showing 36 of ~574560 from 574555 documents
Aspetti geotecnici e marittimi di due interventi di difesa costiera
2022
Two case-histories of the design of submerged breakwaters for coast protection are shortly reported in the paper. The first one refers to the stabilisation and protection works of the sand beach of S.Alessio Siculo village, in Sicily, that suffered severe erosion triggered, some forty years ago, by the construction along the shoreline of a vertical seawall in lieu of the pre-existing sand-dune system. As a consequence, long stretches of the seawall were undermined and collapsed, and the beach almost disappeared. A submerged breakwater was built to reduce the inten-sity of wave attack, the seawall was rebuilt where necessary and provided with a rock revetment at the toe, and then a “perched”…
Il calcestruzzo poroso per il miglioramento delle condizioni di stabilità dei pendii sede di falda idrica
2022
Reduction of pore water pressures is a useful strate-gy to improve the stability conditions of slopes. Deep draining trenches can be used for this scope. For the realisation of deep trenches, the usual con-ventional construction techniques are not adequate and the use of adjacent vertical panels, built by means of the methods well established for dia-phragm walls, is necessary. However, unbonded ma-terials (i.e. gravels) cannot be used, since the excava-tion of a panel adjacent to already built ones will cause instability. For this scope a bonded material such as the pervious concrete can be used. It must have high permeability, filtering capacity in order to prevent the internal erosion of…
Super-Resolution Images Methodology Applied to UAV Datasets to Road Pavement Monitoring
2022
The increasingly widespread use of smartphones as real cameras on drones has allowed an ever-greater development of several algorithms to improve the image’s refinement. Although the latest generations of drone cameras let the user achieve high resolution images, the large number of pixels to be processed and the acquisitions from multiple lengths for stereo-view often fail to guarantee satisfactory results. In particular, high flight altitudes strongly impact the accuracy, and result in images which are undefined or blurry. This is not acceptable in the field of road pavement monitoring. In that case, the conventional algorithms used for the image resolution conversion, such as the bilinea…
Convergent Morphological Evolution in Silene Sect. Italicae (Caryophyllaceae) in the Mediterranean Basin
2022
Recent divergence can obscure species boundaries among closely related taxa. Silene section Italicae (Caryophyllaceae) has been taxonomically controversial, with about 30 species described. We investigate species delimitation within this section using 500 specimens sequenced for one nuclear and two plastid markers. Despite the use of a small number of genes, the large number of sequenced samples allowed confident delimitation of 50% of the species. The delimitation of other species (e.g., Silene nemoralis, S. nodulosa and S. andryalifolia) was more challenging. We confirmed that seven of the ten chasmophyte species in the section are not related to each other but are, instead, genetically c…
Managing the complexity of green innovation
2022
PurposeGreen innovation can promote both environmental sustainability and economic growth. However, its development and implementation can be complex due to the need to align innovation activities within and across companies. In this study, the authors examined how this complexity can be managed by analyzing how individual companies combine different innovation activities to develop green innovation, and how companies along the value chain align to implement these innovations.Design/methodology/approachThe dataset comprises both interviews and a survey of senior executives from the Swedish wood construction industry. These data were first analyzed by using fuzzy set qualitative comparative …
Typification of the names Anethum pusillum and Meum segetum (Apiaceae)
2022
Recent works (Jimenez-Mejias & Vargas 2015, Frankiewicz et al. 2021) have improved our knowledge about systematics and phylogeny of the Apiaceae: in detail, the Authors suggested the opportunity to merge several genera within Anethum Linnaeus (1753: 263), namely: Foeniculum Miller (1754: [513]), Ridolfia Moris (1841: 43), Pseudoridolfia Reduron, Mathez & S. R. Downie in Reduron et al. (2009: 496), and Schoenoselinum Jimenez-Mejias & Vargas (2015: 75). In this framework, we think that it is important to typify the names Anethum pusillum All. (Allioni 1773: 28) and Meum segetum Guss. (Gussone 1827: 346), both belonging to this “Anethum alliance” (as defined by Jimenez-Mejias &…
Multi-material based functionally graded billets manufacturing through friction stir consolidation of aluminium alloys chips
2022
New deal of Friction Stir Consolidation (FSC) is its evolution from Recycling technique towards Upcycling. In this paper, the potential of FSC to manufacture Functionally Graded billets is proved. Processing chips of two different aluminium alloys (AA7075, AA2011-T3), graded hardness distributions were obtained along the longitudinal direction of the manufactured billet. Material flow was analysed by EDX analyses and numerical simulations; mechanical properties were assessed through hardness measurements. The influence of material's position, mass fraction of each material and process parameters was considered. Results reveal that FSC offers a proper control in the design of billets with gr…
Benford Law to Monitor COVID-19 Registration Data. Comment on Farhadi, N.; Lahooti, H. Forensic Analysis of COVID-19 Data from 198 Countries Two Year…
2022
In a recent study published in COVID by Farhadi & Lahooti, 2022 [1], the authors claim that the work carried out by Morillas-Jurado et al., 2022 [2] is an example of a poor application of Benford Law (BL) in the context of pandemic. Morillas-Jurado et al., 2022 examined the COVID-19 epidemic specifically during the first wave of the pandemic and document anomalies in the data that occurred in six Spanish regions. The main argument to Farhadi & Lahooti's criticism is that the regional data sets were too small to assess the conformity of COVID-19 data to BL.
