The impact of microfluidics in high-throughput drug-screening applications

Drug discovery is an expensive and lengthy process. Among the different phases, drug discovery and preclinical trials play an important role as only 5–10 of all drugs that begin preclinical tests proceed to clinical trials. Indeed, current high-throughput screening technologies are very expensive, as they are unable to dispense small liquid volumes in an accurate and quick way. Moreover, despite being simple and fast, drug screening assays are usually performed under static conditions, thus failing to recapitulate tissue-specific architecture and biomechanical cues present in vivo even in the case of 3D models. On the contrary, microfluidics might offer a more rapid and cost-effective alternative. Although considered incompatible with high-throughput systems for years, technological advancements have demonstrated how this gap is rapidly reducing. In this Review, we want to further outline the role of microfluidics in high-throughput drug screening applications by looking at the multiple strategies for cell seeding, compartmentalization, continuous flow, stimuli administration (e.g., drug gradients or shear stresses), and single-cell analyses.     

高校学科团队中魅力型领导对团队创新绩效影响的实证研究

本文在文献回顾的基础上,提出魅力型领导对团队创新绩效的假设模型,并通过对中国高校79个学科团队607名教师的问卷调查验证这一模型。结果显示:魅力型领导能力和行为对团队创新气氛与团队创新绩效具有显著正向效果,但其对团队创新绩效的直接效果不显著,其通过团队创新气氛中介作用的间接效果显著;而且高校学科团队领导能力对团队创新绩效的整体效果高于领导行为。最后指出,在实践管理中高校学科团队领导要提高学科带头能力和组织协调能力,营造平等、自由的团队创新气氛,以提高团队创新绩效。     

亲水性废旧轮胎橡胶粉的制备及在固井水泥中的应用

针对废旧轮胎橡胶粉作为油气井固井水泥增韧剂使用时,因胶粉表面强疏水性导致分散性不良而影响实际使用效果的技术问题,研究生产了一种表面亲水性良好的改性废旧轮胎橡胶粉,并初步探索了其作为固井水泥增韧剂的使用效果。实验结果表明：所制备的改性橡胶粉在水性体系中分散性良好,分散稳定时间大于48h;作为固井水泥增韧剂使用时,可明显改善水泥石的抗冲击性能（改性胶粉添加量3%时,水泥石的抗冲击性能可提高14.3%）,显示出良好的增韧效果。     

The energetics and benefit of an arm swing in submaximal and maximal vertical jump performance

The aims of this study were to investigate the energy build-up and dissipation mechanisms associated with using an arm swing in submaximal and maximal vertical jumping and to establish the energy benefit of this arm swing. Twenty adult males were asked to perform a series of submaximal and maximal vertical jumps while using an arm swing. Force, motion and electromyographic data were recorded during each performance and used to compute a range of kinematic and kinetic variables, including ankle, knee, hip, shoulder and elbow joint powers and work done. It was found that the energy benefit of using an arm swing appears to be closely related to the maximum kinetic energy of the arms during their downswing, and increases as jump height increases. As jump height increases, energy in the arms is built up by a greater range of motion at the shoulder and greater effort of the shoulder and elbow muscles but, as jump height approaches maximum, these sources are supplemented by energy supplied by the trunk due to its earlier extension in the movement. The kinetic energy developed by the arms is used to increase their potential energy at take-off but also to store and return energy from the lower limbs and to "pull" on the rest of the body. These latter two mechanisms become more important as jump height increases with the pull being the more important of the two. We conclude that an arm swing contributes to jump performance in submaximal as well as maximal jumping but the energy generation and dissipation sources change as performance approaches maximum.     

The educational approach within Colombia's nutrition plan (PAN)

With the knowledge that malnutrition affects the quality of life of an individual, the Colombian Government set up in 1976 a unique multi-sectorial plan (PAN), to combat the country's serious malnutrition. Government agencies and private industries in the sectors of production, distribution, health, sanitation, and education have coordinated their previously independent efforts. Among the interesting aspects are the coordination of sectors through work at various levels and through control of the budget, the limitation of bureaucracy, and the decentralization of decision-making. The ongoing attempts to overcome the difficulties encountered include making decisions in the face of inconclusive knowledge on what constitutes a well-balanced diet; combating the lack of knowledge of professionals about the environment of the poorest percentage of the population; and revising the traditional teaching method to make it more successful through a multi-media approach to assure wider coverage and more impact for the least cost, using materials such as games, puppets, posters and radio.

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Zusammenfassung In der Erkenntnis, dass Untererernährung die Lebensqualität des Menschen beeinträchtigt, erstellte die kolumbianische Regierung im Jahre 1976 einen einzigartigen, mehrere Sektoren umfassenden Plan (Pan), um die schwerwiegende Unterernährung im Lande zu bekämpfen. Gemäss diesem Plan werden jetzt die früher zerstreuten Bemühungen von Behörden und privaten Industrieunternehmen auf den Sektoren Produktion, Verteilung, Gesundheit, Kanalisation und Erziehung koordiniert. Zu den interessantesten Aspekten gehören die Koordinierung von Sektoren durch Arbeit auf verschiedenen Ebenen sowie durch Kontrolle der Etats, die Beschränkung der Bürokratie und die Dezentralisierung von Entscheidungsbefugnissen. Unter den Versuchen, die bestehenden Schwierigkeiten zu überwinden, werden hervorgehoben: Entscheidungen angesichts unzureichenden Verständnisses von ausgewogener Ernährung; Bekämpfung des Mangels an Kenntnissen von Umweltspezialisten über den ärmsten Teil der Bevölkerung; und Revision der traditionellen Lehrmethoden mit dem Ziel, sie durch Einführung eines Multi-Medienansatzes, d.h. durch den Gebrauch von Spielen, Marionetten, Plakaten und Radio erfolgreicher zu gestalten.

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Résumé Conscient du fait que la sous-alimentation affecte la qualité de vie d'un individu, le Gouvernement colombien a appliqué en 1976 un plan unique à secteurs multiples (PAN) dont le but est de combattre la sérieuse sousalimentation du pays. Les agences gouvernementales et les industries privées appartenant aux secteurs de la production, de la distribution, de la santé, de l'hygiène et de l'éducation coordonnent désormais leurs efforts précédemment dispersés. Parmi les aspects intéressants de ce plan, on relève la coordination des secteurs tant au moyen du travail à différents niveaux que du contrôle du budget, la limitation de la bureaucratie et la décentralisation de la prise de décision. Les efforts qui se poursuivent dans l'intention de venir à bout des difficultés rencontrées visent à prendre des décisions malgré les connaissances nonconcluantes de ce qui constitue un régime bien équilibré; à combattre le manque de connaissance des professionnels sur l'environnement du pourcentage le plus pauvre de la population; à réviser la méthode d'enseignement traditionnel en utilisant des moyens d'approche par multimedia, ceci afin d'assurer une plus grande couverture de la population, avec un impact supérieur, et ce au moindre prix, en utilisant comme matériel des jeux, des marionnettes, des affiches illustrées ainsi que la radio.

     

Sur l'Acquisition des structures numériques en fin de 3ème

Sans résuméRésultats d'une enquête effectuée en mai-juin 1973 par une équipe de l'IREM de Strasbourg dans les classes de 3ème du Bas-Rhin.L'équipe comprenait quatre membres de l'IREM:Mathématiciens:—Mademoiselle Anne Scherpereel—Monsieur François PluvinagePsychologues:—Mademoiselle Catherine Bloch—Monsieur Raymond Duval.