44 research outputs found
Temporal relationships, transitions and structure of the behavioural repertoire in male Apennine chamois during the rut
No full textThe reproductive behaviour of adult male Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata was studied in the Abruzzo National Park. Older males grouped and succesesfully defended larger harems, containing a greater number of prime females. Males herded females mainly by the Head Down threat, in both the still and moving postures. The aggressive connotation of the Snort, a usually assumed "alarm' call, is discussed in the harem formation context. The courtship sequences is described. The function of female reactive urination is evaluated in this context. A harem holder did not only have to prevent females from leaving, but he had also to deal with male competitors. -from Author
Business plan: round the globox
No full textBusiness plans are most of the time established in order to help founders to discover
strengths and face up the challenges that can appear when developing a company.
Besides, the empirical and theoretical researches conducted for the completion of a
Business Plan usually foster founders to reach sustainability and durability of the firm.
The aim of this thesis is to serve the author with crucial information in order to build a
business plan and to see whether it would be profitable to establish the venture or not.
The business idea to be presented further operates in the touristic industry, providing
to customers a monthly subscription box about specific destinations. Knowing that the
business idea comes from two long-time friends who are willing to start their business
from scratch one day, the author Léo Locati narrates the Business Plan including both
of the potential founders of the start-up.
Throughout the following thesis, the author built a business plan according to the
experiences and the competences acquired through her five years of studies. The thesis
is composed with a literature review based on the current situation of the touristic
sector as well as a business plan, including strategic planning and financial evaluation.Normalmente os planos de negócios podem ajudar os fundadores a descobrir pontos fortes e
fracos e a enfrentar os desafios que podem aparecer ao desenvolver uma empresa. Para além
disso, a pesquisa empírica e teórica, necessárias para a realização de um plano de negócios,
ajuda os fundadores a alcançar a sustentabilidade e a durabilidade da empresa.
O objetivo desta tese é obter informações cruciais para construir um plano de negócios e saber
se será lucrativo avançar com o projecto. A ideia de negócio na indústria turística a ser
apresentada consiste em oferecer aos clientes uma subscrição mensal com uma caixa todos os
meses, incluindo diferentes descontos, guias turísticos e outras informações sobre destinos
específicos. A ideia de negócio vem de dois amigos de longa data e a autora Leo Locati narra
o Plano de Negócios, incluindo os dois fundadores potenciais da start-up.
Ao longo da tese, a autora criou um plano de negócios de acordo com as experiências e as
competências adquiridas através dos seus cinco anos de estudos. A tese é composta por uma
revisão da literatura baseada na situação atual do setor turístico, bem como por um plano de
negócios, incluindo planeamento estratégico e avaliação financeira
Business plan: round the globox
No full textBusiness plans are most of the time established in order to help founders to discover
strengths and face up the challenges that can appear when developing a company.
Besides, the empirical and theoretical researches conducted for the completion of a
Business Plan usually foster founders to reach sustainability and durability of the firm.
The aim of this thesis is to serve the author with crucial information in order to build a
business plan and to see whether it would be profitable to establish the venture or not.
The business idea to be presented further operates in the touristic industry, providing
to customers a monthly subscription box about specific destinations. Knowing that the
business idea comes from two long-time friends who are willing to start their business
from scratch one day, the author Léo Locati narrates the Business Plan including both
of the potential founders of the start-up.
Throughout the following thesis, the author built a business plan according to the
experiences and the competences acquired through her five years of studies. The thesis
is composed with a literature review based on the current situation of the touristic
sector as well as a business plan, including strategic planning and financial evaluation.Normalmente os planos de negócios podem ajudar os fundadores a descobrir pontos fortes e
fracos e a enfrentar os desafios que podem aparecer ao desenvolver uma empresa. Para além
disso, a pesquisa empírica e teórica, necessárias para a realização de um plano de negócios,
ajuda os fundadores a alcançar a sustentabilidade e a durabilidade da empresa.
O objetivo desta tese é obter informações cruciais para construir um plano de negócios e saber
se será lucrativo avançar com o projecto. A ideia de negócio na indústria turística a ser
apresentada consiste em oferecer aos clientes uma subscrição mensal com uma caixa todos os
meses, incluindo diferentes descontos, guias turísticos e outras informações sobre destinos
específicos. A ideia de negócio vem de dois amigos de longa data e a autora Leo Locati narra
o Plano de Negócios, incluindo os dois fundadores potenciais da start-up.
