Il mare è maschio, la terra è femmina. Cosmogonie biamontiane

2022

No’m sai quora mais la veyrai,que tan son nostras terras lonh. Jaufré Rudel Il mio contributo vuole esplorare l’abitudine di Biamonti a declinare in numerose varianti un’equazione manichea, che stringe a sistema i personaggi maschili dei suoi romanzi e il mare, e i personaggi femminili e la terra, in un paesaggio di corrispondenze che ammette poche deviazioni dal modello. L’apparente scontatezza della scelta che, come ovvio ricalca un cliché tassonomico quasi universale, non deve trarre in in...

Unmet needs and gaps in the identification of secondary progression in multiple sclerosis: a Southern Italy healthcare professionals' perspective

2022

Abstract Objective Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease with different clinical courses and a tendency to worsening. The relapsing–remitting MS presents acute onset and relapses of neurological symptoms, followed by their remission. This form can convert to secondary progressive MS (SPMS) with irreversible neurological worsening and disability. The identification of signs, symptoms, markers of progression, and strategies to manage MS patients is mandatory to allow early identification of those at higher risk of conversion to SPMS, for prompt intervention to cope with the progression of the disease. Methods A panel of Italian experts from Southern Italy have reviewed the current know…

RGB-Event Fusion for Moving Object Detection in Autonomous Driving

2022

Moving Object Detection (MOD) is a critical vision task for successfully achieving safe autonomous driving. Despite plausible results of deep learning methods, most existing approaches are only frame-based and may fail to reach reasonable performance when dealing with dynamic traffic participants. Recent advances in sensor technologies, especially the Event camera, can naturally complement the conventional camera approach to better model moving objects. However, event-based works often adopt a pre-defined time window for event representation, and simply integrate it to estimate image intensities from events, neglecting much of the rich temporal information from the available asynchronous ev…

Impact of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection on Human B Cell Compartment and Antibody Responses

2022

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the most important health challenges worldwide. Control of the TB epidemic has not yet been achieved because of the lack of an effective vaccine and rapid and sensitive diagnostic approaches, as well as the emergence of drug-resistant forms of M. tuberculosis. Cellular immunity has a pivotal role against M. tuberculosis infection, but the role of humoral immunity is still controversial. We analyzed the frequency, absolute counts, and phenotypic and functional subsets of B lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of patients with active TB and subjects with latent infection compared to healthy donors. Moreover, we analyzed serum levels of total Ig and their IgA, I…

Un “teatro sacro” di Andrea Pozzo nella chiesa dell'Immacolatella a Trapani di Giovanni Amico (dal 1732): storia, fonti, rilievo

2022

Il contributo, articolato tra storia e rappresentazione, ha l’obiettivo di analizzare la genesi progettuale e le fonti utilizzate dall’architetto Giovanni Amico per l’ammodernamento della tribuna della chiesa dell’Immacolatella a Trapani (dal 1732). L’opera è oggi priva di studi e di rilievi ma per le sue caratteristiche compositive, che sfruttano il tema della manipolazione dello spazio e della luce con finalità scenografiche, appartiene a una serie prodotta in Sicilia da Amico che è possibile collegare al mondo progettuale romano e soprattutto di Andrea Pozzo in relazione ai “teatri sacri” prodotti per i Gesuiti e conosciuti tramite le incisioni del suo celebre trattato, ma anche attraver…

Exploring the Simultaneous Effect of Total Ion Concentration and K:Ca:Mg Ratio of the Nutrient Solution on the Growth and Nutritional Value of Hydrop…

2022

Nutrient-efficient plants and agricultural systems could tackle issues resulting from conventional agriculture. Spiny chicory (Cichorium spinosum L.), a very adaptive, wild edible vegetable, is gaining commercial interest as a functional food. Floating-raft hydroponics is a method commonly used for the commercial cultivation of leafy vegetables due to numerous advantages compared to soil cultivation. In this paper, the simultaneous effects of different potassium, calcium and magnesium ratios and different electrical conductivity (EC) levels on the growth and mineral composition of hydroponically grown C. spinosum were investigated. Four nutrient solutions (NS) were compared, two NS with low…

