burden-high (TMBh) was defined as top 20% mutation load. Results: In C1, 25 pts were enrolled (23 evaluable for response). Median age was 69 years old, 64% had serous EC, 72% were platinum resistant (PlatR) and median prior therapies was 2 (range 1-4). Median number of cycles was 3. The CBR was 20% (95% CI: 9-39) and median clinical benefit (CB) duration was 5.3 (1.8-7.2) months. The ORR was 1/23 (4%; 0-20). Related grade (g) ≥3 AEs ≥10% were anemia (24%), fatigue (16%) and thrombocytopenia (16%). In C2, 22 pts were enrolled (all evaluable) and two continue on-treatment. Median age was 64 years old, 46% had serous EC, 68% were PlatR and median prior therapies was 2 (1-6). Three pts had MMR deficient (MMRd) tumors (14%) and one pt a POLE mutation (5%). Median number of cycles was 3. The CBR was 31.8% (16-53) and median CB duration was 6.8 months (3.7-9.5). The ORR was 3/22 (14%; 3-35), out of the three responders one had MMRd and one a POLE mutation. Related g≥3 AEs ≥10% were anemia (27%) and neutropenia (14%). No significant correlation was detected between CB and IHC markers (PTEN, p53, MMR, PDL-1), or NGS ( PTEN, TP53, HRd TMBh) in C1 and C2. Conclusions: Niraparib as single agent for treatment in a PlatR enriched recurrent EC population showed modest activity with clinical benefit rate at 16w of 20%. The combination of niraparib and dostarlimab showed a clinical benefit rate at 16w of 31.8% in a predominantly PlatR recurrent EC. PTEN loss by IHC or NGS, and alterations in HRd genes did not correlate with clinical benefit. Clinical trial information: NCT03016338.

6081 Background: Treatment selection based on actionable alterations (AAs) is an appealing strategy for pts with R/M SGT. The GEMS-001 study (NCT02069730) at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PM) and the Vall D´Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) pre-screening program facilitate the identification of AAs for R/M SGT pts and treatment selection. Methods: We analyzed R/M SGT treated at PM and VHIO from 2015 to 2020. Clinicopathological features, molecular alterations and treatment modalities were correlated with outcomes. The primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR) by RECIST 1.1. Clinical benefit rate (CBR) was defined by pts with partial response or stable disease ≥4 months. Clinical actionability of multigene panel testing (NGS) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were assessed as per institutional molecular tumor boards or investigators. Pts were opportunistically matched to available therapies from each center. Results: In total 206 pts were enrolled. On IHC, HER2 overexpression was present in 9%, Androgen Receptor (AR) 33%, Estrogen/Progesterone Receptor (ER/PR) 11% and ALK overexpression 0%. On NGS, PIK3CA mutation (mut) was in 9%, NTRK fusion 6%, NOTCH1-3 mut 5%, HRAS mut 6%, ERBB2/3 alterations (alt) 4% and FGFR1-4 alt 3%. Up to 92 pts (45%) displayed at least 1 AA and 36 pts (18%) had ≥2 AAs. A total of 60 pts (29%) were matched to AAs. Of those matched, median age was 60 years (range 33-84), M:F 21:39, 95% ECOG≤1 with a median number of prior treatment lines 0 (range 0-3), and their AAs included 26 AR, 9 HER2 or ERBB2 overexpression, 9 PIK3CA mut, 3 NTRK fusion, 3 FGFR1-3 alt and 10 other AAs (2 ER/PR overexpression, 2 EGFR mut, 1 c-kit mut, 1 BAP1 mut, 1 Non-V600 BRAF mut, 1 CDKN2A mut, 1 CHEK2 mut and 1 PTCH1 mut). Overall, ORR was 27% for the matched population. See table for outcomes. Conclusions: In our cohort, almost one third of the population received therapies matched to AAs. Our results suggest that targeted therapies have promising activity in pts with R/M SGT supporting comprehensive molecular and IHC profiling in treatment determination.[Table: see text]

