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Recente rapporten van het IPCC uit 2022 wijzen op de ernst van de opwarming van de aarde en de grote gevolgen die dit heeft, zelfs als we de opwarming tot 1,5 graad beperken. De huidige levensstijl in Nederland draagt significant bij aan milieuproblemen zoals klimaatverandering, vervuiling en verlies van biodiversiteit. Gedragsverandering kan het tij keren: het IPCC heeft becijferd dat door verandering van gedrag 40-70% van de wereldwijde broeikasgasuitstoot kan worden voorkomen. Het Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving heeft samen met Milieu Centraal en in opdracht van het Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat in 2021 onderzoek gedaan naar de stand van zaken qua duurzaam gedrag en openheid van Nederland. De gebruikte vragenlijst is omgezet in de "Monitor Duurzaam Leven" door Milieu Centraal, die tweejaarlijks meet hoe duurzaam de gemiddelde Nederlander leeft. We bieden inzicht in de huidige stand van duurzaam leven in Nederland en de mogelijkheden om dit te bevorderen. Deze studie kan als basis dienen om veranderingen in consumentengedrag te monitoren en hiermee inzicht te krijgen in de overgang naar een duurzamere samenleving. De gemonitorde thema’s zijn de volgende: 1. Wonen (energiegebruik, woonoppervlakte en duurzaam bouwen); 2. Mobiliteit (vakantie en dagelijkse mobiliteit); 3. Circulaire omgang met spullen (circulaire economie); 4. Voeding .

Natural fibre-based materials offer various advantages compared to synthetic fibres, however their applications are limited mainly due to their hygroscopic properties, which are affected by their chemical composition, microstructure and the porosity of the plant cells of which the fibre is composed. Therefore, this work investigates the hygroscopic behavior of natural fibres to obtain a better understanding of the relation of the chemical composition of the fibres, their crystallinity, and their equilibrium moisture content. The crystallinity index was determined to include amorphous cellulose into the developed models. Nine biomass samples were selected (flax, hemp, jute, spruce, bamboo, corn stalks, palm leaves, rice husk and wheat straw) to construct models via linear regression to predict the moisture sorption behavior of natural fibres. Thorough statistical (ANOVA, RMSE) analysis showed that the developed models are relevant and descriptive. From all major plant cell wall constituents (lignin, crystalline cellulose, amorphous cellulose and hemicellulose), it is hemicellulose's hygroscopicity that is largely responsible for the moisture uptake of the fibres, with (amorphous) cellulose and lignin playing a (much) smaller role. This study has improved the understanding of the hygroscopic behavior of natural fibres, and is important for optimal application of these fibres in composite materials., Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public., Bio-based Structures & Materials

Hyperthyroidism and clinical depression are common, and there is preliminary evidence of substantial comorbidity. The extent of the association in the general population, however, has not yet been estimated meta-analytically. Therefore we conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis (registered in PROSPERO: CRD42020164791). Until May 2020, Medline (via PubMed), PsycINFO, and Embase databases were systematically searched for studies on the association of hyperthyroidism and clinical depression, without language or date restrictions. Two reviewers independently selected epidemiological studies providing laboratory or ICD-based diagnoses of hyperthyroidism and diagnoses of depression according to operationalized criteria (e.g. DSM) or to cut-offs in established rating scales. All data, including study quality based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, were independently extracted by two authors. Odds ratios for the association of clinical depression and hyperthyroidism were calculated in a DerSimonian-Laird random-effects meta-analysis. Out of 3372 papers screened we selected 15 studies on 239 608 subjects, with 61% women and a mean age of 50. Relative to euthyroid individuals, patients with hyperthyroidism had a higher chance of being diagnosed with clinical depression: OR 1.67 ([95% CI: 1.49; 1.87], I-2: 6%; prediction interval: 1.40 to 1.99), a result supported in a number of sensitivity and subgroup analyses. The OR was slightly less pronounced for subclinical as opposed to overt hyperthyroidism (1.36 [1.06; 1.74] vs. 1.70 [1.49; 1.93]). This comorbidity calls for clinical awareness and its reasons need investigation and may include neurobiological mechanisms, common genetic vulnerability and a generally heightened risk for clinical depression in patients with chronic somatic disorders.

This study consists of determining the physical vulnerability of the region of São Miguel do Gostoso and Pedra Grande (in northeastern Brazil) before and after wind farm installation. To perform such an investigation, an analysis of the coastline vulnerability of the aforementioned area was conducted, considering changes occurred in the past 30 years and spatially presented separately. The Natural Vulnerability Index (NVI) and Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI) were calculated through analysis using thematic maps of geomorphology, geology, soils, vegetation, and land use and occupation variables, with their dimensionality and subjectivity determined by the execution of the hierarchical analytical process (HAP) and principal component analysis (PCA). High and very high vulnerability together showed proportions between 18 and 30% in all NVI and EVI scenarios. The Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) was defined using two methodologies for the three scenarios of sea level rise established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): the first one includes six physical or hydrodynamic variables, and the second includes, beyond these, three more variables of anthropogenic action. In all of the applied scenarios, the medium and high vulnerabilities dominated all along the coastline, with the second method being the most optimistic. We can conclude that the installation of the wind farm complex contributed to the increase of the vulnerability of the local ecosystems regarding the three investigated indices; however, it was not the preponderant factor for the determination of the CVI vulnerability degree., Este estudo visa à determinação da vulnerabilidade física e ambiental da zona costeira de São Miguel do Gostoso e Pedra Grande/RN antes e depois da instalação de parques eólicos. Além disso, é realizada uma análise de vulnerabilidade na linha de costa da área mencionada, levando-se em consideração as alterações espaciais concretizadas nos últimos 30 anos, análise esta que é apresentada separadamente. Calcularam-se os índices de vulnerabilidade natural (IVN) e ambiental (IVA) por meio de análises espaciais baseadas em mapas temáticos das variáveis do meio físico e antrópico, conforme métodos de análise multicritérios hierarquizada e de redução de dimensionalidade por processo analítico hierárquico (PAH) e pela análise de componentes principais (ACP). As vulnerabilidades alta e muito alta, somadas, apresentaram proporções entre 18 e 30% em todos os cenários do IVN e IVA. O índice de vulnerabilidade costeira (IVC) foi definido por dois métodos para três cenários de aumento do nível do mar estabelecidos pelo Painel Intergovernamental de Mudanças Climáticas (IPCC): um com seis variáveis físicas e hidrodinâmicas, e outro que inclui, além destas, outras três variáveis de ação antrópica. Para todos os cenários, toda a extensão da linha de costa mostrase, majoritariamente, com vulnerabilidades média e alta. Conclui-se que a implantação do complexo de parques eólicos contribuiu para o aumento da vulnerabilidade dos ecossistemas locais nos três índices avaliados, mas não foi o fator preponderante para a definição do grau de vulnerabilidade do IVC.

