The basal part of the Triassic-Jurassic (Rhaetian-Sinemurian) Kap Stewart Formation, exposed at Jameson Land, East Greenland, yields an extensive coprolite collection from black, parallel-laminated mudstone (“paper shale”), representing an open lacustrine system. Preliminary investigations show three different types of coprolites: elongated cylindrical masses, composed of irregularly wrapped layers; elongated cylindrical masses with constriction marks; and spirally-coiled specimens.

The use of FRP composites for the confinement of concrete has become an important aspect to consider on strengthening of concrete columns. It is important therefore that accurate modelling tools are available for the design of this system considering, not only the peak values of load and strain, but also the complete stress–strain behaviour. A wide group of authors have proposed several models specific for FRP-confined concrete based either on theoretical assumptions (analysis-oriented-models – AOMs) or on mathematical calibration from testing results (design-oriented-models – DOMs). This article carries out the implementation and analysis of nine existing models for circular concrete columns in view of axially tested reinforced concrete columns confined with CFRP with three different diameters: 150; 250 and 400 mm. The global shape of curves, peak compressive load, stress–strain relation, axial-to-lateral relation and dilation response were studied to conclude which models’ curves were closer to tests. Quantification of errors in face of the testing results was carried out for the most important parameters – ultimate load, strain and lateral stress – as well as for other curve parameters. Some models are accurate in predicting the peak load, though only few can accurately predict the load–strain and dilation behaviour.

To focus on processes of scientific and technological design and on how newly designed objects are used in different ways than initially intended (“displaced”), the organizers (the Society for Social Studies on Science-4S and the European Association of Studies on Science and Technology-EASST) chose the conference theme “Design and Displacement”. The concept of design here referred to innovative processes in forming new ideas and material objects. This general idea was reflected in a multitude of sub-topics.

The present work aims to perform a multistep upgrading of chars obtained in the co-pyrolysis of PE, PP and PS plastic wastes, pine biomass and used tires. The quality of the upgraded chars was evaluated by measuring some of their physico-chemical properties in order to assess their valorisation as adsorbents’ precursors. The crude chars were submitted to a sequential solvent extraction with organic solvents of increasing polarity (hexane, mixture 1:1 v/v hexane:acetone and acetone) followed by an acidic demineralization procedure with 1 M HCl solution. The results obtained showed that the upgrading treatment allow the recovery of 63–81% of the pyrolysis oils trapped in the crude chars and a reduction in the char's ash content in the range of 64–86%. The textural and adsorption properties of the upgraded chars were evaluated and the results indicate that the chars are mainly mesoporous and macroporous materials, with adsorption capacities in the range of 3.59–22.2 mg/g for the methylene blue dye. The upgrading treatment allowed to obtain carbonaceous materials with quality to be reused as adsorbents or as precursors for activated carbon.

This paper describes for the first time the intimate molecular details of the association between a platinated oligonucleotide and a zinc-finger peptide. Site-specific platination of the guanine in a ss hexanucleotide gave {[Pt(dien)d(5’-TACGCC-3’)], Pt(dien)(6-mer)}, II, characterized by mass spectrometry and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The work extends the study of platinum-nucleobase complex-zinc finger interactions using small molecules such as [Pt(dien)(9-EtGua)]2+, I . The structure of the (34-52) C-terminal finger of the HIV nucleocapsid protein HIVNCp7 (ZF1) was characterized by 1H-NMR spectroscopy and compared with that of the N-terminal single finger and the 2-finger “intact” NCp7. Interaction of II with ZF1 results in significant changes in comparison to the “free” uncomplexed hexanucleotide – the major shifts occur for Trp37 resonances are broadened and shifted upfield and other major shifts are for Gln45 (H21, H3, Q), Met46 (NH, H2), Lys47 (NH, Q) and Glu50 (H2, H3). The Zn-Cys/His chemical shifts show only marginal deviations. The solution structure of ZF1, the 6-mer/ZF1 and II/ZF1 adducts were calculated from the NOESY-derived distance constraints. The DNA position in II/ZF1 is completely different than in the absence of platinum. Major differences are the appearance of new Met46-Cyt6H5 and Trp37-Cyt5H5 contacts but severe weakening of the Trp37-Gua4 contact, attributed to the steric effects caused by Gua4 platination, accompanied by a change in the position of the aromatic ring. The results demonstrate the feasibility of targetting specific ZF motifs with DNA-tethered coordination compounds, such as Pt compounds and Co-macrocycles – with implications for drug targetting and indeed the intimate mechansims of DNA repair of platinated DNA.

The basal part of the Triassic-Jurassic (Rhaetian-Sinemurian) Kap Stewart Formation, exposed at Jameson Land, East Greenland, yields an extensive coprolite collection from black, parallel-laminated mudstone (“paper shale”), representing an open lacustrine system. Preliminary investigations show three different types of coprolites: elongated cylindrical masses, composed of irregularly wrapped layers; elongated cylindrical masses with constriction marks; and spirally-coiled specimens.