As a discipline, environmental peacebuilding “integrates natural resource management in conflict prevention, mitigation, resolution, and recovery to build resilience in communities affected by conflict” ( EnPAX 2020 ). Increasingly, peacebuilders have deployed environmental peacebuilding in intrastate and interstate contexts to advance peacebuilding objectives. Despite its growing appeal, environmental peacebuilding has been critiqued for lacking a strong theoretical foundation grounded in empirical evidence. Clear causal mechanisms linking environment and peacebuilding remain poorly specified, meaning many of the core assumptions in environmental peacebuilding circulate in peer-review and policy literature without critical reflection. In this article, we conduct a review of the empirical literature on environmental peacebuilding to examine linkages between NRM and intrastate peacebuilding. Our analysis builds on the notion of a “peace continuum” to identify four dimensions of peace (absence of violence, shared identity, capabilities, and substantial integration), and models how NRM initiatives contribute to or detract from those dimensions, as well as their cumulative impact on wider peacebuilding processes (i.e. positive, negative, or mixed). We systematically coded and analyzed 79 empirical articles on intrastate environmental peacebuilding written between 2002 and 2019 to identify the causal mechanisms and sub-mechanisms driving NRM-peace linkages. We reviewed research from 40 conflict-affected countries, and our sample included articles that found NRM initiatives to have an overall positive (N = 20), negative (N = 13), or mixed (N = 35) effect on peacebuilding (N = 11 coded as other). While we find the evidence for environment-peace linkages is mixed and context-dependent, our analysis suggests that NRM initiatives show consistent indirect and direct linkages to all dimensions of peace, but especially peace as capabilities and substantial integration. We argue, in particular, that building peace as capabilities – via initiatives that facilitate political inclusion, equity, and livelihoods – may be a necessary condition for fostering positive peace. However, we also find that detracting from peace as substantial integration – via initiatives that destabilize social cohesion, undermine state legitimacy, or produce distributive injustice – may be a sufficient condition for spoiling positive peace. Further, there is evidence to suggest that building peace as capabilities can counteract peace as substantial integration. We highlight five major avenues for future research, the most important being to understand how distinct dimensions of peace interact to influence larger peace processes. Overall, our results suggest that environmental peacebuilding can be a critical tool in post-conflict peacebuilding, but that peacebuilders should be aware of the ways in which it can systematically undermine peacebuilding efforts.

This study reports the antioxidant activity against singlet oxygen (1O2) of five newly synthesized furanyl chalcones (FCs) (E)-3-(5-(4-chlorophenyl)furan-2-yl)-1-arylprop-2-en-1-ones (3a-e). Their structural difference is based on the aryl substituent as follows (Ar): 3a = –C6H4–OCH3, 3b = –C6H3-(1,2-OCH3), 3c = –C6H4OC6H4, 3d = –C10H6-(OCH3) and 3e = –C4H3O. We used a Claisen-Schmidt condensation involving a 5-(4-chlorophenyl)furan-2-carbaldehyde and the corresponding ketones under ultrasonic irradiation. Their property to 1O2 quenching was analyzed in terms of the rate constant for the process (kQ at 25 °C) determined by the Stern–Volmer model in ethanol. For the compounds 3c, 3d and 3e, the kQ values are slightly larger respect to 3a and 3b. The FCs 3c behaves as the best quencher (kQ of 8.44 (±0.09) x 107 M−1s−1). Geometry analysis and electronic structure calculations have been performed in the framework of Density Functional Theory (DFT) and DFT/Multi-Reference Configuration Interaction (DFT/MRCI) methods. According to DFT/MRCI, a physical quenching of 1O2 from the ground states of the FCs may not likely induce a spontaneous energy transfer processes but a chemical quenching mechanism may dominate the kinetics.