Oblique impact is the most common situation that cyclists experience during traffic accidents during which the human head undergoes both linear and rotational (angular) accelerations. Angular acceleration of the head is known to be linked to the majority of traumatic brain injuries. This paper proposes various solutions to mitigate angular accelerations of which an anisotropic column/matrix composite foam design is the most effective. This smart design allows tailor-made adjustment of shear and compressive resistance of the foam liner. Regarding helmet shells, tough fiber-reinforced composite materials such as self-reinforced polypropylene (PP) (Curv®) and silk/high-density polyethylene (HDPE) were benchmarked against conventional brittle polycarbonate (PC). Results demonstrate the superior performance of silk/HDPE composite compared to PC in resisting perforation in localized impact involving sharp objects. Regarding the helmet liner, two configurations were studied particularly, a multi-layered and column/matrix design. Their efficacy was benchmarked against single-layer homogenous expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam of equivalent weight and thickness in linear and oblique impact using experimental and finite element methods. The results showed the superior behavior of the column/matrix configuration. Such smart design could be combined with other smart systems such as multi-directional impact protection system (MIPS) technology for possible synergy and enhanced performance in head protection., Bio-based Structures & Materials

This paper defines a conceptual model for institutional research in the community college and identifies sources of information, programs, and services that provide data necessary for implementation of the model. The model contains four specific subsystems: goal setting, program development, program review, and cost effectiveness. Each subsystem distinctively relates to planning and decision making and each has component data fields that identify and organize information into subject categories. The data fields include community, students, programs, and resources. In order for research in any subsystem to be valuable and an effective determinant in policy making, it must take into account the various aspects of all data fields. Translation of research data into planning concepts and alternatives is the crux of the research enterprise. After program outcome data have been collected, management guidelines are necessary to the translation process. Establishing guidelines involves setting up systemwide priorities and requires administrators to formulate some decision apparatus for converting data into action. A list of programs, services, and resource materials for the four subsystems is provided and includes such items as measurement instruments and reference works. (TR)

IMPORTANCE Hypothyroidism is considered a cause of or a strong risk factor for depression, but recent studies provide conflicting evidence regarding the existence and the extent of the association. It is also unclear whether the link is largely due to subsyndromal depression or holds true for clinical depression. OBJECTIVE To estimate the association of hypothyroidism and clinical depression in the general population. DATA SOURCES PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase databases were searched from inception until May 2020 for studies on the association of hypothyroidism and clinical depression. STUDY SELECTION Two reviewers independently selected epidemiologic and population-based studies that provided laboratory or International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems diagnoses of hypothyroidism and diagnoses of depression according to operationalized criteria (eg, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems) or cutoffs in established rating scales. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Two reviewers independently extracted data and evaluated studies based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Summary odds ratios (OR) were calculated in random-effects meta-analyses. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Prespecified coprimary outcomeswere the association of clinical depression with either hypothyroidism or autoimmunity. RESULTS Of 4350 articles screened, 25 studies were selected formeta-analysis, including 348 014 participants. Hypothyroidism and clinical depression were associated (OR, 1.30 [95% CI, 1.08-1.57]), while the OR for autoimmunity was inconclusive (1.24 [95% CI, 0.89-1.74]). Subgroup analyses revealed a stronger association with overt than with subclinical hypothyroidism, with ORs of 1.77 (95% CI, 1.13-2.77) and 1.13 (95% CI, 1.01-1.28), respectively. Sensitivity analyses resulted in more conservative estimates. In a post hoc analysis, the association was confirmed in f

Mit dem Siegeszug von E-Commerce und Digitalem Marketing ist die zentrale Rolle des Pricings in nahezu allen Wirtschaftsbereichen für den Markt- und Unternehmenserfolg noch weiter gewachsen. Die Pricing-Instrumente und die Spielregeln sowie die Einsatzbedingungen dieser Instrumente sind dabei im Vergleich zur herkömmlichen Preispolitik neu und erfordern planvolle Vorbereitung und Entscheidung. Dieses Standardwerk behandelt die Pricing-Prozesse und -Instrumente aus einer managementbezogenen Perspektive. Es stellt sowohl die neuesten theoretischen und methodischen Grundlagen als auch praktisch anwendbare Pricing-Tools dar. Der Aufbau und Einsatz von Pricing-Know-how, der effektive und effiziente Einsatz der Pricing-Instrumente einschließlich des Behavioral Pricing werden ebenso behandelt wie das Preis-Controlling und der Aufbau einer wirksamen Pricing-Infrastruktur.

