The “Sophistication” of Agri-food International Trade: Switching the Concept to Imports

The aim of the paper is twofold. First, it introduces a new index (called Consy) for measuring the sophistication of traded goods looking at the importers’ side. The index is defined and then its sophistication content is assessed based on a simple regression model. Second, an empirical exercise is carried out focused on agri-food imports for a set of 46 selected items. This empirical analysis brings evidences on the kind of outcome provided by the index, but it also sheds light on recent trends in agri-food trade where demand of food imports in emerging countries is enlarging and it is more quality-oriented. Results can help stakeholders in better defining and implementing their exporting strategies, especially orienting business towards promising markets and enhancing the quality features for their exports to be delivered to more demanding consumers. Policymakers and sector analysts may also be interested in acknowledging how agri-food international trade is re-shaping in recent years in order to be able to govern the related processes.The Consy values of agrifood products indicate that rich countries are major world importers. Furthermore, the Consy ranking shows that higher value-added and more complex items are imported mainly by richer countries. The time trend of the Consy index is also studied and results show that, in the studied period, the was an increase of import shares of food items for final consumption of higher quality from poorer countries

L'ESPERIENZA NEOZELANDESE DEL MERCATO DEI CREDITI DI CARBONIO PER LE AZIENDE FORESTALI

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Simplified Thermal Model of Disk-Shaped Automotive Smart Braking Actuators

This paper articulates the challenges in the thermal modelling of surface-mounted permanent magnet motors for automotive brake-by-wire systems, which operate by injecting high dc currents in two of the three phases for short time intervals. This unconventional operation requires dedicated thermal models for the prediction of uneven heat distributions inside the machine. This study extends a previous work conducted on slender-shaped motors to a disk-shaped machine where the edge effects could compromise the model accuracy. Additionally, here efforts have been made to minimize the number of experimental tests needed for the correct calibration of the proposed phase-split lumped-parameters thermal models

Metastases risk in thin cutaneous melanoma: Prognostic value of clinical-pathologic characteristics and mutation profile

Background: A high percentage of patients with thin melanoma (TM), defined as lesions with Breslow thickness ≤1 mm, presents excellent long-term survival, however, some patients develop metastases. Existing prognostic factors cannot reliably differentiate TM patients at risk for metastases. Objective: We aimed at characterizing the clinical-pathologic and mutation profile of metastatic and not-metastatic TM in order to distinguish lesions at risk of metastases. Methods: Clinical-pathologic characteristics were recorded for the TM cases analyzed. We used a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) multi-gene panel to characterize TM for multiple somatic mutations. Results: A statistically significant association emerged between the presence of metastases and Breslow thickness ≥0.6 mm (p=0.003). None of TM with lymph-node involvement had Breslow thickness < 0.6 mm. Somatic mutations were identified in 19 of 21 TM analyzed (90.5%). No mutations were observed in two not-metastatic cases with the lowest Breslow thickness (≤0.4 mm), whereas mutations in more than one gene were detected in one metastatic case with the highest Breslow thickness (1.00 mm). Conclusion: Our study indicates Breslow thickness ≥0.6 mm as a valid prognostic factor to distinguish TM at risk for metastases

Luteal Phase Support Using Subcutaneous Progesterone: A Systematic Review

Luteal phase support (LPS) is crucial in assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles when the luteal phase has been found to be defective. Such deficiency is most likely related to the supraphysiological steroid levels that usually occurr in stimulated cycles which, in turn, could severely affect luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion and function, thereby negatively influencing the luteal phase. A number of different medications and routes have been successfully used for LPS in ART. Although an optimal protocol has not yet been identified, the existing plethora of medications offer the opportunity to personalize LPS according to individual needs. Subcutaneous administration progesterone has been proposed for LPS and could represent an alternative to a vaginal and intramuscular route. The aim of the present systematic review is to summarize the evidence found in the literature concerning the application of subcutaneous progesterone in ARTs, highlighting the benefits and limits of this novel strategy. With this aim in mind, we carried out systematic research in the Medline, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Embase databases from their inception through to November 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were preferred by the authors in the elaboration of this article, although case-control and cohort studies have also been considered. According to our findings, evidence exists which supports that, in women with a good prognosis undergoing a fresh in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle, subcutaneous Pg is not inferior to vaginal products. In the Frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycle, data concerning efficacy is mixed with an increased miscarriage rate in women undergoing a subcutaneous route in oocyte donor recipients. Data concerning the acceptance of the subcutaneous route versus the vaginal route are encouraging despite the different scales and questionnaires which were used. In addition, a cost-effective analysis has not yet been conducted