Ao longo da tese, a autora criou um plano de negócios de acordo com as experiências e as
competências adquiridas através dos seus cinco anos de estudos. A tese é composta por uma
revisão da literatura baseada na situação atual do setor turístico, bem como por um plano de
negócios, incluindo planeamento estratégico e avaliação financeira
Locatie, locatie, locatie. De waarde van grondposities
No full textParallelsessie II. D. Locatie, locatie, locati
Lymphatic Mapping for Endometrial Cancer
No full textThe staging for endometrial cancer is surgical and it should include both pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy. The majority of endometrial cancers are diagnosed at early stage and lymphadenectomy gives no benefit for staging while adding surgical risks. Performing a systematic lymphadenectomy in very obese women is almost impossible. Preoperative lymphatic mapping (via planar lymphoscintigraphy, single photon emission computed tomography, or positron emission tomography) has poor correlation with surgical mapping of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs), that has been proposed to avoid systematic lymphadenectomy in early stages. However, surgical SLN mapping is a very challenging procedure in endometrial cancer because the uterus has a complex lymphatic drainage. In the last 20 years, different authors used different tracers (vital stains, radioactive isotopes, or fluorescent dye), different sites of tracer injection (cervix, endometrium, or myometrium), and different surgical approaches (laparotomic, laparoscopic, or robotic) to find out the best procedure for SLNs identification. A well-designed, prospective, randomized, international multicenter tri¬al aimed at validating the accuracy of a uniform procedure is still lacking. In the meantime, to reduce the false-negative rate of intra-operative SLN mapping a surgical algorithm limits systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy to the hemi-pelvis without SLNs mapping and includes removal of any suspicious, although not mapped, node together with mapped SLNs
Vitamin B12 status in hospitalised cancer patients: Prevalence and clinical implications of depletion and hypervitaminosis
No full textBackground & aims: The prevalence and clinical significance of vitamin B12 alterations in patients with cancer are poorly understood. We aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of vitamin B12 depletion or hypervitaminosis in patients with cancer. Methods: We retrospectively included hospitalised patients with cancer in 2017-2022. Plasma B12 levels were stratified as very low (VL, 813 pg/ml). We collected demographic and several clinical data (e.g., comorbidities, nutritional status, ECOG-PS, cancer site and stage). Univariate and multivariate analyses for factors associated to the vitamin B12 status were fitted. Results: 788 patients (F/M ratio 1.05, median age 72 years, [25th, 75th percentiles 62, 78 years]) were included. Vitamin B12 was VL in 14.1%, L in 19.4%, N in 49.4%, and H in 17.1% cases. Vitamin B12 distribution increased significantly as function of ECOG-PS levels. Patients with breast cancer were characterized by the highest median B12 value, while colorectal cancer patients by the lowest. Vitamin B12 was also significantly higher in advanced compared to early-stage patients as well as in those who had liver failure. Multivariate analysis showed that the probability of H vs. VL B12 levels was significantly increased in patients with hypoproteinemia, hypo-prealbuminemia, and ECOG-PS>2, and decreased in those with colorectal and gastric cancer. Conclusion: Vitamin B12 impairment is common in cancer patients. Increased vitamin B12 is associated with an impaired clinical status, while vitamin B12 depletion is more common in early-stage cancer and in elderly patients. (c) 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism
Online tools facilities for historical earthquake data investigation
No full textSVG can be an easy and effective solution in the historical earthquake data investigation when it comes to a very specific need not achievable using general purpose software. With a basic knowledge of web languages (HTML, Javascript and PHP) and commonly available server side software (Apache and not spatially-aware MySql) we succeded creating an interactive web-mapping tool for macroseismic data and a time-saver gazetteer management tool.PublishedNuremberg, Germany5.1. TTC - Banche dati e metodi macrosismiciope
Interaction between High-Voltage Cathode Materials and Ionic Liquids for Novel Li-Ion Batteries
No full textThe fast-growing market on electronic portable devices is possibly due to the development of Li-ion batteries. Besides, such batteries are the most promising candidates as energy storage media in (hybrid) electric vehicles, in the near future. However, improvements on electrochemical performances and on safety need to be achieved. With respect to energy density, positive electrodes with a high voltage vs. Li/Li+ are favourable, provided they are stable against the rest of the battery materials, thereby reflecting safety issues. Regarding this safety, misuse of a Li-ion battery often leads to promoting side reactions between the electrodes and the electrolyte. This then results in gas formation, packaging breaking and fire evolution due to exposure to air by reaction of highly reactive materials with oxygen. Therefore, novel electrolytes, such as ionic liquids are proposed, which may significantly reduce these parasitic reactions with the electrodes, and further allows the battery to operate at higher voltages due to its high voltage stability window. In this respect, the presented work concerns the research on a high voltage positive electrode material in combination with ionic liquids as electrolyte solvents. In Chapter 1, a brief history about the Li-ions intercalation concept, which is at the basis of Li-ion batteries, is introduced. Afterwards, the most important components of a Li-ion battery are discussed. Examples of negative