Design and Implementation of Real-Time Kitchen Monitoring and Automation System Based on Internet of Things

2022

Automation can now be found in nearly every industry. However, home automation has yet to reach Pakistan. This paper presents an Internet of Things smart kitchen project that includes automation and monitoring. In this project, a system was developed that automatically detects the kitchen temperature. It also monitors the humidity level in the kitchen. This system includes built-in gas detection sensors that detect any gas leaks in the kitchen and notify the user if the gas pressure in the kitchen exceeds a certain level. This system also allows the user to remotely control appliances such as freezers, ovens, and air conditioners using a mobile phone. The user can control gas levels using t…

Iodocyclization of 2-Methylthiophenylacetylenes to 3-Iodobenzothiophenes and their coupling Reactions under More Sustainable Conditions

2022

We report the first example of iodocyclization of readily available 2-methylthiophenylacetylenes in a deep eutectic solvent (ChCl/urea 1/2, mol/mol) as recyclable and more sustainable solvent with respect to the classical VOCs employed so far. The process successfully afforded a variety of 3-iodobenzothiophenes in good to high yields starting from differently substituted substrates, with the possibility to recycle the DES several times without appreciable lowering of the product yield. The 3-iodothiophenes thus synthesized are known to be important precursors of biologically active molecules and functionalized heterocycles, and were successfully employed for performing representative Sonoga…

The Endothelial Transcription Factor ERG Mediates a Differential Role in the Aneurysmatic Ascending Aorta with Bicuspid or Tricuspid Aorta Valve: A P…

2022

The pathobiology of ascending aorta aneurysms (AAA) onset and progression is not well understood and only partially characterized. AAA are also complicated in case of bicuspid aorta valve (BAV) anatomy. There is emerging evidence about the crucial role of endothelium-related pathways, which show in AAA an altered expression and function. Here, we examined the involvement of ERG-related pathways in the differential progression of disease in aortic tissues from patients having a BAV or tricuspid aorta valve (TAV) with or without AAA. Our findings identified ERG as a novel endothelial-specific regulator of TGF-β-SMAD, Notch, and NO pathways, by modulating a differential fibrotic or calcified A…

Biomarkers Related to Synaptic Dysfunction to Discriminate Alzheimer’s Disease from Other Neurological Disorders

2022

Recently, the synaptic proteins neurogranin (Ng) and α-synuclein (α-Syn) have attracted scientific interest as potential biomarkers for synaptic dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we measured the CSF Ng and α-Syn concentrations in patients affected by AD (n = 69), non-AD neurodegenerative disorders (n-AD = 50) and non-degenerative disorders (n-ND, n = 98). The concentrations of CSF Ng and α-Syn were significantly higher in AD than in n-AD and n-ND. Moreover, the Aβ42/Ng and Aβ42/α-Syn ratios showed statistically significant differences between groups and discriminated AD patients from n-AD patients, better than Ng or α-Syn…

Green European citizenship? Rights, duties, virtues, practices and the European Green Deal

2022

Paid open access Published in December 2019 by the European Commission, the European Green Deal (EGD) sets out the aim to transform the EU into a sustainable society in which economic growth is decoupled from resource use, so that there are no greenhouse gas net emissions by 2050. As the ‘driving force of the transition’ citizens are expected a play a key role in achieving this shift, by adopting sustainable consumption habits and changing their life styles and behaviour as well as actively participating in policymaking [EC, 2019, 22]. This expectation raises questions about European citizenship: Can European citizenship be ‘greened’? Conversely, might the EGD strengthen European citizenshi…

Il padiglione siciliano all’esposizione di Roma del 1911: dai disegni di Ernesto Basile alla ricostruzione virtuale

2022

A partire dalla rilettura di disegni originali di progetto, rare foto e riproduzioni grafiche d’epoca, il contributo indaga il Padiglione Siciliano, progettato da Ernesto Basile per l’Esposizione di Roma del 1911, attraverso strumenti e metodi della rappresentazione, per giungere alla realizzazione di ricostruzioni tridimensionali digitali che descrivono l’architettura perduta in maniera filologica e quanto più fedele. La prima fase di studio è stata dedicata all’analisi critica delle testimonianze iconografiche rintracciate. La seconda fase ha riguardato il confronto geometrico-dimensionale con le architetture del XII secolo individuate quale riferimento per il progetto di Basile. La terza…

