Abuse of consumer trust in the digital market and the green market: the case of green washing in the Italian legal system

2022

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to offer some reflection on the abuse of consumer trust and the importance of control of information in the digital market and the green market. The role of the consumer as the arbiter of the market is fundamental. The abuse of consumer confidence depends, in fact, on the spread of stereotyped messages and vague and generic formulas aimed at hiding a dangerous vacuum of protection. In both markets, it is a question of giving the consumer the necessary tools to monitor the transparency of the criteria used by the trader to classify a product according to its characteristics. Design/methodology/approach Based on the analysis of an Italian case law and the…

Near-Infrared-Responsive Choline-Calix[4]arene-Gold Nanostructures for Potential Photothermal Cancer Treatment

2022

The development of novel chemical approaches for the fabrication of gold nanostructures with localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) falling in the near-infrared (NIR) region is one challenging topic in nanomaterials science. Due to their optical and photothermal properties triggered by light excitation in the therapeutic window (λmax = 650-1300 nm), gold-based nanostructures are appealing candidates in anticancer nanomedicine. Here, we report a novel method to prepare water-dispersible gold nanostructures with NIR-LSPR (λmax = 600-1000 nm) properties. The gold nanostructures were achieved in a single step by an unconventional method using NADH as a reducing agent and an amphiphilic chol…

Optimizing density-functional simulations for two-dimensional metals

2022

Unlike covalent two-dimensional (2D) materials like graphene, 2D metals have non-layered structures due to their non-directional, metallic bonding. While experiments on 2D metals are still scarce and challenging, density-functional theory (DFT) provides an ideal approach to predict their basic properties and assist in their design. However, DFT methods have been rarely benchmarked against metallic bonding at low dimensions. Therefore, to identify optimal DFT attributes for a desired accuracy, we systematically benchmark exchange-correlation functionals from LDA to hybrids and basis sets from plane waves to local basis with different pseudopotentials. With 1D chain, 2D honeycomb, 2D square, …

PCB-Based Planar Inductive Loops for Partial Discharges Detection in Power Cables

2022

Partial discharge (PD) diagnosis tests, including detecting, locating, and identifying, are used to trace defects or faults and assess the degree of aging in order to monitor the insulation condition of medium- and high-voltage power cables. In this context, an experimental evaluation of three different printed circuit board (PCB)-based inductive sensor topologies, with spiral, non-spiral, and meander shapes, is performed. The aim is to assess their capabilities for PD detection along a transmission power cable. First, simulation and experimental characterization are carried out to determine the equivalent electrical circuit and the quality factor of the three sensors. PD activity was studi…

Solidarity networks for grassroots collaboration in response to the pandemic: the case of the city of Valencia (Spain)

2022

The Covid-19 pandemic drove the emergence of grassroots solidarity initiatives designed to alleviate the impact of the subsequent health, economic and social crisis. Some of these initiatives were organised collectively in a process which can be considered as social innovation. Taking the city of Valencia (Spain) as a case study, this paper examines the grassroots solidarity initiatives which sprang up in the first wave of the pandemic, analysing their features, their relationship with previous initiatives and their roots in the territory to make an initial assessment of their potential for social transformation.

Absolute Hyperglycemia versus Stress Hyperglycemia Ratio for the Prognosis of Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 in the First Months of the Pandemic…

2022

Diabetes is a risk factor for greater severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) is an independent predictor of critical illness, and it is reported to have a stronger association than absolute hyperglycemia. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of absolute hyperglycemia and SHR with the severity of COVID-19, since there are no studies investigating SHR in patients with COVID-19. We conducted a retrospective observational study on hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in the first months of the pandemic, regarding absolute hyperglycemia, SHR, and severity outcomes. Of the 374 patients, 28.1% had a previous diagnosis of type 2 diabetes…

Search for baryon and lepton number violating decay D±→n(n¯)e±

2022

Some New Symbolic Algorithms for the Computation of Generalized Asymptotes

2022

We present symbolic algorithms for computing the g-asymptotes, or generalized asymptotes, of a plane algebraic curve, C, implicitly or parametrically defined. The g-asymptotes generalize the classical concept of asymptotes of a plane algebraic curve. Both notions have been previously studied for analyzing the geometry and topology of a curve at infinity points, as well as to detect the symmetries that can occur in coordinates far from the origin. Thus, based on this research, and in order to solve practical problems in the fields of science and engineering, we present the pseudocodes and implementations of algorithms based on the Puiseux series expansion to construct the g-asymptotes of a p…

