Stratigraphy, facies and geodynamic settings of Jurassic formations in the Bükk Mountains, North Hungary: its relations with the other areas of the Neotethyan realm.

Jurassic mélange complexes related to the subduction of the Neotethys Ocean occur in the Bükk Mountains, North Hungary. This paper characterizes the sedimentary sequence of basin and slope facies that occur in the southwestern part of the Bükk Mountains, placing special emphasis on the redeposited sedimentary rocks (olistostromes, olistoliths: Mónosbél Group) in order to obtain information on the provenance of the clasts, and the mode and time of their redeposition. The series of formations studied shows a general coarsening-upwards trend. Based on radiolarians and foraminifera, the Mónosbél Group formed in Early to Late Bathonian time. The lower part of the complex is typified by a predominance of pelagic carbonates, shale and radiolarite with andesitic volcaniclastic intercalations. The higher part of the succession is characterized by polymictic olistostromes. Large olistoliths that are predominantly blocks of Bathonian shallow marine limestone (Bükkzsérc Limestone) appear in the upper part of the sequence. Based on the biostratigraphic and sedimentological data, results of analyses of the redeposited clasts and taking into consideration the concepts of the development of the western Neotethys domain, the evolutionary stages of the sedimentary basins were defined. The onset of the compressional stage led to initiation of nappe stacking that led to the formation of polymict olistostromes and then to the redeposition of large blocks derived from out-of-sequence nappes of the former platform foreland

Accelerating pharmaceutical tablet development by transfer of compaction equipment across types and scales

openRoller compaction is a key unit operation in a dry granulation line for pharmaceutical tablet manufacturing. However, determining the optimal settings for a roller compactor (RC) typically requires extensive material-consuming experimental campaigns. This amount of material, in particular if active pharmaceutical ingredients are involved, may not be available during development phases, or may be very expensive. For this reason, a compactor simulator (CS) is usually employed to emulate the behaviour of compacted powders at a much smaller scale, with significant savings of materials, time, and money. However, the experimental conditions at which a CS shall be run to obtain a product with assigned specifications are different from those required to obtain the same product from a full-scale RC. How to find these conditions is an open issue. In this study, historical data from both CS and RC experiments are used to develop a transfer methodology that allows the experimenter to obtain optimal RC setup from the CS experimental results solely. The developed correlation, which has been applied to six different pharmaceutical powder blends, successfully captures the differences between the two equipment scales. Implementing this transfer methodology can result in reliable prediction of RC machine settings, thus enabling significant resource, time and money savings.Roller compaction is a key unit operation in a dry granulation line for pharmaceutical tablet manufacturing. However, determining the optimal settings for a roller compactor (RC) typically requires extensive material-consuming experimental campaigns. This amount of material, in particular if active pharmaceutical ingredients are involved, may not be available during development phases, or may be very expensive. For this reason, a compactor simulator (CS) is usually employed to emulate the behaviour of compacted powders at a much smaller scale, with significant savings of materials, time, and money. However, the experimental conditions at which a CS shall be run to obtain a product with assigned specifications are different from those required to obtain the same product from a full-scale RC. How to find these conditions is an open issue. In this study, historical data from both CS and RC experiments are used to develop a transfer methodology that allows the experimenter to obtain optimal RC setup from the CS experimental results solely. The developed correlation, which has been applied to six different pharmaceutical powder blends, successfully captures the differences between the two equipment scales. Implementing this transfer methodology can result in reliable prediction of RC machine settings, thus enabling significant resource, time and money savings

Radiolarian biostratigraphy of middle-upper Jurassic pelagic siliceous successions of western Sicily and the Southern Alps (Italy)

