An Integrated Assessment of the Impacts of Changing Climate Variability on Agricultural Productivity and Profitability in an Irrigated Mediterranean Catchment

Climate change is likely to have a profound effect on many agricultural variables, although the extent of its influence will vary over the course of the annual farm management cycle. Consequently, the effect of different and interconnected physical, technical and economic factors must be modeled in order to estimate the effects of climate change on agricultural productivity. Such modeling commonly makes use of indicators that summarize the among environmental factors that are considered when farmers plan their activities. This study uses net evapotranspiration (ET_N), estimated using EPIC, as a proxy index for the physical factors considered by farmers when managing irrigation. Recent trends suggest that the probability distribution function of ET_N may continue to change in the near future due to changes in the irrigation needs of crops. Also, water availability may continue to vary due to changes in the rainfall regime. The impacts of the uncertainties related to these changes on costs are evaluated using a Discrete Stochastic Programming model representing an irrigable Mediterranean area where limited water is supplied from a reservoir. In this context, adaptation to climate change can be best supported by improvements to the collective irrigation systems, rather than by measures aimed at individual farms such as those contained within the rural development policy.     

The Cost of Irrigation Water Delivery: An Attempt to Reconcile the Concepts of Cost and Efficiency

This work discusses the conflict between two of the main objectives of the EU Water Framework Directive: cost recovery and economic efficiency in the use of irrigation water. In the Mediterranean region, this conflict is commonly embedded in a state of under-utilization of irrigation networks managed by Water User Associations (WUAs). This under-utilization arises from factors independent of farmers’ choice, such as water shortage, crises in the sector, and changes to the Common Agricultural Policy. This prevents the facilities from operating at the minimum average cost. This paper argues that farmers should not suffer this inefficiency, which results in them paying higher water prices to cover the costs of water supply. Indeed, the application of the Water Directive should be rethought, taking into account the specific problems related to irrigation in the Mediterranean region. Based on an econometric analysis of the costs of water distribution in a WUA in Sardinia (Italy), we propose a payment system based on two components. Primarily there is a fee related to the number of hectares under irrigation. In addition there is a fee that considers the intensity of irrigation: this component is to encourage farmers to save water. The results show that the proposed approach has some desirable effects, including higher rates of cost recovery and possibly a reduction in the use of groundwater. Finally, the proposed system is not overly expensive for the rest of the community, who must bear the costs of inefficiencies in the use of irrigation water that do not depend on choices of farmers.     

1.8-V 800-Mb/s/pin DDR2 and 2.5-V 400-Mb/s/pin DDR1 compatibly designed 1Gb SDRAM with dual-clock input-latch scheme and hybrid multi-oxide output buffer

This paper describes three circuit techniques for a DDR1/DDR2-compatible chip architecture designed for both high-speed and high-density DRAMs: 1) a dual-clock input-latch scheme, which reduces the excessive timing margin for random input commands by using a pair of latch circuits controlled by dual-phase one-shot clock signals, achieves a 0.9-ns reduction in cycle time from 3.05 to 2.15 ns; 2) a hybrid multi-oxide output buffer reduces the area penalty of the output buffer caused by compatible chip design from 1.35% to 0.3%; and 3) a quasi-shielded distributed data transfer scheme enables a 2.6-ns reduction in access time to 10.25 ns in both 2-b and 4-b prefetch operations. By using these techniques, we developed a 175.3-mm/sup 2/ 1-Gb SDRAM that operates as an 800-Mb/s/pin DDR2 or 400-Mb/s/pin DDR1.     

Transarterial immuno-embolization therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Surgical resection, transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) and percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) are effective for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the recurrence rate is high. We have devised a new therapy of transarterial immuno-embolization (TIE) with OK-432, fibrinogen and thrombin, and 2 cases are reported. Case 1: A 78-year-old Japanese male with HCC (diameter, 4 cm in subsegment 5) received TIE. The tumor size was markedly decreased, and the patient survived for more than 3 years without recurrence. Case 2: A 61-year-old Japanese male with HCC (diameter, 4.5 cm in segment 5) received hepatic subsegmentectomy following TIE. Histological examination of resected specimens following TIE showed massive infiltration of mononuclear cells in the main tumor. Tumor recurrence had developed three times thereafter, but was effectively treated by TIE. TIE may be an effective therapy for HCC.     

