Potential impacts of industrial structure on energy consumption and CO2 emission: a case study of Beijing

An optimization model is developed based on the Input–Output model to assess the potential impacts of industrial structure on the energy consumption and CO2 emission. The method is applied to a case study of industrial structure adjustment in Beijing, China. Results demonstrate that industrial structure adjustment has great potential of energy conservation and carbon reduction. When the average annual growth rate of GDP is 8.29% from 2010 to 2020, industrial structure adjustment can save energy by 39.42% (50.06 million tons of standard coal equivalent), and reduce CO2 emission by 46.06% (96.31 million tons) in Beijing in 2020. Second, Beijing had better strive to develop several low energy intensive and low carbon intensive sectors, such as information transmission, computer service and software, and finance. Third, energy intensity is possible to decrease without negatively affecting economic growth by reasonable industrial structure adjustment. Four, compared to “intensity targets”, “total amount targets” are more effective on the energy conservation and carbon reduction, but have much greater negative effects on economic growth. Therefore, it needs to be balanced between “total amount targets” and “intensity targets”

Beam pointing errors of phased arrays for digital switched beam acoustic radars

Phased array antennas and corresponding driving electronics units have been introduced in Atmospheric Acoustic probing. Using modern microprocessor systems in conjunction with suitable digital electronics, it is possible to implement an acoustic probing system, with full beam switching capabilities. The radiation pattern of a planar M × N phased array acoustic radar equipped with digital phase shifting circuits for the beam switching, is examined and all the necessary formulas are presented. For a given accuracy of phase quantization, the set of beam pointing directions which can be achieved without deterioration, due to this quantization, is computed and diagrams showing the mapping of the available beam pointing directions throughout space are presented. The relation between the cardinal number of this set of directions and the accuracy of the phase quantization is also presented. The beam pointing errors, due to the accuracy of the phase quantization and the dissimilarities among the array’s elements are analysed using simulation techniques. © 1994 Taylor & Francis Ltd

Συμπράξεις δημοσίου και ιδιωτικού τομέα

159 σ.Δημήτριος ΛιάσκαςΕλευθερία Σιάφακ

Monoclonal Antibodies in the Treatment of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Moving beyond Rituximab

Although rituximab has revolutionized the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a significant proportion of patients experience refractory disease or relapse early after the end of treatment. The lack of effective treatment options in the relapsed/refractory (R/R) setting had made the prognosis of these patients dismal. The initial enthusiasm for novel anti-CD20 antibodies had been short-lived as they failed to prove their superiority to rituximab. Therefore, research has focused on developing novel agents with a unique mechanism of action. Among them, two antibody-drug conjugates, namely polatuzumab vedotin (PolaV) and loncastuximab tesirine, along with tafasitamab, an anti-CD19 bioengineered antibody, have been approved for the treatment of R/R DLBCL. Whereas PolaV has been FDA and EMA approved, EMA has not approved loncastuximab tesirine and tafasitamab yet. Results from randomized trials, as well as real-life data for PolaV have been promising. Novel agents as bispecific antibodies bridging CD3 on T-cells to CD20 have shown very promising results in clinical trials and are expected to gain approval for treatment of R/R DLBCL soon. As the therapeutic armamentarium against DLBCL is expanding, an improvement in survival of patients with R/R and higher cure rates might soon become evident

Prognostic Factors and Survival of Gliomatosis Cerebri: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Gliomatosis cerebri (GC) is a fatal diffusely infiltrating glioma. Because of its rarity, only scarce evidence is available regarding outcome predictors and the proper management of GC. Methods: Reported studies of patients with histologically confirmed GC were systematically reviewed and individual patient-level data (n = 523) extracted. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were fit for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results: The median OS and PFS were 13 and 10 months, with 5-year rates of 18% and 13%, respectively. Age ≥65 years at diagnosis (hazard ratio for OS [HROS], 2.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.62–3.31), high-grade tumor (HRPFS for grade III, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.02–2.40; HRPFS for grade IV, 1.74; 95% CI, [0.98–3.10), GC type II (HROS, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.12–1.98; HRPFS, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.04–2.34), more central nervous system (CNS) regions involved (HROS, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01–1.18), focal neurological deficits (HROS, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.07–1.86), cerebellar symptoms (HRPFS, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.42–3.39), more symptoms at presentation (HROS, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.05–1.40), Karnofsky performance scale score <70 (HROS, 3.58; 95% CI, 1.73–7.39; HRPFS, 4.48; 95% CI, 1.39–14.4), magnetic resonance imaging contrast enhancement (HROS, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.12–1.96; HRPFS, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.18–2.55), symmetric bilateral CNS invasion (HROS, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.03–1.96), and high proliferation index (Ki-67 >5%; HROS, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.11–4.86) were independent predictors of poor outcomes. In contrast, seizure occurrence (HROS, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.60–1.00; HRPFS, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.47–0.95), isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 mutation (HROS, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.05–0.49), and O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase promoter methylation (HROS, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.09–0.59) were associated with prolonged survival. Chemotherapy and surgical resection were associated with improved outcomes, but radiotherapy, whether monotherapy or combined with chemotherapy, was not superior to chemotherapy alone. Conclusions: In the largest study to date on GC, we have identified clinical, imaging, and molecular outcome predictors that are similar to other gliomas and highlight the beneficial effect of chemotherapy and surgical resection, when feasible, on outcomes. © 2018 Elsevier Inc