The aim of this study was to evaluate dehydrated murta berries enriched with probiotic (Lactobacillus casei var. rhamnosus) bacteria. L. casei was incorporated to fresh murta by vacuum impregnation at alternative conditions (pressure 50, 150 and 300 mbar; time 5, 10 and 15 min; temperature 20 ± 0.2 °C) and impregnated murta samples were dehydrated by two drying methods at 40 °C, vacuum and convective drying. Both drying processes were modeled by three mathematical models (Weibull, Page and modified Page). According to the statistical tests applied, the Weilbull model obtained the best-fit quality on experimental data. Effective moisture diffusivity varied between 1.23–1.75 × 10(−10) m(2)/s and 1.16–1.44 × 10(−10) m(2)/s for vacuum and convective drying, respectively. After impregnation, murta berries contained approximately 10(7) CFU/g L. casei although maximum counts were found at 150 mbar for 15 min. Drying decreased L. casei viability in 1.5–1.9 log and 0.5–1.2 log for vacuum and convective drying, respectively. Thus, impregnation at 150 mbar for 15 min followed by convective drying at 40 °C appears as the method of choice to produce probiotic enriched murta berries that can be commercialized as probiotic dried snacks.

Chalcones constitute an important group of natural and synthetic products that have been screened due to their wide range of pharmacological applications. Herein, we studied the antioxidant activity of five newly synthetized (E)-1-(pyrrole-2-yl)-3-(aryl)-2-(propen-1-one) (PAPs) derivatives against singlet oxygen (1O2). The differences among the compounds are related to aryl substitution in the p-position where: 3a = C6H5, 3b = 4-H3COC6H4, 3c = 4-FC6H4, 3d = 4-ClC6H4, 3e = 4-BrC6H4. The PAPs were synthesized using a Claisen–Schmidt condensation reaction between 2-acetylpyrrole and aromatic aldehydes under ultrasonic irradiation (yields between 79–86%) and were characterized by IR, mass spectrometry, NMR and quantum chemical calculations. The total singlet oxygen quenching rate constants (kQ) of the PAPs were measured spectrophotometrically in ethanol at 25 °C and determined by using the Stern–Volmer model. As the character of the EWGs is increased from 3a to 3e, the kQ diminishes smoothly. The best quencher is found to be the 3a compound (where the aryl group is unsubstituted) with a kQ = 5.71 (±0.21) × 107 M−1 s−1, which is similar to those for other antioxidants e.g. flavonoids. These results suggest these compounds are efficient quenchers of singlet oxygen and their potential applicability in biological systems.

The effect of substituting the intra-cyclic sulphur of thionine by oxygen (oxonine) and selenium (selenine) on the intersystem crossing (ISC) efficiency has been studied using high level quantum mechanical methods. The ISC rate constants are considerably increased when going from O towards Se while the fluorescence rate constants remain unchanged. For the three dyes, all accessible ISC channels are driven by vibronic spin-orbit coupling (SOC) between ππ* states. The interplay between the ground and low-lying excited states has been investigated in order to determine the dominant relaxation pathways. In oxonine the relaxation to the ground state after photoexcitation in water proceeds essentially via fluorescence from the S1(πHπL*) bright state (kF = 2.10 × 10(8) s(-1)), in agreement with the high experimental fluorescence quantum yield. In aqueous solution of thionine, the ISC rate constant (kISC ∼ 1 × 10(9) s(-1)) is one order of magnitude higher than fluorescence (kF = 1.66 × 10(8) s(-1)) which is consistent with its high triplet quantum yield observed in water (ϕT = 0.53). Due to a stronger vibronic SOC in selenine, the ISC rate is very high (kISC ∼ 10(10) s(-1)) and much faster than fluorescence (kF = 1.59 × 10(8) s(-1)). This suggests selenine-based dyes as very efficient triplet photosensitizers.