Young women’s contradictory expectations and their perceived capabilities for future work-family reconciliation in Finland
2022
This paper explores young women’s expectations on future work-family reconciliation in Finland, a Nordic country well-known for the promotion of gender equality. Utilising Sen’s capabilities approach, we content-analysed thirty individual interviews to identify differences in women’s expectations and their perceived capabilities in future work and care. The results showed that irrespective of their labour market status and educational attainment, the women’s expectations were contradictory, reflecting a current Finnish gender culture that embraces both the ideal of shared parenthood and the primacy of maternal care. Between-group differences were also found. The employed women perceived the…
A Brief Overview on BDNF-Trk Pathway in the Nervous System: A Potential Biomarker or Possible Target in Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis?
2022
The growing incidence of neurodegenerative disorders in our populations is leading the research to identify potential biomarkers and targets for facilitating their early management and treatments. Biomarkers represent the crucial indicators of both physiological and pathological processes. Specific changes in molecular and cellular mechanisms of physiological processes result in biochemical alterations at systemic level, which can give us comprehensive information regarding the nature of any disease. In addition, any disease biomarker should be specific and reliable, able to consent of distinguishing the physiological condition of a tissue, organ, or system from disease, and be diverse amon…
Impact parameter dependence of color charge correlations in the proton
2022
The impact parameter dependence of color charge correlators in the proton is obtained from the light front formalism in light cone gauge. We include NLO corrections due to the $|qqqg\rangle$ Fock state via light-cone perturbation theory. Near the center of the proton, the $b$-dependence of the correlations is very different from a "transverse profile function". The resulting $t$-dependence of exclusive $J/\Psi$ photoproduction transitions from exponential to power law at $|t| \approx 1$ GeV$^2$. This prediction could be tested at upcoming DIS facilities or in nucleus-proton ultraperipheral collisions (UPCs).
Magis – A magical adventure: Using a mobile game to deliver an ACT intervention for elementary schoolchildren in classroom settings
2022
Studies of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have shown that this health emergency has affected especially young people. Supporting the well-being of children is thus particularly urgent. However, the high prevalence of ill-being among children requires novel approaches to providing help. Health care resources are limited, and many children did not receive support even before the pandemic. The current study presents a novel approach to delivering brief interventions for school-aged children. A mobile game based on acceptance and commitment therapy was used to increase psychological flexibility and well-being among 10 to 12-year-old schoolchildren. A sample of 106 students played the game…
Reconnoitering the Therapeutic Role of Curcumin in Disease Prevention and Treatment: Lessons Learnt and Future Directions
2022
Turmeric is a plant with a very long history of medicinal use across different cultures. Curcumin is the active part of turmeric, which has exhibited various beneficial physiological and pharmacological effects. This review aims to critically appraise the corpus of literature associated with the above pharmacological properties of curcumin, with a specific focus on antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antimicrobial properties. We have also reviewed the different extraction strategies currently in practice, highlighting the strengths and drawbacks of each technique. Further, our review also summarizes the clinical trials that have been conducted with curcumin, which will allow the …
Participation for just governance of food-system transition
2022
Sustainability transitions governance needs to be inclusive and participatory and the question of justice is crucial for making effective and acceptable changes possible. But how do we ensure adequate participation in governance processes and enable reconciliation between competing goals in relation to sustainability transitions? Transition management highlights the need for participatory and reflexive governance processes to enable sustainability transitions. However, due to participant selection and limitations in chosen approaches, deliberative and participatory forums may have difficulties ensuring justice and legitimacy. A systemic and practice-oriented perspective on deliberation poin…
Educación y equidad en la primera infancia : el caso de las aulas de 2 años en los centros públicos de la Comunidad Valenciana
2022
