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The cytokine TGFβ1 induces epidermal Langerhans cell (LC) differentiation from human precursors, an effect mediated through BMPR1a/ALK3 signaling, as revealed from ectopic expression and receptor inhibition studies. Whether TGFβ1‒BMPR1a signaling is required for LC differentiation in vivo remained incompletely understood. We found that TGFβ1-deficient mice show defective perinatal expansion and differentiation of LCs. LCs can be identified within the normal healthy human epidermis by anti-BMPR1a immunohistology staining. Deletion of BMPR1a in all (vav

Even though hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are characterized by their ability to self-renew and differentiate, they primarily reside in quiescence. Despite the immense importance of this quiescent state, its maintenance and regulation is still incompletely understood. Schlafen2 (Slfn2) is a cytoplasmic protein known to be involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, quiescence, interferon response, and regulation of the immune system. Interestingly, Slfn2 is highly expressed in primitive hematopoietic cells. In order to investigate the role of Slfn2 in the regulation of HSC we have studied HSC function in the elektra mouse model, where the elektra allele of the Slfn2 gene contains a point mutation causing loss of function of the Slfn2 protein. We found that homozygosity for the elektra allele caused a decrease of primitive hematopoietic compartments in murine bone marrow. We further found that transplantation of elektra bone marrow and purified HSC resulted in a significantly reduced regenerative capacity of HSC in competitive transplantation settings. Importantly, we found that a significantly higher fraction of elektra HSC (as compared to wild-type HSC) were actively cycling, suggesting that the mutation in Slfn2 increases HSC proliferation. This additionally caused an increased amount of apoptotic stem and progenitor cells. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that dysregulation of Slfn2 results in a functional deficiency of primitive hematopoietic cells, which is particularly reflected by a drastically impaired ability to reconstitute the hematopoietic system following transplantation and an increase in HSC proliferation. This study thus identifies Slfn2 as a novel and critical regulator of adult HSC and HSC quiescence.

International audience; BepiColombo Mio (previously called MMO: Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter) was successfully launched by Ariane 5 from Kourou, French Guiana on October 20, 2018. The Mercury Plasma/Particle Experiment (MPPE) is a comprehensive instrument package onboard Mio spacecraft used for plasma, high-energy particle and energetic neutral atom measurements. It consists of seven sensors including two Mercury Electron Analyzers (MEA1 and MEA2), Mercury Ion Analyzer (MIA), Mass Spectrum Analyzer (MSA), High Energy Particle instrument for electron (HEP-ele), High Energy Particle instrument for ion (HEP-ion), and Energetic Neutrals Analyzer (ENA). Significant efforts were made pre-flight to calibrate all of the MPPE sensors at the appropriate facilities on the ground. High voltage commissioning of MPPE analyzers was successfully performed between June and August 2019 and in February 2020 following the completion of the low voltage commissioning in November 2018. Although all of the MPPE analyzers are now ready to begin observation, the full service performance has been delayed until Mio’s arrival at Mercury. Most of the fields of view (FOVs) of the MPPE analyzers are blocked by the thermal shield surrounding the Mio spacecraft during the cruising phase. Together with other instruments on Mio including Magnetic Field Investigation (MGF) and Plasma Wave Investigation (PWI) that measure plasma field parameters, MPPE will contribute to the comprehensive understanding of the plasma environment around Mercury when BepiColombo/Mio begins observation after arriving at the planet Mercury in December 2025.