The possibility of dye charge recombination in DSSCs remains a challenge for the field. This consists of: (a) back-transfer from the TiO2 to the oxidized dye and (b) intermolecular electron transfer between dyes. The latter is attributed to dye aggregation due to dimeric conformations. This leads to poor electron injection which decreases the photocurrent conversion efficiency. Most organic sensitizers are characterized by an Acceptor-Bridge-Donor (A-Bridge-D) arrangement that is commonly employed to provide charge separation and, therefore, lowering the unwanted back-transfer. Here, we address the intermolecular electron transfer by studying the dimerization and photovoltaic performance of a group of A-Bridge-D structured dyes. Specifically, eight famous sulfur containing π-bridges were analyzed (A and D remained fixed). Through quantum mechanical and molecular dynamics approaches, it was found that the formation of weakly stabilized dimers is allowed. The dyes with covalently bonded and fused thiophene rings as Bridges, 6d and 7d as well as 8d with a fluorene, would present high aggregation and, therefore, high probability of recombination processes. Conversely, using TiO2 cluster and surface models, delineated the shortest bridges to improve the adsorption energy and the stability of the system. Finally, the elongation of the bridge up to 2 and 3 units and their photovoltaic parameters were studied. These results showed that all the sensitizers are able to provide similar photocurrent outcomes, regardless of whether the bridge is elongated. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Small-scale gold mining is important to rural livelihoods in the developing world but also a source of environmental externalities. Incentives for individual producers are the classic policy response for a socially efficient balance between livelihoods and the environment. Yet monitoring individual miners is ineffective, or it is very costly, especially on frontiers with scattered small-scale miners. We ask whether monitoring at a group level effectively incentivizes cleaner artisanal mining by combining lower-cost external monitoring with local collective action. We employ a mining-framed, threshold-public-goods experiment in Colombia's Pacific region, with 640 participants from frontier mining communities. To study compliance with collective environmental targets, we vary the target stringency, including to compare increases over time in the stringency versus decreases. We find that collective incentives can induce efficient equilibria, with group compliance – and even inefficient overcompliance – despite the existence of equilibria with zero contributions. Yet, for demanding targets in which the reward for compliance barely outweighs the cost, compliance can collapse. Those outcomes improve with past successes for easier targets, however, so our results suggest gain from building coordination via graduated stringency.

Payments for ecosystem services (PES) programs are now high in number, if not always in impact. When groups of users pay groups of service providers, establishing PES involves collective action. We study the creation of collective PES institutions, and their continuation, as group coordination. We use framed lab-in-field experiments with hydroservices users and providers within watersheds participating in Mexico's Matching Funds program in Veracruz, Yucatan and Quintana Roo states. We explore the coordination of contributions between downstream users and upstream providers, plus effects of different types of sanctions that can affect expectations for both users and providers. Both information alone and sanctions raise contributions overall, although outcomes varied by site in line with our rankings of ‘watershed trust’. For instance, monetary sanctions raise contributions in the watershed we ranked high in trust, yet initially lowered them for the lowest-trust watershed. This suggests that upstream-downstream social capital will be central to new collective local PES, while our overall trends suggest social capital can be raised by successful coordination over time.

