showing 36 of ~574560 from 574555 documents
Breather Molecular Complexes in a Passively Mode‐Locked Fiber Laser
2021
International audience; Breathing solitons are nonlinear waves in which the energy concentrates in a localized and oscillatory fashion. Similarly to stationary solitons, breathers in dissipative systems can form stable bound states displaying molecule-like dynamics, which are frequently called breather molecules. So far, the experimental observation of optical breather molecules and the real-time detection of their dynamics are limited to diatomic molecules, that is, bound states of only two breathers. In this work, the observation of different types of breather complexes in a mode-locked fiber laser: multibreather molecules, and molecular complexes originating from the binding of two breat…
A CASE STUDY OF THE INDOOR AIR QUALITY IN SCHOOLS BELONGING TO AN AREA OF THE SICILIAN ISLAND INTERESTED BY THE PRESENCE OF PETROCHEMICAL REFINERIES
2021
The indoor environmental quality is a topic particularly relevant for schools; this category of confined environments is, indeed, occupied by subjects (i.e. children), which are thought to be more vulnerable than adults to the negative health effects of poor indoor air quality, and whose learning process has long been recognized to be influenced by the quality of the indoor environment. This paper presents results of a study concerning the inside air quality of schools in four small towns sited in the southern part of Sicily, interested by the presence of a petrochemical refinery in the surrounding territory. The performed analysis made it possible to highlight the main criticalities regard…
Agreement between intraoperative anterior segment spectral-domain OCT and 2 swept-source OCT biometers.
2021
Purpose: To evaluate the agreement of different biometric parameters obtained using intraoperative spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and two swept-source optical coherence tomog...
A review of challenges and benefits of integration of CHP plant into the grid: a case study in Serbia
2021
AbstractThe Republic of Serbia must make significant efforts to promote and exploit renewable energy sources and increase energy efficiency in all energy sectors to ensure energy security and economic competitiveness, reduce the negative impact on the environment from energy production and use, and contribute to global efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. Within the paper several issues of integration of recently realized CHP plant are introduced and discussed. Firstly, the legal and energy policy issues in the Republic of Serbia regarding connecting CHP to the grid are presented. The challenges and technical solutions for CHP connection to the grid, as well as power quality issues and the r…
Online audio-visual information on oral cancer for Spanish-speaking laypersons. A cross-sectional study
2021
Background Lack of knowledge and awareness of oral cancer seem to be the main causes of diagnostic delay. Online resources are often used by patients to obtain health/medical information. However, there are no reports on the quality and usefulness of oral cancer audio-visual resources in Spanish. The aims of this investigation were to disclose the type of information about oral cancer available, and whether it may be useful to shorten the patients’ oral cancer appraisal time-interval. Material and Methods Cross-sectional study undertaken at three video-sharing sites on October, 13th 2019. Keywords: “Cáncer oral”; “cáncer de boca”. The first 100 results in each viewing list were retrieved by…
Impacts of Varying Concentrations of Cloud Condensation Nuclei on Deep Convective Cloud Updrafts—A Multimodel Assessment
2021
AbstractThis study presents results from a model intercomparison project, focusing on the range of responses in deep convective cloud updrafts to varying cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations among seven state-of-the-art cloud-resolving models. Simulations of scattered convective clouds near Houston, Texas, are conducted, after being initialized with both relatively low and high CCN concentrations. Deep convective updrafts are identified, and trends in the updraft intensity and frequency are assessed. The factors contributing to the vertical velocity tendencies are examined to identify the physical processes associated with the CCN-induced updraft changes. The models show several c…
Sähköä ja alkemiaa: Tekoälydiskurssit Yleisradion verkkoartikkeleissa
2021
Tässä artikkelissa tarkastelemme sitä, millaisena ja miten tekoäly esitetään suomalaisessa julkisessa keskustelussa, ja ketkä tekoälystä suurelle yleisölle kertovat. Aineistona olemme käyttäneet Yleisradion verkkosivujen tekoälyä käsitteleviä artikkeleja. Tulosten perusteella tekoälystä pääsevät kertomaan useimmin talouden ja teollisuuden aloilla työskentelevät miehet. Aineistossa esiintyneet tekoälytulevaisuuskuvaukset pitäytyvät pitkälti nykyisen länsikeskeisen kapitalistisen maailmankuvan sisällä. Toisin sanoen, ne eivät haastaneet tai ylittäneet vallitsevaa status quoa, vaan näkivät tulevaisuuden pikemminkin lineaarisena kehityksenä nykytilasta. Aiemman tutkimuksen perusteella yleinen k…
Hilbert–Schmidt speed as an efficient figure of merit for quantum estimation of phase encoded into the initial state of open n-qubit systems
