Energy governance in EU-Russia energy relations: paving the way towards an energy union

EU-Russia relations are in desperate need of legislative and institutional reform given the fragmented legal infrastructure regulating energy trade between these two powers. The paper will argue that the energy partnership is a highly strategic relationship that has profound implications for the international arena as far as energy security and stability are concerned, for which a solid over-arching legal framework is required. Other simmering issues include the absence of reciprocity in energy market access and the lack of coherence in external EU energy relations which has resulted in bilateralism emerging as the default approach of engagement. These issues are interrelated and closely affiliated to the need for a revised bilateral and international legal framework, as diverse positions and a lack of cooperation amongst Member States undermine collective EU actions and legislative initiatives. In this respect the paper advocates that the Energy Union may be a comprehensive solution to these challenges, by implementing a cohesive and fully functioning energy policy that will strengthen EU solidarity and coherence in the Union’s external relations, thereby bolstering EU energy security

What We Know About Teamwork and Multiteam Coordination in Aviation: Overview Model

Much of the work of pilots, flight attendants, air traffic controllers, aircraft mechanics, and flight operations center personnel is done in teams and coordination within and between teams is required. This is the first in a five-article series discussing theory and research relating to teamwork in aviation. This article presents a comprehensive model of teamwork in aviation. It builds on leading teamwork theories and integrates other aviation-relevant constructs such as decision making, technology, and culture. All components of the model have been extensively supported in the general team literature, but the extent of aviation-specific research varies considerably across constructs. Additional articles in this series examine the various components in greater detail

Developing a High-Fidelity Simulation Lab: Challenges and Lessons Learned

With a decade of experience, the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) NASA FOCUS (Flight Operations Center- Unified Simulation) lab is a vital part of the educational experience for senior aerospace students. The NASA FOCUS Lab is a high fidelity simulation of a flight dispatch center in a collegiate setting. Students are trained in specific positions in the lab and must operate within a complex team environment to run the virtual airline within their shift. The purpose of the lab is to provide a learning platform for students to practice the requisite teamwork skills necessary to effectively work in airline operations. Designing effective simulation experiences and providing adequate performance feedback is complex. This paper discusses some of the challenges we encountered and lessons learned through a ten-year span of operation and refinement. By presenting this information, it may help future researchers in the design and development of high-fidelity simulation labs

Clinical efficacy of omalizumab in chronic spontaneous urticaria is associated with a reduction of FcεRI-positive cells in the skin

Background. Treatment with omalizumab, a humanized recombinant monoclonal anti-IgE antibody, results in clinical efficacy in patients with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU). The mechanism of action of omalizumab in CSU has not been elucidated in detail. Objectives. To determine the effects of omalizumab on levels of high affinity IgE receptor-positive (FcεRI+) and IgE- positive (IgE+) dermal cells and blood basophils. Treatment efficacy and safety were also assessed. Study design. In a double-blind study, CSU patients aged 18‑75 years were randomized to receive 300 mg omalizumab (n=20) or placebo (n=10) subcutaneously every 4 weeks for 12 weeks. Changes in disease activity were assessed by use of the weekly Urticaria Activity Score (UAS7). Circulating IgE levels, basophil numbers and levels of expression of FcεRI+ and IgE+ cells in the skin and in blood basophils were determined. Results. Patients receiving omalizumab showed a significantly greater decrease in UAS7 compared with patients receiving placebo. At Week 12 the mean difference in UAS7 between treatment groups was -14.82 (p=0.0027), consistent with previous studies. Total IgE levels in serum were increased after omalizumab treatment and remained elevated up to Week 12. Free IgE levels decreased after omalizumab treatment. Mean levels of FcεRI+ skin cells in patients treated with omalizumab 300 mg were decreased at Week 12 compared with baseline in the dermis of both non-lesional and lesional skin, reaching levels comparable with those seen in healthy volunteers (HVs). There were no statistically significant changes in mean FcɛRI+ cell levels in the placebo group. Similar results were seen for changes in IgE+ cells, although the changes were not statistically significant. The level of peripheral blood basophils increased immediately after treatment start and returned to Baseline values after the follow-up period. The levels of FcεRI and IgE expression on peripheral blood basophils were rapidly reduced by omalizumab treatment up to Week 12. Conclusions. Treatment with omalizumab resulted in rapid clinical benefits in patients with CSU. Treatment with omalizumab was associated with reduction in FcɛRI+ and IgE+ basophils and intradermal cells

The future of financial reporting 2022: the development of global sustainability standards and their impact on corporate reporting

A discussion paper based on the British Accounting and Finance Association (BAFA), Financial Accounting and Reporting Special Interest Group (FARSIG) Virtual Symposium, 14 January 2022

On the perturbative chiral ring for marginally deformed N=4 SYM theories

For \cal{N}=1 SU(N) SYM theories obtained as marginal deformations of the \cal{N}=4 parent theory we study perturbatively some sectors of the chiral ring in the weak coupling regime and for finite N. By exploiting the relation between the definition of chiral ring and the effective superpotential we develop a procedure which allows us to easily determine protected chiral operators up to n loops once the superpotential has been computed up to (n-1) order. In particular, for the Lunin-Maldacena beta-deformed theory we determine the quantum structure of a large class of operators up to three loops. We extend our procedure to more general Leigh-Strassler deformations whose chiral ring is not fully understood yet and determine the weight-two and weight-three sectors up to two loops. We use our results to infer general properties of the chiral ring.Comment: LaTex, 40 pages, 4 figures, uses JHEP3; v2: minor correction

Appraising the causal role of risk factors in coronary artery disease and stroke:A systematic review of Mendelian Randomization studies

BACKGROUND Mendelian randomization (MR) offers a powerful approach to study potential causal associations between exposures and health outcomes by using genetic variants associated with an exposure as instrumental variables. In this systematic review, we aimed to summarize previous MR studies and to evaluate the evidence for causality for a broad range of exposures in relation to coronary artery disease and stroke. METHODS AND RESULTS MR studies investigating the association of any genetically predicted exposure with coronary artery disease or stroke were identified. Studies were classified into 4 categories built on the significance of the main MR analysis results and its concordance with sensitivity analyses, namely, robust, probable, suggestive, and insufficient. Studies reporting associations that did not perform any sensitivity analysis were classified as nonevaluable. We identified 2725 associations eligible for evaluation, examining 535 distinct exposures. Of them, 141 were classified as robust, 353 as probable, 110 as suggestive, and 926 had insufficient evidence. The most robust associations were observed for anthropometric traits, lipids, and lipoproteins and type 2 diabetes with coronary artery; disease and clinical measurements with coronary artery disease and stroke; and thrombotic factors with stroke. CONCLUSIONS Despite the large number of studies that have been conducted, only a limited number of associations were supported by robust evidence. Approximately half of the studies reporting associations presented an MR sensitivity analysis along with the main analysis that further supported the causality of associations. Future research should focus on more thorough assessments of sensitivity MR analyses and further assessments of mediation effects or nonlinearity of associations