En este trabajo analizamos la evolución de la provisión de educación y atención de la primera infancia (EAPI) en el primer ciclo de la Educación Infantil en el contexto de la Comunidad Valenciana, con particular atención al caso de la implantación de las aulas de 2 años en centros públicos. Durante las últimas dos legislaturas, la Comunidad Valenciana ha pasado de estar en la vanguardia del fomento y desarrollo del modelo de oferta privada a ser de las regiones pioneras en el desarrollo de las aulas de 2 años en la enseñanza pública. Enmarcamos estos cambios en el contexto español, y discutimos su alcance para la equidad del sistema educativo en esta etapa desde el enfoque de los derechos h…
Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava Significance in Prenatal Diagnosis—Case Series
2022
The persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is a congenital heart anomaly reported in 0.3–0.5% of the general population and can be associated with congenital heart diseases in up to 8% of cases. Prenatal identification of PLSVC is important to prompt an extended cardiac and extracardiac fetal examination. We retrospectively reevaluated anomaly scans performed in our unit in a 2-year interval according to the national guidelines to evaluate the incidence of PLSVC and its association with prenatal morbidity. In our population, the incidence of PLSVC was 0.31%, and we found a low association with cardiac and extracardiac anomalies. The standard sections (three-vessel and trachea view, four…
Membrane Fouling Mitigation in MBR via the Feast–Famine Strategy to Enhance PHA Production by Activated Sludge
2022
Fouling is considered one of the main drawbacks of membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology. Among the main fouling agents, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are considered one of the most impactful since they cause the decrease of sludge filterability and decline of membrane flux in the long term. The present study investigated a biological strategy to reduce the membrane-fouling tendency in MBR systems. This consisted of seeding the reactor with activated sludge enriched in microorganisms with polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) storage ability and by imposing proper operating conditions to drive the carbon toward intracellular (PHA) rather than extracellular (EPS) accumulation. For that purpos…
Robust Longitudinal Control of Self-Driving Racecar Models
2022
This paper focuses on the control of longitudinal self-driving racecar models with model uncertainty and pro- poses a robust solution that comprises an online disturbance estimator and a nonlinear compensation control feedback law. By modeling all uncertainty with respect to a nominal model as suitably disturbance signals and afterward exploiting unknown- input state observer theory, a lean and fast estimator is derived for the racecar model. The estimator does not require a priori knowledge of the uncertainty. Closed-loop stability of the proposed controller ensuring the asymptotic reconstruction of the system state and disturbance inputs as well as asymptotic tracking of desired longitudi…
Prevalence of periapical lesions in non-endodontically and endodontically treated teeth in an urban Iraqi adult subpopulation: A retrospective CBCT a…
2022
This study aimed to assess the prevalence of apical periodontitis (AP) and its association with the presence/quality of root canal filling (RCF) and coronal restoration (CR) in Iraqi population.A total of 385 CBCT scans of patients (18-45) yrs. old with 9250 teeth were examined. The teeth were grouped according to the presence/absence of apical radiolucency, presence/radiographic quality of RCF, and CR. Chi-square and Kappa were used to assess associations and intra-consensus reliability. Logistic regression was used to predict risk factors associated with AP. The significant level was set atAP was prevalent in 17.7 and 80.2% of teeth without RCT and with RCT (AP was highly prevalent in tee…
International Standing Conference for the History of Education (ISCHE) Networks, internationalisation, and scientific communication
2022
The objective of this study is to map the international networks of research, circulation, and scientific communication in the history of education, at a global level. In order to do so, we analyse the activity of the International Standing Conference for the History of Education (ISCHE). The focus is placed on the following: the make-up and organisation of the community of education historians; the arenas set up to encourage collaboration, debate and consensus in research in the field; collaboration among researchers, and the influence of transnational perspectives; avenues of research and areas of focus; and the communication channels by which ideas and findings are published and exchange…
Teacher beliefs about student agency in whole-class playing
2022
This study explores music teachers’ beliefs of student agency in whole-class playing and investigates what characterises student agency through teachers’ values, actions and observations within this unique multimodal and -dimensional learning environment. Our abductive analysis of 11 interviews reveals that the role of teacher support is significant in enacting students’ agency. This study provides insights into student agency through the eyes and actions of teachers within the context of whole-class playing and suggests that the enactment of different aspects of student agency is an essential feature necessary for whole-class playing to succeed. peerReviewed
