Monitoring of cfrp-strengthened reinforced concrete bridge spans in low temperature conditions

The article discusses strengthening bridges using composite materials at extreme low temperatures. Provides the results some experimental studies FRP strengthened concrete samples at low temperatures

Разработка и формализация корпоративной стратегии предприятия

Выпускная квалификационная работа содержит 110 стр., 19 таблиц, 15 рисунков, 30 использованных источников, 2 приложения. Ключевые слова: корпоративная стратегия, SWOT-анализ, матрица Маккински, матрица Томпсона и Стрикленда, модель Артур де Литтл, модель «5 сил Портера», ключевые показатели эффективности, система управления по показателям, корпоративная социальная ответственность. Объектом исследования является корпоративная стратегия ОАО «ТЭМЗ». Целью дипломной работы является рассмотрение проблем разработки и формализации корпоративной стратегии предприятия. В процессе исследования использованы законодательные и методические материалы, учебные пособия, публикации в специальных журналах, связанные с вопросами корпоративного управления. В результате исследования была осуществлена разработка и формализация корпоративной стратегии ОАО «ТЭМЗ». Основные конструктивные, технологические и технико-эксплуатационные характеристики: введение раскрывает актуальность, цель исследования, теоретическую и практическую значимость работы, обосновывается выбор объекта и предмета исследования. В первой главе раскрыты теоретические основы разработки корпоративной стратегии. Во второй главе дана краткая характеристика предприятия, проведен анализ системы корпоративного управления на предприятии ОАО «ТЭМЗ». В третьей главе рассмотрен процесс разработки и формализации стратегии управления для ОАО «ТЭМЗ». Заключение содержит анализ результатов теоретических и экспериментальных исследований работы. Степень внедрения: одна из предложенных в результате разработки и формализации корпоративных стратегий уже принята на ОАО «ТЭМЗ» и включена в соответствующие разделы инвестиционного бизнес-плана. Область применения: полученные результаты разработки и формализации корпоративной стратегии, эффективности социальной ответственности управления могут быть использованы в управленческой работе ОАО «ТЭМЗ»». Экономическая эффективность/значимость работы. Разработанные и формализованные корпоративные стратегии позволят ОАО «ТЭМЗ» повысить производительность труда, уменьшить текучесть кадрового потенциала и производственный травматизм.Final qualifying work contains 110 pages, 19 tables, 15 figures, 30 of the used sources, 2 appendices. Key words: corporate strategy, SWOT analysis, matrix o Machinski, matrix Thompson and Strickland model Arthur de little, model "5 forces of porter", key performance indicators, control system indicators, corporate social responsibility. The object of study is the corporate strategy of JSC "TEMZ". The aim of the thesis is to examine the problems of the development and formalization of corporate strategy. In the process of the study used legislative and methodical materials, textbooks, publications in professional journals related to issues of corporate governance. The study was carried out to develop and formalization of the corporate strategy of JSC "TEMZ". The basic constructive, technological and technical-operational characteristics: the introduction reveals the relevance, research objective, theoretical and practical significance of the research, justify the choice of object and subject of research. The first Chapter describes theoretical basis of development of corporate strategy. The second Chapter gives a brief description of the enterprise, the analysis of the system of corporate management of JSC "TEMZ". The third Chapter describes the development process and the formalization of the strategy management for JSC "TEMZ". The conclusion contains an analysis of the results of theoretical and experimental research work. Degree of implementation: one of the proposed in the development and formalization of corporate strategies already adopted at JSC "TEMZ" and included in relevant sections of the investment business plan. Application field: the results of the development and formalization of corporate strategy, efficiency, social responsibility management can be used in managerial work of JSC "TEMZ". Economic efficiency and significance of the work. Developed and formalized corporate strategy will allow JSC "TEMZ" to increase productivity, to decrease the fluidity of human resources and industrial injuries

Stochastic dynamics and mean field approach in a system of three interacting species

The spatio-temporal dynamics of three interacting species, two preys and one predator, in the presence of two different kinds of noise sources is studied. To describe the spatial distributions of the species we use a model based on Lotka-Volterra equations. A correlated dichotomous noise acts on \beta, the interaction parameter between the two preys, and a multiplicative white noise affects directly the dynamics of each one of the three species. We study the time behaviour of the three species in single site for different values of the multiplicative noise intensity, finding noise-induced oscillations of the three species densities with an anticorrelated behaviour of the two preys. Afterwards, by considering a spatially extended system formed by a two-dimensional lattice with N sites and applying a mean field approach, we get the corresponding moment equations in Gaussian approximation. Within this formalism we obtain the time behaviour of the first and second order moments for different values of multiplicative noise intensity, with \beta(t) subject to the same dichotomous noise source. Finally, we compare our results with those obtained by using a coupled map lattice model, consisting of a time discrete version of the Lotka-Volterra equations.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures. Submitted to Centr. Eur. J. Phy