Intracellular inclusions were observed in urinary bladder epithelium of male Wistar rats, following oral treatment with high doses of the α2A-adrenoceptor agonist tasipimidine for 28 days. No cell death or inflammation was associated with the brightly eosinophilic inclusions. Electron microscopy (EM) studies showed that the inclusions represented intact or fragmented red blood cells (RBC) resulting from erythrophagocytosis, further supported by the presence of iron in urothelial cells. In addition, scattered iron-positive macrophages were observed in the submucosa and muscle layer, indicating microvascular leakage, as no major hemorrhage was evident. Despite the presence of inclusions, the urothelium showed normal uroplakin III distribution, normal cell turnover, and an absence of α-2u-globulin. It is, therefore, concluded that the inclusions were not associated with urothelial damage or increased renewal of the epithelium. This finding shows also that urothelial cells have the capability to phagocytize and break down RBCs originating from submucosal microvascular leakage. Similar changes were not observed in tasipimidine-treated beagle dogs (28 days), suggesting these findings were rat specific. The leakage of RBCs into the urothelium is suggested to be a consequence of exaggerated pharmacology leading to vasoconstriction of submucosal blood vessels in combination with transient increased bladder distension and pressure.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore, describe and categorise practices of managing product returns empirically in internet retailing. Design/methodology/approach A multiple case study was conducted involving 12 e-commerce firms and 4 logistics service providers. An integrative data collection approach of semi-structured interviews, documentation and observations was used to gain comprehensive managerial and operational descriptions of returns management (RM) processes. Findings The findings show inconsistent RM processes, with a plethora of practices implemented and organised differently across firms. RM processes are ambiguous; their design is a result of incremental changes over time, lacking strategy and goals. There is a mismatch between how they are described and understood in the literature and how they are actually used. Practices in gatekeeping, avoidance and reverse logistics are defined and categorised. These serve as a typology of practices for managers to (re)consider, along with 15 propositions on how RM is practised. Research limitations/implications The range of RM practices and the processes reflect a lack of scholarly attention and strategic view. Research is needed to develop clear goals on how the RM process can be better aligned with business strategies. Practical implications The typology of practices is a benchmark for internet retailers in their design of efficient RM processes. Originality/value Systematic and empirical research on RM is scarce compared to forward management. The study bridges this gap as one of the first to describe RM practices in depth, define service as a key activity, and identify a mismatch between theory and practice.

This article discusses gender mainstreaming (GMS) as a strategy to implement gender equality in public work organizations by analysing discourse in terms of the theoretical notions of translation a ...

In this article, we investigate the correlation of selected physical properties with structural changes in quaternary mixed modifier alkali/alkaline earth oxide silicate glass systems, focusing either on the mixed alkali effect [(20−x)Na2O–xK2O– 10CaO–70SiO2 (x = 0, 5, 10, 15, 20)] or on the mixed alkaline earth effect [20Na2O– (10−y)CaO–yBaO–70SiO2 (y = 0, 5, 10)]. A maximum microhardness and packing density, as well as a minimum glass transition temperature were observed for mixed alkali glasses. The mixed alkaline earth glasses do not exhibit any clear extrema in any of the properties studied. The hardness and glass transition temperature de-creases, while the density and molar volume increases with increasing BaO content. Raman spectroscopy showed an increase in the Q3 group compared to the Q2 and Q4 groups as the high field strength ions Na+ or Ca2+ are substituted by their low field strength analogs K+ or Ba2+. In the mixed alkali series, the high field strength ion Na+, seems to push the low field strength ion K+ into lower energy sites when present simultaneously, while such an effect is not apparent for the mixed alkaline earth glasses, where the far IR spectra of mixed glasses are equivalent to the weighted averages of the pure glasses.

The present study evaluated the toxicity of metal contamination in soils from an art glass factory in Smaland Sweden using a Caenorhabditis elegans nematode model. The aim of the study was to chemically analyze the soil samples and study the biological effects of water-soluble leachates on the nematodes using different physiological endpoints. The total metal content showed that As, Cd and Pb were at levels above the guideline values for soils in areas around the factory. Less than 10% of the total metal content in the soil was found in the water-soluble leachates, however, Al, As, Fe and Pb remained higher than the guideline values for safe drinking water. Exposure of C. elegans to the water-soluble leachates, at both post-hatching larvae stage (L1-young adult) for 48 h and at the young adult stage (L4) for 6 h, showed significant gene alteration. Although the nematodes did not exhibit acute lethality, lifespan was significantly reduced upon exposure. C. elegans also showed altered gene expression associated with stress response and fat metabolism, as well as enhanced accumulation of body fat. The study highlighted the significance of assessing environmental samples using a combination of gene expression analysis, fatty acid metabolism and lifespan for providing valuable insight into the negative impact of metals. The altered fat metabolism and reduced lifespan on exposure to soil leachates motivates further studies to explore the mechanism of the toxicity associated with the metals present in the environment.