Les collocations intensives dans la poésie de Villon et leurs traductions en espagnol et en catalan

2022

L'expression de l'intensité a suscité l'intérêt de nombreux chercheurs en ce qui concerne le français contemporain, il n'en est pas de même pour le français médiéval. Dans le cadre du projet COLINDANTE, nous nous sommes attachées à observer comment elle se manifestait chez un auteur comme Villon. En nous basant sur la notion de collocation de la théorie Sens-Texte, nous nous sommes centrées sur un des types d'intensifieurs possibles : les comparaisons en comme et nous en avons fait un inventaire complet. Dans notre article nous nous proposons tout d'abord de préciser brièvement le cadre théorique qui soutient notre recherche notamment la notion de collocation, pour analyser ensuite les diff…

Liquid structure of a water-based, hydrophobic and natural deep eutectic solvent: The case of thymol-water. A Molecular Dynamics study

2022

The structural organization of the first example of a water-based, type V, hydrophobic, natural deep eutectic solvent (DES) is investigated in this work, exploiting the synergy of X-ray scattering and compu- tational techniques. The stoichiometric mixture of thymol:water (4.8:1) has been recently reported to behave as a DES, with a melting point at 6 C, well below the one foreseen for the ideal liquid mixture. Our study provides an atomistic insight into the structural correlations in this system, highlighting the major role played by hydrogen bonding (HB) correlations in affecting morphology as well as the solid– liquid equilibrium. Thymol engages HB-mediated interactions with both thymol …

Effects of Oleuropein and Hydroxytyrosol on Inflammatory Mediators: Consequences on Inflammaging

2022

Aging is associated with a low-grade, systemic inflammatory state defined as “inflammaging”, ruled by the loss of proper regulation of the immune system leading to the accumulation of pro-inflammatory mediators. Such a condition is closely connected to an increased risk of developing chronic diseases. A number of studies demonstrate that olive oil phenolic compound oleuropein and its derivative hydroxytyrosol contribute to modulating tissue inflammation and oxidative stress, thus becoming attractive potential candidates to be used in the context of nutraceutical interventions, in order to ameliorate systemic inflammation in aging subjects. In this review, we aim to summarize the available d…

Chip for dielectrophoretic microbial capture, separation and detection I: theoretical basis of electrode design

2022

Abstract We model the dielectrophoretic response of E. coli bacterial cells and red blood cells, upon exposure to an electric field. We model the separation, capture, and release mechanisms under flow conditions in a microfluidic channel and show under which conditions efficient separation of different cell types occurs. The modelling work is aimed to guide the separation electrode architecture and design for experimental validation of the model. The dielectrophoretic force is affected both by the geometry of the electrodes (the gradient of the electric field), the Re{CM(ω)} factor, and the permittivity of the medium ϵm. Our modelling makes testable predictions and shows that designing the …

Chronic physical conditions, physical multimorbidity, and quality of life among adults aged ≥ 50 years from six low- and middle-income countries

2022

Abstract Purpose Multimorbidity (i.e., ≥ 2 chronic conditions) poses a challenge for health systems and governments, globally. Several studies have found inverse associations between multimorbidity and quality of life (QoL). However, there is a paucity of studies from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), especially among the older population, as well as studies examining mediating factors in this association. Thus, the present study aimed to explore the associations, and mediating factors, between multimorbidity and QoL among older adults in LMICs. Methods Cross-sectional nationally representative data from the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health were analyzed. A total of 11 chroni…

Does Hysteroscopic Dissection of Partial Uterine Septum Represent a Risk Factor for Placental Abnormalities in Subsequent Pregnancy Compared with Con…

2022

Background: Hysteroscopic septum dissection (HSD) is thought to improve fertility and pregnancy outcomes. However, the available literature suggests that uterine surgery can cause placental abnormalities in subsequent pregnancies. Methods: A case–control study was performed at the University Medical Center of Ljubljana, Department of Human Reproduction, from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2018. The primary outcome was the association between HSD and the occurrence of placental abnormalities. We included women who underwent HSD due to infertility. Age-matched women who underwent hysteroscopic surgery for other issues were considered as controls. In addition, we divided the groups according to…

Antibody-drug conjugates for lymphoma patients: preclinical and clinical evidences