3123 Background: Selinexor is a first-in-class SINE compound with single-agent activity in STS. We undertook this study to determine the safety, tolerability and efficacy of selinexor in combination with doxorubicin in pts with incurable STS. Methods: This phase 1b study was conducted using a bayesian model (modified toxicity probability index). Patients with locally advanced or metastatic STS received selinexor at either 60 or 80mg weekly PO plus doxorubicin (75mg/m2 IV q21 days, max 6 cycles). Pts with stable disease (SD) or better (per RECIST 1.1 criteria) after 6 cycles of combination treatment received selinexor monotherapy until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Disease assessments were made with standard imaging after every 2 cycles. Results: 24 pts (19F/5M, ECOG 0/1: 12/12, median age 58.5 years [range 34-74]) were enrolled. Disease subtypes included leiomyosarcoma (n = 6), malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (n = 3) and other sarcomas (n = 15). Three pts at 60mg selinexor and 21 pts at 80mg selinexor were treated. The most common G3 drug related adverse events were hematological, neutropenia n = 13 (54%), anemia n = 6 (25%). There were 4 dose-limiting toxicities (2 febrile neutropenia, 1 vomiting and 1 unresolved fatigue) all at the 80mg dose level, but does not satisfy criteria for maximum tolerated dose. Two patients had clinically significant and relevant drop in ejection fraction, presenting with cardiac symptoms. Of the 24 evaluable pts 4 (17%) had a partial response, 16 (67%) had SD as best response and SD > 16 weeks was seen in 13 pts (54%). PK analysis of selinexor did not demonstrate changes compared to single agent profile. The estimated median PFS and OS are 5.5 (95% CI:4.1-7.0) and 9.4 (6.6-13.8) months. Conclusions: Our initial data demonstrate that the combination of selinexor at 80mg with doxorubicin is tolerable and is associated with clinical benefit. Longer term follow up of available patients will be needed to understand toxicity profile. Clinical trial information: NCT03042819.

We have examined the electronic and molecular structure of 3,7-diaminophenothiazin-5-ium dye (thionine) in the electronic ground state and in the lowest excited states. The electronic structure was calculated using a combination of density functional theory and multi-reference configuration interaction (DFT/MRCI). Equilibrium geometries were optimized employing (time-dependent) density functional theory (B3LYP functional) combined with the TZVP basis set. Solvent effects were estimated using the COSMO model and micro-hydration with up to five explicit water molecules. Our calculated electronic energies are in good agreement with experimental data. We find the lowest excited singlet and triplet states at the ground state geometry to be of π→π* (S(1), S(2), T(1), T(2)) and n→π* (S(3), T(3)) character. This order changes when the molecular structure in the electronically excited states is relaxed. Geometry relaxation has almost no effect on the energy of the S(1) and T(1) states (~0.02 eV). The relaxation effects on the energies of S(2) and T(2) are moderate (0.14-0.20 eV). The very small emission energy results in a very low fluorescence rate. While we were not able to locate the energetic minimum of the S(3) state, we found a non-planar minimum for the T(3) state with an energy which is very close to the energy of the S(1) minimum in the gas phase (0.04 eV above). When hydration effects are taken into account, the n→π* states S(3) and T(3) are strongly blueshifted (0.33 and 0.46 eV), while the π→π* states are only slightly affected (0.06 eV).

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are devices that convert light to electrical energy. Nowadays, researchers have focused on the understanding of the performance of dyes in solar cells. In this way, new efficient dyes have been obtained which can act as efficient light-harvesting compounds where the combination and the balance of acceptor(A)-bridge-donor(D) architectures confer suitable attributes and properties to the dye. Herein, we have carried out a DFT study on the optical and electronic properties of eight different A motifs and their influence on the electron photo-injection (PI) mechanisms through type I (indirect) or type II (direct) pathways in A-bridge-D dyes in DSSCs. The models consisted of thiophene as a bridge and triphenylamine as a D anchored to a TiO2 anatase cluster. All geometry optimizations were calculated using the B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP and BHandHLYP functionals combined with the 6-31G(d,p) basis set for C, H, N, O and S and the LANL2DZ pseudopotential for Ti atoms. Most of the A dyes display optoelectronic properties consistent with a type-I (indirect) mechanism except for the A5 dye where the results suggest a type-II (direct) PI pathway. In addition, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been carried out in order to describe the formation of dye dimers and analyze the stability of the aggregates due to intermolecular interactions. The observed trends indicate that dyes with A2 and A5 anchoring groups have less tendency to dimerize due to weaker intermolecular interactions resulting in less stable dimer complexes. Specifically, we found that the A motif influences the PI by a dye and the dimerization profiles.