2021
AbstractHilbert–Schmidt speed (HSS) is a special type of quantum statistical speed which is easily computable, since it does not require diagonalization of the system state. We find that, when both HSS and quantum Fisher information (QFI) are calculated with respect to the phase parameter encoded into the initial state of an n-qubit register, the zeros of the HSS dynamics are actually equal to those of the QFI dynamics. Moreover, the signs of the time-derivatives of both HSS and QFI exactly coincide. These findings, obtained via a thorough investigation of several paradigmatic open quantum systems, show that HSS and QFI exhibit the same qualitative time evolution. Therefore, HSS reveals its…
Laser-induced torques in metallic antiferromagnets
2021
We study the laser-induced torques in the antiferromagnet (AFM) Mn$_2$Au. We find that even linearly polarized light may induce laser-induced torques in Mn$_2$Au, i.e., the light does not have to be circularly polarized. The laser-induced torques in Mn$_2$Au are comparable in magnitude to those in the ferromagnets Fe, Co and FePt at optical frequencies. We also compute the laser-induced torques at terahertz (THz) frequencies and compare them to the spin-orbit torques (SOTs) excited by THz laser-pulses. We find the SOTs to be dominant at THz frequencies for the laser-field strengths used in experiments. Additionally, we show that the matrix elements of the spin-orbit interaction (SOI) can be…
Strain Sensing Coatings for Large Composite Structures Based on 2D MXene Nanoparticles
2021
Real-time strain monitoring of large composite structures such as wind turbine blades requires scalable, easily processable and lightweight sensors. In this study, a new type of strain-sensing coating based on 2D MXene nanoparticles was developed. A Ti3C2Tz MXene was prepared from Ti3AlC2 MAX phase using hydrochloric acid and lithium fluoride etching. Epoxy and glass fibre–reinforced composites were spray-coated using an MXene water solution. The morphology of the MXenes and the roughness of the substrate were characterised using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. MXene coatings were first investigated under various ambient conditions. The coating experienced no sign…
Biomonitoring of Multiple Mycotoxins in Urine by GC–MS/MS: A Pilot Study on Patients with Esophageal Cancer in Golestan Province, Northeastern Iran
2021
A pilot study to investigate the occurrence of 10 mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, DON
Prevalencia del sexting en adultos jóvenes universitarios: motivación y percepción del riesgo
2021
El sexting es un fenómeno en auge entre adolescentes y adultos jóvenes que consiste en enviar mensajes y/o archivos de carácter sexual a través de los smartphones y las redes sociales. Si bien no existe un claro consenso en su conceptualización, una mala gestión del sexting puede derivar en una serie de peligros como el cyberbullying o la sextorsión. El sexting es un fenómeno clave a la hora de diseñar programas de educativos sexuales en adultos jóvenes El presente estudio tiene como objetivo averiguar el grado de prevalencia del sexting en población adulta joven universitaria. Para ello se administró una serie de instrumentos a 288 estudiantes de entre 18 y 25 años de la Universitat de Val…
A process-based anatomy of Mediterranean cyclones: from baroclinic lows to tropical-like systems
2021
Abstract. In this study, we address the question of the atmospheric processes that turn Mediterranean cyclones into severe storms. Our approach applies on-line potential vorticity (PV) budget diagnostics and piecewise PV inversion to WRF model simulations of the mature stage of 100 intense Mediterranean cyclones. We quantify the relative contributions of different processes to cyclone development and therefore deliver, for the first time, a comprehensive insight into the variety of cyclonic systems that develop in the Mediterranean from the perspective of cyclone dynamics. In particular, we show that all 100 cyclones are systematically influenced by two main PV anomalies: a major anomaly in…
Strategies for Improving Optimal Positioning of Quality Sensors in Urban Drainage Systems for Non-Conservative Contaminants
2021
In the urban drainage sector, the problem of polluting discharges in sewers may act on the proper functioning of the sewer system, on the wastewater treatment plant reliability and on the receiving water body preservation. Therefore, the implementation of a chemical monitoring network is necessary to promptly detect and contain the event of contamination. Sensor location is usually an optimization exercise that is based on probabilistic or black-box methods and their efficiency is usually dependent on the initial assumption made on possible eligibility of nodes to become a monitoring point. It is a common practice to establish an initial non-informative assumption by considering all network…
Creatividad y ecofeminismo en la formación de maestros. Análisis cualitativo de cuentos digitales
2021