Background: MicroRNAs [miRNAs] are cell-specific small non-coding RNAs that can regulate gene expression and have been implicated in inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] pathogenesis. Here we define the cell-specific miRNA profiles and investigate its biomarker potential in IBD. Methods: In a two-stage prospective multi-centre case control study, next generation sequencing was performed on a discovery cohort of immunomagnetically separated leukocytes from 32 patients (nine Crohns disease [CD], 14 ulcerative colitis [UC], eight healthy controls) and differentially expressed signals were validated in whole blood in 294 patients [97 UC, 98 CD, 98 non-IBD, 1 IBDU] using quantitative PCR. Correlations were analysed with phenotype, including need for early treatment escalation as a marker of progressive disease using Cox proportional hazards. Results: In stage 1, each leukocyte subset [CD4(+) and CD8(+)T-cells and CD14(+) monocytes] was analysed in IBD and controls. Three specific miRNAs differentiated IBD from controls in CD4(+) T-cells, including miR-1307-3p [p = 0.01], miR-3615 [p = 0.02] and miR-4792 [p = 0.01]. In the extension cohort, in stage 2, miR-1307-3p was able to predict disease progression in IBD (hazard ratio [HR] 1.98, interquartile range [IQR]: 1.20-3.27; logrank p = 1.80 x 10(-3)), in particular CD [HR 2.81; IQR: 1.11-3.53, p = 6.50 x 10(-4)]. Using blood-based multimarker miRNA models, the estimated chance of escalation in CD was 83% if two or more criteria were met and 90% for UC if three or more criteria are met. Interpretation: We have identified and validated unique CD4(+) T-cell miRNAs that are differentially regulated in IBD. These miRNAs may be able to predict treatment escalation and have the potential for clinical translation; further prospective evaluation is now indicated., Funding Agencies|Crohns and Colitis UK [CCUK] [M2016/2]; LifeArc, EdinburghBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)

(Abridged) Type I superluminous supernovae (SLSNe I) are rare, powerful explosions whose mechanism and progenitors remain elusive. SLSNe I show a preference for low-metallicity, actively star-forming dwarf galaxies. We investigate whether the hosts of SLSNe I show increased evidence for interaction. We use a sample of 42 SLSN I images obtained with $\textit{HST}$ and measure the number of companion galaxies by counting the objects detected within a given radius from the host. As a comparison, we used two Monte Carlo-based methods to estimate the expected average number of companion objects in the same images, as well as a sample of 32 galaxies that have hosted long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). About 50% of SLSN I hosts have at least one major companion (within a flux ratio of 1:4) within 5 kpc. The average number of major companions per SLSN I host galaxy is $0.70^{+0.19}_{-0.14}$. Our Monte Carlo comparison methods yield a lower number of companions for random objects of similar brightness in the same image or for the SLSN host after randomly redistributing the sources in the same image. The Anderson-Darling test shows that this difference is statistically significant independent of the redshift range. The same is true for the projected distance distribution of the companions. The SLSN I hosts are, thus, found in areas of their images, where the object number density is greater than average. SLSN I hosts have more companions than GRB hosts ($0.44^{+0.25}_{-0.13}$ companions per host distributed over 25% of the hosts) but the difference is not statistically significant. The difference between their separations is, however, marginally significant. The dwarf galaxies hosting SLSNe I are often part of interacting systems. This suggests that SLSNe I progenitors are formed after a recent burst of star formation. Low metallicity alone cannot explain this tendency., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. In v2 replaced graphs with higher quality PDF versions

Helminth parasites have been shown to have systemic effects in the host. Using shotgun metagenomic sequencing, we characterise the gut microbiome and resistome of 113 Zimbabwean preschool-aged children (1–5 years). We test the hypothesis that infection with the human helminth parasite, Schistosoma haematobium, is associated with changes in gut microbial and antimicrobial resistance gene abundance/diversity. Here, we show that bacteria phyla Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and fungi phyla Ascomycota, Microsporidia, Zoopagomycota dominate the microbiome. The abundance of Proteobacteria, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota differ between schistosome-infected versus uninfected children. Specifically, infection is associated with increases in Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Derxia, Thalassospira, Aspergillus, Tricholoma, and Periglandula, with a decrease in Azospirillum. We find 262 AMR genes, from 12 functional drug classes, but no association with individual-specific data. To our knowledge, we describe a novel metagenomic dataset of Zimbabwean preschool-aged children, indicating an association between urogenital schistosome infection and changes in the gut microbiome. Osakunor et al. show that infection of Zimbabwean preschool-aged children with Schistosoma haematobium correlates with abundance changes in Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Derxia, Thalassospira, Aspergillus, Tricholoma, Periglandula, and Azospirillum. This study provides a microbiome and resistome dataset of African preschool-aged children.

Met de strategie klimaatadaptatie zetten wij, de gemeente Amsterdam samen met de drie waterschappen Amstel, Gooi en Vecht, Hollands Noorderkwartier en Rijnland, een stip op de horizon voor een klimaatbestendige stad. Ons doel is om in 2050 zo goed mogelijk voorbereid te zijn op het veranderende klimaat. Hierbij hanteren we een iteratieve aanpak, zodat we nieuwe informatie over het veranderende klimaat kunnen verwerken en daarmee weten wat we kunnen verwachten en hoe we daarop moeten reageren. We stellen met deze strategie nog geen nieuwe plannen vast, maar het vormt wel de eerste stap hiertoe.

In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decrease dependency on depleting fossil fuel resources the shift to a renewable energy system is necessary. District heating and cooling systems are a viable solution to provide heat and cold in urban environments. Renewable heat and cold sources that may get incorporated in future urban energy systems will not provide the same high temperature output as current fossil fuel fired systems. Fifth generation district heating and cooling (5GDHC) systems are decentralized, bi-directional, close to ground temperature networks that use direct exchange of warm and cold return flows and thermal storage to balance thermal demand as much as possible. 5GDHC offers a way to incorporate low temperature renewable heat sources including shallow geothermal energy, as well as reduce total demand by recuperating generated heat from cooling and generated cold from heating. The large scale of 5GDHC allows for optimal design of technical parts like heat pumps and thermal storage vessels, while increasing overall system efficiency by incorporating a large variety of supply and demand profiles. We provide a definition for 5GDHC and show how this concept differs from conventional district heating systems. The Mijnwater system in Heerlen, the Netherlands is showing what a city-level 5GDHC system can look like.