Some approaches for automated reconfiguration of telecommunication convergent processes have been proposed recently. However, mechanisms for monitoring and error detection are focused mostly in subjacent layers without considering high level errors. The present work presents an approach for monitoring and error detecting in convergent processes based on semantic technologies both to represent services and to define rules for monitoring, taking the concept of event from ITIL. Furthermore, the approach is included in the monitoring module of the AUTO framework and tested in Telecom servers using a rule based engine. Preliminary experimentation is also presented.

The combination and balance of acceptor(A)-bridge-donor(D) architecture of molecules confer suitable attributes and/or properties to act as efficient light-harvesting and sensitizers in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). An important process in a DSSC performance is the electron photoinjection (PI) mechanism which can take place either via type I (indirect), that consists in injecting from the excited state of the dye to the semiconductor, or type II (direct), where the PI is from the ground state of the dye to the semiconductor upon photoexcitation. Here, we present a computational study about the role of the donor motif in the PI mechanisms displayed from a family of 11 A-bridge-D structured dyes to a (TiO2)15 anatase cluster. To this end, different donor motifs (D1-D11) were evaluated while the A and bridge motifs remained the same. All the computations were carried out within the DFT framework, using the B3LYP, PW91, PBE, M06L and CAM-B3LYP functionals. The 6-31G(d) basis set was employed for nonmetallic atoms and the LANL2DZ pseudopotential for Ti atoms. The solvation effects were incorporated using the polarized continuum model (PCM) for acetonitrile. As benchmark systems, alizarin and naphthalenediol dyes were analyzed, as they are known to undergo Type I and Type II PI pathways in DSSCs, respectively. Donors in the studied family of dyes could influence to drive Type I or II PI since it was found that D2 could show some Type II PI route, showing a new absorption band, although with CAM-B3LYP this shows a very low oscillator strength, while the remaining dyes behave according to Type I photoinjectors. Finally, the photovoltaic parameters that govern the light absorption process were evaluated, as the use of these criteria could be applied to predict the efficiency of the studied dyes in DSSCs devices.

Introduction Color-flow duplex ultrasound is effective in the detection and quantification of carotid artery disease; however, diameter reduction estimates are most commonly derived by Doppler velocity measurements. In addition, direct visualization of the vessel lumen is only possible through the use of more expensive potentially invasive imaging procedures, such as computed tomography angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, and conventional angiography. Described here is a method to determine vessel diameter of the internal carotid artery (ICA) by the use of three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of b-mode data to generate luminal diameter estimates. Materials and Methods A prospective review of 40 consecutive cerebrovascular duplex studies was performed. Testing protocols required transverse sweeps of the common carotid artery (CCA) and ICA in b-mode. Motion files were analyzed using software, which segmented the vessel lumen as the area of interest. The software created a 3D rendering of the lumen of the CCA and ICA. Vessel diameter reduction estimated by Doppler-derived velocities was then compared with the 3D rendering of the vessel lumen diameters. Results There was a 99% (n = 79, ρ = < 0.001) correlation between velocity estimates and 3D visualization for estimating diameter reduction. Correlation for cases with less than 50% diameter reduction by duplex was 100% (n = 66, ρ = < 0.004), whereas correlation for cases with 50% or greater diameter reduction by duplex was 92% (n = 13, ρ = < 0.03). Conclusion 3D reconstruction of the vessel lumen shows a statistically significant correlation with velocity-derived diameter reduction measurements. Although more investigation with a larger group of patients is necessary, 3D reconstruction may be a valuable adjunct and may enhance the diagnostic capabilities of color-flow duplex ultrasound.