In the current paper we present a concept combining metal organic chemical vapor deposition with thermal strengthening process of flat glass. As the flat glass is heated to be thermally strengthened, which takes up to 20 minutes, there is an opportunity for performing a surface modification. We describe the application of transparent and amorphous Al2O3 thin films during the thermal strengthening process. Al2O3 was chosen due to the following desirable properties: increased surface mechanical properties and increased chemical durability, the latter has not been investigated in the current paper. The residual surface compressive stresses after performed strengthening of the coated glasses were quantified to be in the range of 80–110 MPa. The Al2O3 content in the surface was measured using the Surface Ablation Cell employed with Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy and found to be at least doubled at the surface and having an increased Al2O3 content at least 0.5 μm underneath the glass surface. During the surface reaction, sodium is migrating to the surface giving a hazy salt layer on the glass which can easily be washed off with water. The applied coatings are transparent and provide increased surface hardness and crack resistance at low indentation loads. At higher indentation loads the interaction volume is larger and displays the same effect on the surface mechanical properties as for thermally strengthened glass. The contact angle with water compared to annealed float glass is significantly increased from 5° to 45° due to the different surface chemistry and surface topography.

Automatic testing of mobile applications has been a well-researched area in recent years. However, testing in industry is still a very manual practice, as research results have not been fully transferred and adopted. Considering mobile applications, manual testing has the additional burden of adequate testing posed by a large number of available devices and different configurations, as well as the maintenance and setup of such devices. In this paper, we propose and evaluate the use of a model-based test generation approach, where generated tests are executed on a set of cloud-hosted real mobile devices. By using a model-based approach we generate dynamic, less brittle, and implementation simple test cases. The test execution on multiple real devices with different configurations increase the confidence in the implementation of the system under test. Our evaluation shows that the used approach produces a high coverage of the parts of the application related to user interactions. Nevertheless, the inclusion of external services in test generation is required in order to additionally increase the coverage of the complete application. Furthermore, we present the lessons learned while transferring and implementing this approach in an industrial context and applying it to the real product.

Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) is an inherited bone marrow failure disorder in which pure red blood cell aplasia is associated with physical malformations and a predisposition to cancer. Twentyfive percent of patients with DBA have mutations in a gene encoding ribosomal protein S19 (RPS19). Our previous proof-of-concept studies demonstrated that DBA phenotype could be successfully treated using lentiviral vectors in Rps19-deficient DBA mice. In our present study, we developed a clinically applicable single gene, self-inactivating lentiviral vector, containing the human RPS19 cDNA driven by the human elongation factor 1a short promoter, which can be used for clinical gene therapy development for RPS19-deficient DBA. We examined the efficacy and safety of the vector in a Rps19-deficient DBA mouse model and in human primary RPS19-deficient CD34+ cord blood cells. We observed that transduced Rps19-deficient bone marrow cells could reconstitute mice long-term and rescue the bone marrow failure and severe anemia observed in Rps19-deficient mice, with a low risk of mutagenesis and a highly polyclonal insertion site pattern. More importantly, the vector can also rescue impaired erythroid differentiation in human primary RPS19-deficient CD34+ cord blood hematopoietic stem cells. Collectively, our results demonstrate the efficacy and safety of using a clinically applicable lentiviral vector for the successful treatment of Rps19-deficient DBA in a mouse model and in human primary CD34+ cord blood cells. These findings show that this vector can be used to develop clinical gene therapy for RPS19-deficient DBA patients.