Spatial-temporal data, that is information about objects that exist at a particular location and time period, are rich in value and, as a consequence, the target of so many initiative efforts. Clustering approaches aim at grouping datapoints based on similar properties for classification tasks. These approaches have been widely used in domains such as human mobility, ecology, health and astronomy. However, clustering approaches typically address only the static nature of a cluster, and do not take into consideration its dynamic aspects. A desirable approach needs to investigate relations between dynamic clusters and their elements that can be used to derive new insights about what happened to the clusters during their lifetimes. A fundamental step towards this goal is to provide a formal definition of spatial-temporal cluster relations. This report introduces, describes, and formalizes 14 novel spatial-temporal cluster relations that may occur during the existence of a cluster and involve both trajectory-cluster membership conditions and cluster-cluster comparisons. We evaluate the proposed relations with a discussion on how they are able to interpret complex cases that are difficult to be distinguished without a formal relation specification. We conclude the report by summarizing our results and describing avenues for further research.

Digestion of food ingredients into useful nutritional components involves complex enzymatic reactions in the digestive tract of humans or for fermented foods, in culture. Microbial enzymes are involved in fermentation, while mammalian enzymes and microbial enzymes are involved in digestion in vivo. The degradation of allergenic proteins into peptides and eventually to free amino acids alters the structure and immunoreactivity of the proteins. This dissertation explores several aspects of allergen digestion. To investigate microbial digestion of milk proteins by means of fermentation, a retail survey of cow’s milk cheeses was performed. Different varieties of cheese are manufactured using diverse microflora and specific ripening conditions that encourage additional proteolysis. Therefore, it was hypothesized that different varieties of cheese would exhibit different patterns of proteolysis and therefore would produce different results when tested by commercial milk enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. ELISA results can be used to semi-quantitatively monitor proteolytic degradation in cheeses due to fermentation. Like microbial digestion during fermentation, gastrointestinal digestion also hydrolyzes allergens into peptides. Peptic and tryptic digestion of a specific peanut allergen, Ara h 2, has been documented to reveal core digestion resistant peptides (DRPs) of approximately 10 and 12 kDa. These digestion-resistant peptides represent a novel target that can be used for monitoring the absorption of allergens across the gut epithelial barrier and the transport and circulation of these allergenic peptides. The uptake and distribution of DRP-Ara h 2 in sera was monitored in sensitized and non-sensitized germ-free C3H/HeN mice at three time points after oral gavage with Ara h 2. The circulation of DRP-Ara h 2 in sera was also monitored over time in three catheterized weaning-age piglets to evaluate transit across the intestinal epithelium in a monogastric an

We test the connection between Customer Acceptance Tests (CATs) and New Product Success (NPS) for the first time using Qualitative Comparative Analysis based on data from a European tool manufacturer. We link results from 41 CATs conducted between 2009 and 2013 to NPS as rated by Product Managers and show that (1) an overall product evaluation of seven on a scale from one to ten is a necessary condition for NPS, that (2) tool features related to durability, performance, design & comfort and weight are a necessary condition for a superior overall product evaluation and that (3) product advantage vs. competition is a necessary condition for NPS. Our results support Product Managers how to assess results of future CATs and help them to determine what a good or bad customer feedback is.

Contains fulltext : 193047.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)

Potato growing is severely threatened by the late blight agent Phytophthora infestans, which is usually controlled by massive amounts of fungicides. While variety resistance is often bypassed by the pathogen, the plant innate immunity opens the way to new biological plant protection tools, e.g. the COS-OGA elicitor. This oligosaccharide composition mimics the interaction between plants and fungal pathogens as it combines chitosan oligomers (COS) with pectin- derived oligogalacturonides (OGA). Two different COS-OGA elicitors were evaluated against potato late blight: Fyto- Save, mainly efficient against powdery mildews, and FytoSol, a new composition still under development. In addition, a comparative study of plant defence induction was performed, focusing on the effect of repeated sprayings as well as on the stimulation of salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid and ethylene-related pathways during the biotrophic and necro- trophic growth stages of the pathogen. The FytoSave elicitor strongly increased the SA content but failed to induce suf- ficient protection against late blight, while FytoSol maintained or even decreased the free SA content in the presence of P. infestans and was completely efficient. Surprisingly, the necrotrophic development of P. infestans occurred along with a strong leaf accumulation of free SA and SA-related transcripts. This may represent an attempt by P. infestans to divert plant defences for its own benefit. Preventive sprayings with FytoSol but not FytoSave completely impeded this hijacking. FytoSol seemed to keep the SA pathway under control, thereby preventing its diversion by P. infestans.

Over the past decades there has been a move towards cooperative purchasing practices as companies become more dependent on their suppliers. At the same time, most companies do not assess how satisfied their suppliers are with their business relationship. We develop an instrument to measure supplier satisfaction and apply it to a manufacturer of electronic components and its suppliers. Moreover, we show that supplier satisfaction has a significant impact on relationship growth.

Reset controllers can outperform PID controllers and may introduce phase advantage compared to linear PID control. However, in general, reset controllers do not have the same steady state properties as linear controllers, like removing steady state errors. In case of model mismatches and disturbances, this may cause limit cycles (persisting oscillations) in the closed response when (constant) references are tracked. The occurrence of these limit cycles is very unwanted in mechatronic precision systems, since the response does not converge to the desired set-point. To avoid / remove limit cycles in the response, some reset control methods are currently available. Examples are PI+CI controllers, reset controllers that reset to non-zero values and reset controllers with (adaptive) feedforward. Although the existing methods can be used to overcome the limit cycle problem, they are often dependent on the model of the system or are a trade-off between linear and nonlinear control. Hence, the existing methods are not very robust in general or do not use the full advantage of reset control. In this thesis, a simple and robust fixed instant adaptive reset controller is developed for a minimum phase SISO system that can be stabilized by standard PID control. The presented adaptive reset algorithm detects if a limit cycle is present and adapts the after reset value in an iterative way until the limit cycle is removed. Although no mathematical proof is given, the idea behind the presented method is explained. Simulations and measurements are performed to show that the algorithm is able to get rid of limit cycles caused by model mismatches and constant input disturbances. Furthermore, it is shown that the adaptive algorithm can be applied to zero-crossing reset as well.