A rich radiolarian fauna of Middle-Late Jurassic age has been recovered from pelagic siliceous succesions in Western Sicily and the Southern Alps ( Italy ). The crucial complement to this research in the occurrence of ammonites in the same stratigraphical sections: such occurrence allows a good calibration of the radiolarian biozones. This paper represents the PhD research of the author. In Western Sicily six stratigraphical sections have been described and sampled: Fornazzo Strada, Fornazzo Cava, Castello Inici, Balata di Baida, Favignana (all belonging to Trapanese Plateau), and Sant'Anna ( Sicano Basin ). In the Southern Alps two stratigraphical sections have been described and sampled (Cava Vianini and Ceniga), and the previously studied radiolarian assemblages of the Coston delle Vette section have been added for the biostratigraphical analysis. The three Alpine sections belong to Trento Plateau. Most successions represent the intermediate pelagic siliceous member (Rosso Ammonitico Medio coded as RAM) of the Rosso Ammonitico Fm. Except at Sant'Anna and Coston delle Vette localities. The time-equivalent facies of the Rosso Ammonitico Medio is a basinal succession at Sant'Anna and the Fonzaso Fm. at Coston delle Vette. The radiolarian assemblages of the following sections have been studied for the first time: Fornazzo Strada, Fornazzo Cava, Castello Inici, Balata di Baida, Favignana and Cava Vianini. The radiolarian preservation is generally moderate and it is very good in some samples. A new regional radiolarian zonation for the Middle-Late Jurassic is presented in this paper. The biochronology has been carried out by means of Unitary Associations method and the software BioGraph. The stratigraphical distribution of 99 taxa in 67 samples from 9 sections constitutes the database for the definition of 16 Unitary Associations, which have been afterwards grouped in 6 Unitary Association Zones (UAZ-SA). The UAZones range as follows: UAZ A (?early-middle Bath. to early Calll. pars), UAZ B (early Call. pars-early Oxf.), UAZ C (middle Oxf.), UAZ D (?middle-?late Oxf.), UAZ E (?late Oxf.-early Kimm. pars), UAZ F (early Kimm. pars-late KImm.). These biozones are tied to chronostratigraphy by means of the ammonites found in the studied successions and in the under- and overlying sediments. The stratigraphical correlation of the Sicilian and Alpine sections through the UAZ-SA reveals a significant diachronism for the lower as well as for the upper boundary of the Middle-Upper Jurassic pelagic siliceous facies both between Western Sicily and the Southern Alps, and within the same paleogeographical domain. The new zonation by UAZ-SA has been compared with the zonation by UAZ95 of Baumgartner et al. (1995a) in order to discuss a tentative recalibration of some UAZ95 through the ammonites found in the studied sections. By means of the UAZ-SA it has also been discussed the chronostratigraphical assignment of the Ceniga and Sant'Anna sections in comparison to the previous authors. The Ceniga section (Trento Plateau, Southern Alps ) is now referred to ?middle Oxfordian-early Kimmeridgian pars (UAZ-SA D-E). The Sant'Anna section ( Sicano Basin , Western Sicily ) is now assigned to ?late Oxfordian-late Kimmeridgian (UAZ-SA E-F). Furthemore, for some taxa (such as Podocapsa amphitreptera Foreman, Tetratrabs bulbosa Baumgartner, Tetratrabs zealis (Ozvoldova) and Acanthocircus trizonalis diacranacanthus (Squinabol), emend. Foreman) are suggested different ranges with respect to those stated in Baumgartner et al. 1995. Concerning the systematics, 7 new species of radiolarian (4 Nassellaria and 3 Spumellaria) have been discovered in the studied sections, and already described in separate papers. The main feature of most radiolarian assemblages is the extraordinary abundance of Syringocapsids (Nassellaria). Sponge spicules are also abundant and well diversified in most samples: such assemblages are typical of proximal or relatively shallow water environments. The radiolarian zonation by UAZ-SA undoubtedly contributes to the Jurassic biozonation. The high resolution sampling of sections that crop out in a restricted geographical area results in more Unitary Associations and better defined UAZzones. The radiolarian data of this research will increase the database of the INTERRAD Jurassic-Cretaceous Working Group and will contribute to create new better-defined radiolarian biozones for the Jurassic Mediterranean Tethys