Gaucher disease type 1 (GD1) is an inherited lysosomal disorder with multisystemic effects in patients. Hallmark symptoms include hepatosplenomegaly, cytopenias, and bone disease with varying degrees of severity. Mutations in a single gene, glucosidase beta acid 1 (GBA1), are the underlying cause for the disorder, resulting in insufficient activity of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase, which in turn leads to a progressive accumulation of the lipid component glucocerebroside. In this study, we treat mice with signs consistent with GD1, with hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells transduced with a lentiviral vector containing an RNA transcript that, after reverse transcription, results in codon-optimized cDNA that, upon its integration into the genome encodes for functional human glucocerebrosidase. Five months after gene transfer, a highly significant reduction in glucocerebroside accumulation with subsequent reversal of hepatosplenomegaly, restoration of blood parameters, and a tendency of increased bone mass and density was evident in vector-treated mice compared to non-treated controls. Furthermore, histopathology revealed a prominent reduction of Gaucher cell infiltration after gene therapy. The vector displayed an oligoclonal distribution pattern but with no sign of vector-induced clonal dominance and a typical lentiviral vector integration profile. Cumulatively, our findings support the initiation of the first clinical trial for GD1 using the lentiviral vector described here., Graphical Abstract, This study evaluates a clinically applicable lentiviral vector for treatment of Gaucher disease type 1. Hematopoietic stem cells transduced with the vector and transplanted into a mouse model successfully halted or reversed pathology. These data were used as proof-of-concept for regulatory filing enabling the commencement of an international phase 1/2 clinical trial.

In recent years, GraphQL has become a popular way to expose web APIs. With its raise of adoption in industry, the quality of GraphQL APIs must be also assessed, as with any part of a software system, and preferably in an automated manner. However, there is currently a lack of methods to automatically generate tests to exercise GraphQL APIs. In this paper, we propose a method for automatically producing GraphQL queries to test GraphQL APIs. This is achieved using a property-based approach to create a generator for queries based on the GraphQL schema of the system under test. Our evaluation on a real world software system shows that this approach is both effective, in terms of finding real bugs, and efficient, as a complete schema can be covered in seconds. In addition, we evaluate the fault finding capability of the method when seeding known faults. 73% of the seeded faults where found, with room for improvements with regards to domain specific behavior, a common oracle challenge in automatic test generation.

For the solar energy industry to increase its competitiveness, there is a global drive to lower the cost of solar-generated electricity. Photovoltaic (PV) module assembly is material-demanding, and the cover glass constitutes a significant proportion of the cost. Currently, 3-mm-thick glass is the predominant cover material for PV modules, accounting for 10%–25% of the total cost. Here, we review the state-of-the-art of cover glasses for PV modules and present our recent results for improvement of the glass. These improvements were demonstrated in terms of mechanical, chemical and optical properties by optimizing the glass composition, including addition of novel dopants, to produce cover glasses that can provide (i) enhanced UV protection of polymeric PV module components, potentially increasing module service lifetimes; (ii) re-emission of a proportion of the absorbed UV photon energy as visible photons capable of being absorbed by the solar cells, thereby increasing PV module efficiencies and (iii) successful laboratory-scale demonstration of proof of concept, with increases of 1%–6% in Isc and 1%–8% in Ipm. Improvements in both chemical and crack resistance of the cover glass were also achieved through modest chemical reformulation, highlighting what may be achievable within existing manufacturing technology constraints. © 2020 The Authors.

TiO2 is an important oxide for property modifications in the conventional soda lime silicate glass family. It offers interesting optical and mechanical properties, for instance, by substituting heavy metals such as lead in consumer glasses. The compositional effects on the hardness, reduced elastic modulus and crack resistance as determined by indentation of chemically strengthened (CS) TiO2-doped soda lime silicate glass was studied in the current paper. The CS, which was performed by a K+ for Na+ ion exchange in a molten KNO3 salt bath at 450 °C for 15 h, yielded significant changes in the indentation mechanical properties. The hardness of the glass samples increased, and this was notably dependent on the SiO2, CaO and TiO2 content. The reduced elastic modulus was less affected by the CS but showed decrease for most samples. The crack resistance, an important property in many applications where glasses are subjected to contact damage, showed very different behaviors among the series. Only one of the series did significantly improve the crack resistance where low CaO content, high TiO2 content, high molar volume and increased elastic deformation favored an increased crack resistance.

