Three-types models of multidimensional screening

This paper analyzes the variety of optimal screening contracts in a relatively simple multidimensional framework a` la Armstrong and Rochet (1999), when only three types of agents are present. It is shown, among other things, that the well known principle in optimal contract theory of `no distortion at the top' does not carry over to the multidimensional caseAsymmmetric information; multidimensional screening; optimal contract

Selenium as stressor and antioxidant affects pollen performance in Olea europaea

Abstract Selenium (Se) as an antioxidant is a trace element essential to wellness and the maintenance of human health. Although it has not been confirmed to be an essential micronutrient in higher plants, there is increasing evidence of its benefits in plants in which it inhibits the detrimental effects of environmental stressors, while only few studies refer to its action on pollen germination. Selenium enhances the stress tolerance regulating the production and quenching of reactive oxygen species (ROS); however, the endogenous ROS are essential to the cross-talk between pollen and stigma and promote pollen tube growth. The action of Se has many mechanisms, not all yet fully clarified. In order to deepen the knowledge and fill the gaps in the role of Se as an inhibitor of ROS and, at the same time, a promoter of pollen germination, we attempted this research, enriching olive trees growing in pots and in the field with Se. The plants in pots were kept at a controlled water regime in order to induce drought stress. To test the effect of antioxidant on pollen performance, a single application of Se was supplied to the plants at the beginning of pollen development. Two olive cultivars (Arbequina and Maurino) were used in three different experiments in which Se enrichment was carried out through (i) endo-xylematic drip injection, (ii) foliar spray, (iii) soil application. The pollen performance was assessed at anthesis. The results showed that Se enrichment in non-stressed plants induced a higher rate of pollen viability and germination, but it did not always stimulate their reproductive performance. Different responses were obtained in drought stressed plants, in which Se induced pollen germination, obtaining a performance similar to non-stressed plants. The ROS detection by a quantitative method, applied on hydrated pollen, verified the results just discussed

Erratum to "Selenium as stressor and antioxidant affects pollen performance in Olea europaea" [FLORA 215 (2015) 16–22]

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Oleanolic acid: A promising antidiabetic metabolite detected in Aglianico grape pomace

Grape pomace, a bulky component of winery waste, is a source of healthy compounds. So far, scientific research has mainly focused on its polyphenol content, but given the impressive number of bioactivities shown by grape pomace, it is not unlikely that, besides polyphenols, additional metabolites, so far undetected, may be involved. In order to verify such hypothesis, an in-depth chemical analysis of Aglianico (Vitis vinifera) grape pomace was conducted by NMR and LC-MS/MS. In addition to a number of polyphenols, a remarkable concentration of oleanolic acid (0.45 mg/g - fresh weight) was determined in the analyzed material. Oleanolic acid is a natural triterpenoid showing many bioactivities including antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and antiviral properties. Also, it was proven a potential antidiabetic molecule in Type1 Diabetes rats. Hence, its influence on the mitochondrial and glucose uptake activities of C2C12 myoblast was here assessed, thus supporting oleanolic acid as a promising antidiabetic metabolite

Satellite remote sensing and non-destructive testing methods for transport infrastructure monitoring: advances, challenges and perspectives

High temporal frequency monitoring of transport infrastructure is crucial to prioritise mainte-nance and prevent major service disruption or structural failures. Ground-based non-destructive testing (NDT) methods have been successfully applied for decades, reaching very high standards for data quality and accuracy. However, routine campaigns and long inspection times are re-quired for data collection and their implementation into reliable infrastructure management systems (IMSs). On the other hand, satellite remote sensing techniques, such as the Mul-ti-Temporal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (MT-InSAR) method, have proven effective in monitoring ground displacements of transport infrastructure (roads, railways and airfields) with a much higher temporal frequency of investigation and the capability to cover wider areas. Nevertheless, the integration of information from i) satellite remote sensing and ii) ground-based NDT methods is still a subject to be fully explored in civil engineering. This paper aims to review significant stand-alone and combined applications in these two areas of endeavour for transport infrastructure monitoring. Recent advances, main challenges and future perspectives arising from their mutual integration are also discussed

Phases I-II Matched Case-Control Study of Human Fetal Liver Cell Transplantation for Treatment of Chronic Liver Disease.

