Bayesian analysis of in vivo dynamic 13C-edited 1H images

We propose an application of a Bayesian methodology to dynamic MR images of protons J-coupled to 13C nuclei for monitoring the in vivo 13C-glucose uptake of mouse brain. The very low population of these protons and the random noise make the analysis of these images extremely difficult. The proposed method restores the images and provides an "activation" map of the mouse brain by means of a hypothesis testing procedure. The restoration step is performed in the Bayesian framework so that among the other advantages of a stochastic approach, it is possible to model spatial and temporal information about neighboring pixels. This leads to a restoration procedure able to reduce the noise level while preserving the information about the edges of signal areas. Based on the restored images, the testing procedure provides us with a reliable map of pixels characterized by the 13C-glucose uptake.     

How to connect school mathematics with students' out-of-school knowledge

In this paper we present an explorative study for which special cultural artifacts have been used, i.e. supermarket receipts, to try to construct with 9-year old pupils (fourth class of primary school) a new mathematical knowledge, i.e. the algorithm for multiplication of decimal numbers. Furthermore also estimation and approximation processes have been introduced, procedures that are not commonly used in ordinary teaching activity. In our study the receipts, through some modifications, have become more explicitly tools of mediation and integration between in and out-of school knowledge, so they can be utilized to create new mathematical goals, thus becoming real mathematizing tools and constituting a didactic interface between in and out-of-school mathematics. In agreement with ethnomathematical perspective we deem that it is a task for the teacher to know, in order to be able to profitably take account of the teaching, the life experienced by the pupil. Future mathematics teachers should be prepared a) to see mathematics incorporated into real world, b) to investigate mathematical ideas and practices of their pupils, and c) to look for ways to incorporate into the curriculum elements belonging to the sociocultural environment of the pupils, as a starting point for mathematical activities in the classroom. In this way the motivation, interest and curiosity of the pupils will be increased and the attitude towards mathematics of both pupils and teachers will be changed.     

Hybrid Nanocomposite Films from Mono‐ and Multi‐Functional POSS Copolyacrylates in Miniemulsion

Summary: The synthesis of aqueous dispersions of hybrid acrylic copolymer particles with either a monofunctional or a multifunctional polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane methacrylate comonomer has been performed by free radical heterophase polymerization. The miniemulsion process gives stable latexes, whereas the less controlled emulsion route results in colloidal instability of the products. The thermal and mechanical properties of the nanocomposite latex films have been preliminarily investigated.

The nanocomposite latex particles based on hybrid copolyacrylates with highly dispersed POSS cages.     

Branched Polyethylenes by Cationic Benzyl Zirconium Heteroscorpionate Complexes: Role of the Borate Anion

Summary: A comparative study of the performances of (bpzmp)ZrBz₃ ( 1 ) and (hppzm)ZrBz₃ ( 2 ) activated with B(C₆F₅)₃ or [Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄] in ethylene polymerisation pointed out that the steric properties of the metal complex and the boron activator affect the productivity of the catalyst and, more remarkably, the microstructure of the polyethylenes produced. A polymerisation mechanism accounting for these results has been proposed.

Structure of two heteroscorpionate zirconium complexes (bpzmp)ZrBz₃ ( 1 ) and (hppzm)ZrBz₃ ( 2 ).     

Divisible Designs Admitting GL(3, q) as an Automorphism Group

Starting from a 3-dimensional projective space we construct divisible designs admitting GL(3,q) as an automorphism group.     

Kluyveromyces marxianus CBS 6556 growing cells as a new biocatalyst in the asymmetric reduction of substituted acetophenones

The use of microorganism growing cells is a well recognized methodology in biocatalyzed organic reactions. A non-conventional thermotolerant Kluyveromyces marxianus yeast strain was used for the bio-reduction of different arylketones. Differently substituted ketones were converted into the corresponding (S)-alcohols with up to 96% enantiomeric excess under very mild reaction conditions. Kluyveromyces marxianus represents a promising biocatalyst for the production of optically active 1-arylethanols.     

CuO/ZnO Nanocomposite Gas Sensors Developed by a Plasma‐Assisted Route

CuO/ZnO nanocomposites were synthesized on Al₂O₃ substrates by a hybrid plasma‐assisted approach, combining the initial growth of ZnO columnar arrays by plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE‐CVD) and subsequent radio frequency (RF) sputtering of copper, followed by final annealing in air. Chemical, morphological, and structural analyses revealed the formation of high‐purity nanosystems, characterized by a controllable dispersion of CuO particles into ZnO matrices. The high surface‐to‐volume ratio of the obtained materials, along with intimate CuO/ZnO intermixing, resulted in the efficient detection of various oxidizing and reducing gases (such as O₃, CH₃CH₂OH, and H₂). The obtained data are critically discussed and interrelated with the chemical and physical properties of the nanocomposites.     

Financial portfolio management through the goal programming model: Current state-of-the-art

Since Markowitz (1952) formulated the portfolio selection problem, many researchers have developed models aggregating simultaneously several conflicting attributes such as: the return on investment, risk and liquidity. The portfolio manager generally seeks the best combination of stocks/assets that meets his/her investment objectives. The Goal Programming (GP) model is widely applied to finance and portfolio management. The aim of this paper is to present the different variants of the GP model that have been applied to the financial portfolio selection problem from the 1970s to nowadays.     

Explaining inefficiency in nonparametric production models: the state of the art

The performance of economic producers is often affected by external or environmental factors that, unlike the inputs and the outputs, are not under the control of the Decision Making Units (DMUs). These factors can be included in the model as exogenous variables and can help to explain the efficiency differentials, as well as improve the managerial policy of the evaluated units. A fully nonparametric methodology, which includes external variables in the frontier model and defines conditional DEA and FDH efficiency scores, is now available for investigating the impact of external-environmental factors on the performance. In this paper, we offer a state-of-the-art review of the literature, which has been proposed to include environmental variables in nonparametric and robust (to outliers) frontier models and to analyse and interpret the conditional efficiency scores, capturing their impact on the attainable set and/or on the distribution of the inefficiency scores. This paper develops and complements the approach of B?din et al. (2012) by suggesting a procedure that allows us to make local inference and provide confidence intervals for the impact of the external factors on the process. We advocate for the nonparametric conditional methodology, which avoids the restrictive “separability” assumption required by the two-stage approaches in order to provide meaningful results. An illustration with real data on mutual funds shows the usefulness of the proposed approach.     

Synthesis of nanostructured perovskite powders via simple carbonate co-precipitation

A very simple, cost-effective, chloride- and alkali-free, carbonate co-precipitation synthesis in aqueous medium was applied in the preparation of perovskite-type lanthanum manganese oxide-based powders, i.e. La_0.70Sr_0.30MnO_3?δ (LSM) and La_0.75Sr_0.25Cr_0.5Mn_0.5O_3?δ (LSCrM). The precursors so obtained yielded nano-structured perovskite oxides when treated at 900°C and 800°C, respectively. The measured BET surface areas were in the low-end range for high temperature oxides (4 m² g^?1 and 10 m² g^?1) but the X-ray crystallite size was as low as 50 nm for LSCrM and 90 nm for LSM.