and positive electrodes are shown, emphasizing the reasons why nano structures are to preferred in the beginning. Besides, ionic liquids are introduced and explained, as possible candidates as electrolytes or electrolyte additives. In Chapter 2, the synthesis of magnesium-doped nickel-based high-voltage positive electrode materials (LiMg0.05Ni0.45Mn1.5O4) via four different synthesis routes is shown: a solid-state method; a sol-gel method; a xerogel route and an auto-ignition method. A preliminary structural analysis is performed with XRD and SEM, showing the crystallinity and the agglomerations of the powders, respectively. Furthermore, TEM analysis on the powders showed agglomerated nanoparticles ranging from 10 nm to 200 nm. Finally, electrodes made with the synthesized materials are tested with a charge-discharge galvanostatic technique, showing the existence of impurity - mainly LiMn2O4, increasing from sol-gel, xerogel, to auto-ignition. It also gives promising results in terms of capacity retention at high charge-discharge rates. In Chapter 3, the powders made via the auto-ignition method, which showed the most promising result in the previous chapter, were further studied with an in situ charge-discharge galvanostatic technique coupled with X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), which proved the presence of manganese ions in LiMg0.05Ni0.45Mn1.5O4 being reduced and oxidized, explained by the presence of manganese-rich nanodomains within the particles. Chapter 4 concerns certain safety issues of Li-ion batteries. Here, ionic liquids as possible novel electrolyte additives are studied as possible candidates to contribute to safer batteries. In this respect, the CO2-adsorption ability of the ionic liquid N-buthyl-N-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIm][BF4]) is tested with a Cailletet apparatus. The interaction between ionic liquids and CO2 has been analyzed from a thermodynamical point of view. The most common theories to study the gas and gas-liquid mixtures were introduced, together with a novel approach based on the Langmuir adsorption theory. In contrast to most models, the Langmuir isotherm has a very general approach: the solvent is seen as a storage medium, in which the number of available sites depends on the number of available solvent species which adsorb gas molecules. The Langmuir model can be used in a wide concentration range and the dissolution energies, together with the entropy values, can be calculated. In the case of the presence of a lithium salt, the Langmuir model could easily be extended to the Langmuir-Hinselwood model, so as to take the adsorption/association of lithium ions to the solvent sites into account. In the [BMIm][BF4] + CO2 system studied, both the Langmuir and Langmuir-Hinselwood models could be very well used to explain the results. The obtained solubility energy and entropy do not differ so much from the evaporation energy and entropy of pure CO2, showing small solvent-CO2 interaction. When to the mixture [BMIm][BF4] + CO2 a lithium salt, i.e., LiBF4 is added, a Langmuir-Hinselwood isotherm describes the obtained data very well. However, addition of the salt reduces the amount of CO2 that can be dissolved. Actually, the results of applying this model show that the lithium ions rather stay at the anion, preventing dissociation of the salt in this IL. Consequently, it can be argued that the lithium salt, even if undissociated provides sites which can be exploited by either the lithium ions or by the CO2 molecules, as they contribute to the equilibrium equations. In Chapter 5, the electrochemical behavior of PYR14TFSI + LiTFSI is studied in relation to electrodes made from LiMg0.05Ni0.45Mn1.5O4 (LMNMO). In this respect, cyclic voltammetry (from 3.5 to 4.9 V) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy have been used. For further comparison, also batteries made with a commercially available electrolyte has been exploited. The cyclic voltammetry showed slower redox processes regarding the cell with the ionic liquid. Another cell with the ionic liquid has been tested at a lower cycle scan rate up to 5.2 V, proving that the current is significantly hampered by kinetics in this ionic liquid. However, it showed the stability of the system a higher voltages compared to the battery with the commercial electrolyte. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements of the system with the ionic liquid showed a process which was not present in the cell with the commercial electrolyte, possibly introduced by the slow kinetics. However, in symmetrical cells with metallic lithium at both sides, it was possible to ascribe the EIS features of the cell with the commercial electrolyte to the lithium-electrolyte interface. On the other hand, EIS measurements of the battery with the ionic liquid reveals the presence of a layer also at the LMNMO-electrolyte side, which continuously grows upon cycling. In summary, while the positive electrode materials can be employed in novel Li-ion batteries, provided they have a higher purity, the use of ionic liquids as electrolytes is still hampered by their poor electrochemical performances. Nevertheless, they are still promising, due to their electrochemical stability at high voltages . Besides, thanks to their high gas-adsorption ability, ionic liquids can be taken into consideration as electrolyte additives, for safety purposes.DelftChemTechApplied Science
Online tools facilities for historical earthquake data investigation
No full textSVG can be an easy and effective solution in the historical earthquake data investigation when it comes to a very specific need not achievable using general purpose software. With a basic knowledge of web languages (HTML, Javascript and PHP) and commonly available server side software (Apache and not spatially-aware MySql) we succeded creating an interactive web-mapping tool for macroseismic data and a time-saver gazetteer management tool.PublishedNuremberg, Germany5.1. TTC - Banche dati e metodi macrosismiciope
