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To assess the overall imaging performance (radiation dose and image quality) of a photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) in comparison with a state-of-the-art energy-integrating detector CT (EID-CT) in run-off CTAs.Consecutive patients who underwent run-off CTA on a PCD-CT were included (PCD-CT cohort). A retrospective cohort of patients who had undergone run-off CTA on an EID-CT was matched for gender, body mass index, height, and age (EID-CT cohort). Virtual monoenergetic imaging (VMI) reconstructions for various keV settings (40-120 keV) were generated. CT values and noise were semiautomatically measured for 13 vascular segments of the abdomen, pelvis, and lower extremities. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated for each segment. Subjective image quality was evaluated by two radiologists along the dimensions 'vessel attenuation', 'vessel sharpness', and 'overall image quality' using 5-point Likert scales.Forty patients (age 70.9 ± 9.8 years; 14 women) were included in the PCD-CT cohort and matched with a corresponding number of EID-CT patients. Overall, there was an inverse correlation of signal and noise but also of SNR and CNR with keV levels used for VMI reconstructions. SNR and CNR in the 40 - 60 keV range exceeded EID-CT levels significantly. Subjective image quality was substantially higher at lower keV levels and showed no significant difference to EID-CT.Low keV VMI reconstructions of run-off CTA scans on a PCD-CT result in substantially higher SNR and CNR than 80 kVp and 100 kVp EID-CT acquisitions with equal subjective image quality.

Following-up on previous studies that investigated genetic relationships among several world-wide cattle breeds using genome-wide SNP data, we focus here on the central and western part of the Mediterranean. Notably, 50K genotypes from 30 Marismeña (Spain); 24 Guelmoise (Algeria); 46 Brune de l’Atlas Fauve, 15 Brune de l’Atlas Grise, and 15 Blonde du Cap (Tunisia); 29 Modicana and 30 Cinisara (Sicily); 24 Podolica Italiana (Southern continental Italy); 34 Chianina and 24 Romagnola (Central Italy); 23 Modenese, 24 Reggiana, 23 Alpine Grey and 50 Pezzata Rossa Italiana (Northern Italy); 50 Bruna Italiana and 50 Frisona Italiana were considered. When included in a world-wide dataset, the three Tunisian, the Algerian, the two Sicilian, the Podolica, the Chianina and the Romagnola were the taurine breeds showing the highest closeness to the Indian zebu group in the MDS plot of the IBS distance. These results were also confirmed by ADMIXTURE analysis (K = 2). This relatively lower influence of zebu material into cattle breeds from Northern Italy suggests a major maritime-mediated route of dispersal of zebu material into Southern Europe and Northern Africa. Interestingly, breeds from the Iberian peninsula showed lower evidence of zebu introgression, suggesting that zebu introgression was likely not mediated by Moors, and possibly occurred at earlier times. Clear evidence of more recent introgression of material from improved dairy cattle breeds (Bruna Italiana and Brown Swiss) into the two Brune de l’Atlas populations from Tunisia highlights the need for urgent conservation of this cross-border cattle.

An offshore power transmission grid in Northern Europe has become a serious and important topic among the power industry, the power transmission sector, national governments and the European Commission. The OffshoreGrid project will provide policy recommendations for the political process towards such a grid in pursuing the efficient integration of renewables, the integration of market regions, security of supply and the competitiveness of the European economy. OffshoreGrid will develop a scientific view on an offshore grid along with a suited regulatory framework considering technical, economic and policy aspects. The project is targeted towards European policy makers, industry, transmission system operators and regulators. In first instance, the geographical scope is Northern Europe. The paper covers the general approach and objectives of the project. Furthermore, the first results of the preparatory work packages are presented and discussed.

A long gauge in the form of a thick-walled tube is converted to a Fabry-Perot cavity by attaching partial reflectors to its ends. The length of this gauge is determined from a number of absolute frequency measurements of the cavity resonances. A set of tunable, well-known CO2 laser frequencies is used for lengths between 1 m and 10 m.

A recent work investigating genetic origin, admixture and population history of primitive European cattle highlighted, by using genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms, zebu gene flow in the Balkan and Italian Podolic cattle populations. Haemoglobin protein polymorphism analysis in Italian breeds highlighted the presence of zebuine markers in both Italian Podolic and Alpine Grey cattle. Based on the above evidences, we here specifically look for genomic regions of zebuine ancestry in a different dataset of 50K genotypes from Mediterranean breeds including 29 Marismena (Spain); 30 Bazadaise and 30 Gasconne (France); 24 Alpine Grey, 97 Piemontese, 51 Chianina, 5 Marchigiana, 121 Romagnola, 24 Podolica, 24 Modenese, 30 Reggiana, 30 Cinisara and 30 Modicana (Italy); 24 Guelmoise (Algeria); 24 Cika (Slovenia), 43 Illyrian Mountain Buša (Albania). Additional taurine and zebuine breeds from previously published studies are also included in the analyses. Special emphasis in genetic analyses is also given to the identification of genomic regions potentially associated with a phenotypic trait observed in several taurine breeds as well as in some zebuine breeds, characterized by calves having a fawn coat at birth, while turning to various shades of grey in adult animals. The obtained results contribute to a better characterization of history and genetic structure of Mediterranean cattle breeds.