This article reviews issues and opportunities related to greenhouse and screenhouse cover materials and presents industry perspectives. A literature survey shows that various greenhouse cover mater ...

A new 14 km double-track high-speed railway through the city of Holmestrand in Norway has greatly improved rail services on the Vestfold line since it opened in 2016. The city’s new high-speed railway station is the first in the world to be built under rock. It is accessible by way of several access tunnels from a surface carpark and a public transport interchange. The station was designed to allow high-speed trains to pass at 250 km/h while passengers are standing on the platforms. This required careful management of aerodynamic forces and governed many aspects of design and construction. Special emphasis was also placed on safety, escape routes, ventilation and noise reduction.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the impact of enterprise systems (ESs), in particular radio frequency identification (RFID) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, on supply chain management (SCM). The results of this conceptual paper demonstrate that ERP and RFID systems contribute to SCM by improving supply chain integration. Supply chain integration occurs to facilitate the flow of financing, products, and information throughout the chain. In this regard, ERP and RFID contribute to integration by enhancing the information flow across the supply chain. Design/methodology/approach This paper proposes a conceptual model developed from the findings of literature review within the research domains of SCM, ESs, and supply chain integration. Findings This conceptual study contributes to the existing theory by linking the concept of information technology, ESs to SCM. The conceptual model in this paper may provide insights for executives who wish to implement ERP or RFID systems in their businesses in order to achieve higher integration, both within internal sectors and also with supply chain partners. Originality/value The findings in this study contribute to the theory base by linking the concept of information technologies, ESs to SCM. The conceptual model presented in this paper can provide insights for executives who wish to implement ERP or RFID systems in their businesses in order to achieve higher integration within internal sectors and with supply chain partners. This study offers new understandings by investigating the impact of ERP and RFID together on SCM.

Recasting prior work on return-policy and purchase intentions literature, through the lens of signaling theory and relational signaling theory, we posit that returns policy, as a market signaling mechanism, is a costly investment that online retailers make to not only support current transaction but also to signal commitment towards customer service. What outcome would such costly signal result into? Based on relational signaling theory, it promotes trust, that in turn, could enhance purchase intentions. With empirical data from 730 online consumers of fast-moving consumer goods in Sweden, the study finds that, after controlling for shoppers’ age, education, income, gender, and frequency of online purchases, perceived consumer trust fully mediates the effect of perceived return policy leniency on purchase intention. Building on past research, we apply a different theoretical lens that connects costly signaling that drives relational signaling to foster customer trust to improve purchase intentions.

Characterization of a black substance exuding from fractured bedrock in a subterranean tunnel revealed a secondary manganese oxide mineralisation exceptionally enriched in rare earth elements (REE) ...

Microbial community patterns and their potential substrate utilization were examined to test for sustainability in metal polluted soil. The acid mine drainage (AMD) influenced test field was characterized for total soil respiration and the functional diversity of the soil bacterial communities using BIOLOG EcoPlate assays. Inoculation with the mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis and two streptomycetes led to an altered metabolic diversity and soil vitality, with cell numbers increased by one to three orders of magnitude. The change in metabolic activity was stable even after one winter with severe frost periods. The inoculation thus resulted in enhanced microbial activities. This vitalization resulted in enhanced formation of soil organic matter which, in turn, can sustain higher microbial cell numbers. We therefore conclude that inoculation with indigenous bacteria and a versatile mycorrhizal fungus results in improved vitality suitable for plant growth at heavy metal polluted soils. This holds a huge potential for the remediation of the legacies of mining activities and allows for land-use strategies on metal contaminated sites the world-over.