Physical forcing and physical/biochemical variability of the Mediterranean Sea: a review of unresolved issues and directions for future research

This paper is the outcome of a workshop held in Rome in November 2011 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the POEM (Physical Oceanography of the Eastern Mediterranean) program. In the workshop discussions, a number of unresolved issues were identified for the physical and biogeochemical properties of the Mediterranean Sea as a whole, i.e., comprising the Western and Eastern sub-basins. Over the successive two years, the related ideas were discussed among the group of scientists who participated in the workshop and who have contributed to the writing of this paper. Three major topics were identified, each of them being the object of a section divided into a number of different sub-sections, each addressing a specific physical, chemical or biological issue: 1. Assessment of basin-wide physical/biochemical properties, of their variability and interactions. 2. Relative importance of external forcing functions (wind stress, heat/moisture fluxes, forcing through straits) vs. internal variability. 3. Shelf/deep sea interactions and exchanges of physical/biogeochemical properties and how they affect the sub-basin circulation and property distribution. Furthermore, a number of unresolved scientific/methodological issues were also identified and are reported in each sub-section after a short discussion of the present knowledge. They represent the collegial consensus of the scientists contributing to the paper. Naturally, the unresolved issues presented here constitute the choice of the authors and therefore they may not be exhaustive and/or complete. The overall goal is to stimulate a broader interdisciplinary discussion among the scientists of the Mediterranean oceanographic community, leading to enhanced collaborative efforts and exciting future discoveries

The CDKL5 disorder is an independent clinical entity associated with early-onset encephalopathy

The clinical understanding of the CDKL5 disorder remains limited, with most information being derived from small patient groups seen at individual centres. This study uses a large international data collection to describe the clinical profile of the CDKL5 disorder and compare with Rett syndrome (RTT). Information on individuals with cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) mutations (n=86) and females with MECP2 mutations (n=920) was sourced from the InterRett database. Available photographs of CDKL5 patients were examined for dysmorphic features. The proportion of CDKL5 patients meeting the recent Neul criteria for atypical RTT was determined. Logistic regression and time-to-event analyses were used to compare the occurrence of Rett-like features in those with MECP2 and CDKL5 mutations. Most individuals with CDKL5 mutations had severe developmental delay from birth, seizure onset before the age of 3 months and similar non-dysmorphic features. Less than one-quarter met the criteria for early-onset seizure variant RTT. Seizures and sleep disturbances were more common than in those with MECP2 mutations whereas features of regression and spinal curvature were less common. The CDKL5 disorder presents with a distinct clinical profile and a subtle facial, limb and hand phenotype that may assist in differentiation from other early-onset encephalopathies. Although mutations in the CDKL5 gene have been described in association with the early-onset variant of RTT, in our study the majority did not meet these criteria. Therefore, the CDKL5 disorder should be considered separate to RTT, rather than another variant

A MSFD complementary approach for the assessment of pressures, knowledge and data gaps in Southern European Seas : the PERSEUS experience

PERSEUS project aims to identify the most relevant pressures exerted on the ecosystems of the Southern European Seas (SES), highlighting knowledge and data gaps that endanger the achievement of SES Good Environmental Status (GES) as mandated by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). A complementary approach has been adopted, by a meta-analysis of existing literature on pressure/impact/knowledge gaps summarized in tables related to the MSFD descriptors, discriminating open waters from coastal areas. A comparative assessment of the Initial Assessments (IAs) for five SES countries has been also independently performed. The comparison between meta-analysis results and IAs shows similarities for coastal areas only. Major knowledge gaps have been detected for the biodiversity, marine food web, marine litter and underwater noise descriptors. The meta-analysis also allowed the identification of additional research themes targeting research topics that are requested to the achievement of GES. 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license.peer-reviewe

