showing 36 of ~574560 from 574555 documents
Gone before its known? Camera-trapping shows alarming levels of putative hybrids in the wildcat (Felis silvestris) population of the Gargano National…
2022
Abstract The European wildcat is a small carnivore widespread across Europe and hybridization with the domestic cat is one of the major threats to wildcats. We estimate the population density of wild-living cats (both wildcats and putative hybrids based on pelage) in the Gargano National Park (Southern Italy). We sampled 20 stations for 540 camera days. We obtained 23 images from 17 detections at 10 cameras, and we identified 10 individuals (6 wildcats and 4 putative hybrids). Population density was estimated at 0.34 ± 0.15 SE wild-living cats/km2. The proportion of putative hybrids indicates an alarming hybridization for this population.
I-MALL An Effective Framework for Personalized Visits. Improving the Customer Experience in Stores
2022
In this paper we present I-MALL, an ICT hardware and software infrastructure that enables the management of services related to places such as shopping malls, showrooms, and conferences held in dedicated facilities. I-MALL offers a network of services that perform customer behavior analysis through computer vision and provide personalized recommendations made available on digital signage terminals. The user can also interact with a social robot. Recommendations are inferred on the basis of the profile of interests computed by the system analysing the history of the customer visit and his/her behavior including information from his/her appearance, the route taken inside the facility, as well…
Effect of thyroid function on assisted reproduction outcomes in euthyroid infertile women: A single center retrospective data analysis and a systemat…
2022
BackgroundThe influence of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) on gestational outcomes have been studied and checked whether differing TSH levels are relevant on human reproduction outcomes. International guidelines recommend TSH values <2.5 mIU/L in women trying to conceive, since values above this level are related to a higher frequency of adverse reproductive outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate whether TSH values correlate with different gestational outcomes in euthyroid infertile women without autoimmune thyroid disease.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted involving 256 women who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. The participants were divided into tw…
Iterated Conditionals, Trivalent Logics, and Conditional Random Quantities
2022
We consider some notions of iterated conditionals by checking the validity of some desirable basic logical and probabilistic properties, which are valid for simple conditionals. We consider de Finetti’s notion of conditional as a three-valued object and as a conditional random quantity in the betting framework. We recall the notions of conjunction and disjunction among conditionals in selected trivalent logics. Then, we analyze the two notions of iterated conditional introduced by Calabrese and de Finetti, respectively. We show that the compound probability theorem and other basic properties are not preserved by these objects, by also computing some probability propagation rules. Then, for …
Exploring the NΛ–NΣ coupled system with high precision correlation techniques at the LHC
2022
The interaction of Λ and Σ hyperons (Y) with nucleons (N) is strongly influenced by the coupled-channel dynamics. Due to the small mass difference of the NΛ and NΣ systems, the coupling strength of the NΣ↔NΛ processes is non-negligible and constitutes a crucial element in the determination of the NΛ interaction. In this letter we present the most precise measurements on the interaction of pΛ pairs, from zero relative momentum up to the opening of the NΣ channel. The correlation function in the relative momentum space for pΛ⊕p¯¯¯Λ¯¯¯¯ pairs measured in high-multiplicity triggered pp collisions at s√ = 13 TeV at the LHC is reported. The opening of the inelastic NΣ channels is visible in the e…
WORK ACTIVITIES AT INCREASED RISK OF TRAUMATIC INJURIES: AN INTEGRATED PREVENTIVE APPROACH
2022
Included in the scope of workplace safety is that relating to potential accidents, i.e. the harmful consequences for human health crossed with the work environment factor. In the study of the determinism of these accidental events, it is important to achieve a biomechanical balance between two main elements: the human and the work environment (consisting of the physical, chemical and environmental factors, i.e. the equipment and what generates its use). Considering the most recent statistically recorded incidents, our analysis has focused on the accident sphere proper, where an imbalance in the above-mentioned binomial triggers the activation of multiple disciplines that actively and pro-ac…
Riflessioni su soft law e autorità indipendenti anche nella prospettiva di alcune recenti pronunce giurisprudenziali