2022

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a recent, revolutionary approach for malignancies treatment, designed to provide superior efficacy and specific targeting of tumor cells, compared to systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy. Their structure combines highly potent anti-cancer drugs (payloads or warheads) and monoclonal antibodies (Abs), specific for a tumor-associated antigen, via a chemical linker. Because the sensitive targeting capabilities of monoclonal Abs allow the direct delivery of cytotoxic payloads to tumor cells, these agents leave healthy cells unharmed, reducing toxicity. Different ADCs have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (…

Prevalence of Pneumococcal Serotypes in Community-Acquired Pneumonia among Older Adults in Italy: A Multicenter Cohort Study

2022

Pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading cause of mortality. Following the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) in children, a decrease in the burden of the disease was reported. In parallel, an increase in non-vaccine serotypes was also noted. The objective of this study was to assess the current serotype-specific epidemiology of pneumococci among Italian older adults hospitalized for CAP. A prospective study was conducted between 2017 and 2020 in four Italian regions. Subjects aged ≥65 years hospitalized with confirmed CAP were tested for pneumococci using both pneumococcal urinary antigen and serotype-specific urine antigen tests able to identify all…

Genetics and"democracy".

2022

Abstract Background The spread of knowledge on the important implications of a diagnosis of genetic disease does not correspond to a sharing of the knowledge and equal rights of children. Main body It is estimated that about 5% of newborns may have a rare disease that in some cases, if diagnosed early, could have specific treatments that may be able to modify the natural history of the disease. However, in most countries the diagnosis during the first hours of life is limited to a few diseases, due to the high costs and time required for genetic investigations with classical methods. Recently, experimental projects to subject all newborns to a complete DNA analysis, with Next Generation Seq…

Argomenti pro e contro la legalizzazione della gestazione per altri

2022

in this article I argument in favor of the lehalization of commercial surrogacy

Mechanical ventilation in patients with cardiogenic pulmonary edema: a sub-analysis of the LUNG SAFE study

2022

Supported by Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER)‑Enfermedades respiratorias, Madrid, Spain (CB17/06/00021) and Fundación para el Fomento en Asturias de la Investigación Científica aplicada y la tecnología (FICYT, AYUD2021/52014). RRG is the recipient of a grant from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain (CM20/00083).

Polish local democracy in crisis? Non-competitive elections and the supply of candidates for councillors

2022

Competitive elections are the basis of democracy; without them there is no freedom of choice. Elections without competition are associated with the façade nature of elections in undemocratic systems. There are, however, exceptions to the belief that in a democratic system every election must be competitive. We can also observe them in Poland, particularly in small communes with up to 20,000 inhabitants. They take two forms: non-competitive elections of commune leaders and councillors. The latter case is known in the literature under the legal term of filling seats without voting. In 2018, as many as 8% of Polish councillors obtained their mandate without votes. In 2018 compared to 2014, the…

A review of entrepreneurship education research and practice

2022

El emprendimiento ha acaparado cada vez más la atención del legislador debido a la necesidad de promover el desarrollo económico y la creación de empleo. Entre los factores que impulsan el emprendimiento, la educación emprendedora reviste especial importancia. Este artículo aborda la educación emprendedora desde la perspectiva de la investigación y la práctica. En primer lugar, se discute si el talento emprendedor nace o se cultiva. En segundo lugar, se revisan los diferentes enfoques de la educación emprendedora, especificando sus características distintivas. A continuación, se examina la investigación en torno al potencial de la educación emprendedora a la hora de despertar las intencione…

Influence of Different Environments and Temperatures on the Photo-Oxidation Behaviour of the Polypropylene.

2022

The photo-oxidation of polypropylene at two different temperatures and in three different environments—air, distilled water and sea water—has been followed as a function of the irradiation time. The photo-oxidation kinetic is dramatically dependent on the amount of oxygen available for the oxidation reactions and on the temperature. While the photo-oxidation is very fast in air, the degradation is much slower in the two aqueous media. The degradation in sea water is slightly slower than in distilled water. In all cases, the degradation kinetic increases remarkably with the temperature. This behavior has been attributed to the lower oxygen availability for the oxidation reactions of the poly…

Perception of Medical Humanities among Polish Medical Students: Qualitative Analysis

2022

Medical humanities (MH) courses are a critical element of the medical curriculum influencing the establishment of a physician in the medical profession. However, the opinion about MH among medical students remains unknown. Interviews from seven focus groups were analysed. The students attended one of three Polish medical schools in Gdansk, Krakow, and Warsaw and were recruited to the discussion focused on the impact of drug manufacturers’ presence at medical universities on socialization in the medical profession. Thematic analysis was conducted using the theoretical framework of social constructivism. The students’ opinions about the MH classes arose during the analysis. In six…