Introduction Duplex ultrasound is a valuable modality for the assessment of hemodialysis access function. A potential complication of hemodialysis access is arterial steal, which occurs when venous outflow exceeds the capacity of the inflow artery, and flow in this distal artery becomes retrograde, stealing blood flow from the hand to the fistula site. A potential condition resulting from arterial steal is hand or digit ischemia. Distal revascularization-interval ligation (DRIL) procedures can be used to “bypass” the fistula or graft site and deliver blood to the hypoperfused hand. Presented is a case of an arterial steal with severe hand ischemia that was alleviated by a DRIL procedure. Case Study A 69-year-old woman presented to the vascular laboratory with an ischemic right hand and digital ulcer distal to a brachial-axillary arteriovenous graft (AVG). Duplex ultrasound was performed of the right upper-extremity inflow arteries, AVG, and outflow veins. Ipsilateral brachial, radial, and ulnar artery waveform analysis for direction of flow was performed with and without AVG compression. The evaluation revealed significant arterial ischemia that returned to normal after manual compression of the AVG. The patient underwent a DRIL procedure after the pre-op duplex evaluation. Postprocedural duplex evaluation revealed patent inflow and outflow vessels, patent graft, and bypass (DRIL) with antegrade flow in the brachial and radial arteries and no change of flow with manual graft compression; clinically, the patient had a healing ulceration of the digit. Conclusion Duplex ultrasound for hemodialysis access should not only be used to evaluate for patency of the fistula or graft but should include assessment for ischemia and/or steal. This case demonstrates the importance of the assessment of the distal arterial segments including digital waveforms, and the use of manual compression to complete the hemodialysis access evaluation. DRIL procedures can potentially correct arterial steal while preserving access function.

Introduction Vascular screening programs have been gaining popularity in recent years; however, most programs accept all patients willing to participate. This study was designed to determine the yield of disease when screening examinations are limited to those most at risk, to stratify the amount of disease present in the at-risk population, and to establish which patients might benefit most from vascular screening. Materials and Methods Patients enrolled in a community outreach program for seniors 55 years of age and older were asked to participate in a free vascular screening. Screenings consisted of completion of a questionnaire, physical examination, limited carotid artery evaluation for stenosis, aorta evaluation for detection of aneurysm, and ankle/brachial index (ABI) calculation to detect peripheral vascular disease. Findings were grouped into “Normal,” “Mild disease,” and “Significant disease.” Findings were then compared with the following controllable risk factors: hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, coronary artery disease (CAD), or smoking history. Results Between May 16 and October 17, 2007, 357 participants' (75 male, 157 female, mean age 72.9 years) results were analyzed. Overall, 140 participants (43%) had some form of vascular disease (“mild” and “significant” categories combined). Of 324 eligible participants, carotid findings showed 199 normal (61%), 104 mild (32%), and 21 significant (7%) results. Aorta findings showed 296 normal (91%), 25 mild (8%), and 3 significant (1%) results. ABI findings showed 278 normal (86%), 18 mild (6%), and 28 significant (8%) results. In participants with three or more risk factors, there was a greater probability that carotid ( p = 0.0022) and peripheral vascular disease ( p = 0.0003) would be detected; however, there was no predictive value for aortic aneurysm ( p = 0.5). Conclusion Vascular screening programs focusing on the at-risk population may reduce unnecessary testing compared with programs evaluating all patients willing to participate.

Three participants with autism were taught to answer a cell phone and to follow directions to seek assistance when lost in community settings. During baseline, none of the participants answered a cell phone or sought assistance. Following instruction at school and in the community, all participants learned to answer the cell phone and follow instructions to seek assistance from a naïve adult by exchanging a communication card. Generalization probes were conducted in non-training community sites and with the participants' parents. Data also were collected on the responses of naïve community members to determine the social validity of the participants' assistance-seeking skills. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of teaching community safety skills to individuals with autism and the challenges of teaching these responses to individuals with severe communication and social deficits.

