DIANA-TarBase v8 (http://www.microrna.gr/tarbase) is a reference database devoted to the indexing of experimentally supported microRNA (miRNA) targets. Its eighth version is the first database indexing >1 million entries, corresponding to ∼670 000 unique miRNA-target pairs. The interactions are supported by >33 experimental methodologies, applied to ∼600 cell types/tissues under ∼451 experimental conditions. It integrates information on cell-type specific miRNA–gene regulation, while hundreds of thousands of miRNA-binding locations are reported. TarBase is coming of age, with more than a decade of continuous support in the non-coding RNA field. A new module has been implemented that enables the browsing of interactions through different filtering combinations. It permits easy retrieval of positive and negative miRNA targets per species, methodology, cell type and tissue. An incorporated ranking system is utilized for the display of interactions based on the robustness of their supporting methodologies. Statistics, pie-charts and interactive bar-plots depicting the database content are available through a dedicated result page. An intuitive interface is introduced, providing a user-friendly application with flexible options to different queries.

SUMMARYIn this paper, four approaches to compute the Hessian matrix of an objective function used often in aerodynamic inverse design problems are presented. The computationally less expensive among them is selected and applied to the reconstruction of cascade airfoils that reproduce a prescribed pressure distribution over their walls, under inviscid and viscous flow considerations. The selected approach is based on the direct sensitivity analysis method for the computation of first derivatives, followed by the discrete adjoint method for the computation of the Hessian matrix. The applications presented in this paper show that the Newton method, based on exact Hessian matrices, outperforms other gradient-based algorithms such as steepest descent or BFGS algorithm.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after the induction of cardiac arrest (CA) has been studied in mice and rats. The anatomical and physiological parameters of the cardiopulmonary system of these two species have been defined during experimental studies and are comparable with those of humans. Moreover, these animal models are more ethical to establish and are easier to manipulate, when compared with larger experimental animals. Accordingly, the effects of successful CPR on the function of vital organs, such as the brain, have been investigated because damage to these vital organs is of concern in CA survivors. Furthermore, the efficacy of several drugs, such as adrenaline (epinephrine), vasopressin and nitroglycerin, has been evaluated for use in CA in these small animal models. The purpose of these studies is not only to increase the rate of survival of CA victims, but also to improve their quality of life by reducing damage to their vital organs after CA and during CPR.

Union. AbstractEurope is now home to a significant and diverse population of older international migrants. Social and demographic changes have forced the issue of social security in old age onto the European social policy agenda in the last decade. In spite of an increased interest in the financial wellbeing of older people, many retired international migrants who are legally resident in the European Union face structured disadvantages. It is argued that four linked factors are of particular importance in shaping the pension rights and levels of financial provision available to individual older migrants; migration history, socio-legal status, past relationship to the paid labour market and location within a particular EU Member State. Building on a typology of older migrants originally outlined by Warnes et al (2004) the paper outlines the ways in which policy at both the European Union and Member State levels serves to diminish rather than enhance the social security rights of certain older international. migrants.