Challenges and solutions for enhancing agriculture value chain decision-making. A short review

© IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2017. Increasingly challenging global and environmental requirements have resulted in agricultural systems coming under increasing pressure to enhance their resilience capabilities. This in special to respond to the abrupt changes in resource quality, quantity and availability, especially during unexpected environmental circumstances, such as uncertain weather, pests and diseases, volatile market conditions and commodity prices. Therefore, integrated solutions are necessary to support the knowledge-management, collaborative ICT solution, risk management and regulation management across agriculture stakeholders. Therefore, and based on the on-going work under the H2020 RUC-APS project research network, this book chapter is oriented to contribute to agriculture value chain decision-making field to cover the current need on gathering a common understanding and appreciation of new trends in agriculture value chain, in special the multi-disciplinary challenges. For this, a short a literature review is conducted to summarise the main findings on real application and current research trends. This within the objective to propose an integrated framework based on better use of communication ways, standardised structures, development of training and awareness, regulation based initiatives and vertical Integration

COMPLETE ASSOCIATION OF LOSS OF HETEROZYGOSITY OF CHROMOSOME-13 AND CHROMOSOME-17 IN OSTEOSARCOMA

Mutations of the retinoblastoma (RB1) gene are not confined to retinoblastoma, but are also involved in the development of osteosarcoma. Structural aberrations within the RB1 gene have been studied in fresh samples of eleven cases of osteosarcoma. In five cases a rearrangement was detected, one of which was best explained as a partial duplication. The chromosomal mechanisms by which the nonmutated RB1 allele was lost appeared to be similar in frequency to those that have been reported for retinoblastoma. Loss of heterozygosity was observed for chromosomes 3, 11, 13, 17, and 22. However, when no loss of heterozygosity of chromosome 13 was detected, the other chromosomes retained their heterozygosity as well. A complete association of loss of heterozygosity of chromosomes 13 and 17 was observed. This can be taken as an indication of the involvement of another tumor suppressor gene at chromosome 17 in the initiation of osteosarcoma

EULAR Sjogren's syndrome disease activity index: development of a consensus systemic disease activity index for primary Sjogren's syndrome.

Abstract Objective\u2014To develop a disease activity index for patients with primary Sj\uf6gren\u2019s syndrome (SS): the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Sj\uf6gren\u2019s Syndrome Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI). Methods\u2014Thirty-nine SS experts participated in an international collaboration, promoted by EULAR, to develop the ESSDAI. Experts identified 12 organ-specific \u201cdomains\u201d contributing to disease activity. For each domain, features of disease activity were classified in 3 or 4 levels according to their severity. Data abstracted from 96 patients with systemic complications of primary SS were used to generate 702 realistic vignettes for which all possible systemic complications were represented. Using the 0\u201310 physician global assessment (PhGA) scale, each expert scored the disease activity of 5 patient profiles and 20 realistic vignettes. Multiple regression modelling, with PhGA used as the dependent variable, was used to estimate the weight of each domain. Results\u2014All 12 domains were significantly associated with disease activity in the multivariate model, domain weights ranged from 1 to 6. The ESSDAI scores varied from 2 to 47 and were significantly correlated with PhGA for both real patient profiles and realistic vignettes (r=0.61 and r=0.58, respectively, p<0.0001). Compared to 57 (59.4%) of the real patient profiles, 468 (66.7%) of the realistic vignettes were considered likely or very likely to be true. Conclusion\u2014The ESSDAI is a clinical index designed to measure disease activity in patients with primary SS. Once validated, such a standardized evaluation of primary SS should facilitate clinical research and should be helpful as an outcome measure in clinical trials

EULAR Sjogren's syndrome disease activity index: development of a consensus systemic disease activity index for primary Sjogren's syndrome.

To develop a disease activity index for patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS): the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Sjögren's syndrome disease activity index (ESSDAI).Thirty-nine SS experts participated in an international collaboration, promoted by EULAR, to develop the ESSDAI. Experts identified 12 organ-specific 'domains' contributing to disease activity. For each domain, features of disease activity were classified in three or four levels according to their severity. Data abstracted from 96 patients with systemic complications of primary SS were used to generate 702 realistic vignettes for which all possible systemic complications were represented. Using the 0-10 physician global assessment (PhGA) scale, each expert scored the disease activity of five patient profiles and 20 realistic vignettes. Multiple regression modelling, with PhGA used as the dependent variable, was used to estimate the weight of each domain.All 12 domains were significantly associated with disease activity in the multivariate model, domain weights ranged from 1 to 6. The ESSDAI scores varied from 2 to 47 and were significantly correlated with PhGA for both real patient profiles and realistic vignettes (r=0.61 and r=0.58, respectively, p<0.001). Compared with 57 (59.4\%) of the real patient profiles, 468 (66.7\%) of the realistic vignettes were considered likely or very likely to be true.The ESSDAI is a clinical index designed to measure disease activity in patients with primary SS. Once validated, such a standardised evaluation of primary SS should facilitate clinical research and be helpful as an outcome measure in clinical trials