187 research outputs found
Aphid complex associated with potato in agro-climatic conditions of Kosovo
Field surveys for aphids infesting potato crops in three most important localities for
potato production in Kosovo (PodujevĂŤ, PrishtinĂŤ and Vushtrri) were conducted in vegetation
seasons of 2018â2019. With the purpose to monitor and confirm the aphid composition in
potatoes, aphid leaf count was used as a method which is applied worldwide. Sampling for aphids
from the leaves of potato plants was undertaken during cropping season, every 10 days, where
100 leaves were taken at random and checked in triplicates, from each field. During of this
experimental work, the following aphid species were registered Myzus persicae, Macrosiphum
euphorbiae, Aphis nasturtii and Aulacorthum solani. From the total number of aphids recorded
(4,210 individuals), the following percentage belongs to the different aphids: M. persicae
(57.24%), A. nasturtii (25.72%), A. solani (7.77%), M. euphorbiae (5.68%), and other none
identified aphids (3.59%). Relying on the results of this research we have confirmed to exist
statistical significant differences with regard to the number of aphidâs species according to the
localities and aphids that infests the potatoes. With the goal to manage and control aphids spread
infields with potatoes, it is extremely useful to evaluate and to see the possibility for an Integrated
Management against these pests at farmer level
Imaging Molecules from Within: Ultra-fast, {\AA}ngstr\"om Scale Structure Determination of Molecules via Photoelectron Holography using Free Electron Lasers
A new scheme based on (i) upcoming brilliant X-ray Free Electron Laser (FEL)
sources, (ii) novel energy and angular dispersive, large-area electron imagers
and (iii) the well-known photoelectron holography is elaborated that provides
time-dependent three-dimensional structure determination of small to medium
sized molecules with {\AA}ngstr\"om spatial and femtosecond time resolution.
Inducing molecular dynamics, wave-packet motion, dissociation, passage through
conical intersections or isomerization by a pump pulse this motion is
visualized by the X-ray FEL probe pulse launching keV photoelectrons within few
femtoseconds from specific and well-defined sites, deep core levels of
individual atoms, inside the molecule. On their way out the photoelectrons are
diffracted generating a hologram on the detector that encodes the molecular
structure at the instant of photoionization, thus providing 'femtosecond
snapshot images of the molecule from within'. Detailed calculations in various
approximations of increasing sophistication are presented and three-dimensional
retrieval of the spatial structure of the molecule with {\AA}ngstr\"om spatial
resolution is demonstrated. Due to the large photo-absorption cross sections
the method extends X-ray diffraction based, time-dependent structure
investigations envisioned at FELs to new classes of samples that are not
accessible by any other method. Among them are dilute samples in the gas phase
such as aligned, oriented or conformer selected molecules, ultra-cold ensembles
and/or molecular or cluster objects containing mainly light atoms that do not
scatter X-rays efficiently.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figure
Efficacy of Lasers and Light Sources in Long-Term Hair Reduction : A Systematic Review
Peer reviewedPublisher PD
AGRO-TOURISM IMPACT ANALYSIS OF CLIMATE CHANGE USING GOOGLE EARTH ENGINE IN THE RAHOVEC WINE REGION OF KOSOVO
Climate change is a global problem and has a major impact on the economy of the developing world. The use of open data and modeling provides a considerable resource for governments, municipalities, and NGOs to develop an understanding of how climate change will impact their communities. This paper discusses the statistical concepts used to model MODIS Land Surface Temperature dataset and calculation of water balance with interpretations of the results. The results of this paper will utilize open datasets, an analysis of the impacts of temperature changes on the developing tourist economy in the Republic of Kosovo, and the knowledge of the capacity for leveraging large geographic datasets for open climate change research. The data from this paper shows a high level of vulnerability to viticulture in Kosovo due to significant trends in water balance and land surface temperature trends within the Drini I BardhĂŤ basin and the future impacts of this on the regions wine agro-tourism by understanding the development of climate change in the region
Claimed Co-ethnics and Kin-State Citizenship in Southeastern Europe
The paper introduces the often neglected concept of 'claimed co-ethnics' in the analysis of citizenship policies. It argues that this is an interstitial category that further complicates the triadic nexus between national minorities, nationalising states and kin-states. The 'claimed co-ethnics' are defined as people who are recognised by the citizenship (or ethnizenship) conferring state as belonging to its main ethnic group, although they themselves do not embrace that definition. In addition to bringing the issue of claimed co-ethnics into focus, the paper elucidates how citizenship policies can affect groups that challenge the exact fit between ethnicity and nation, showing how national governments through particular citizenship policies and categorisation practices engage in the construction of these groups. The paper shows that the triadic nexus framework, which has had a strong influence on citizenship and minorities scholarship, needs to be revised to include unidirectional relations between the elements of the triadic nexus. The paper is based on the comparison between the cases of ethnic Vlachs (in the context of Albania and Greece) and Bunjevci (in the context of Serbia and Croatia).European Commission - Seventh Framework Programme (FP7