Este trabajo investiga la autoevaluación de la creatividad de los docentes en formación, al tiempo que analiza cualitativamente las evidencias de trabajo que conforman un conjunto de cuentos digitales. Estos forman parte de una propuesta didáctica basada en la interdisciplinariedad y el ecofeminismo, entendido este como un sincretismo didáctico clave para asimilar el papel trascendental de las mujeres en la preservación de la naturaleza y contribuir a su difusión en su futuro quehacer profesional. La muestra se compone de 93 estudiantes repartidos entre una asignatura de Ciencias y otra de Letras de los Grados de Maestro Especialidad Infantil y Primaria. Los resultados del test de creativid…
Green and Quick Extraction of Stable Biophenol-Rich Red Extracts from Grape Processing Waste
2021
The extraction of grape processing waste (wine pomace) via microwave-hydrodiffusion and gravity (MHG) from three different cultivars grown in Sicily (Syrah, Perricone and Nero d’Avola) rapidly affords aqueous extracts highly concentrated in valued biophenols including flavonoids, anthocyanins and phenolic acids. The method does not employ organic solvent, acid or base and does not require grinding or freeze drying of the wine pomace nor separation of the grape skins from seeds and stem. All the extracts have a pronounced stability as shown by their red-violet color fully retained after storage for more than a year (15 months) in freezer under air. Concentrations of phenolics up to…
Teachers as learners – a qualitative exploration of pre-service and in-service teachers’ continuous learning community OpenDigi
2021
This study explores pre-service and in-service teachers’ experiences in working as a learning community. Pre-service teachers (N = 60) and teacher educators (N = 9) from a Finnish university and in...
Cytoreductive surgery and mitomycin C hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy with CO2 recirculation (HIPEC-CO2) for colorectal cancer peritoneal m…
2021
Peritoneal dissemination from colorectal cancer (CRC) has long been associated with unfavorable prognosis. However, in the last decades, the combination of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) was able to obtain up to 30% 5-year survival rate in selected centers. Despite the wide diffusion of CRS and HIPEC, until now, there are no clear recommendations on the drug of choice for HIPEC nor its technique, and safety and efficacy data of HIPEC regimens and techniques are lacking. We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database of 26 CRS and mitomycin C HIPEC with CO2 recirculation (HIPEC-CO2) for CRC peritoneal metastasis…
Spectroscopic, density functional theory, nonlinear optical properties and in vitro biological studies of Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II) complexes of hyd…
2021
FRET-based dynamic structural biology: Challenges, perspectives and an appeal for open-science practices.
2021
International audience; Single-molecule FRET (smFRET) has become a mainstream technique for studying biomolecular structural dynamics. The rapid and wide adoption of smFRET experiments by an ever- increasing number of groups has generated significant progress in sample preparation, measurement procedures, data analysis, algorithms and documentation. Several labs that employ smFRET approaches have joined forces to inform the smFRET community about streamlining how to perform experiments and analyze results for obtaining quantitative information on biomolecular structure and dynamics. The recent efforts include blind tests to assess the accuracy and the precision of smFRET experiments among d…
Materiały do rozmieszczenia wybranych, chronionych chrząszczy saproksylicznych (Coleoptera) w województwie opolskim: pachnicy próchniczki Osmoderma b…
2021
The paper presents unpublished data on the occurrence of rare, protected species of saproxylic beetles: Osmoderma barnabita, Protaetia speciosissima, Lucanus cervus and Cerambyx cerdo in the Opole voivodeship (south-western Poland), together with maps of distribution. The paper also includes comments on the current situation of these species in the region and predictions about possible changes in their population trends. New sites of these rare beetles significantly improve the knowledge about their distribution in the region and will help local authorities in investments planning and natural resource management.
Explaining German outward FDI in the EU: a reassessment using Bayesian model averaging and GLM estimators
2021
The last decades have seen an increasing interest in FDI and the process of production fragmentation. This has been particularly important for Germany as the core of the European Union (EU) production hub. This paper attempts to provide a deeper under standing of the drivers of German outward FDI in the EU for the period 1996–2012 by tackling the two main challenges faced in the modelization of FDI, namely the variable selection problem and the choice of the estimation method. For that purpose, we first extend previous BMA analysis developed by Camarero et al. (Econ Model 83:326–345, 2019) by including country-pair-fixed effects to select the appropriate set of variables. Second, we compare…
Pentafluoroethylation of Carbonyl Compounds by HFC-125 via the Encapsulation of the K Cation with Glymes
2021
A simple protocol to overcome the explosive pentafluoroethylation of carbonyl compounds by HFC-125 is described. The use of potassium (K) bases with triglyme or tetraglyme as a solvent safely yield...