NUOVI SISTEMI DI GESTIONE E STRATEGIE DI SVILUPPO PER IL PAESAGGIO CULTURALE DELL'AREA MEDITERRANEA

2022

Brivaracetam as Early Add-On Treatment in Patients with Focal Seizures: A Retrospective, Multicenter, RealWorld Study

2022

Introduction: In randomized controlled trials, add-on brivaracetam (BRV) reduced seizure frequency in patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. Most real-world research on BRV has focused on refractory epilepsy. The aim of this analysis was to assess the 12-month effectiveness and tolerability of adjunctive BRV when used as early or late adjunctive treatment in patients included in the BRIVAracetam add-on First Italian netwoRk Study (BRIVAFIRST). Methods: BRIVAFIRST was a 12-month retrospective, multicenter study including adult patients prescribed adjunctive BRV. Effectiveness outcomes included the rates of sustained seizure response, sustained seizure freedom, and treatment discontinua…

La resilienza del Lapis, tra il disegno analogico e digitale

2022

Sempre più distanti, negli ultimi anni, dall’epoca del rilievo a vista, il disegno dal vero sembrava scivolare nell’oblio del tempo, giudicato anacronistico e superfluo in quella che viene ormai definita ‘digital age’. Eppure, grazie alla consolante ed empatica risposta degli allievi di architettura, che intendono misurarsi anche con questo tipo di competenza, il disegno dal vero sopravvive, palesando il ruolo chiave che riveste nella comprensione della realtà esistente. L’emergenza pandemica ha fornito un ulteriore spunto di riflessione su tale linguaggio, rimarcando l’importanza del Cultural Heritage Sketching come strumento per intendere e avvicinarsi maggiormente all’opera, proprio a se…

Novel Lymphocyte-Independent Antitumor Activity by PD-1 Blocking Antibody against PD-1+ Chemoresistant Lung Cancer Cells

2022

Abstract Purpose: Antibodies against the lymphocyte PD-1 (aPD-1) receptor are cornerstone agents for advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), based on their ability to restore the exhausted antitumor immune response. Our study reports a novel, lymphocyte-independent, therapeutic activity of aPD-1 against NSCLC, blocking the tumor-intrinsic PD-1 receptors on chemoresistant cells. Experimental Design: PD-1 in NSCLC cells was explored in vitro at baseline, including stem-like pneumospheres, and following treatment with cisplatin both at transcriptional and protein levels. PD-1 signaling and RNA sequencing were assessed. The lymphocyte-independent antitumor activity of aPD-1 was explored in…

A Comparative Study of Mechanical and Microstructural Behavior for Metal Active Gas and Friction Stir Welded Micro-Alloyed Structural Steel

2022

Manufacturing tiny components into gigantic structures seems unimaginable without welding connections, whether it is for materials, parts, structures, or equipment. In the recent competitive market scenario, manufacturing industries are desperately looking for a viable alternative to fusion-based conventional material joining technologies, to improve upon cost-effectiveness along with performance. The present investigation is to evaluate the performance of structural steel thick plate joints prepared by advanced solid-state friction stir welding (FSW) over conventional metal active gas welding (MAG). The FSW experiments were carried out with different tool designs and configurations. The ou…

Un enigma architettonico tra storia, disegno e ricostruzioni: la chiesa di San Nicolò alla Kalsa a Palermo

2022

Il contributo affronta lo studio di un monumento scomparso della città di Palermo, la chiesa parrocchiale di San Nicolò alla Kalsa, che aveva rivestito un ruolo significativo nel contesto urbano medievale e della prima età moderna, conoscendo successivamente un progressivo abbandono e degrado fino alla sua demolizione dopo il 1823, e ne propone una ricostruzione virtuale attraverso l’elaborazione di un modello 3D. Strumento principale per la conoscenza dell’edificio scomparso è un’articolata iconografia storica, che spazia dalla scala urbana a quella del dettaglio architettonico, qui vagliata per desumerne dati necessari alla formulazione di un’ipotesi ricostruttiva attendibile e scientific…