Fetal hepatocytes have a high regenerative capacity. The aim of the study was to assess treatment safety and clinical efficacy of human fetal liver cell transplantation through splenic artery infusion. Patients with endstage chronic liver disease on the waiting list for liver transplantation were enrolled. A retrospectively selected contemporary matched-pair group served as control. Nonsorted raw fetal liver cell preparations were isolated from therapeutically aborted fetuses. The end points of the study were safety and improvement of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) and Child-Pugh scores. Nine patients received a total of 13 intrasplenic infusions and were compared with 16 patients on standard therapy. There were no side effects related to the infusion procedure. At the end of follow-up, the MELD score (mean ± SD) in the treatment group remained stable from baseline (16.0 ± 2.9) to the last observation (15.7 ± 3.8), while it increased in the control group from 15.3 ± 2.5 to 19 ± 5.7 ( p = 0.0437). The Child-Pugh score (mean ± SD) dropped from 10.1 ± 1.5 to 9.1 ± 1.4 in the treatment group and increased from 10.0 ± 1.2 to 11.1 ± 1.6 in the control group ( p = 0.0076). All treated patients with history of recurrent portosystemic encephalopathy (PSE) had no further episodes during 1-year follow-up. No improvement was observed in the control group patients with PSE at study inclusion. Treatment was considered a failure in six of the nine patients (three deaths not liver related, one liver transplant, two MELD score increases) compared with 14 of the 16 patients in the control group (six deaths, five of which were caused by liver failure, four liver transplants, and four MELD score increases). Intrasplenic fetal liver cell infusion is a safe and well-tolerated procedure in patients with end-stage chronic liver disease. A positive effect on clinical scores and on encephalopathy emerged from this preliminary study

Knowledge Graphs Evolution and Preservation -- A Technical Report from ISWS 2019

One of the grand challenges discussed during the Dagstuhl Seminar "Knowledge Graphs: New Directions for Knowledge Representation on the Semantic Web" and described in its report is that of a: "Public FAIR Knowledge Graph of Everything: We increasingly see the creation of knowledge graphs that capture information about the entirety of a class of entities. [...] This grand challenge extends this further by asking if we can create a knowledge graph of "everything" ranging from common sense concepts to location based entities. This knowledge graph should be "open to the public" in a FAIR manner democratizing this mass amount of knowledge." Although linked open data (LOD) is one knowledge graph, it is the closest realisation (and probably the only one) to a public FAIR Knowledge Graph (KG) of everything. Surely, LOD provides a unique testbed for experimenting and evaluating research hypotheses on open and FAIR KG. One of the most neglected FAIR issues about KGs is their ongoing evolution and long term preservation. We want to investigate this problem, that is to understand what preserving and supporting the evolution of KGs means and how these problems can be addressed. Clearly, the problem can be approached from different perspectives and may require the development of different approaches, including new theories, ontologies, metrics, strategies, procedures, etc. This document reports a collaborative effort performed by 9 teams of students, each guided by a senior researcher as their mentor, attending the International Semantic Web Research School (ISWS 2019). Each team provides a different perspective to the problem of knowledge graph evolution substantiated by a set of research questions as the main subject of their investigation. In addition, they provide their working definition for KG preservation and evolution

ARIA digital anamorphosis : Digital transformation of health and care in airway diseases from research to practice

Digital anamorphosis is used to define a distorted image of health and care that may be viewed correctly using digital tools and strategies. MASK digital anamorphosis represents the process used by MASK to develop the digital transformation of health and care in rhinitis. It strengthens the ARIA change management strategy in the prevention and management of airway disease. The MASK strategy is based on validated digital tools. Using the MASK digital tool and the CARAT online enhanced clinical framework, solutions for practical steps of digital enhancement of care are proposed.Peer reviewe