The impact of educational concerns and satisfaction on baccalaureate nursing students’ distress and quality of life during the Covid‑19 pandemic; a c…
2022
Abstract Background High levels of psychological distress and poor overall quality of life (QOL) have been identified among nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic necessitated improvised reconstructions of educational curriculums and restrictions in clinical placement and training at campuses, possibly reducing educational quality. Objectives We explored whether baccalaureate nursing students’ concerns and satisfaction with the educational curriculum, focusing on the conduct of clinical training, were associated with perceived psychological distress and overall QOL. Methods Baccalaureate nursing students (N=6088) from five Norwegian universities were invited to an inter…
Multi‐specific small‐scale fisheries rely on few, locally essential, species: Evidence from a multi‐area study in the Mediterranean
2022
Achieving sound management of small-scale fisheries (SSFs) is globally recognized a key priority for sustaining livelihoods, local economies, social wealth and cultural heritage in coastal areas. The paucity of information on SSFs often prevents the proper assessment of different socio-ecological aspects, potentially leading to draw inappropriate conclusions and hampering the development and adoption of effective policies to foster SSF sustainability. To respond to the growing global call to assess these fisheries, we carried out a multi-disciplinary and data-rich assessment of SSFs at 11 areas in 6 Mediterranean EU countries, combining the analysis of 1292 SSF fishing operations and 149 se…
Symmetric locally free resolutions and rationality problems
2022
We show that the birationality class of a quadric surface bundle over $\mathbb{P}^2$ is determined by its associated cokernel sheaves. As an application, we discuss stable-rationality of very general quadric bundles over $\mathbb{P}^2$ with discriminant curves of fixed degree. In particular, we construct explicit models of these bundles for some discriminant data. Among others, we obtain various birational models of a nodal Gushel-Mukai fourfold, as well as of a cubic fourfold containing a plane. Finally, we prove stable irrationality of several types of quadric surface bundles.
Analysis of Somatosensory Cortical Responses to Different Electrotactile Stimulations as a Method Towards an Objective Definition of Artificial Senso…
2022
Sensory feedback is a critical component in many human-machine interfaces (e.g., bionic limbs) to provide missing sensations. Specifically, electrotactile stimulation is a popular feedback modality able to evoke configurable sensations by modulating pulse amplitude, duration, and frequency of the applied stimuli. However, these sensations coded by electrotactile parameters are thus far predominantly determined by subjective user reports, which leads to heterogeneous and unstable feedback delivery. Thus, a more objective understanding of the impact that different stimulation parameters induce in the brain, is needed. Analysis of cortical responses to electrotactile afference might be an effe…
Validation of the easy-to-use lenvatinib prognostic index to predict prognosis in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with lenvatinib
2022
Aim The identification of new prognostic factors able to stratify hepatocellular carcinoma patients candidate to first-line therapy is urgent. In the present work we validated the prognostic value of the lenvatinib prognostic index. Methods Data of Eastern and Western patients treated with lenvatinib as first-line for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B or C hepatocellular carcinoma were recollected. The lenvatinib prognostic index was composed by three classes of risk according with our previous study. The "low risk" group includes patients with prognostic nutritional index (PNI) >43.3 and with previous transarterial chemoembolization. The "medium risk" group includes patients with PN…
Improved Bounds on Ultralight Scalar Dark Matter in the Radio-Frequency Range
2022
We present a search for fundamental constant oscillations in the range $20$~kHz-$100$ MHz, that may arise within models for ultralight dark matter (UDM). Using two independent, significantly upgraded optical-spectroscopy apparatus, we achieve up to $\times$1000 greater sensitivity in the search relative to previous work. We report no observation of UDM and thus constrain respective couplings to electrons and photons within the investigated UDM particle mass range $8\cdot 10^{-11}-4\cdot 10^{-7}$ eV. The constraints significantly exceed previously set bounds, and as we show, may surpass in future experiments those provided by equivalence-principle experiments in a specific case regarding the…
Gli ecomusei per la valorizzazione dell’heritage costiero. Un caso di studio siciliano.