A ficção brasileira contemporânea tem se caracterizado por apresentar obras que dramatizam os grandes impasses inerentes ao homem urbano na modernidade. Como exemplo ilustrativo dessa questão, destacam-se as produções literárias do escritor e jornalista carioca Bernardo Carvalho, por trazem à luz as vicissitudes enfrentadas pelo homem contemporâneo. Nesse sentido, o presente artigo tem por objetivo propor uma análise da personagem “o estudante de chinês” presente no romance Reprodução (2013), de Bernardo Carvalho, com o intuito de verificar de que forma a literatura incorpora, em sua forma narrativa, os problemas do indivíduo urbano contemporâneo. Para tanto, baseamo-nos nos estudos de Julia Kristeva (1989), Stuart Hall (2003), Antonio Candido (2006) e Eric Landowski (2012).

Zusammenfassung: In den letzten Jahren hat sich die betriebswirtschaftliche Forschung verstärkt mit der Gestaltung sog. Regelungssysteme zur Kontrolle dyadischer Austauschprozesse befasst. Wesentliche Elemente eines Regelungssystems sind Verträge, beziehungsspezifische Investitionen, Normen sowie Vertrauen. Die Kombination einzelner Regelungsmechanismen in einem zusammenhängenden System wird auch als "Plural Form Governance" bezeichnet. Aus Managementsicht ist fraglich, welchen Einfluss einzelne Regelungsmechanismen auf Erfolgsgrößen, in vertikalen Dyaden bspw. Kundenzufriedenheit und -commitment, ausüben. Die regressionsanalytischen Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Studie aus dem Business-to-Business-Bereich (n = 297) weisen auf einen hohen Erklärungsbeitrag der Regelungsstruktur hin. Sie erlauben zudem, die relative Bedeutung der einzelnen Regelungsmechanismen zu verstehen. Im Gegensatz zu früheren Studien unterscheidet dieser Beitrag dabei explizit zwischen Normen, die Wertschöpfung regeln, sowie Normen, die Werteinforderung regeln. Zudem werden zwei Arten von Geschäftsbeziehungen unterschieden, Key-Account-Dyaden und Nicht-Key-Account-Dyaden

Novel forms of data analysis methods have emerged as a significant research direction in the transportation domain. These methods can potentially help to improve our understanding of the dynamic flows of vehicles, people, and goods. Understanding these dynamics has economic and social consequences, which can improve the quality of life locally or worldwide. Aiming at this objective, a significant amount of research has focused on clustering moving objects to address problems in many domains, including the transportation, health, and environment. However, previous research has not investigated the lifecycle of a cluster, including cluster genesis, existence, and disappearance. The representation and analysis of cluster lifecycles can create novel avenues for research, result in new insights for analyses, and allow unique forms of prediction. This technical report focuses on studying the lifecycle of clusters by investigating the relations that a cluster has with moving elements and other clusters. This technical report also proposes a big data framework that manages the identification and processing of a cluster lifecycle. The ongoing research approach will lead to new ways to perform cluster analysis and advance the state of the art by leading to new insights related to cluster lifecycle. These results can have a significant impact on transport industry data science applications in a wide variety of areas, including congestion management, resource optimization, and hotspot management.

Age : 6 - 8 years old Reading Level : 2nd GradeStep into Leonard the Wizard's magical world!Nutty the squirrel lives inside Ben the old oak tree. This year, Nutty is worried because there a very few acorns over the foot of the tree... He decides to follow Naughty the rabbit's advice and turns to Leonard the wizard for help.This brand new series of stories will carry children into the magical and funny stories of Leonard the Wizard and his friends, the animals from the magic forest. These gorgeous illustrations and simple tales are a perfect combination to develop children's imagination.EXCERPTIn the magic forest stands a tree, which is several hundred years old: it is Ben, the old oak tree. And inside the trunk of this old oak lives Nutty the squirrel.It looks like it's going to be a beautiful autumn day and Nutty decides to stock up on acorns for the winter ?Other books from this series:? Leonard and the Magical Carrot? Leonard and the Field Mouse? Leonard and the Old Oak Tree

Helminth parasites defy immune exclusion through sophisticated evasion mechanisms, including activation of host immunosuppressive regulatory T (Treg) cells. The mouse parasite Heligmosomoides polygyrus can expand the host Treg population by secreting products that activate TGF-β signalling, but the identity of the active molecule is unknown. Here we identify an H. polygyrus TGF-β mimic (Hp-TGM) that replicates the biological and functional properties of TGF-β, including binding to mammalian TGF-β receptors and inducing mouse and human Foxp3+ Treg cells. Hp-TGM has no homology with mammalian TGF-β or other members of the TGF-β family, but is a member of the complement control protein superfamily. Thus, our data indicate that through convergent evolution, the parasite has acquired a protein with cytokine-like function that is able to exploit an endogenous pathway of immunoregulation in the host.

Acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) is a type of intracranial haemorrhage following head impact, with high mortality rates. Bridging vein (BV) rupture is a major cause of ASDH, which is why a biofidelic representation of BVs in finite element (FE) head models is essential for the successful prediction of ASDH. We investigated the mechanical behavior of BVs in the KTH FE head model. First, a sensitivity study quantified the effect of loading conditions and mechanical properties on BV strain. It was found that the peak rotational velocity and acceleration and pulse duration have a pronounced effect on the BV strains. Both Young's modulus and diameter are also negatively correlated with the BV strains. A normalized multiple linear regression model using Young's modulus, outer diameter and peak rotational velocity to predict the BV strain yields an adjusted -value of 0.81. Secondly, cadaver head impact experiments were simulated with varying sets of mechanical properties, upon which the amount of successful BV rupture predictions was evaluated. The success rate fluctuated between 67 and 75%. To further increase the predictive capability of FE head models w.r.t. BV rupture, future work should be directed towards improvement of the BV representation, both geometrically and mechanically., QC 20170522

