Sustainable Development Report: Blockchain, the Web3 & the SDGs

This is an output paper of the applied research that was conducted between July 2018 - October 2019 funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and conducted by the Research Institute for Cryptoeconomics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business and RCE Vienna (Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development).Series: Working Paper Series / Institute for Cryptoeconomics / Interdisciplinary Researc

Sustainable Development Report: Blockchain, the Web3 & the SDGs

This is an output paper of the applied research that was conducted between July 2018 - October 2019 funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and conducted by the Research Institute for Cryptoeconomics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business and RCE Vienna (Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development).Series: Working Paper Series / Institute for Cryptoeconomics / Interdisciplinary Researc

The emerging role of the FKBP5 gene polymorphisms in vulnerability-stress model of schizophrenia: further evidence from a Serbian population

Increased reactivity to stress is observed in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and their healthy siblings in comparison with the general population. Additionally, higher levels of neuroticism, as a proposed psychological measure of stress sensitivity, increase the risk of schizophrenia. HPA axis dysregulation is one of the possible mechanisms related to the vulnerability–stress model of schizophrenia, and recent studies revealed a possible role of the functional genetic variants of FK506-binding protein 51 (FKBP5) gene which modulate activity of HPA axis. The purpose of the present study was to investigate impact of FKBP5 on schizophrenia in Serbian patients and to explore relationship between genetic variants and neuroticism by using the case–sibling–control design. In 158 subjects, we measured psychotic experiences, childhood trauma and neuroticism. Nine single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs9295158, rs3800373, rs9740080, rs737054, rs6926133, rs9380529, rs9394314, rs2766533 and rs12200498) were genotyped. The genetic influence was modeled using logistic regression, and the relationship between genetic variants and neuroticism was assessed by linear mixed model. Our results revealed genetic main effect of FKBP5 risk alleles (A allele of rs9296158 and T allele of rs3800373) and AGTC “risk” haplotype combination (rs9296158, rs3800373, rs9470080 and rs737054, respectively) on schizophrenia, particularly when childhood trauma was set as a confounding factor. We confirmed strong relationship between neuroticism and psychotic experiences in patients and siblings and further showed relationship between higher levels of neuroticism and FKBP5 risk variants suggesting potential link between biological and psychosocial risk factors. Our data support previous findings that trauma exposure shapes FKBP5 impact on schizophreni

Quantitative analysis of the dystrophin gene by real-time PCR

Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD) are severe X-linked neuromuscular disorders caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. Our aim was to optimize a quantitative real-time PCR method based on SYBR® Green I chemistry for routine diagnostics of DMD/BMD deletion carriers. Twenty female relatives of DMD/BMD patients with previously detected partial gene deletions were studied. The relative quantity of the target exons was calculated by a comparative threshold cycle method (ΔΔCt). The carrier status of all subjects was successfully determined. The gene dosage ratio for non-carriers was 1.07±0.20, and for carriers 0.56±0.11. This assay proved to be simple, rapid, reliable and cost-effective

El modelo de déficit esperado basado en el oscilador armónico cuántico

This paper presents a new Expected Shortfall (ES) model based on the Quantum Harmonic Oscillator (QHO). It is used to estimate market risk in banks and other financial institutions according to Basel III standard. Predictions of the model agree with the empirical data which displays deviations from normality. Using backtesting, it is shown that the model can be reliably used to assess market risk.Este documento presenta un nuevo modelo de déficit esperado basado en el oscilador armónico cuántico para la estimación de riesgo de bancos e instituciones financieras conforme al estándar de Basilea III. Las predicciones del modelo son consitentes con los datos del mercado accionario que presentan desvíos de normalidad. Utilizando “backtesting”, se muestral que el el modelo es fiable para la evaluación del riesgo de mercado

Life Cycle Energy Assessment of biohydrogen production via biogas steam reforming: Case study of biogas plant on a farm in Serbia

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate and to quantify energy flows in a life cycle of biogas to biohydrogen production, starting from feedstock materials via anaerobic digestion, biogas upgrading, biohydrogen production, to the end of biogas system (application of digestate as fertilizer in agriculture). The performance of the biogas plant of Mirotin dairy farm in Serbia has been assessed. According to Life Cycle Energy Assessment approach, results obtained in this study have shown that biohydrogen production via biogas steam reforming has negative energy balance (with -16,837 GJ). It has also been demonstrated that this process is energy unsustainable in an environmental context. In future analysis it would be necessary to consider the other aspects of sustainability, e.g. the economical and social factors in order to estimate the overall sustainability of the biogas utilization pathways, especially having in mind that the technology of converting biogas to hydrogen is still in the development phase

The sorption and crystallographic characteristics of alumina activated in a reactor for pneumatic transport

Active transition alumina powders were obtained by flash calcination of gibbsite in a reactor for pneumatic transport in the dilute, two-phase flow regime in the temperature interval from 883 to 943 K with a residence time between 0.4 and 0.9 s. The results of X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the activated alumina samples were either microcrystalline or amorphous. From nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, the specific surface areas of all samples were calculated by the BET method. Using the sorption data, the fractal dimension of the surface of the alumina samples was calculated according to a modified FHH method. By application of fractal geometry, using the values of the fractal dimension of the surface and of the specific surface area, the effective surface areas of the active aluminas were calculated for the adsorption of molecules having a cross-section area greater than that of the nitrogen molecule.Kratkovremenom termičkom aktivacijom gibsita u reaktoru za pneumatski transport čestica na temperaturama u intervalu od 883 do 943 K i vremenu boravka od 0.4 do 0.9 s dobijen je aktivni prah aluminijumoksida. Rentgenska strukturna analiza pokazala je da dobijeni uzorci imaju visok stepen amorfnosti i mali procenat polaznog gibsita. Na svim uzorcima su određene adsorpciono - desorpcione izoterme azota iz kojih je po BET - metodi izračunata specifična površina. Na osnovu rezultata sorpciono - strukturne analize određene su fraktalne dimenzije površine FHH - metodom, koje su poslužile za sagledavanje efektivne površine uzoraka aktivirane alumine za adsorpciju molekula veće površine poprečnog preseka od molekula azota

The sorption and crystallographic characteristics of alumina activated in a reactor for pneumatic transport

Active transition alumina powders were obtained by flash calcination of gibbsite in a reactor for pneumatic transport in the dilute, two-phase flow regime in the temperature interval from 883 to 943 K with a residence time between 0.4 and 0.9 s. The results of X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the activated alumina samples were either microcrystalline or amorphous. From nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms, the specific surface areas of all samples were calculated by the BETmethod. Using the sorption data, the fractal dimension of the surface of the alumina samples was calculated according to a modified FHH method. By application of fractal geometry, using the values of the fractal dimension of the surface and of the specific surface area, the effective surface areas of the active aluminas were calculated for the adsorption of molecules having a cross-section area greater than that of the nitrogen molecule