Prognostic Relevance of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) in Luminal Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis in the Neoadjuvant Setting
The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a promising predictive and prognostic factor in breast cancer. We investigated its ability to predict disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with luminal A- or luminal B-HER2-negative breast cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). Pre-treatment complete blood cell counts from 168 consecutive patients with luminal breast cancer were evaluated to assess NLR. The study population was stratified into NLRlow or NLRhigh according to a cut-off value established by receiving operator curve (ROC) analysis. Data on additional pre- and post-treatment clinical-pathological characteristics were also collected. Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank tests, and Cox proportional hazards models were used for statistical analyses. Patients with pre-treatment NLRlow showed a significantly shorter DFS (HR: 6.97, 95% CI: 1.65-10.55, p = 0.002) and OS (HR: 7.79, 95% CI: 1.25-15.07, p = 0.021) compared to those with NLRhigh. Non-ductal histology, luminal B subtype, and post-treatment Ki67 ⼠14% were also associated with worse DFS (p = 0.016, p = 0.002, and p = 0.001, respectively). In a multivariate analysis, luminal B subtype, post-treatment Ki67 ⼠14%, and NLRlow remained independent prognostic factors for DFS, while only post-treatment Ki67 ⼠14% and NLRlow affected OS. The present study provides evidence that pre-treatment NLRlow helps identify women at higher risk of recurrence and death among patients affected by luminal breast cancer treated with NACT
The Role of Perioperative Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography and Biliary Drainage in Large Liver Hydatid Cysts
Imaging Molecular Structure through Femtosecond Photoelectron Diffraction on Aligned and Oriented Gas-Phase Molecules
This paper gives an account of our progress towards performing femtosecond
time-resolved photoelectron diffraction on gas-phase molecules in a pump-probe
setup combining optical lasers and an X-ray Free-Electron Laser. We present
results of two experiments aimed at measuring photoelectron angular
distributions of laser-aligned 1-ethynyl-4-fluorobenzene (C8H5F) and
dissociating, laseraligned 1,4-dibromobenzene (C6H4Br2) molecules and discuss
them in the larger context of photoelectron diffraction on gas-phase molecules.
We also show how the strong nanosecond laser pulse used for adiabatically
laser-aligning the molecules influences the measured electron and ion spectra
and angular distributions, and discuss how this may affect the outcome of
future time-resolved photoelectron diffraction experiments.Comment: 24 pages, 10 figures, Faraday Discussions 17
Neoadjuvant immune-checkpoint blockade in triple-negative breast cancer: current evidence and literature-based meta-analysis of randomized trials
Chemotherapy based on the sequential use of anthracyclines and taxanes has long represented the most efficacious approach in the management of early-stage, triple-negative breast cancer, whose aggressive behavior is widely renowned. This standard chemotherapy backbone was subsequently enriched by the use of carboplatin, based on its association with increased pathologic complete response and efficacy in the metastatic setting. Following the results from the IMpassion130 trial, the recent approval of the immunotherapic agent atezolizumab in combination with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for programmed-death ligand 1-positive, unresectable locally advanced, or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer increasingly fueled the flourishing of trials of immune-checkpoint inhibitors in the early setting. In this work, we review the most recent inherent literature in light of key methodological issues and provide a quantitative summary of the results from phase IIâIII randomized trials of immunotherapic agents combined with chemotherapy in the setting of interest. Hints regarding future directions are also discussed
towards time-resolved imaging of molecular structure
We demonstrate an experimental method to record snapshot diffraction images of
polyatomic gas-phase molecules, which can, in a next step, be used to probe
time-dependent changes in the molecular geometry during photochemical
reactions with femtosecond temporal and angstrom spatial resolution.
Adiabatically laser-aligned 1-ethynyl-4-fluorobenzene (C8H5F) molecules were
imaged by diffraction of photoelectrons with kinetic energies between 31 and
62 eV, created from core ionization of the fluorine (1s) level by â80 fs x-ray
free-electron-laser pulses. Comparison of the experimental photoelectron
angular distributions with density functional theory calculations allows
relating the diffraction images to the molecular structure
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