A new road to improve vitamin D and balance through Taopatch® and proprioceptive protocol in Multiple Sclerosis patients

2022

: In multiple sclerosis patients (MS), symptoms such as fatigue, lack of physical energy, spasticity, motor coordination disorders, tremors, dizziness and postural instability are most common. Cattaneo et al. (2007) studied the effects of stability training on MS patients, describing its efficacy in reducing all risks, by improving stability, and strength. The present study aimed to confirm our 2021 results on MS patients, combining the Taopatch® device with a proprioceptive rehabilitation protocol (PRP) targeting strength, balance, and biochemical parameters including vitamin D levels. Twenty MS patients, 8 males and 12 females, volunteered in the study. A KERN MAP Version 1.2 08/2012, Han…

The Evolving Scenario in the Assessment of Radiological Response for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Era of Immunotherapy: Strengths and Weaknesses o…

2022

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a challenging malignancy characterised by clinical and biological heterogeneity, independent of the stage. Despite the application of surveillance programs, a substantial proportion of patients are diagnosed at advanced stages when curative treatments are no longer available. The landscape of systemic therapies has been rapidly growing over the last decade, and the advent of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has changed the paradigm of systemic treatments. The coexistence of the tumour with underlying cirrhosis exposes patients with HCC to competing events related to tumour progression and/or hepatic decompensation. Therefore, it is relevant to adopt prop…

Realistic Steady State Performance of an Electric Turbo-Compound Engine for Hybrid Propulsion System

2022

The efficiency of Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) may be substantially increased if the unexpanded exhaust gas energy is efficiently recovered and employed for vehicle propulsion. This can be accomplished employing a properly designed exhaust gas turbine connected to a suitable generator whose output electric energy is stored in the vehicle storage system; a new hybrid propulsion system is hence delineated, where the power delivered by the main engine is combined to the power produced by the exhaust gas turbogenerator: previous studies, carried out under some simplifying assumptions, showed potential vehicle efficiency increments up to 15% with respect to a traditional turbocharged engine. …

Inclusive Education from Musical Competence and its Application Neuropsychological for Social Cohesion in Secondary School

2022

Debido al paso de la niñez a la adolescencia surgen cambios bioquímicos que alteran el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje con niveles de abandono en la etapa Secundaria. Los profesores de música preocupados por el desarrollo personal, académico y emocional de los alumnos deben proponer recursos inclusivos e innovadores en el currículo escolar desde la perspectiva de las neurociencias. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la importancia de la experiencia musical en la etapa de Secundaria y cómo la percibe el alumnado desde el modelo de cohesión social, donde se confirma el constructo de Competencia Musical, que se enmarca dentro del proyecto Secs Evalnecs: diseño de un modelo de evaluación …

Grunnskolelærerstudenters erfaring med eBok-basert undervisning i matematikk

2022

I denne artikkelen analyserer vi grunnskolelærerstudenters respons på en eBok-basert undervisningsform i matematikk. Denne eBoka besto av oppgaver med både skriftlige og videobaserte løsningsforslag. Oppgavene ble hentet fra tidligere gitte eksamensoppgaver knyttet til nasjonal deleksamen i matematikk. Formålet var å undersøke: a) hvordan studentene benyttet de ulike læringsressursene i eBoka, og b) på hvilke måter studentens bruk av læringsressursene hadde pragmatisk og epistemisk verdi (Artigue, 2002). Analysene bygger på kvantitative og kvalitative data fra en spørreundersøkelse (N = 60) om bruk av eBoka og viser at nesten alle studentene benyttet de videobaserte løsningsforslagene, mens…

Favignana bio-calcarenite: technological culture, knowledge and recovery

2022

Favignana Island, the biggest one among Egadi islands, is well known for its deposits of calcarenite, which has been extracted and used since ancient times. The landscape of the Island is shaped by the widespread presence of quarries that mark the seaside as well. Furthermore, the constant presence of dry-stone walls, made of calcarenite, and of the characteristic architecture of buildings, represents a hallmark for the rest of Egadi islands as well, making it clear how important the presence of this material has been for the architectural and technological culture of these places.Calcarenite itself, exported by this island, is still a constituent material of many buildings in the western p…