2022
Partendo dalla individuazione delle origini della soft law, il saggio tenta in prima battuta di reperirne una sua valida collocazione nel sistema delle fonti, per poi dedicarsi in particolare alla soft law delle Autorità indipendenti. Esse si pongono come nuovi soggetti regolatori di ampi segmenti del mercato, lasciati voluta- mente liberi dal Legislatore, capaci di porre in essere atti normativi e paranor- mativi che, sebbene non dotati di formale vincolatività, sono però “effettivi”, perché i regolati vi si adeguano spontaneamente avendo partecipato al procedi- mento di formazione. Questi nuovi atti, oltre che impattare con molteplici principi del costituzionali- smo contemporaneo, pongon…
Hop (Humulus lupulus L.): Suitability of Traditional Cultivars to a Low-Trellis Farming System in a Semiarid Environment
2022
Humulus lupulus is a dioecious twining herb, with an outstanding vertical development capacity. Hop plants are usually grown on trellises up to 4.5 to 6.0 m high, whose management requires intense use of water, fertilizers, pesticides, and labor. In semiarid Mediterranean areas, where native resources are often scarce, the adoption of low-trellis farming systems could be a sustainable option for hop cultivation. With the aim of evaluating hop suitability to low-trellis cultivation in a Mediterranean environment, in 2018 and 2019 three traditional hop genotypes (‘Cascade’, ‘Chinook’, and ‘Nugget’) were grown, and their development rate was evaluated and put in relation with the plants’ cone,…
ITO top-electrodes via industrial-scale PLD for efficient buffer-layer-free semitransparent perovskite solar cells
2022
The deposition of transparent conductive oxides (TCO) usually employs harsh conditions that are frequently harmful to soft/organic underlayers. Herein, successful use of an industrial pulsed laser deposition (PLD) tool to directly deposit indium tin oxide (ITO) films on semitransparent vacuum-deposited perovskite solar cells without damage to the device stack is demonstrated. The morphological, electronic, and optical properties of the PLD deposited ITO films are optimized. A direct relation between the PLD chamber pressure and the solar cell performance is obtained. The semitransparent perovskite solar cells prepared exclusively by vacuum-assisted techniques had fill factors of 78% and exc…
Mass measurements towards doubly magic Ni-78 : Hydrodynamics versus nuclear mass contribution in core-collapse supernovae
2022
International audience; We report the first high-precision mass measurements of the neutron-rich nuclei 74,75Ni and the clearly identified ground state of 76Cu, along with a more precise mass-excess value of 78Cu, performed with the double Penning trap JYFLTRAP at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line (IGISOL) facility. These new results lead to a quantitative estimation of the quenching for the N=50 neutron shell gap. The impact of this shell quenching on core-collapse supernova dynamics is specifically tested using a dedicated statistical equilibrium approach that allows a variation of the mass model independent of the other microphysical inputs. We conclude that the impact of nuclear m…
General balance functions of identified charged hadron pairs of (π,K,p) in Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV
2022
First measurements of balance functions (BFs) of all combinations of identified charged hadron (π,K,p) pairs in Pb−Pb collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV recorded by the ALICE detector are presented. The BF measurements are carried out as two-dimensional differential correlators versus the relative rapidity (Δy) and azimuthal angle (Δφ) of hadron pairs, and studied as a function of collision centrality. The Δφ dependence of BFs is expected to be sensitive to the light quark diffusivity in the quark−gluon plasma. While the BF azimuthal widths of all pairs substantially decrease from peripheral to central collisions, the longitudinal widths exhibit mixed behaviors: BFs of ππ and cross-species pairs…
Dual guidewire balloon antegrade fenestration and re‐entrytechnique for coronary chronic total occlusions percutaneouscoronary interventions
2022
Objectives:To describe the experience of coronary chronic total occlusions (CTOs)percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) using antegrade fenestration and re‐entry(AFR) technique with a dedicated dual guidewire balloon (DGB).Background:Antegrade dissection and re‐entry (ADR) techniques has beenemphasized in recent worldwide CTO consensus documents. We investigated thefeasibility and safety of DGB as a dedicated device to perform guidewire‐based AFR.Methods and Results:Fourteen consecutive patients with complex CTO (J‐CTOscore: 3.1 ± 0.9) underwent DGB‐AFR in the years 2020–2021. DGB‐AFR consists inadvancing the DGB over a guidewire that reached the vessel distal to the CTO in anextra plaqu…