Detectors of scientific instruments on spacecraft flying through Jupiter radiation belts need to be protected from high fluxes of penetrating radiation by means of radiation shields. Electrons constitute the most difficult component of Jupiter’s magnetosphere to shield from, because of their abundance, penetration depth in matter, and intensity of bremsstrahlung radiation generated upon interaction with the shielding material. For the Neutral and Ion Mass spectrometer (NIM) of the Particle Environment Package (PEP) instrument suite on board the European Space Agency’s mission JUpiter Icy moons Explorer (JUICE), we devised a shielding design made of an aluminum and tantalum stack to reduce the radiation-induced noise on its Micro-Channel Plate (MCP) detector. To predict the expected radiation background in the mass spectra in space, we manufactured a flight-like shielded detector and submitted it to radiation testing at the Paul Scherrer Institut with an electron beam in the energy range ~ 30 to ~ 345 MeV. The results of this test provide a verification of the NIM capability to fulfill its science requirements in the mission’s worst-case scenario (the Europa flyby), and give insights into new directions of optimization of shielding elements’ design for NIM and similar instrument bound to operate in a harsh radiation environment.

To celebrate the research visions and accomplishments of the late Roscoe O. Brady (1923-2016), remembrance commentaries were requested from several of his postdoctoral research fellows and colleagues. These commentaries not only reflect on the accomplishments of Dr. Brady, but they also share some of the backstories and experiences working in the Brady laboratory. They provide insights and perspectives on Brady's research activities, and especially on his efforts to develop an effective treatment for patients with Type 1 Gaucher disease. These remembrances illuminate Brady's efforts to implement the latest scientific advances with an outstanding team of young co-investigators to develop and demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of the first enzyme replacement therapy for a lysosomal storage disease. Brady's pursuit and persistence in accomplishing his research objectives provide insights into this remarkably successful physician scientist who paved the way for the development of treatments for patients with other lysosomal storage diseases.

Failure of PV modules frequently occurs as a result of degradation of their encapsulation material by destructive UV radiation. Both the life expectancy and efficiency of PV modules can be improved by reducing the transmittance of the destructive UV radiation through the cover glass without compromising the transmittance in the visible wavelength region. In addition, if the absorbed UV photons can be down-shifted to wavelengths that can be more efficiently converted to electrical energy, an additional increase of the PV efficiency could be achieved. In this study we have investigated transparent ZnO and TiO2 thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis on soda lime silicate float glass as functional layers on PV cover glass. The optical bandgap, UV-cutoff, UV-Vis transmittance, reflectivity (total and diffuse) and photoluminescence have been determined. The ZnO coating shifted the optical bandgap to longer wavelengths, resulting in a reduction of the transmittance of destructive UV radiation by up to similar to 85%. Distinct photoluminescence peaks at 377 nm and at 640 nm were observed for one of the ZnO samples. The TiO2 coated glasses also showed an increased UV cutoff, which resulted in a reduction of transmittance of destructive UV radiation by up to 75%. However, no photoluminescence peaks could be observed from the TiO2 films with 325 nm excitation laser, which can be explained by the fact that only indirect interband transitions are accessible at this excitation wavelength. Deposition of both ZnO and TiO2 coatings resulted in a reduction of the transmitted light convertible by PV modules, by up to 12.3 and 21.8%, respectively. The implication of the results is discussed in terms of lifetime expectancy and efficiency of PV modules.

Life-long production of blood from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is a process of strict modulation. Intrinsic and extrinsic signals govern fate options like self-renewal - a cardinal feature of HSCs. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) have an established role in embryonic hematopoiesis, but less is known about its functions in adulthood. Previously, SMAD-mediated BMP signaling has been proven dispensable for HSCs. However, the BMP Type II receptor (BMPR-II) is highly expressed in HSCs, leaving the possibility that BMPs function via alternative pathways. Here, we establish that BMP signaling is required for self-renewal of adult HSCs. Through conditional knockout we show that BMPR-II deficient HSCs have impaired self-renewal and regenerative capacity. BMPR-II deficient cells have reduced p38 activation, implying that non-SMAD pathways operate downstream of BMPs in HSCs. Indeed, a majority of primitive hematopoietic cells do not engage in SMAD-mediated responses downstream of BMPs in vivo. Furthermore, deficiency of BMPR-II results in increased expression of TJP1, a known regulator of self-renewal in other stem cells, and knockdown of TJP1 in primitive hematopoietic cells partly rescues the BMPR-II null phenotype. This suggests TJP1 may be a universal stem cell regulator. In conclusion, BMP signaling, in part mediated through TJP1, is required endogenously by adult HSCs to maintain self-renewal capacity and proper resilience of the hematopoietic system during regeneration.