Highly recyclable surfactant-based supramolecular eutectogels for iodine removal

2022

In this work, we screened several surfactants for their ability to harden Eutectic Mixtures. We found cetyldiethanolamine-N-oxide as the best candidate, which was able to form eutectogel in four eutectic mixtures. Characterization of the gels obtained in terms of thermal stability, rheology and gelation kinetics, showed a prominent influence of the nature of the hydrogen bonding accepting and donating components for the first two parameter and the other one, respectively. Then, we assessed the eutectogels for their ability to adsorb I2, as a model for its radioactive nuclides, from apolar solvent solutions. The best performing gel allowed fast and thorough removal of I2, over a broad range …

An insight into cancer palaeobiology: does the Mesozoic neoplasm support tissue organization field theory of tumorigenesis?

2022

Abstract Background Neoplasms are common across the animal kingdom and seem to be a feature plesiomorphic for metazoans, related with an increase in somatic complexity. The fossil record of cancer complements our knowledge of the origin of neoplasms and vulnerability of various vertebrate taxa. Here, we document the first undoubted record of primary malignant bone tumour in a Mesozoic non-amniote. The diagnosed osteosarcoma developed in the vertebral intercentrum of a temnospondyl amphibian, Metoposaurus krasiejowensis from the Krasiejów locality, southern Poland. Results A wide array of data collected from gross anatomy, histology, and microstructure of the affected intercentrum reveals th…

The role of school physical education on adolescents' fitness levels during the pandemic period from COVID-19: An observational study of the Italian …

2022

ObjectivesIn Italy, in 2013, a new school curriculum with a sport character was established in high schools, called Sports High School (SHS). The aims of this study were: (1) to assess the fitness levels of SHS students who, respecting all the safety rules to limit the spread of COVID-19, practiced physical education (PE) at school with continuity for almost all of 2021, and to compare them with Traditional High School (THS) students; (2) to evaluate as the SHS may have influenced the fitness levels in adolescents.MethodsThis is a case-control study in which thirty participants were enrolled (SHS: n = 15; THS: n = 15). To assess the fitness levels, the following tests were administered: the…

GIS-based methodology for mapping and modeling microbialite deposits in high mountain lakes and wetlands of Central Andes (Catamarca, Northwestern Ar…

2022

Modern microbialites in Argentina's Puna (Central Andes) are considered a reliable tool for understanding the evolution of early life on our planet and developing strategies for detecting life on Mars. The morphological, structural and geochemical variations in these deposits, together with their distribution and architecture, are some of the most important parameters for understanding and characterising them. However, the lack of appropriate cartography and/or the high price to access it, added to the complex geological and geomorphological context in this region, complicate a traditional mapping on a good scale of detail. This paper presents a GIS-based methodology for a detailed mapping …

Teoriaa ja käytäntöä vuorovaikutusosaamisen opettamisen tueksi

2022

Kirja-arvio teoksesta: Suvi-Tuuli Murumäki & Heljä Haapamäki-Niemi (toim.) 2022. Yhdessä – Näkökulmia vuorovaikutuksen oppimiseen ja opettamiseen. Äidinkielen opettajain liiton vuosikirja 2022.

Self-Cleaning ZnO Nanosheets for Piezoelectric Sensors

2022

The design of wearable sensors coupling versatile analytical detection to self-cleaning is a highly desired combination, tackling the need of smart devices in response to the recent virus pandemics. To this aim, this work shows ZnO nanostructures obtained by a mild wet-chemistry approach onto ITO/PET flexible supports, resulting in wearable piezoelectric sensors exhibiting photocatalytic activity. ITO surfaces are treated with 0.5 mM KMnO4 aqueous solution (20 minutes, 90°C); ZnO growth is subsequently carried out by a previously shown wet-chemistry method [1]. SEM analysis shows the presence of a good surface coverage of ZnO nanosheets (NSs) (about 1.5 NSs/μm2) in the case of treated ITO, …