Economic analysis of a photovoltaic investment project

Il lavoro si propone di analizzare una possibilità di investimento nel fotovoltaicodi un'azienda italiana. Dopo aver esplorato la situazione attuale del mercato a livello globale, europeo ed italiano, verranno discusse le normative e la fattibilità di un investimento nel fotovoltaicoope

PEDSnet: a National Pediatric Learning Health System

A learning health system (LHS) integrates research done in routine care settings, structured data capture during every encounter, and quality improvement processes to rapidly implement advances in new knowledge, all with active and meaningful patient participation. While disease-specific pediatric LHSs have shown tremendous impact on improved clinical outcomes, a national digital architecture to rapidly implement LHSs across multiple pediatric conditions does not exist. PEDSnet is a clinical data research network that provides the infrastructure to support a national pediatric LHS. A consortium consisting of PEDSnet, which includes eight academic medical centers, two existing disease-specific pediatric networks, and two national data partners form the initial partners in the National Pediatric Learning Health System (NPLHS). PEDSnet is implementing a flexible dual data architecture that incorporates two widely used data models and national terminology standards to support multi-institutional data integration, cohort discovery, and advanced analytics that enable rapid learning

Differences in designations of observation care in US freestanding children's hospitals: Are they virtual or real?

OBJECTIVE: To characterize practices related to observation care and to examine the current models of pediatric observation medicine in US children's hospitals. DESIGN: We utilized 2 web‐based surveys to examine observation care in the 42 hospitals participating in the Pediatric Health Information System database. We obtained information regarding the designation of observation status, including the criteria used to admit patients into observation. From hospitals reporting the use of observation status, we requested specific details relating to the structures of observation care and the processes of care for observation patients following emergency department treatment. RESULTS: A total of 37 hospitals responded to Survey 1, and 20 hospitals responded to Survey 2. Designated observation units were present in only 12 of 31 (39%) hospitals that report observation patient data to the Pediatric Health Information System. Observation status was variably defined in terms of duration of treatment and prespecified criteria. Observation periods were limited to <48 hours in 24 of 31 (77%) hospitals. Hospitals reported that various standards were used by different payers to determine observation status reimbursement. Observation care was delivered in a variety of settings. Most hospitals indicated that there were no differences in the clinical care delivered to virtual observation status patients when compared with other inpatients. CONCLUSIONS: Observation is a variably applied patient status, defined differently by individual hospitals. Consistency in the designation of patients under observation status among hospitals and payers may be necessary to compare quality outcomes and costs, as well as optimize models of pediatric observation care. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2012;. © 2011 Society of Hospital Medicine.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91108/1/949_ftp.pd

Preferred and actual place of death in haematological malignancy

OBJECTIVES: Home is considered the preferred place of death for many, but patients with haematological malignancies (leukaemias, lymphomas and myeloma) die in hospital more often than those with other cancers and the reasons for this are not wholly understood. We examined preferred and actual place of death among people with these diseases. METHODS: The study is embedded within an established population-based cohort of patients with haematological malignancies. All patients diagnosed at two of the largest hospitals in the study area between May 2005 and April 2008 with acute myeloid leukaemia, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma or myeloma, who died before May 2010 were included. Data were obtained from medical records and routine linkage to national death records. RESULTS: 323 deceased patients were included. A total of 142 (44%) had discussed their preferred place of death; 45.8% wanted to die at home, 28.2% in hospital, 16.9% in a hospice, 5.6% in a nursing home and 3.5% were undecided; 63.4% of these died in their preferred place. Compared to patients with evidence of a discussion, those without were twice as likely to have died within a month of diagnosis (14.8% vs 29.8%). Overall, 240 patients died in hospital; those without a discussion were significantly more likely to die in hospital than those who had (p≤0.0001). Of those dying in hospital, 90% and 75.8% received haematology clinical input in the 30 and 7 days before death, respectively, and 40.8% died in haematology areas. CONCLUSIONS: Many patients discussed their preferred place of death, but a substantial proportion did not and hospital deaths were common in this latter group. There is scope to improve practice, particularly among those dying soon after diagnosis. We found evidence that some people opted to die in hospital; the extent to which this compares with other cancers is of interest