001 and p = 0.003 for cIMTmax and cIMTmean-max, respectively). In the full cohort, three CETP SNPs (rs34760410, rs12920974, rs12708968) were positively associated with cIMTmax. rs12444708 exhibited a significant interaction with HDL-C levels in the prediction of cIMTmax. In conclusion, a significant interplay was found between plasma CETP and/or CETP genotype and HDL-C in the prediction of carotid plaque thickness, as indexed by cIMTmax. This suggests that the association of HDL-C with carotid atherosclerosis is CETP-dependent.In this work, we demonstrate for the first time the capability to inscribe long-period gratings (LPGs) with UV radiation using simple and low cost amplitude masks fabricated with a consumer grade 3D printer. The spectrum obtained for a grating with 690 µm period and 38 mm length presented good quality, showing sharp resonances (i.e., 3 dB bandwidth less then 3 nm), low out-of-band loss (~0.2 dB), and dip losses up to 18 dB. Furthermore, the capability to select the resonance wavelength has been demonstrated using different amplitude mask periods. The customization of the masks makes it possible to fabricate gratings with complex structures. Additionally, the simplicity in 3D printing an amplitude mask solves the problem of the lack of amplitude masks on the market and avoids the use of high resolution motorized stages, as is the case of the point-by-point technique. Finally, the 3D printed masks were also used to induce LPGs using the mechanical pressing method. Due to the better resolution of these masks compared to ones described on the state of the art, we were able to induce gratings with higher quality, such as low out-of-band loss (0.6 dB), reduced spectral ripples, and narrow bandwidths (~3 nm).In the past two decades Old World and arthritogenic alphavirus have been responsible for epidemics of polyarthritis, causing high morbidity and becoming a major public health concern. The multifunctional arthritogenic alphavirus capsid protein is crucial for viral infection. Capsid protein has roles in genome encapsulation, budding and virion assembly. Its role in multiple infection processes makes capsid protein an attractive target to exploit in combating alphaviral infection. In this review, we summarize the function of arthritogenic alphavirus capsid protein, and describe studies that have used capsid protein to develop novel arthritogenic alphavirus therapeutic and diagnostic strategies.Microsaccades are small eye movements produced during attempted fixation. During locomotion, the eyes scan the environment; the gaze is not always directed to the focus of expansion of the optic flow field. We sought to investigate whether the microsaccadic activity was modulated by eye position during the view of radial optic flow stimuli, and if the presence or lack of a proprioceptive input signal may influence the microsaccade characteristics during self-motion perception. We recorded the oculomotor activity when subjects were either standing or sitting in front of a screen during the view of optic flow stimuli that simulated specific heading directions with different gaze positions. We recorded five trials of each stimulus. Results showed that microsaccade duration, peak velocity, and rate were significantly modulated by optic flow stimuli and trial sequence. We found that the microsaccade rate increased in each condition from trial 1 to trial 5. Microsaccade peak velocity and duration were significantly different across trials. The analysis of the microsaccade directions showed that the different combinations of optic flow and eye position evoked non-uniform directions of microsaccades in standing condition with mean vectors in the upper-left quadrant of the visual field, uncorrelated with optic flow directions and eye positions. In sitting conditions, all stimuli evoked uniform directions of microsaccades. Present results indicate that the proprioceptive signals when the subjects stand up creates a different input that could alter the eye-movement characteristics during heading perceptions.The application of energy storage filled with phase-change material (PCM) is recently increasingly considered in active cooling systems. Such a design offers a higher density of thermal energy accumulation when compared with water storage. However, the optimum use of PCM storage is possible when its dynamic characteristics during the loading and unloading process are well recognized. Due to the complexity of the interaction between all elements of the heating/cooling system, a theoretical estimation of the profits is hard to perform in a reliable way. This is a significant problem at the design stage of the installation. In order to solve this problem, a laboratory experiment supported by a simulation was performed. ISO-1 purchase The main aim of the experiment was to understand how the storage filled with the PCM in real-like conditions works. A test stand was made to investigate the effect of this solution on a reduced scale of 110. The PCM tested was RT15, a commercially available material that melts in the temperature range of 10-17 °C. The main parts of the stand are a chiller, an electric heater and thermal energy storage. The first two elements allowed a simulation of the thermal properties of the heat receiver, and their operation depended on the results from the numerical calculations. A lumped parameter model was used in mathematical description of the office building and its cooling system. The heat capacity of the system components as well as heat losses to the ambient environment were taken into account. The obtained results allowed the optimization of the control procedure and proved the validity of the applied investigation methods. This study confirmed the possibility of testing thermal energy storage with phase change material in real-like conditions.Short peptides capped on the N-terminus with aromatic groups are often able to form supramolecular hydrogels, via self-assembly, in aqueous media. The rheological properties of these readily tunable hydrogels resemble those of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and therefore have potential for various biological applications, such as tissue engineering, biosensors, 3D bioprinting, drug delivery systems and wound dressings. We herein report a new photo-responsive supramolecular hydrogel based on a "caged" dehydropeptide (CNB-Phe-ΔPhe-OH 2), containing a photo-cleavable carboxy-2-nitrobenzyl (CNB) group. We have characterized this hydrogel using a range of techniques. Irradiation with UV light cleaves the pendant aromatic capping group, to liberate the corresponding uncaged model dehydropeptide (H-Phe-ΔPhe-OH 3), a process which was investigated by 1H NMR and HPLC studies. Crucially, this cleavage of the capping group is accompanied by dissolution of the hydrogel (studied visually and by fluorescence spectroscopy), as the delicate balance of intramolecular interactions within the hydrogel structure is disrupted.