Background. The assignment of human leucocyte antigens (HLAs) against which antibodies are detected as unacceptable antigens (UAGs) avoids allocation of HLA-incompatible allografts. There is uncertainty as to what extent UAGs decrease the probability of receiving a kidney offer. Methods. Kidney transplantations in 3264 patients on the waiting lists of six German transplant centres were evaluated for a period of at least 2 years. The proportion of excluded offers due to UAGs was calculated as virtual panel-reactive antibodies (vPRAs). Results. In the common Eurotransplant Kidney Allocation Scheme, the transplant probability was unaffected by vPRAs in exploratory univariate analyses. In the multivariable model, a 1% increase in vPRA values was outweighed by an additional waiting time of 2.5 weeks. The model was confirmed using an external validation cohort of 1521 patients from seven centres. If only patients with standard risk were considered (e.g. no simultaneous transplantation of other organs), only 1.3 weeks additional waiting time was needed. In the Eurotransplant Senior Program, patients with vPRA values >50% had a strongly reduced transplant probability in the unadjusted analyses. In the multivariable model, a 1% increase in vPRA values was outweighed by an additional waiting time of 5 weeks. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the assignment of UAGs decreases the transplant probability in both main Eurotransplant allocation programs because of insufficient compensatory mechanisms. At present, for immunized patients, a prolonged waiting time has to be weighed against the increased immunologic risk due to donor-specific antibodies not assigned as UAGs.

Nonaccepted kidneys grafts enter the rescue allocation (RA) process to avoid discards. In December 2013, recipient oriented extended allocation (REAL) was introduced to improve transparency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of REAL on recipients selection and graft function compared to the formerly existing RA as well as to identify factors that influence graft outcome. Therefore, a multicenter study of 10 transplant centers in the same region in Germany was performed. All transplantations after RA or REAL from December 1, 2012, until December 31, 2014, with a follow-up time until December 31, 2015 were analyzed. 113 of 941 kidney transplantations were performed after RA or REAL (12%). With REAL, the number of refusals before transplantation had increased (12 +/- 7.1 vs. 8.6 +/- 8.6, P = 0.036), and cold ischemia time has decreased (13.6 +/- 3.6 vs. 17.2 +/- 4.8 h, P = 0.019). Recipients after REAL needed significantly more allocation points compared to RA to receive a kidney. One-year graft survival was comparable. If kidneys from the same donor were transplanted to two recipients at one center, the greater the difference in recipient age, the greater the difference in serum creatinine after 12 months (-0.019 mg/dl per year, P = 0.011) was, that is older recipients showed lower creatinine. REAL influences selection of the recipients compared to the former RA era for successful organ receipt. Graft function is comparable and seems to be influenced by recipient age.

This paper reports on ongoing research investigating more expressive approaches to spatial-temporal trajectory clustering. Spatial-temporal data is increasingly becoming universal as a result of widespread use of GPS and mobile devices, which makes mining and predictive analyses based on trajectories a critical activity in many domains. Trajectory analysis methods based on clustering techniques heavily often rely on a similarity definition to properly provide insights. However, although trajectories are currently described in terms of its two dimensions (space and time), their representation is limited in that it is not expressive enough to capture, in a combined way, the structure of space and time as well as the contextual and semantic trajectory properties. Moreover, the massive amounts of available trajectory data make trajectory mining and analyses very challenging. In this paper, we briefly discuss (i) an improved trajectory representation that takes into consideration space-time structures, context and semantic properties of trajectories; (ii) new forms of relations between the dimensions of a pair of trajectories; and (iii) big data approaches that can be used to develop a novel spatial-temporal clustering framework.

Vieira T.B., Pereira V.L. de A., Franco R.M., Nascimento E.R., Lopes M.Q.P., Gomes H.M., de Araújo M.E.I., Suffys P.N. & Tortelly R. [Molecular analysis of Escherichia coli isolated from cellulitis and offal (liver and heart) of broiler by Sanitary Inspection]. Análise molecular de Escherichia coli isoladas de celulite e miúdos (fígado e coração) de frangos sob Inspeção Sanitária. Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinária, 35(3):247-252, 2013. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária (H.V.P.T.P.O.A.), Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rua Vital Brazil Filho, 64, Santa Rosa, Niterói, RJ 24230-360, Brasil. Email: thais.badini@hotmail.com In function of industrial production of broiler chickens, skin lesions, such as cellulitis, are becoming one of the biggest reasons for carcasses condemnation around the world. The objective of this study was isolate Escherichia coli from cellulitis and offal (liver and heart) of broilers, identify the isolates by RAPD-PCR and correlate them by molecular analysis to prove the septic character of the infection. During the Sanitary Inspection, 51 broiler chickens with characteristic lesions of cellulitis were removed from the slaughter line. These broilers were sent to Laboratory of Quality Control where the cellulitis lesions were measured and described macroscopically. Samples of skin and offal (heart and liver) of each broiler chicken were collected for microbiological examination. Isolates of E. coli were analyzed by RAPD-PCR and compared phylogenetically using the software BIONUMERICS 5.1. All lesions of cellulitis were visualized as cutaneous ulcer, changes in color (reddish-yellow) and irregular skin. In eight broilers were also observed thickening of the skin. At cutting, gelatinous fluid and yellowish patches were observed and, in some cases, there were involvement of adjacent muscle. 190 isolates of E. coli were obtained, 98 in cellulitis, 52, in liver and 40, in heart. The resu, Em função da produção industrial de frangos de corte, lesões cutâneas, como a celulite, vêm se tornando uma das maiores causas de condenações de carcaças em todo o mundo. O objetivo deste estudo foi isolar Escherichia coli em celulite e miúdos (fígado e coração) de frangos de corte, identificar os isolados pela RAPD-PCR e correlacioná-los pela análise molecular para comprovar o caráter séptico da infecção. Durante a inspeção sanitária, 51 frangos de corte com lesões características de celulite foram retirados da linha de abate. Estas aves foram encaminhadas para o Laboratório de Controle de Qualidade onde as lesões de celulite foram mensuradas e descritas macroscopicamente. Foram colhidas amostras de pele e miúdos (coração e fígado) de cada frango de corte para o exame microbiológico. Os isolados de E. coli foram analisados pela técnica de RAPD-PCR e comparados filogeneticamente através do software BIONUMERICS 5.1. Todas as lesões de celulite foram visualizadas úlcera cutânea, alterações na coloração (amarelo-avermelhado) e irregularidade na pele. Em oito aves, observou-se também espessamento da pele. Ao corte, foi observado fluido gelatinoso e placas amarelas destacáveis e em alguns casos, o acometimento da musculatura adjacente. Foram obtidos 190 isolados de E. coli, sendo 98 em celulite, 52, em fígado e 40, em coração. Os resultados da RAPD-PCR, comparados pelo software BIONUMERICS, foram agrupados em 46 “clusters” com 80% ou mais de similaridade, sendo o menor composto por duas estirpes e o maior por doze. Das 30 aves em que foi isolada E. coli em lesões de celulite associadas aos miúdos (fígado e/ou coração), em 10, foram obtidas estirpes com mais de 85% de similaridade entre os isolados de celulite e miúdos; em nove frangos, houve 85% de similaridade entre isolados de fígado e de coração sem similaridade entre os isolados de celulite, e em 11, não houve correlação entre os isolados. A detecção de estirpes de E. coli com alta similaridade genética em celulite e

