Underwater optical wireless systems have dual requirements of high data rates and long ranges in harsh scattering and attenuation conditions. In this paper, we investigate the advantages and limitations of optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (O-OFDM) signaling when a silicon photo-multiplier (SiPM) is used at the receiver in order to ensure high sensitivity. Considering a light-emitting diode (LED) transmitter and taking into account the limited dynamic range imposed by the transmitter and the SiPM receiver, we study the performance of three popular O-OFDM schemes, i.e., DC-biased, asymmetrically-clipped, and layered asymmetrically-clipped O-OFDM (DCO-, ACO-, and LACO-OFDM, respectively). We consider a constraint on transmit electrical power PTxe and take into account the required DC bias for the three considered schemes in practice, showing the undeniable advantage of ACO- and LACO-OFDM in terms of energy efficiency. For instance, for the considered SiPM and LED components, a spectral efficiency of ∼1 bps/Hz with a data rate of 20 Mbps, a link range of 70 m, and a target bit-error-rate (BER) of 10-3, ACO and LACO allow a reduction of about 10 and 6 mW, respectively, in the required PTxe, compared to DCO-OFDM. Meanwhile, we show that when relaxing the PTxe constraint, DCO-OFDM offers the largest operational link range within which a target BER can be achieved. For instance, for a target BER of 10-3 and a data rate of 20 Mbps, and considering PTxe of 185, 80, and 50 mW for DCO-, LACO-, and ACO-OFDM, respectively, the corresponding intervals of operational link range are about 81, 74.3, and 73.8 m. Lastly, we show that LACO-OFDM makes a good compromise between energy efficiency and operational range flexibility, although requiring a higher computational complexity and imposing a longer latency at the receiver.Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has produced significant health emergencies worldwide, resulting in the declaration by the World Health Organization of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Acute respiratory syndrome seems to be the most common manifestation of COVID-19. A high proportion of patients require intensive care unit admission and mechanical ventilation (MV) to survive. It has been well established that angiotensin-converting enzyme type 2 (ACE2) is the primary cellular receptor for SARS-CoV-2. ACE2 belongs to the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), composed of several peptides, such as angiotensin II (Ang II) and angiotensin (1-7) (Ang-(1-7)). Both peptides regulate muscle mass and function. It has been described that SARS-CoV-2 infection, by direct and indirect mechanisms, affects a broad range of organ systems. In the skeletal muscle, through unbalanced RAS activity, SARS-CoV-2 could induce severe consequences such as loss of muscle mass, strength, and physical function, which will delay and interfere with the recovery process of patients with COVID-19. This article discusses the relationship between RAS, SARS-CoV-2, skeletal muscle, and the potentially harmful consequences for skeletal muscle in patients currently infected with and recovering from COVID-19.Although salinity inhibits plant growth, application of appropriate rhizosphere bacteria can diminish this negative effect. We studied one possible mechanism that may underlie this beneficial response. Wheat plants were inoculated with Bacillus subtilis IB-22 and Pseudomonas mandelii IB-Ki14 and their consequences for growth, water relations, and concentrations of the hormone abscisic acid (ABA) were followed in the presence of soil salinity. Salinity alone increased ABA concentration in wheat leaves and roots and this was associated with decreased stomatal conductance, but also with chlorophyll loss. Bacterial treatment raised ABA concentrations in roots, suppressed accumulation of leaf ABA, decreased chlorophyll loss, and promoted leaf area and transpiration. However, water balance was maintained due to increased water uptake by inoculated plants, brought about in part by a larger root system. The effect may be the outcome of ABA action since the hormone is known to maintain root extension in stressed plants. Root ABA concentration was highest in salt-stressed plants inoculated with B. subtilis and this contributed to greater root hydraulic conductivity. We conclude that bacteria can raise salt resistance in wheat by increasing root ABA, resulting in larger root systems that can also possess enhanced hydraulic conductivity thereby supporting better-hydrated leaves.Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition defined by differences in social communication and by the presence of restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities (RRBs). Individuals with autism also commonly present with atypical patterns of sensory responsiveness (i.e., hyporesponsiveness, hyperresponsiveness, and sensory seeking), which are theorized to produce cascading effects across other domains of development. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in sensory responsiveness in children with and without autism (ages 8-18 years), as well as relations between patterns of sensory responsiveness and core and related features of autism. Participants were 50 children with autism and 50 non-autistic peers matched on age and sex. A comprehensive clinical battery included multiple measures of sensory responsiveness, core features of autism, adaptive behavior, internalizing behaviors, cognitive ability, and language ability. Groups significantly differed on all three patterns of sensory responsiveness. Some indices of core and related autism features were robustly associated with all three patterns of sensory responsiveness (e.g., RRBs), while others were more strongly associated with discrete patterns of sensory responsiveness (i.e., internalizing problem behaviors and hyperresponsiveness, language and sensory seeking). This study extends prior work to show that differences in sensory responsiveness that are linked with core and related features of autism persist in older children and adolescents on the spectrum.Intercellular communication occurring by cell-to-cell contacts and via secreted messengers trafficked through extracellular vehicles is critical for regulating biological functions of multicellular organisms. Recent research has revealed that non-coding RNAs can be found in extracellular vesicles consistent with a functional importance of these molecular vehicles in virus propagation and suggesting that these essential membrane-bound bodies can be highjacked by viruses to promote disease pathogenesis. Newly emerging evidence that coronaviruses generate non-coding RNAs and use extracellular vesicles to facilitate viral pathogenicity may have important implications for the development of effective strategies to combat COVID-19, a disease caused by infection with the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/AZD2281(Olaparib).html  This article provides a short overview of our current understanding of the interactions between non-coding RNAs and extracellular vesicles and highlights recent research which supports these interactions as potential therapeutic targets in the development of novel antiviral therapies.