Frequency of left ventricular hypertrophy in non-valvular atrial fibrillation

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is significantly related to adverse clinical outcomes in patients at high risk of cardiovascular events. In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), data on LVH, that is, prevalence and determinants, are inconsistent mainly because of different definitions and heterogeneity of study populations. We determined echocardiographic-based LVH prevalence and clinical factors independently associated with its development in a prospective cohort of patients with non-valvular (NV) AF. From the "Atrial Fibrillation Registry for Ankle-brachial Index Prevalence Assessment: Collaborative Italian Study" (ARAPACIS) population, 1,184 patients with NVAF (mean age 72 \ub1 11 years; 56% men) with complete data to define LVH were selected. ARAPACIS is a multicenter, observational, prospective, longitudinal on-going study designed to estimate prevalence of peripheral artery disease in patients with NVAF. We found a high prevalence of LVH (52%) in patients with NVAF. Compared to those without LVH, patients with AF with LVH were older and had a higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and previous myocardial infarction (MI). A higher prevalence of ankle-brachial index 640.90 was seen in patients with LVH (22 vs 17%, p = 0.0392). Patients with LVH were at significantly higher thromboembolic risk, with CHA2DS2-VASc 652 seen in 93% of LVH and in 73% of patients without LVH (p <0.05). Women with LVH had a higher prevalence of concentric hypertrophy than men (46% vs 29%, p = 0.0003). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that female gender (odds ratio [OR] 2.80, p <0.0001), age (OR 1.03 per year, p <0.001), hypertension (OR 2.30, p <0.001), diabetes (OR 1.62, p = 0.004), and previous MI (OR 1.96, p = 0.001) were independently associated with LVH. In conclusion, patients with NVAF have a high prevalence of LVH, which is related to female gender, older age, hypertension, and previous MI. These patients are at high thromboembolic risk and deserve a holistic approach to cardiovascular prevention

ALL1 gene alterations in acute leukemia: Biological and clinical aspects

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The ALL1 gene, also referred to as MLL, HRX or Htrx1, is interrupted in the vast majority of translocations involving the chromosome band 11q23. Alterations in this gene are reported in approximately 5-10% of acute leukemias (AL) and characterize different leukemic subtypes such as infant (< 12 months of age) AL, topoisomerase II inhibitors-related (TR) AL and a small subset of de novo AML and ALL. Distinguishing features of ALL1 alterations include the striking heterogeneity of its recombinations, i.e., more than 30 chromosome partners have been described in ALL1 rearrangements, and the lack of association with a definite lineage. The objective of this article is to review the biological and structural properties of ALL1 gene and its various fusion proteins, and to discuss the clinical relevance of these lesions with special emphasis on their role in molecular diagnosis and monitoring of minimal residual disease. EVIDENCE AND INFORMATION SOURCES: The material examined in the present review includes data published by the authors in this field, articles and abstracts published in journals covered by the Science Citation Index and Medline, as well as some more recent personal unpublished observations. STATE OF THE ART: The ALL1 gene spans approximately 90 kb of DNA in length, and consists of 36 exons, ranging in size from 65 bp to 4249 bp. ALL1 codifies for a major transcript of approximately or equal to 15 kb. It encodes a protein of more than 3910 amino acids, containing three regions sharing sequence homology with the Drosophila trithorax gene. These homologies suggest that ALL1 is a transcription factor controlling development and/or differentiation of human cells. To date, twelve ALL1 partner genes have been characterized which are involved in the following translocations: t(4;11), t(9;11), t(6;11), t(11;19), t(1;11) t(10;11), t(11;16), t(11;17) and t(X;11). Since all these genes do not share relevant homologies among each other, their putative role in ALL1 activation still remains to be clarified. The analysis of ALL1 breakpoint cluster region (bcr) shows that several DNA motifs implicated in illegitimate recombination events are located within the bcr. Thus, mapping of breakpoints in the different subtypes of ALL1 +ve leukemia may help in understanding the events leading to translocations in human ALs. In this respect, data on ALL1 breakpoint localization suggest that similar pathogenetic mechanisms may underlie infant and TR AL and that these events might differ from those occurring in de novo AL. The availability of this molecular marker provides a new tool for diagnostic purposes and characterization of ALs and for monitoring of minimal residual disease. To date, the prognostic value of ALL1 rearrangements has been clearly demonstrated for infant ALs only, whereas the clinical relevance of ALL1 rearrangements in the other leukemic subtypes needs further evaluation by future prospective studies on a larger number of patients homogeneously treated. As concerning studies on minimal residual disease, data on PCR monitoring of the ALL1/AF4 fusion transcript, resulting from the t(4;11) translocation, show the clinical relevance of this molecular test in predicting outcome and, as a consequence, in designing individual post-remission therapies. PERSPECTIVES: It is expected that future studies will provide more detailed information regarding either the normal ALL1 function and/or the leukemogenic effect of ALL1 alterations, together with a better definition of the prognostic relevance of the hybrid proteins formed by this gene at diagnosis and during remission of diseas