Exploratory approach for network behavior clustering in LoRaWAN
2021
AbstractThe interest in the Internet of Things (IoT) is increasing both as for research and market perspectives. Worldwide, we are witnessing the deployment of several IoT networks for different applications, spanning from home automation to smart cities. The majority of these IoT deployments were quickly set up with the aim of providing connectivity without deeply engineering the infrastructure to optimize the network efficiency and scalability. The interest is now moving towards the analysis of the behavior of such systems in order to characterize and improve their functionality. In these IoT systems, many data related to device and human interactions are stored in databases, as well as I…
DiseaseLinc: Disease Enrichment Analysis of Sets of Differentially Expressed LincRNAs
2021
Long intergenic non-coding RNAs (LincRNAs) are long RNAs that do not encode proteins. Functional evidence is lacking for most of them. Their biogenesis is not well-known, but it is thought that many lincRNAs originate from genomic duplication of coding material, resulting in pseudogenes, gene copies that lose their original function and can accumulate mutations. While most pseudogenes eventually stop producing a transcript and become erased by mutations, many of these pseudogene-based lincRNAs keep similarity to the parental gene from which they originated, possibly for functional reasons. For example, they can act as decoys for miRNAs targeting the parental gene. Enrichment analysis of fun…
Analysis of Four Youth Novels for Coeducation
2021
Las iniciativas orientadas a cuestionar los llamados estereotipos de género van en aumento, en la medida en que se han relacionado con la progresiva erradicación de ideas sexistas y conductas violentas machistas. Entre dichas iniciativas, este estudio se inscribe en aquellas enmarcadas en contextos educativos, dado el arraigo que encuentran entre jóvenes y adolescentes. Concretamente, nos centramos en la formación literaria, por el importante papel que desempeña en la educación integral. Teniendo en cuenta que la narrativa realista y la amorosa son subgéneros privilegiados para adentrarnos en el imaginario colectivo, el objetivo principal es analizar cuatro novelas juveniles de éxito en nue…
Effects of corrosion on a steel bowstring bridge in marine environment: A case-study of assessment and retrofit
2021
The case-study of a steel bowstring bridge set in a marine environment and highly damaged by corrosion is presented. The bridge was built in 2004 and was repainted for corrosion protection in 2010. Despite the recent construction and the maintenance interventions, many structural elements like hangers are highly damaged by corrosion with decreasing performance in terms of serviceability and ultimate limit states. A deep investigation was carried out in order to assess the bridge and to establish the necessary retrofit actions to be carried out in the near future. In-situ tests reveal the reduced performance of the original steel in terms of strength and corrosion protection, together with t…
Prácticas escolares y docentes en formación: un análisis axiológico a través de los diarios de prácticas
2021
Los valores impregnan la realidad y forman parte de todo acto educativo, convirtiéndose el docente en ejemplo de comportamientos y actitudes para el alumnado. De este modo, la construcción identitaria profesional y personal de los docentes estará determinada por las elecciones valorativas que se realicen en el contexto escolar. Partiendo de esta premisa, el objetivo de este estudio ha sido conocer los valores que vivencian los docentes en formación en el prácticum a través de las experiencias registradas en los diarios de prácticas. La muestra la han compuesto 80 estudiantes matriculados en la asignatura Prácticas Escolares I del Grado en Educación Primaria de la Universidad Internacional d…
Fuzzy Logic based model for self-optimizing energy consumption in IoT environment
2021
Energy optimization is essential in IoT environments due to energy constraints for some IoT components. In fact, energy consumption has a direct impact on IoT system lifetime, which represents an important Quality of Service (QoS) parameter for IoT environments. In order to extend the IoT system lifetime, energy consumption optimization should be considered in several IoT components. In this paper, we specify an energy self-optimizing mechanism allowing to minimize data transmission energy consumption of IoT objects. This mechanism enables selecting specific objects to send the desired data while minimizing the energy consumed for the corresponding communication. Our proposal is made of a M…
The crystal structure of a 250-kDa heterotetrameric particle explains inhibition of sheddase meprin β by endogenous fetuin-B
2021