Evaluation of pulsed electric field-assisted extraction on the microstructure and recovery of nutrients and bioactive compounds from mushroom (Agaric…
2022
Pulsed electric field (PEF) is a sustainable innovative technology that allows for the recovery of nutrients and bioactive compounds from vegetable matrices. A. bisporus was chosen for its nutritional value and the effect of PEF pretreatment was evaluated using different conditions of electric field (2–3 kV/cm), specific energy (50–200 kJ/kg) and extraction time (0–6 h) to obtain the best conditions for nutrient and bioactive compound extraction. Spectrophotometric methods were used to evaluate the different compounds, along with an analysis of mineral content by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the surface was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In …
6TFK
2022
6TFJ
2022
Spectral analysis of the beat-to-beat variability of arterial compliance
2022
Arterial compliance is an important parameter influencing ventricular-arterial coupling, depending on structural and functional mechanics of arteries. In this study, the spontaneous beat-to-beat variability of arterial compliance was investigated in time and frequency domains in thirty-nine young and healthy subjects monitored in the supine resting state and during head-up tilt. Spectral decomposition was applied to retrieve the spectral content of the time series associated to low (LF) and high frequency (HF) oscillatory components. Our results highlight: (i) a decrease of arterial compliance with tilt, in agreement with previous studies; (ii) an increase of the LF power content concurrent…
Assessment of Cardiorespiratory Interactions During Spontaneous and Controlled Breathing: Linear Parametric Analysis
2022
In this work, we perform a linear parametric analysis of cardiorespiratory interactions in bivariate time series of heart period (HP) and respiration (RESP) measured in 19 healthy subjects during spontaneous breathing and controlled breathing at varying breathing frequency. The analysis is carried out computing measures of the total and causal interaction between HP and RESP variability in both time and frequency domains (low- and high-frequency, LF and HF). Results highlight strong cardiorespiratory interactions in the time domain and within the HF band that are not affected by the paced breathing condition. Interactions in the LF band are weaker and prevalent along the direction from HP t…
Cluster Analysis of Home Polygraphic Recordings in Symptomatic Habitually-Snoring Children: A Precision Medicine Perspective
2022
(1) Background: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a frequent problem in children. Cluster analyses offer the possibility of identifying homogeneous groups within a large clinical database. The application of cluster analysis to anthropometric and polysomnographic measures in snoring children would enable the detection of distinctive clinically-relevant phenotypes; (2) Methods: We retrospectively collected the results of nocturnal home-based cardiorespiratory polygraphic recordings and anthropometric measurements in 326 habitually-snoring otherwise healthy children. K-medoids clustering was applied to standardized respiratory and anthropometric measures, followed by Silhouette-based statis…
Assessment of Cardiorespiratory Interactions During Spontaneous and Controlled Breathing: Non-linear Model-free Analysis
2022
In this work, nonlinear model-free methods for bivariate time series analysis have been applied to study cardiorespiratory interactions. Specifically, entropy-based (i.e. Transfer Entropy and Cross Entropy) and Convergent Cross Mapping asymmetric coupling measures have been computed on heart rate and breathing time series extracted from electrocardiographic (ECG) and respiratory signals acquired on 19 young healthy subjects during an experimental protocol including spontaneous and controlled breathing conditions. Results evidence a bidirectional nature of cardiorespiratory interactions, and highlight clear similarities and differences among the three considered measures.
Feasibility of Ultra-short Term Complexity Analysis of Heart Rate Variability in Resting State and During Orthostatic Stress
2022
In this work, we study ultra-short term (UST) complexity of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and its agreement with analysis of standard short-term (ST) HRV recordings obtained at rest and during orthostatic stress. Conditional Entropy (CE) measures have been computed using both a linear Gaussian approximation and a more accurate model-free approach based on nearest neighbors. The agreement between UST and ST indices has been compared via statistical tests and correlation analysis, suggesting the feasibility of exploiting faster algorithms and shorter time series for detecting changes in cardiovascular control during various states.
Systematic review on spheroids from adipose‐derived stem cells: Spontaneous or artefact state?