Ring opening metathesis polymerization of dicyclopentadiene catalyzed by titanium tetrachloride adduct complexes with nitrogen‐containing ligands

Ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) catalyzed by titanium tetrachloride adduct complexes such as TiCl₄ · 2L [L = pyridine (1), 2‐methylpyridine (2), 2,4,6‐trimethylpyridine (3), 3‐aminopyridine (4), 2‐hyroxypyridine (5)] and CH₃Li as cocatalyst was reported. The polymer was characterized by IR and ¹H‐NMR methods. Five influencing factors were also discussed. The catalyst systems TiCl₄ · 2L/CH₃Li (L = 2‐methylpyridine, 2,4,6‐trimethylpyridine) appeared to be very active for the ROMP of DCPD. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 3247–3251, 2000     

A media-access protocol for packet-switched wavelength divisionmultiaccess metropolitan area networks

A dynamic time-wavelength division multiaccess protocol (DT-WDMA) is proposed for metropolitan-sized multichannel optical networks employing fixed wavelength transmitters and tunable optical receivers. Control information is sent over a dedicated signaling channel and data are sent over channels owned by the transmitters. Time is divided into slots on each channel and slots on the control channel are further split into mini-slots. Fixed time-division multiaccess (TDM) is used within each slot on the control channel. Transmitters indicate their intention to transmit a packet by transmitting the destination address during their appropriate mini-slot in the control channel and then transmit their packet in the next slot on their data channel. Receivers listen to the control channel and tune to the appropriate channel to receive packets addressed to them. A common but distributed arbitration algorithm is used to resolve conflicts when packets from many transmitters contend for the same receiver. Each receiver executes the same deterministic algorithm to choose one of the contending packets. Each transmitter uses the same algorithm to determine the success or failure of its packet     

Locoregional injection of OK-432/fibrinogen/thrombin for unresectable metastatic liver tumors

We performed the locoregional injection of OK-432/fibrinogen/thrombin to unresectable hepatic tumors metastasized from colorectal cancers, which were hardly controlled by arterial infusion chemotherapy. CEA was markedly decreased following this treatment, although abdominal CT did not show a significant reduction of tumor mass. This immuno-injection therapy may be a choice of treatment for metastatic liver tumors, refractory to treatment by conventional chemotherapy.     

Targeting PIK3CA Actionable Mutations in the Circulome: A Proof of Concept in Metastatic Breast Cancer

The study of circulating cancer-derived components (circulome) is considered the new frontier of liquid biopsy. Despite the recognized role of circulome biomarkers, their comparative molecular profiling is not yet routine. In advanced breast cancer (BC), approximately 40% of hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative BC cases harbor druggable PIK3CA mutations suitable for combined alpelisib/fulvestrant treatment. This pilot study investigates PIK3CA mutations in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), tumor cells (CTCs), and extracellular vesicles (EVs) with the aim of determining which information on molecular targetable profiling could be recollected in each of them. The in-depth molecular analysis of four BC patients demonstrated, as a proof-of-concept study, that it is possible to retrieve mutational information in the three components. Patient-specific PIK3CA mutations were found in both tissue and ctDNA and in 3/4 cases, as well as in CTCs, in the classical population (large-sized CD45−/EpCAM+/− cells), and/or in the “non-conventional” sub-population (smaller-sized CD44+/EpCAM−/CD45− cells). Consistent mutational profiles of EVs with CTCs suggest that they may have been released by CTCs. This preliminary evidence on the molecular content of the different circulating biomaterials suggests their possible function as a mirror of the intrinsic heterogeneity of BC. Moreover, this study demonstrates, through mutational assessment, the tumor origin of the different CTC sub-populations sustaining the translational value of the circulome for a more comprehensive picture of the disease.     

In vivo evaluation of the new antithrombogenic reservoir-catheter coated with polymer blend copolymer

We evaluated the antithrombogenicity of 4F-catheters coated with the new antithrombogenic material fluorine-acryl- styrene-urethane-silicone (FASUS) graft-block copolymer by dissecting microscopic and scanning electron microscopic observations. These catheters were temporarily used for the infusa-A-port, which was prepared for the treatment of four patients with bladder cancer. Two heparin-coated catheters were also evaluated. All FASUS-coated catheters contained thrombi consisting of red thrombi and/or fibrin thrombi. Massive red thrombus was seen at the site of curvature of the catheters, 1 cm distal to the tip of the catheter. However, the portion 20 cm distal to the tip of the catheter had no red thrombus, but contained minimal fibrin thrombus or plasma protein. The heparin-coated catheters showed the same findings as the FASUS catheters. The FASUS-coated catheters were not superior in antithrombogenicity to the heparin-coated catheters. It was concluded that the FASUS-coated catheters used in this study seemed to have problems in regard to their preshaped curvature and the material used in catheter. These aspects need to be improved.