Abstract
Aims: Cardiovascular (CV) events are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), including those patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) has been associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and mortality in patients with CKD. However, the role of FGF23 in uremic vasculopathy remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to assess the relationship between FGF23 and LVH, endothelial dysfunction, vascular calcification, and arterial stiffness in 48 stable PD patients. Methods: Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) was assessed using 2-D echocardiography. Intact FGF23 blood levels were evaluated using an ELISA kit (Immutopics, Inc., San Clemente, CA, USA). Reactive hyperemia index (RHI) is a surrogate marker of endothelial dysfunction and the augmentation index (AI) is a surrogate marker of arterial stiffness. Both were assessed using peripheral arterial tonometry (EndoPAT 2000). Vascular calcification (VC) was assessed using the Adragao score. Results: In unadjusted analysis; FGF23 was positively correlated with serum Pi (r = 0.487, p < 0.001), serum urea (r = 0.351, p = 0.015), serum creatinine (r = 0.535, p < 0.001), dialysis vintage (r = 0.309, p = 0.033), and LVMI (r = 0.369, p = 0.027) and was negatively correlated with age (r = -0.343, p = 0.017), residual renal function (r = -0.359, p < 0.012), and AI (r = -0.304, p = 0.038). In multivariate adjusted analysis, FGF23 was associated with LVMI (beta = 0.298, p = 0.041), serum Pi (beta = 0.345, p = 0.018), and age (beta = -0.372, p = 0.007) independent of dialysis vintage, gender, residual renal function (RRF), albumin, C-reactive protein and systolic blood pressure. There were no associations found between FGF23 and RHI, AI, or VC in multivariable-adjusted models. Conclusions: Our results show that FGF23 is associated with LVH but not with endothelial dysfunction, arterial stiffness, or vascular calcification in PD patients.

Abstract
Multiyear Transmission Expansion Planning (TEP) aims to determine how and when a transmission network capacity should be expanded taking into account an extended horizon. This is an optimization problem very difficult to solve and that has unique characteristics that increase its complexity such as its non-convex search space and its integer and nonlinear nature. This paper describes a hybrid tool to solve the TEP problem, including a first phase to select a list of equipment candidates conducted by a Constructive Heuristic Algorithm (CHA), and a second phase that uses Discrete Evolutionary Particle Swarm Optimization (DEPSO) for the final planning. Both phases use the AC power flow model as a way to improve the realism of the developed tool. The paper includes a case study based on the IEEE 24-Bus Reliability Test System and the results show that tools based on swarm intelligence applied to reduced search spaces are able to find good quality solutions with low computational effort.

Abstract
This paper examines how firms should allocate their advertising budgets between consumers who have a high preference for their products (i.e., strong segment) and those who prefer competing products (i.e., weak segment). Targeted advertising transmits relevant information to otherwise uninformed consumers and it is used as a price discrimination device. With targeted advertising and price discrimination, we find that, when the attractiveness of the weak segment is low, each firm advertises more intensively in its strong segment. The same result arises when the attractiveness of the weak segment is high and advertising is sufficiently expensive. Interestingly, when the attractiveness of the weak segment is high but advertising costs are sufficiently low, it is optimal for each firm to advertise more intensively in its weak segment. The paper also investigates how advertising strategies and equilibrium profits are affected by price discrimination. Compared with uniform pricing, firms can increase or reduce the intensity of advertising targeted to each segment when price discrimination is allowed. Furthermore, when the attractiveness of the weak market is high, price discrimination boosts firms' profits provided that advertising costs are sufficiently low. The reverse happens when advertising costs are high.

Abstract
In this paper a novel scenario generation methodology based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) is proposed. The methodology is flexible and able to generate scenarios for various stochastic variables that are used as input parameters in the stochastic short-term scheduling models. Appropriate techniques for modeling the cross-correlation of the involved stochastic processes and scenario reduction techniques are also incorporated into the proposed approach. The applicability of the methodology is investigated through the creation of electric load, photovoltaic (PV) and wind production scenarios and the performance of the proposed ANN-based methodology is compared to time series-based scenario generation models. Test results on the real-world insular power system of Crete and mainland Greece present the effectiveness of the proposed ANN-based scenario generation methodology.

Abstract
The gastroenterology specialty could benefit from the introduction of Computer Assisted Decision (CAD) systems, since gastric cancer is a serious concern in which an accurate and early diagnosis usually leads to a good prognosis. Still, the way doctors interact with these systems is very important because it will often determine its embracement or rejection, as any gains in productivity will frequently hinge on how comfortable they are with it. Using other types of interaction paradigms such as voice and motion control, is important in a way that typical inputs such as keyboard and mouse are sometimes not the best choice for certain clinical scenarios. In order to ascertain how a doctor could control a hypothetical CAD system during a gastroenterology exam, we measured the natural response of users when faced with three different task requests, using three types of interaction paradigms: voice, gesture and endoscope. Results fit in what was expected, with gesture control being the most intuitive to use, and the endoscope being on the other edge. All the technologies are mature enough to cope with the response concepts the participants gave us. However, when having into account the scenario context, better natural response scores may not always be the best choice for implementation. That way, simplification or reduction of tasks, along with a well tought-out interface, or even mixing more oriented paradigms for particular requests, could allow for better system control with fewer inconveniences for the user.

Abstract
The agri-food industry has been growing at a considerable pace over the recent years. An example of this growth is the mushroom production sector, whose specificities associated with the production process enforce a very controlled management of all the resources applied to that activity. Considering that the existing literature does not present a transverse solution to the referred activity sector, we have endured in an effort to present a technological proposal for an information system directed to the mushroom production sector. The presented proposal, composed by 13 interconnected functional blocks, is the result of a detailed analysis to the technical and functional requirements of Sousacamp Group - a leading organization from the mushroom production sector - merged with the arguments and perspectives presented by technology adoption theories.