2022
Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures represent the spontaneous state of stem cells with specific gene and protein molecular expression that are more alike the in vivo condition. In vitro two-dimensional (2D) cell adhesion cultures are still commonly employed for various cellular studies such as movement, proliferation and differentiation phenomena; this procedure is standardized and amply used in laboratories, however their representing the original tissue has recently been subject to questioning. Cell cultures in 2D require a support/substrate (flasks, multiwells, etc.) and use of fetal bovine serum as an adjuvant that stimulates adhesion that most likely leads to cellular aging. A 3D envi…
Quantifying High-Order Interactions in Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Networks
2022
We present a method to analyze the dynamics of physiological networks beyond the framework of pairwise interactions. Our method defines the so-called O-information rate (OIR) as a measure of the higher-order interaction among several physiological variables. The OIR measure is computed from the vector autoregressive representation of multiple time series, and is applied to the network formed by heart period, systolic and diastolic arterial pressure, respiration and cerebral blood flow variability series measured in healthy subjects at rest and after head-up tilt. Our results document that cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and respiratory interactions are highly redundant, and that redundancy …
Transfer Entropy Analysis of Pulse Arrival Time - Heart Period Interactions during Physiological Stress
2022
Although Heart Period (HP) variability is the most widely used measure to assess cardiovascular oscillations, its evaluation combined with that of Pulse Arrival Time (PAT) variability may provide additional information about cardiac dynamics and cardiovascular interactions. In this study, we computed the transfer entropy from PAT to HP in 76 subjects monitored at rest and during orthostatic and mental stress using both a model-free (k- Nearest Neighbors) and a linear parametric estimator. Our results show how the information flow between these two variables depends on the physiological condition and how the nonlinear measure captures more information than the linear one during orthostatic s…
Near-infrared light-responsive and antibacterial injectable hydrogels with antioxidant activity based on a Dopamine-functionalized Gellan Gum for wou…
2022
The development of wound dressings with combined antioxidant, antibacterial and tissue adhesion functions has been a difficult medical task for the treatment of wound infections. We synthetized a dopamine and PEG functionalized Gellan Gum (GG) to produce an injectable hydrogel with radical scavenging activity having both specific and aspecific antibiotic/antimicrobial properties. Using starting GG with different molecular weights, we obtained two derivatives that have been used to prepare the gel precursor dispersion, that undergoes gelation in the presence of colistin and dried microparticles (MPs) functionalized on the surface with polydopamine (pDA). Both were used to dope the hydrogel, …
High‐resolution 3D forest structure explains ecomorphological trait variation in assemblages of saproxylic beetles
2022
1. Climate, topography and the 3D structure of forests are major drivers affecting local species communities. However, little is known about how the specific functional traits of saproxylic (wood-living) beetles, involved in the recycling of wood, might be affected by those environmental characteristics. 2. Here, we combine ecological and morphological traits available for saproxylic beetles and airborne laser scanning (ALS) data in Bayesian trait-based joint species distribution models to study how traits drive the distributions of more than 230 species in temperate forests of Europe. 3. We found that elevation (as a proxy for temperature and precipitation) and the proportion of conifers p…
Distance Learning with Hands-on Exercises : Physical Device vs. Simulator
2022
This Research to Practice Full Paper presents a comparison between a physical device and a simulator in a distance learning context. Programming embedded devices is very commonly taught using embedded hardware. One of the most used solutions is the Arduino microcontroller platform, which allows small embedded applications to be built and commanded in a programming language. However, there are some challenges in using physical devices for educational purposes. These challenges are particularly acute in distance learning or when the course needs to be scalable to a varying number of students. To address these challenges, we explored the potential of a simulator as a replacement for a physical…
Enhancing Software Engineering Education in Africa through a Metaversity
2022
Software engineering education requires a new boost in African higher education, because of the high demand for professionals, caused by the fast increasing internet connections calling for meaningful applications and governmental initiatives like Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), and the current situation where universities graduate software engineers that cannot serve in the job markets. Inspired by the Conceive, Design, Implement and Operate (CDIO) model for engineering education and the CATI model for curriculum reform focusing on contextually relevant education in the Global South, we introduce how a complementary model for a conventional university, i.e. metaversity, can enhance sof…
Physical fitness characteristics and neck and shoulder pain incidence in school‐aged children—A 2‐year follow‐up
2022