In the building sector, net-zero energy performance targets and reduction of CO2 emissions are the main drivers for building integrated photovoltaics. Recent market studies [10,18,19] show the history and perspective of the global market in the BIPV sector and calculate a global compound annual growth rate of ~ 40 % from 2009 up to 2020. In Europe, the BIPV market is in a transition. The past decades of a slowly emerging BIPV market have been characterized by the original dominant value of BIPV: a building that communicates an image of sustainability and innovation. Payback time or "return on investment" have not been the major parameters in the decision process for applying BIPV. This is changing now. In most European countries, the new regulations on energy performance in buildings (derived from the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the Directive on energy efficiency) have been translated in national regulations/laws, stating that all new (and freshly refurbished) buildings of the EU member states should be nearly zero energy buildings (nZEBs) by 2020. Thus, the time for the regulations to become mandatory is very near. It is expected that the energy performance regulations are now taking over as the main driving factor for the BIPV market and that should have huge consequences in removing the difference between a conventional building component and a BIPV component both in aesthetical and construction terms. This has led to intensified research and development aiming to create BIPV products that come in a variety of colours and sizes, while at the same time being as close as possible to existing building components, to its requirements and how it is considered by the construction industry. The given market overview of state-of-the-art coloured BIPV products clearly reveals that for all parts of a BIPV module (glass, polymers, PV-active layers), there are technical solutions available for colouring. Pilot projects utilizing coloured BIPV products have been built in numerous (mainly European) cities clearly demonstrating the maturity of these solutions. The key aspect that has been slowing down the progress of implementation of these aesthetically appealing and technically sophisticated new products into a wider market are the costs. In this respect, a lot of effort has been made to improve and optimize the relationship between colour and efficiency/power generation of BIPV elements. The results of the past and on-going innovative research and intensified fundamental considerations are also summarized in this report. Besides the colour perception of the coloured BIPV elements under solar irradiation which is essential for the acceptance of the exterior appearance of a building, also transparency and inside visual comfort of BIPV – windows and façade elements are essential for the users and inhabitants. Competitive Industrialized Photovoltaic Roofing

The local structures of Cu(I) and Cu(II) in (20-x)Na2O-xK2O-10CaO-70SiO2 glasses with a copper content of 0.4 mol% have been investigated by Cu K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES). Complementary data for Cu(II) was derived using UV–Vis-NIR spectroscopy. Indication for mainly linear two-fold coordination of the Cu+ ion was found by both EXAFS and XANES, but other coordination between Cu+ and O2– cannot be excluded. The Cu(I)O bond lengths were found to be 1.79–1.83 ± 0.02 Å. EXAFS results showed that Cu(II) was mostly present in a Jahn-Teller distorted environment with oxygen, an octahedron with four shorter Cu(II)O bonds and two longer in axial position. The equatorial bond lengths were found to be 1.89–1.91 ± 0.02 Å and the axial 2.20–2.24 ± 0.02 Å with no effect of the Jahn-Teller distortion of the octahedron when the glass composition was altered. Keywords: Mixed alkali, Ligand field theory, UV–Vis-NIR, EXAFS, XANES and Jahn-Teller distortion

RESTful APIs are an increasingly common way to expose software systems functionality and it is therefore of high interest to find methods to automatically test and verify such APIs. To lower the barrier for industry adoption, such methods needs to be straightforward to use with a low effort. This paper introduces a method to explore the behaviour of a RESTful API. This is done by using automatic property-based tests produced from OpenAPI documents that describe the REST API under test. We describe how this method creates artifacts that can be leveraged both as property-based test generators and as a source of validation for results (i.e., as test oracles). Experimental results, on both industrial and open source services, indicate how this approach is a low effort way of finding real faults. Furthermore, it supports building additional knowledge about the system under test by automatically exposing misalignment of specification and implementation. Since the tests are generated from the OpenAPI document this method automatically evolves test cases as the REST API evolves.