LongHome: desarrollo de una herramienta para la medición de impacto de los servicios de atención a personas sin hogar

2022

Diversos autores subrayan la necesidad de mejorar las estructuras de medición de impacto en los servicios para personas sin hogar, específicamente en el contexto europeo. La mejora del monitoreo y evaluación de los procesos de intervención permitirían la caracterización de subgrupos internamente homogéneos y la identificación de rutas de entrada y salida al sinhogarismo. La herramienta LongHome permite estandarizar una metodología de medición de impacto en servicios de atención a personas sin hogar, para analizar la eficacia de los programas. LongHome operativiza la tipología ETHOS mediante una evaluación longitudinal que permite identificar el estatus residencial en tres momentos en el tie…

An Approach for the Validation of a Coastal Erosion Vulnerability Index: An Application in Sicily

2022

In recent decades, coastal erosion phenomena have increased due to climate change. The increased frequency and intensity of extreme events and the poor sediment supply by anthropized river basins (dams, river weirs, culverts, etc.) have a crucial role in coastal erosion. Therefore, an integrated analysis of coastal erosion is crucial to produce detailed and accurate coastal erosion vulnerability information to support mitigation strategies. This research aimed to assess the erosion vulnerability of the Sicilian coast, also including a validation procedure of the obtained scenario. The coastal vulnerability was computed by means of the CeVI (Coastal Erosion Vulnerability Index) approach, whi…

Systematic Position of the Fossil Burrower Bug Eocenocydnus lisi Popov, 2019 (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Cydnidae) Revealed by a Parallel/Cross-Eyed Vie…

2022

The fossil burrower bug Eocenocydnus lisi described from the Late Eocene of the Isle of Wight, UK, is analysed using a parallel, cross-eyed viewing method. The species, tentatively placed in the subfamily Sehirinae, is redescribed and its systematic position is discussed. Newly recovered morphological characteristics allow it to be placed in the tribe Cydnini of the subfamily Cydninae.

Psychometric Validation of the Information Area of Digital Competence in High School Students in Perú

2022

Background/purpose - Few psychometric tests have been identified in the literature that analyze digital competencies in school-aged children. The Evaluation Test of Digital Competencies in Compulsory Education Students (ECODIES, Casillas-Martín et al., 2020) is considered one of the most robust for its measurement. The aim of the study was to assess the psychometric validity of the 'ECODIES - Area 1: Information' test with high school students from two Peruvian cities in 2021. Materials/methods - The research was formed as a basic level, non-experimental, and cross-sectional study. Content validity was analyzed through expert judges (n = 8), while construct validity, factorial invariance, a…

Insurance fraud detection: A statistically validated network approach

2022

Fraud is a social phenomenon, and fraudsters often collaborate with other fraudsters, taking on different roles. The challenge for insurance companies is to implement claim assessment and improve fraud detection accuracy. We developed an investigative system based on bipartite networks, highlighting the relationships between subjects and accidents or vehicles and accidents. We formalize filtering rules through probability models and test specific methods to assess the existence of communities in extensive networks and propose new alert metrics for suspicious structures. We apply the methodology to a real database-the Italian Antifraud Integrated Archive-and compare the results to out-of-sam…

Fast and universal estimation of latent variable models using extended variational approximations

2022

AbstractGeneralized linear latent variable models (GLLVMs) are a class of methods for analyzing multi-response data which has gained considerable popularity in recent years, e.g., in the analysis of multivariate abundance data in ecology. One of the main features of GLLVMs is their capacity to handle a variety of responses types, such as (overdispersed) counts, binomial and (semi-)continuous responses, and proportions data. On the other hand, the inclusion of unobserved latent variables poses a major computational challenge, as the resulting marginal likelihood function involves an intractable integral for non-normally distributed responses. This has spurred research into a number of approx…

ESTUDIO SOBRE LOS REFERENTES FEMENINOS EN LA EDUCACIÓN MUSICAL.