Meprin β (Mβ) is a multidomain type-I membrane metallopeptidase that sheds membrane-anchored substrates, releasing their soluble forms. Fetuin-B (FB) is its only known endogenous protein inhibitor. Herein, we analyzed the interaction between the ectodomain of Mβ (MβΔC) and FB, which stabilizes the enzyme and inhibits it with subnanomolar affinity. The MβΔC:FB crystal structure reveals a ∼250-kDa, ∼160-Å polyglycosylated heterotetrameric particle with a remarkable glycan structure. Two FB moieties insert like wedges through a “CPDCP trunk” and two hairpins into the respective peptidase catalytic domains, blocking the catalytic zinc ions through an “aspartate switch” mechanism. Uniquely, the …
Le monde de la vigne dans la région de Nolay de la fin du XVIIIe siècle à 1914
2021
The project, centered on the regionof Nolay (south of the Côte-d'Or), aims tostudy, over the long term (from the end of the18th century to 1914), a society that lived at therhythm imposed by a dominant activity,viticulture. This society was not autarkic butlived in interaction with national events, whichto a large extent determined its evolution. Wewill begin with an inventory of the situation onthe eve of the Revolution, highlighting thedualistic character of the wine economy and theeconomic, social and political rigidities itfaced. The Revolution, well received by thepopulation, was a period of profound economicand social upheaval, favorable to the wineboom.This continued, with some ups a…
Robotic-Assisted Neck Dissection: Our Experience
2021
Abstract Introduction Robotic neck dissection surgery allows less invasiveness to significantly improve the aesthetic impact even though it does not compromise the principles of radical cancer procedure. Objective The aim of our work is to describe our personal experience with robotic neck dissection surgery. Methods A retrospective study was conducted by analyzing 10 patients subjected to a robotic neck dissection surgery. In the period from August 2012 to December 2018, these patients have been treated exclusively with robotic lateral-cervical dissection. Five of them were subjected to robotic-assisted transaxillary neck dissection (RATAND) and the other 5 treated with robotic-assisted re…
Boson stars in Palatini $f(\mathcal{R})$ gravity
2021
We explore equilibrium solutions of spherically symmetric boson stars in the Palatini formulation of $f(\mathcal{R})$ gravity. We account for the modifications introduced in the gravitational sector by using a recently established correspondence between modified gravity with scalar matter and general relativity with modified scalar matter. We focus on the quadratic theory $f(\mathcal{R})=R+\xi R^2$ and compare its solutions with those found in general relativity, exploring both positive and negative values of the coupling parameter $\xi$. As matter source, a complex, massive scalar field with and without self-interaction terms is considered. Our results show that the existence curves of bos…
Singing to the Wind
2021
Abstract This paper focuses on a passage of Himerius’ Oration 47 (Simon. fr. 251 Poltera = 535 PMG + p. 157 SLG), where Simonides is cited for a song that leads a ship with favourable winds, and on a passage in Plutarch’s Quaestiones Convivales (722b–c) quoting a Simonidean fragment (17 Poltera = 595 PMG) on the propagation of sounds through still air. I argue that they both can be linked with the Argonautic myth of Orpheus. In fact, the former might have some connections with the myth of Oreithyia and Boreas, parents of Zetes and Kalaïs, involved in the Argonautic expedition; moreover, it has some similarities with a fragment from Euripides’ Hypsipyle (752g Kannicht) representing Orpheus o…
Spin-orbit torques in strained PtMnSb from first principles
2021
We compute spin-orbit torques (SOTs) in strained PtMnSb from first principles. We consider both tetragonal strain and shear strain. We find a strong linear dependence of the field-like SOTs on these strains, while the antidamping SOT is only moderately sensitive to shear strain and even insensitive to tetragonal strain. We also study the dependence of the SOT on the magnetization direction. In order to obtain analytical expressions suitable for fitting our numerical \textit{ab-initio} results we derive a general expansion of the SOT in terms of all response tensors that are allowed by crystal symmetry. Our expansion includes also higher-order terms beyond the usually considered lowest order…
An Inverse Thermogelling Bioink Based on an ABA-Type Poly(2-oxazoline) Amphiphile
2021
Hydrogels are key components in several biomedical research areas such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, and biofabrication. Here, a novel ABA-type triblock copolymer comprising poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) as the hydrophilic A blocks and poly(2-phenethyl-2-oxazoline) as the aromatic and hydrophobic B block is introduced. Above the critical micelle concentration, the polymer self-assembles into small spherical polymer micelles with a hydrodynamic radius of approx 8-8.5 nm. Interestingly, this specific combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic aromatic moieties leads to rapid thermoresponsive inverse gelation at polymer concentrations above a critical gelation concentration (20 wt %) into…