The function of prion-like protein Doppel was suggested to be related to male fertility. In this study, the importance of ovine Doppel polypeptide on spermatozoa capacitation and fertilization was evaluated. After refolding, recombinant Doppel (rDpl) was supplemented with different concentrations (40, 80 or 190 ng/ml) to ovine spermatozoa during the capacitation process. In experiment 1, post-thawed ovine spermatozoa were incubated with different concentrations of rDpl during 1 h for swim-up, and changes in sperm motility, concentration, vigour, viability and capacitation were monitored (10 replicates). In experiment 2, the fertilization ability of post-swim-up spermatozoa incubated as above was tested through heterologous fertilization of bovine in vitro matured oocytes (n = 423, three replicates). Regardless of dosage, rDpl improved (p = 0.03) spermatozoa viability. Sperm individual motility and vigour were the highest (p = 0.04) for the group receiving 190 ng/ml rDpl. Sperm supplemented with the highest doses of rDpl achieved higher (p = 0.02) fertilization rates (56.0 +/- 3.0%) than control (39.1 +/- 2.2%) and 40 ng/ml rDpl (39.8 +/- 2.7%). Preliminary data suggest that Doppel protein may enhance in vitro spermatozoa fertilizing ability.

Service orientation is a main trend in the development of support infrastructures for collaborative networks, namely in the manufacturing sector. Nevertheless, a literature review still shows the lack of a common understanding of the service concept, namely when we compare the software and business perspectives. As a contribution towards the integration of these two perspectives, this article introduces a conceptual framework based on the notion of representation of services in an ambassador-like manner through the introduction of a proactiveness mechanism. An example scenario and results with a prototype implementation are also discussed.

Collaborative-Networks (CN) have experienced a fast evolution in the last two decades. The
collaboration among independent entities or professionals supported by Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) has attracted the research community to establish the
conceptual basis for this scientific discipline. Service Orientation has been one of the key selected
paradigms for that conceptual basis. Nevertheless, the service concept itself does not have a
common understanding in the Business and ICT worlds. In the former, client satisfaction,
resources management and business process models are some example concerns, whilst the later
deals with interoperability, remote function calling or communication protocols.
If for example an enterprise provides some service, it may hire specialists to wrap such
service into web-services, expecting to reach worldwide potential new clients. In fact, nowadays
Web Services and Service Oriented Architectures (SOA) are the technological elements most
commonly used. However, these are passive elements in the sense they do not perform any action
towards pursuing business interests, which constitute a limiting factor from a business
perspective. Another approach for the above mentioned enterprise is to follow the Multi-Agent
Systems (MAS) approach, as the pro-activity is a keyword in such contexts. Nevertheless, as
MAS approaches are not so commonly used and not so robust yet, the worldwide potential set of
new clients is reduced; which also constitutes an inhibitor factor from the business perspective.
This dissertation proposes a Pro-Active Services Ecosystem Framework, gathering
inspiration from both the SOA and MAS research areas, trying to bridge the business and ICT
worlds through the base concepts for the creation of a Services’ Ecosystem where business
services are represented in a pro-active manner towards pursuing business interests, like finding
collaboration opportunities or improving the chances each CN member has to see its services
selected among competitors, for example. This work also includes a prototype system applied /
validated in the area of a Professional Virtual Community of Senior Professionals.

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The main objective of this paper is to propose a conceptual model about the influence of lean, agile, resilient, and green ({LARG)} practices on supply chain operational, economic and environmental performance. This model is based on the literature review about the four supply chain management paradigms and also performance measurement systems. This paper contributes to the literature by introducing a new model to improve the leanness, agility, resilience, and greenness of manufacturing supply chains. Among the suggested {LARG} practices, the ones influencing more the supply chain performance are the just in time and also the supplier relationships. Also the supply chain performance measures with more {LARG} practices influencing them are the inventory levels and the time, that is, the supply chain’s operational performance is the most affected by the simultaneous paradigms deployment in the supply chain.

This paper addresses an optimization-based approach for the design of RF integrated inductors. The methodology presented deals with the complexity of the design problem by formulating it as a multi-objective optimization. The multi-modal nature of the underlying functions combined with the need to be able to explore design trade-offs leads to the use of niching methods. This allows exploring not only the best trade-off solutions lying on the Pareto-optimum surface but also the quasi-optimum solutions that would be otherwise discarded. In this paper we take advantage of the niching properties of lbest PSO algorithm using ring topology to devise a simple optimizer able to find the local-optima. For the efficiency of the process analytical models are used for the passive/active devices. In spite the use of physics-based analytical expressions for the evaluation of the lumped elements, the variability of the process parameters is ignored in the optimization stage due to the significant computational burden it involves. Thus in the final stage both the Pareto-optimum solutions and the quasi-optimum solutions are evaluated with respect to the sensitivity to process parameter variations.

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