2022

A lo largo de la historia de la música de occidente, las mujeres han tenido pocas oportunidades a la hora de acceder profesionalmente al ámbito musical, pero sí es cierto que una minoría consiguió acceder al mismo. Sin embargo, los manuales y los programas académicos tradicionalmente solo recogen los referentes masculinos más destacados. El objetivo principal de este artículo es identificar cuál es la percepción del sector, concretamente entre las profesionales que se dedican a la composición, dirección orquestal o a la docencia de estudios musicales. Para ello, se utilizó la técnica de la entrevista estructurada. Se analizó una muestra de respuestas de compositoras, docentes y directoras d…

Unngåelse som mestringsarbeid. En kvalitativ studie av jenters håndtering av sosiale utfordringer i skolen

2022

Mestring er et etablert begrep i arbeidet med å forebygge psykisk uhelse for ungdom. I 2020 kom mestring inn i læreplanen for grunnskolen gjennom det tverrfaglige temaet folkehelse og livsmestring. For å forstå mestring blant ungdom er konteksten og sammenhengen hvor handlingene foregår viktige momenter. I denne studien utforsker vi hva jenter selv gjør for å mestre sosiale utfordringer i skolen. Gjennom en innholdsanalyse av totalt 22 intervjuer med ti jenter om deres hverdag, og ved hjelp av begrepet arbeid, finner vi at jentenes mestringsarbeid er mangfoldig og har ulik intensjon. Unngåelse er et mestringsarbeid som er særlig utbredt. Vi forstår dette som et viktig mestringsarbeid for je…

Una ragionevole apologia di John Stuart Mill

2022

La libertà di espressione è tra i valori più cari al costituzionalismo liberale moderno e contemporaneo. Limitare la libertà di ciascuno di dire ciò che vuole è, da questa prospettiva, sempre guardato con sospetto.Giorgio Maniaci nel suo saggio si scaglia apertamente contro questa prospettiva.L’idea di Maniaci è che la menzogna sia pericolosissima e vada dunque estirpata dai discorsi pubblici. Questo perché la libertà di espressione non è un valore in sé ma è uno strumento a sostegno della democrazia e della possibilità dei cittadini di formarsi un’opinione libera e scientificamente corretta. Le credenze falsificate dalla scienza non hanno diritto di cittadinanza nel discorso pubblico. In q…

Chińska aktywność na Bałkanach w XXI wieku i jej implikacje

2022

Celem artykułu jest szkicowe przedstawienie, na podstawie analiz i materiałów prasowych, wielosektorowej obecności Chin na Bałkanach i jej wpływu na sytuację ekonomiczną regionu. Bałkany są ważne dla mocarstw ze względu na położenie geopolityczne i geostrategiczne na skrzyżowaniu szlaków międzykontynentalnych. Chiny znacząco wpływają na ekonomikę poszczególnych państw region, wykorzystując dyplomację publiczną celem ograniczenia wpływów ze strony innych ważnych graczy: Unii Europejskiej, Rosji i USA. Autorka przedstawia hipotezę, że Chiny, tak jak USA pod koniec XX wieku, zmierzają do stworzenia sfery wpływów na Półwyspie Bałkańskim, w kontekście swoich interesów globalnych. Bałkany są post…

Kulttuuripolitiikkaa erilaisilla alueilla

2022

Arvio kirjasta: Diane Saint-Pierre & Monica Gattinger (toim.) Cultural Policy. Origins, Evolution, and Implementation in Canada’s Provinces and Territories. University of Ottawa Press, 2021,  668 sivua, ISBN (Paper) 9780776628950

Assessing travel time-based accessibility to outdoor ice skating fields for children in Helsinki during the COVID-19 pandemic

2022

This paper was written within the research project called “Equality in suburban physical activity environments, YLLI” (in Finnish: Yhdenvertainen liikunnallinen lähiö, YLLI) funded by the Suburban Programme 2020–2022 (in Finnish: Lähiöohjelma 2020–2022, decision number VN/10837/2020). Informal sport is central to Finnish children’s leisure and physical activity time. This paper aims to build a better understanding of the travel time-based accessibility to informal sports facilities, specifically to ice skating fields, for children and adolescents (aged 7–19) in the city of Helsinki. We focused on the winter of 2020–2021 because COVID-19 restrictions on indoor activities resulted in ice skat…

Comparison between Laparoscopic and Robotic Approach for Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Endometrial Carcinoma Women

2022

Robotic surgery has been approved as an alternative to laparoscopy to improve surgical outcomes. There is neither a consensus nor a systematic assessment of the literature about the superiority of the robotic approach over the laparoscopic one for sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in endometrial carcinoma (EC) women. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to compare the laparoscopic and robotic approaches for SLN biopsy in EC patients. Five electronic databases were queried from their inception to May 2022 for peer-reviewed studies, comparing such approaches in SLN biopsy in EC patients. The rate of detected SLN, dissected SLN, intraoperative and postoperative complic…