Mutualisme, samenwerking tussen organismen van verschillende soorten, komt overal in de natuur voor. Variërend van bijen die planten bestuiven tot de darmflora die ons helpt bij de vertering van ons voedsel: mutualisme is essentieel voor het leven op aarde. Maar hoe evolueren mutualismen? En welke mechanismen zorgen ervoor dat mutualismen in stand blijven en dat de mutualistische partners elkaar niet parasiteren? Deze vragen werden onderzocht met behulp van computermodellen die de evolutie nabootsen in combinatie met ecologisch onderzoek naar een speciaal soort mutualisme, de zogeheten kweekmutualismen, waarbij de ene soort de andere soort ‘kweekt’ voor de voedselvoorziening. De ondergronds levende gele weidemieren (Lasius flavus) houden verschillende wortelbladluizen als ‘vee’ in hun nest voor zowel ‘melk’(het suikerrijke honingdauw dat de luizen uitscheiden) en ‘vlees’ (wanneer ze de luizen opeten). In ruil bouwen de mieren kamertjes voor de luizen en beschermen hen tegen predatoren. Het veldonderzoek op Schiermonnikoog toonde verrassend aan dat de meest voorkomende soorten wortelbladluizen zich voornamelijk klonaal voortplanten en dat ze zich zelden verspreiden uit de mierennesten. Ook werd aangetoond dat de meeste luizenkamers slechts door één enkele luizenkloon bewoond werden, behorend tot slechts één soort. Interessant genoeg wordt dit laatste voorbeeld van agrarische monocultuur vaker gevonden in kweekmutualismen, vaak in combinatie met klonale voortplanting. Daarnaast tonen de computermodellen aan dat cooperatief gedrag kan evolueren onder bepaalde omstandigheden waarin partners kunnen kiezen met wie ze samenwerken. Verder tonen deze modellen aan dat mutualisme gemakkelijker kan evolueren wanneer de interactie voortkomt uit het uitwisselen van zogeheten bijproducten, zoals de honingdauw van luizen.

Contains fulltext : 171518.PDF (publisher's version ) (Open Access), In Aedes mosquitoes, infections with arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) trigger or modulate the expression of various classes of viral and host-derived small RNAs, including small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), PIWI interacting RNAs (piRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs). Viral siRNAs are at the core of the antiviral RNA interference machinery, one of the key pathways that limit virus replication in invertebrates. Besides siRNAs, Aedes mosquitoes and cells derived from these insects produce arbovirus-derived piRNAs, the best studied examples being viruses from the Togaviridae or Bunyaviridae families. Host miRNAs modulate the expression of a large number of genes and their levels may change in response to viral infections. In addition, some viruses, mostly with a DNA genome, express their own miRNAs to regulate host and viral gene expression. Here, we perform a comprehensive analysis of both viral and host-derived small RNAs in Aedes aegypti Aag2 cells infected with dengue virus 2 (DENV), a member of the Flaviviridae family. Aag2 cells are competent in producing all three types of small RNAs and provide a powerful tool to explore the crosstalk between arboviral infection and the distinct RNA silencing pathways. Interestingly, besides the well-characterized DENV-derived siRNAs, a specific population of viral piRNAs was identified in infected Aag2 cells. Knockdown of Piwi5, Ago3 and, to a lesser extent, Piwi6 results in reduction of vpiRNA levels, providing the first genetic evidence that Aedes PIWI proteins produce DENV-derived small RNAs. In contrast, we do not find convincing evidence for the production of virus-derived miRNAs. Neither do we find that host miRNA expression is strongly changed upon DENV2 infection. Finally, our deep-sequencing analyses detect 30 novel Aedes miRNAs, complementing the repertoire of regulatory small RNAs in this important vector species.

To document the viral zoonotic risks in Vietnam, fecal samples were systematically collected from a number of mammals in southern Vietnam and subjected to agnostic deep sequencing. We describe here novel Vietnamese bunyavirus sequences detected in bat feces. The complete L and S segments from 14 viruses were determined.

De Agenda Dieren 2015-2018 is een nieuw gemeentelijk beleidskader van waaruit de acties en maatregelen op het gebied van dierenwelzijn in Amsterdam worden geïnitieerd. Het waar mogelijk bevorderen van dierenwelzijn en de aanpak van dierenleed is de rode draad door de Agenda Dieren. Dierenwelzijn gaat over de kwaliteit van het leven zoals het door het dier wordt ervaren. Een goed welzijn voor dieren betekent dat voldaan wordt aan de natuurlijke behoeftes van het dier. Gedrag en gezondheid geven belangrijke signalen af over hoe het met het welzijn gesteld is. Goede verzorging, onder andere in de vorm van huisvesting en voeding, is basisvoorwaarde voor het welzijn van gezelschapsdieren en landbouwdieren.

The amount of data generated in the modern society is increasing rapidly. New problems and novel approaches of data capture, storage, analysis and visualization are responsible for the emergence of the Big Data research field. Machine Learning algorithms can be used in Big Data to make better and more accurate inferences. However, because of the challenges Big Data imposes, these algorithms need to be adapted and optimized to specific applications. One important decision made by software engineers is the choice of the language that is used in the implementation of these algorithms. Therefore, this literature survey identifies and describes domain-specific languages and frameworks used for Machine Learning in Big Data. By doing this, software engineers can then make more informed choices and beginners have an overview of the main languages used in this domain.