Background and Aims Neck and shoulder pain (NSP) is common in school age, but preventative factors have not been identified. The purpose was to study whether a fitness test could be used to predict the incidence of NSP and determine whether good physical fitness characters would be associated with lower NSP incidence in school-aged children at 2-year follow-up. Methods After the invitation to nine schools, 970 children (10–15 years old) agreed to participate. Flexibility, fundamental movement skills, musculoskeletal fitness, and cardiorespiratory fitness measurements included in Finnish Schools on the Move! monitoring system for physical functional capacity were measured at baseline in 2013…
Self-directed Learning in Distance Education
2022
This full research paper studies the significance of self-directed learning (SDL) in distance education. A literature review revealed many characteristics related to SDL that are important to success in distance education. The self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) levels of 124 students were gathered for this research, and the results were compared between contact and distance learners. The effect of gender on SDLR and the relationship between SDLR and preference for distance education were examined. There was no statistical difference in SDLR levels between women and men but indicators of self-directed learners’ preferences for distance learning were found. In addition, the SDLR scale sc…
Effect of RNS60 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a phase II multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
2022
Background and purpose: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with limited treatment options. RNS60 is an immunomodulatory and neuroprotective investigational product that has shown efficacy in animal models of ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. Its administration has been safe and well tolerated in ALS subjects in previous early phase trials. Methods: This was a phase II, multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial. Participants diagnosed with definite, probable or probable laboratory-supported ALS were assigned to receive RNS60 or placebo administered for 24 weeks intravenously (375 ml) once a week and via nebul…
Heart rate variability in marketing research: A systematic review and methodological perspectives
2022
Abstract Heart rate variability is a promising physiological measurement that accesses psychophysiological variations in response to a marketing stimulus. While its application spans diverse fields, there is a limited understanding of the usability and interpretation of heart rate variability in marketing research. Therefore, this hybrid literature review provides an overview of the emerging use of heart rate variability in marketing research, along with essential methodological considerations. In this context, we blend marketing mix framework with stimulus-organism-response theory, segregating the use of heart rate variability in various marketing research contexts. We follow the preferred…
Rheological and nutritional profile of spaghetti and bread fortified with hemp flours
2022
In recent years, the demands of food consumers have changed considerably. Food today is not only intended to satisfy hunger and provide the necessary nutrients, but also to prevent food-related diseases and improve the physical and mental well-being of consumers. Functional foods are formulated to contain healthy components, which when consumed daily as part of the diet, can have beneficial health effects. Cereal-based products, especially pasta and bread, are well suited for adding nutrients. Both bread and pasta, traditionally produced using durum wheat flour, can be prepared also using "non-wheat flours" in variable percentages or by incorporating food by-products, capable of increasing …
Enhancing repopulation in a decaying historical neighborhood through collaborative networking: A Dynamic Performance Governance approach
2022
Historic centers, as the internationally recognized heritage of the cities, and among the most valuable assets in urban Italy, have been underutilized, devitalized, and wasted (Pellegrini & Micelli, 2019). In fact, urban degradation has been pervasive and remaining also in other industrialized countries (Serrano et al., 2016). Many historic centers have been affected by urban deterioration and depopulation for the past two centuries (Pough & Wan, 2007), and the problem persists today. This research underlines the importance of employing a collaborative governance perspective in designing policies, in terms of not only fostering effective local governments' agendas but also promote active ci…
L'oscena ubiquità dell'immagine proliferante
2022
In this article I work on image proliferation in the age of ubiquitous media.
Tanta pestilentia fuit ¿ Recursos rituales y jurídicos para conjurar las epidemias en la antigua Roma.
2022
Este trabajo trata acerca de los recursos arbitrados en Roma para conjurar las epidemias. Tales recursos constituyen curiosas respuestas irracionales y supersticiosas al fenómeno, en las cuales se involucran religión, magia y derecho. Previamente se tratará de la terminología latina y griega empleada en los textos clásicos para designar lo que hoy en día llamamos ‘epidemia’, así como la etiología de esta de acuerdo con la concepción grecorromana.
Difficult but Valuable! Learning in Student-centered Assessment Feedback Practices in Higher Education
2022
Aims: The aim of this study is to fill a gap in research on students' experiences of learning in student-centered assessment feedback practices. The article examines what students tell us about their learning in the context of student-centered feedback practices in higher education during online learning.
 Study Design: The study was conducted as a qualitative online survey among Finnish university students (N=35). The relationship between learning and assessment was explored in the context of formative and summative assessment practices during an online learning environment. The data was analysed using a discursive approach.
 Place and Duration of Study: The research was conducte…