Application of Pinhole Plasma Jet Activated Water against Escherichia coli, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and Decontamination of Pesticide Residues…

2022

Plasma activated water (PAW) generated from pinhole plasma jet using gas mixtures of argon (Ar) and 2% oxygen (O2) was evaluated for pesticide degradation and microorganism decontamination (i.e., Escherichia coli and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) in chili (Capsicum annuum L.). A flow rate of 10 L/min produced the highest concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at 369 mg/L. Results showed that PAW treatment for 30 min and 60 min effectively degrades carbendazim and chlorpyrifos by about 57% and 54% in solution, respectively. In chili, carbendazim and chlorpyrifos were also decreased, to a major extent, by 80% and 65% after PAW treatment for 30 min and 60 min, respectively. E. coli popula…

Rapid Titration With Intravenous Oxycodone for Severe Cancer Pain and Oral Conversion Ratio.

2022

to assess a dose titration with intravenous oxycodone to achieve rapid pain relief of cancer pain of severe intensity. The second objective was to provide a conversion ratio with the oral route.Cancer patients admitted for severe pain were prospectively assessed. At admission (T0) previous opioid doses were recorded. Edmonton symptom assessment scale (ESAS) was collected from T0 until the conclusion of the observation. Intravenous boluses of oxycodone were given until the initial signs of significant analgesia were detected. The effective dose was multiplied for six and given as intravenous continuous infusion. When the patient was considered stabilized the intravenous daily dose was conver…

Å bli familieterapeut: En kvalitativ studie av videoveiledning i familieterapiutdanning

2022

Studenter som utdanner seg til familieterapeuter, skal tilegne seg kunnskap om aktuelle teorier og metodiske tilnærminger. De skal tilegne seg ferdigheter og utvikle et reflektert forhold til egne verdier og holdninger og hvilken betydning dette har i arbeid med mennesker. Veiledning av familieterapistudentenes kliniske arbeid i utdanningen er en viktig faktor for at studentene skal oppnå læringsutbyttet og kunne reflektere over sin personlige og sin profesjonelle utvikling. I denne kvalitative studien ble ni familieterapistudenter intervjuet i fokusgrupper for å reflektere over hvilke erfaringer de hadde med videoveiledning i sine lærings- og utviklingsprosesser. Datamaterialet ble analyse…

Electrical hybrid heat pumps assisted by natural gas boilers: a review

2022

In this paper, a comprehensive review is performed on hybrid systems using electrical Heat Pumps for Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning systems and Domestic Hot Water production using case studies from 2016 to 2022. This work particularly focuses on studies that investigated systems with electrical Heat Pumps assisted by a gas boiler. Some studies that considered the exploitation of renewable energy sources, but not as a whole sub-stitute for fossil sources, have also been included. In particular, the analysis investigated the layouts of the systems by considering the type and the size of the components, the control methods applied (by distinguishing rule-based control methods and …

Enhanced Excitation Energy Transfer under Strong Light-Matter Coupling: Insights from Multi-Scale Molecular Dynamics Simulations

2022

Exciton transport can be enhanced in the strong coupling regime where excitons hybridise with confined light modes to form polaritons. Because polaritons have group velocity, their propagation should be ballistic and long-ranged. However, experiments indicate that organic polaritons propagate in a diffusive manner and more slowly than their group velocity. Here, we resolve this controversy by means of molecular dynamics simulations of Rhodamine molecules in a Fabry-P\'{e}rot cavity. Our results suggest that polariton propagation is limited by the cavity lifetime and appears diffusive due to reversible population transfers between polaritonic states that propagate ballistically at their grou…

Impact of Three Kinds of Early Interventions on Developmental Profile in Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2022

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a rising prevalence disorder. This high-cost/high-burden condition needs evidence-based behavioral treatments that are able to reduce the impact of symptoms on children’s functioning. This retrospective chart review study compared the impact of different types of early interventions on toddlers diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder developmental profile. Analyses were conducted on 90 subjects (mean = 27.76 months, range 18–44 months; M:F = 4.29:1), of which 36 children underwent the usual treatment, 13 children underwent an intervention based on early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) and 41 children rece…