Use of the new Lake Louise Criteria improves CMR detection of atypical forms of acute myocarditis

The purpose of our study was to compare diagnostic performance of old and new Lake Louise Criteria (oLLC and nLLC) among different clinical presentations: infarct-like (IL), cardiomyopathic (CM) and arrhythmic (AR). 102&nbsp;patients with clinical suspicion of acute myocarditis underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) on a 1.5&nbsp;T scanner. Protocol included cine-SSFP, T2-weighted STIR, T2 mapping, early and late gadolinium enhancement and T1 mapping acquired before and after gadolinium administration. The degree of agreement has been calculated with Cohen's K test. 42 patients also underwent endomyocardial biopsy (EMB). IL onset was present in 54/102 patients, CM in 28/102 and AR in 20/102. nLLC were positive in 58.3% of the patients, while oLLC in 37.9%, k = 0.57 (IC: 0.428-0.713). The degree of agreement between nLLC and oLLC was 0.49 (IC: 0.111-0.876) for AR onset (nLLC positive in 35% vs oLLC in 15%), 0.25 (IC: 0.035-0.459) for CM pattern (nLLC positive in 60.7% vs oLLC 17.9%) and 0.73 (IC: 0.543-0.912) for IL presentation (nLLC positive in 66.7% vs oLLC in 57.4%). Diagnostic accuracy was 75% for both nLLC and oLLC among IL onset, and&nbsp;41.6% for oLLC vs 66.7% for nLLC,&nbsp;as regards CM clinical presentation. nLLC have improved diagnostic performance of CMR for the diagnosis of acute myocarditis, in particular for atypical clinical presentation

Diabetic cardiomiopathy progression is triggered by miR122-5p and involves extracellular matrix: a 5-year prospective study

The purpose of this study was to follow the long-term progression of diabetic cardiomyopathy by combining cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and molecular analysis

Severe Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome in a Woman With Breast Cancer Under Letrozole Triggered With GnRH Agonist: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

We report a rare case of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in a 28-year-old woman with breast cancer and with a history of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) despite treatment with letrozole and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) triggering in a GnRH antagonist (GnRH-ant) protocol without the administration of any human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) for luteal-phase support. The patient, who underwent controlled ovarian syndrome (COS)-oocyte cryopreservation before chemotherapy, required hospitalization. Complete recovery was achieved after treatment with volume expanders, human albumin, and cabergoline. Based on our case and literature review, it is possible to establish that estradiol (E2) modulation with letrozole and GnRH-a triggering does not eliminate the risk of OHSS. Furthermore, it is advisable to postpone GnRH-a depot to minimize the risk of OHSS after the suspension of letrozole, following menstruation or at least 7–8 days after triggering. It would be desirable to identify high-risk patients, also on a genetic basis, in order to avoid delays in oncologic treatments that could strongly impact life expectancy

A PBL Collaborative and Cumulative Dynamics Towards Urban Sustainable Environments

Erasmus+ CityLab Program at Universidad de Belgrano School of Architecture and Urban Planning, has focused on urban structure as generator of dynamic and transformable spaces, through a local case located at Juan B. Justo Avenue corridor, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The CityLab project motivated students to experience an integrative 3-year Problem-Based Learning process, related to Morphology Communication and Digital Media, Urban and Territorial Planning, Final Degree Project, as well as integration with School of Public Relations. More than 75 students participated in this international programme to explore, diagnose and re-think city scale, as well as to discover, build and apply technological tools. Land use and mobility regulations were introduced with the participation of stakeholders and external experts in different stages from diagnosis to final project validation. Student’s and teacher´s staff contribution to the academic final conference “PBL for Sustainable Cities”- September 2018, Bogotá, produced a motivating socialization in collaboration with local partners