Black poplar (Populus nigra L.) is a keystone species for riparian ecosystems in Europe. We analysed the structure of genetic diversity of 17 populations from 11 river valleys that are part of seven catchment systems (Danube, Ebro, Elbe, Po, Rhine, Rhone, and Usk) in Europe, in relation to geography and river management. In total, 1069 trees were genotyped using AFLP and microsatellite markers. The trees had an observed heterozygosity of 0.74 (range 0.59-0.82 across microsatellite loci). The majority (72.6-90.8%, depending on the marker system) of the genetic variation was present within populations. Most pairs of populations along a river were relatively similar (pairwise Fst 0.042-0.135 based on AFLP, 0.002-0.037 based on microsatellites). Overall population differentiation among rivers was considerable (Fst among populations was 0.268 based on AFLP, and 0.081 based on microsatellites). An analysis using the program Structure indicated that all populations recruited plants from several clusters. Geographically close populations tended to draw from the same Structure clusters, including populations from adjacent catchments. The Danube and Inn populations in Austria were genetically more similar to the Vltava population (Elbe catchment) in Czech Republic than the geographically more distant populations along the Tisa and Prut rivers of the Danube catchment in Ukraine. This indicates that gene flow and dispersal takes place across fairly large distances and between river catchments. Consistent with this result, a principal coordinate analysis of genetic distances among individual trees based on AFLP bands showed large overlap of populations, although the French and Spanish samples formed distinct clusters, and the samples from the Ticino (Italy) were at an intermediate position. The extent of clonal duplication was highest along regulated rivers, with e.g., 41% clonal duplication along the Rhine in The Netherlands (up to 32 trees for one genet). The Usk contained a m

Populus nigra L. is a pioneer tree species of riparian ecosystems that is threatened with extinction because of the loss of its natural habitat. To evaluate the existing genetic diversity of P. nigra within ex-situ collections, we analyzed 675 P. nigra L. accessions from nine European gene banks with three amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and five microsatellite [or simple sequence repeat (SSR)] primer combinations, and 11 isozyme systems. With isozyme analysis, hybrids could be detected, and only 3% were found in the gene bank collection. AFLP and SSR analyses revealed effectively that 26% of the accessions were duplicated and that the level of clonal duplication varied from 0% in the French gene bank collection up to 78% in the Belgian gene bank collection. SSR analysis was preferred because AFLP was technically more demanding and more prone to scoring errors. To assess the genetic diversity, we grouped material from the gene banks according to topography of the location from which the accessions were originally collected (river system or regions separated by mountains). Genetic diversity was expressed in terms of the following parameters: percentage of polymorphic loci, observed and effective number of alleles, and Nei's expected heterozygosity or gene diversity (for AFLP). Genetic diversity varied from region to region and depended, to some extent, on the marker system used. The most unique alleles were identified in the Danube region (Austria), the Rhône region (France), Italy, the Rijn region (The Netherlands), and the Ebro region (Spain). In general, the diversity was largest in the material collected from the regions in Southern Europe. Dendrograms and principal component analysis resulted in a clustering according to topography. Material from the same river systems, but from different countries, clustered together. The genetic differentiation among the regions (Fst/Gst) was moderate. © Springer-Verlag 2003.

Two key biological features distinguish Trypanosoma evansi from the T. brucei group: independence from the tsetse fly as obligatory vector, and independence from the need for functional mitochondrial DNA (kinetoplast or kDNA). In an effort to better understand the molecular causes and consequences of these differences, we sequenced the genome of an akinetoplastic T. evansi strain from China and compared it to the T. b. brucei reference strain. The annotated T. evansi genome shows extensive similarity to the reference, with 94.9% of the predicted T. b. brucei coding sequences (CDS) having an ortholog in T. evansi, and 94.6% of the non-repetitive orthologs having a nucleotide identity of 95% or greater. Interestingly, several procyclin-associated genes (PAGs) were disrupted or not found in this T. evansi strain, suggesting a selective loss of function in the absence of the insect life-cycle stage. Surprisingly, orthologous sequences were found in T. evansi for all 978 nuclear CDS predicted to represent the mitochondrial proteome in T. brucei, although a small number of these may have lost functionality. Consistent with previous results, the F1FO-ATP synthase c subunit was found to have an A281 deletion, which is involved in generation of a mitochondrial membrane potential in the absence of kDNA. Candidates for CDS that are absent from the reference genome were identified in supplementary de novo assemblies of T. evansi reads. Phylogenetic analyses show that the sequenced strain belongs to a dominant group of clonal T. evansi strains with worldwide distribution that also includes isolates classified as T. equiperdum. At least three other types of T. evansi or T. equiperdum have emerged independently. Overall, the elucidation of the T. evansi genome sequence reveals extensive similarity of T. brucei and supports the contention that T. evansi should be classified as a subspecies of T. brucei.

The archetypal Th2 cytokine IL-4 has previously been shown to alternatively activate murine macrophages and, more recently, dendritic cells (DCs) both in vitro and in vivo. IL-4 has also been shown to induce Aldh1a2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 1a2) expression in murine macrophages recruited to the peritoneal cavity. However, the influence of IL-4 on DC Aldh1a2 induction in vivo has not yet been addressed. In this work, we found that DCs show enhanced aldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme activity in vivo, which led us to investigate the impact of the vitamin A metabolite all-trans retinoic acid (RA) on DC alternative activation and function. Antagonism of RA receptors reduced production of resistin-like molecule alpha by DCs responding to IL-4, while addition of exogenous RA enhanced production of this marker of alternative activation. Functionally, RA increased DC induction of CD4(+) T-cell IL-10, while reducing CD4(+) T-cell IL-4 and IL-13, revealing a previously unidentified role for RA in regulating the ability of alternatively activated DCs to influence Th2 polarization.