Algorithms for two-dimensional guillotine packing problems

The Guillotine Two-Dimensional Packing Problems are a class of optimization problems that require to pack rectangular items into rectangular containers with the constraint that every packed item should be possibly retrieved with a series of vertical and horizontal cuts that divide the container into 2 parts without cutting items. 2 exact and 2 heuristic algorithms have been developed, to solve respectively the Guillotine Two-Dimensional Knapsack and the Guillotine Two-Dimensional Bin Packingope

Testing the nonclassicality of gravity with the field of a single delocalized mass

Most of the existing proposals for laboratory tests of a quantum nature of gravity are based on the use of two delocalized masses or harmonically bound masses prepared in pure quantum states with large enough spatial extent. Here, a setup is proposed that is based on on a single delocalized mass coupled to a harmonically-trapped test mass (undergoing first expansion and then compression) that moves under the action of gravity. We investigate the in-principle feasibility of such an experiment, which turns out to crucially depend on the ability to tame Casimir forces. We thus proceed with a design aimed at achieving this, trying at the same time to take advantage of these forces rather than only fighting them.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

JAK2 Allele Burden in the Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: Effects on Phenotype, Prognosis and Change with Treatment.

The field of Philadelphia-chromosome-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) has recently witnessed tremendous advances in the basic knowledge of disease pathophysiology that followed the identification of mutations in JAK2 and MPL. These discoveries led to a revision of the criteria employed for diagnosis by the World Health Organization. The prognostic role of the JAK2V617F mutation and of its allelic burden has been the objective of intensive research using a variety of cellular and animal models as well as in large series of patients. While a definitive position cannot yet been taken on all of the issues, there is a consensus that the presence of higher V617F allele burden, that is on the basis of a stronger activation of intracellular signalling pathways, is associated with the clinical phenotype of polycythemia vera and with defined haematological and clinical markers indicative of a more aggressive phenotype. On the other hand, a low allele burden in myelofibrosis is associated with reduced survival. Finally, a significant reduction of JAK2 V617F allele burden has been demonstrated in patients treated with interferon, while the effects of novel JAK1 and JAK2 inhibitors have not yet been fully ascertained

Chronic Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: a Collaborative Approach

The classic chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) include different entities that pose significant challenges for their optimal diagnosis, treatment and overall management. Polycythemia Vera and Essential Thrombocythemia are the most common among chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs); major causes of morbidity and mortality are represented by arterial and venous thrombosis, as well as evolution to myelofibrosis or transformation to acute leukemia. However, survival is only minimally affected. Therapy aims at reducing the rate of thrombosis without increasing the risk of hematologic transformation which could be caused by exposure to cytotoxic drugs. On the other hand, survival is significantly reduced in primary myelofibrosis, and the clinical manifestations may be disabling. In the absence of therapies with the potential of curing the disease, a careful risk-oriented approach is employed for stratifying patients to the most appropriate, currently available, therapeutic options. In this brief review, we will discuss some of the key issues that can arise along the clinical course of MPNs and require an integrated, strictly patient-oriented, approach

PariMulo: autologin e annotazioni degli utenti

Nella tesi di laurea viene illustrato il lavoro di implementazione di nuove funzionalità all'interno del modulo Mulo del progetto PariPari. La relazione inizia con una breve descrizione del progetto PariPari, seguita da una descrizione sul protocollo eDonkey e da una sull'organizzazione del modulo Mulo. In seguito si tratta della richiesta delle liste dei server ai server a cui ci si connette. Successivamente si tratta dell'algoritmo ideato per ottenere una classificazione dei server conosciuti e del suo utilizzo per creare un metodo per connettersi automaticamente al server col maggior punteggio (autologin intelligente). Infine si tratta dell'implementazione della possibilità di leggere e creare commenti sui file, in entrambi i protocolli supportati da Mulo, ossia quello eDonkey e quello kadope

Impact of calreticulin mutations on clinical and hematological phenotype and outcome in essential thrombocythemia

Key Points CALR mutations occur in half of JAK2 and MPL wt patients with ET and associate with some distinctive phenotypic traits. Patients with ET harboring CALR mutations are at significantly lower risk of thrombosis compared with JAK2- and MPL-mutated patients

Use of microfluidic capillary electrophoresis for the determination of multi-component protein adsorption isotherms: Application to high-throughput analysis for hydrophobic interaction chromatography

Chromatography is a widely used separation process for purification of biopharmaceuticals that is able to obtain high purities and concentrations. The phenomena that occur during separation, mass transfer and adsorption are quite complex. To better understand these phenomena and their mechanisms, multi-component adsorption isotherms must be investigated. High-throughput methodologies are a very powerful tool to determine adsorption isotherms and they waste very small amounts of sample and chemicals, but the quantification of component concentrations is a real bottleneck in multi-component isotherm determination. The behavior of bovine serum albumin, Corynebacterium diphtheriae CRM197 protein and lysozyme, selected as model proteins in binary mixtures with hydrophobic resin, is investigated here. In this work we propose a new method for determining multi-component adsorption isotherms using high-throughput experiments with filter plates, by exploiting microfluidic capillary electrophoresis. The precision and accuracy of the microfluidic capillary electrophoresis platform were evaluated in order to assess the procedure; they were both found to be high and the procedure is thus reliable in determining adsorption isotherms for binary mixtures. Multi-component adsorption isotherms were determined with a totally high-throughput procedure that turned out to be a very fast and powerful tool. The same procedure can be applied to every kind of high-throughput screening

Designing a diving protocol for thermocline identification using dive computers in marine citizen science

Dive computers have an important potential for citizen science projects where recreational SCUBA divers can upload the depth temperature profile and the geolocation of the dive to a central database which may provide useful information about the subsurface temperature of the oceans. However, their accuracy may not be adequate and needs to be evaluated. The aim of this study is to assess the accuracy and precision of dive computers and provide guidelines in order to enable their contribution to citizen science projects. Twenty-two dive computers were evaluated during real ocean dives for consistency and scatter in the first phase. In the second phase, the dive computers were immersed in sufficient depth to initiate the dive record inside a precisely controlled sea aquarium while using a calibrated device as a reference. Results indicate that the dive computers do not have the accuracy required for monitoring temperature changes in the oceans, however, they can be used to detect thermoclines if the users follow a specific protocol with specific dive computers. This study enabled the authors to define this protocol based on the results of immersion in two different sea aquarium tanks set to two different temperatures in order to simulate the conditions of a thermocline