A subset of superoxide dismutase 1 (Cu/Zn-SOD1) mutants that cause familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS) have heightened reactivity with (-)ONOO and H(2)O(2) in vitro. This reactivity requires a copper ion bound in the active site and is a suggested mechanism of motor neuron injury. However, we have found that transgenic mice that express SOD1-H46R/H48Q, which combines natural FALS mutations at ligands for copper and which is inactive, develop motor neuron disease. Using a direct radioactive copper incorporation assay in transfected cells and the established tools of single crystal x-ray diffraction, we now demonstrate that this variant does not stably bind copper. We find that single mutations at copper ligands, including H46R, H48Q, and a quadruple mutant H46R/H48Q/H63G/H120G, also diminish the binding of radioactive copper. Further, using native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and a yeast two-hybrid assay, the binding of copper was found to be related to the formation of the stable dimeric enzyme. Collectively, our data demonstrate a relationship between copper and assembly of SOD1 into stable dimers and also define disease-causing SOD1 mutants that are unlikely to robustly produce toxic radicals via copper-mediated chemistry.

Wireless sensor is a consolidated technology with high potential in the Internet of Things. However, some open issues must be tackled in order to leverage the whole potential of this technology. One of the challenges is the energy consumption. Many algorithms have been proposed for saving energy. However these approaches use a mono-objective evaluation and the contradiction between optimization parameters values is not considered. Besides these approaches don't offer a unique solution. This paper describes MOR4WSN an algorithm based in NSGA-II for selecting the best sensor distribution as well as a mechanism for optimization of results. Experimental evaluation shows promising results in terms of lifetime maximization.

Wireless sensor is a consolidated technology with high potential in the Internet of Things. However, some open issues must be tackled in order to leverage the whole potential of this technology. One of the challenges is the energy consumption. Many algorithms have been proposed for saving energy; a promising alternative is an evolutionary multi-objective technique. However these approaches offer a set of solutions and the selection of the optimal solution is not trivial. This paper present an algorithm based in NSGA-II for selecting the best sensor distribution as well as a mechanism for optimization of results.

Watersheds and irrigation systems have the characteristic of connecting people vertically by water flows. The location of users along these systems defines their role in the provision and appropriation of water which adds complexity to the potential for cooperation. Verticality thus imposes a challenge to collective action. This paper presents the results of field experiments conducted in four watersheds of Colombia (South America) and Kenya (East Africa) to study the role that location plays in affecting trust and cooperation in decisions regarding to provision and appropriation of water. We recruited 639 watersheds inhabitants from upstream, midstream and downstream locations in these basins and conducted two field experiments: the Irrigation Game and the Water Trust Game. The Irrigation Game (Cardenas et al, 2013; Janssen et al, 2011) involves decisions regarding to the provision and appropriation of water where the location in the system is randomly assigned. The Water Trust Game is an adaptation of the trust game (Berg et al 1995) framed around water and economic compensation flows where we explicitly reveal the actual upstream or downstream location of the two players. The results of the two games show that location affect water provision and distribution and that reciprocity and trust are key motivations for upstream-downstream cooperation. Yet, both experiments also suggest that the lack of trust from downstream players towards upstream players may restrict the possibilities of cooperation among watershed users.

A wireless sensor network collects crucial data for decision making in several domains even under extreme deployment conditions. In this scenario, network availability is usually affected by diverse environment variables. The present approach adapts an evolutionary multi-objective technique in order to get network structures that let to perform data routing efficient in energy consumption. The resulting algorithm, MOR4WSN, comes up from a new solution encoding done to the NSGA-II as well as adapting user-preferences handling even if preference context parameters to optimize are contradictory. MOR4WSN allows optimizing data gathering paths, which contributes to increase network longevity. Experimental evaluation shows that network lifecycle is increased when MOR4WSN is used, compared to other routing mechanisms.

This study examined the effects of manipulating establishing operations on the frequency of initiations of three children with autism toward peers with autism. The EO targeted was deprivation of preferred edibles, and the target initiation was a mand for the preferred snack. A reversal design was used to assess the effects of the EO conditions on frequency of initiations. Results indicated that when the EO was absent, no spontaneous initiations toward the peer occurred. Two participants required training sessions with an adult to transfer initiations toward peers. Once the EO had been established and was present, the participants initiated mands for the snack. Results are discussed in terms of implications for the use of establishing operations in language training for children with autism.