2022
Il presente contributo, articolato in due paragrafi, intende descrivere le dinamiche e i contenuti che costituiscono l’ossatura della prima esperienza di ecomuseo nei territorio del trapanese, in Sicilia Occidentale. Richiamati alcuni riferimenti teorici ritenuti significativi per imperniare la discussione del caso studio individuato, si è proceduto ad enucleare i processi e gli itinerari della nascente esperienza di politica culturale che ruota intorno al paesaggio naturale, culturale e produttivo della costa. L’ecomuseo «Mestieri del mare» intende infatti mettere a sistema elementi tipizzanti del paesaggio dell’area - saline, tonnare, cantieri navali - con pratiche della tradizione produt…
Development and Implementation of the AIDA International Registry for Patients With VEXAS Syndrome
2022
ObjectiveThe aim of this paper is to present the AutoInflammatory Disease Alliance (AIDA) international Registry dedicated to Vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, Autoinflammatory, Somatic (VEXAS) syndrome, describing its design, construction, and modalities of dissemination.MethodsThis Registry is a clinical, physician-driven, population- and electronic-based instrument designed for the retrospective and prospective collection of real-life data. Data gathering is based on the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) tool and is intended to obtain real-world evidence for daily patients' management. The Registry may potentially communicate with other on-line tools dedicated to VEXAS syndrome, thu…
Radical sex role ideology and the Finnish gender role movement in the late 1960s
2022
An active discussion of gender roles and the need to renegotiate them took place in the late 1960s in Finland. While previous studies have associated this ‘sex role debate’ with the independent civic organisation Association 9, this article focuses on the wider gender role movement. The article analyses the interplay and differences among the Finnish Women’s Democratic League, the Committee for Women’s Status, and Association 9’s grassroots activism between 1965 and 1970. It demonstrates that similar ideas about sex roles were presented simultaneously in two public spheres: the dominant public, where the ideas were promoted by Association 9, and the people’s democratic counterpublic, which …
Creating Shared Value: Exploration in an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
2022
The effects of companies on society and the practices of Corporate Social Responsibility have been the source of interest for many research studies. Questions concerning the traditional model resulted in Porter and Kramer developing the concept of Creating Shared Value, an approach where companies consider the value of society and the environment in their business models, creating value for all stakeholders. We take the issue of shared value creation in an entrepreneurial ecosystem to determine how clustered companies understand and create shared value, identifying its antecedents and consequences. Using a single case study, we were able to identify that the entrepreneurial ecosystem become…
A cross-linguistic comparison of reference across five signed languages
2022
AbstractDo signers of different signed languages establish and maintain reference the same way? Here we compare how signers of five Western deaf signed languages coordinate fully conventionalized forms with more richly improvised semiotics to identify and talk about referents of varying agency. The five languages (based on a convenience sample) are Auslan, Irish Sign Language, Finnish Sign Language, Norwegian Sign Language, and Swedish Sign Language. Using ten retellings ofFrog, Where Are You?from each language, we analyze tokens of referring expressions with respect to: (a) activation status (new vs. maintained vs. re-introduced); (b) semiotic strategy (e.g., pointing sign, fingerspelling,…
Ultraperipheral collisions and low-x physics
2022
Ultraperipheral collisions at the LHC and RHIC offer the highest currently available energy for photon-nucleon and photon-nucleus collisions. Thus they are a valuable tool for studying the gluonic structure of hadrons and nuclei at small $x$. We discuss recent theoretical work towards understanding such exclusive processes at NLO accuracy in QCD perturbation theory. These theoretical advances are also immediately relevant for understanding the physics of deep inelastic scattering at small $x$. We also discuss experimental results in ultraperipheral collisions, most prominently for exclusive vector meson production.
Towards EPPS21 nuclear PDFs
2022
We report on the progress in updating our global analysis of nuclear PDFs. In particular, we will discuss the inclusion of double differential 5.02~TeV dijet and D-meson measurements, as well as 8.16~TeV W-production data from p-Pb collisions at the LHC. The new EPPS21 analysis will also involve recent JLab data for deep-inelastic scattering. As a novel aspect within our approach, we now also quantify the impact of free-proton PDF uncertainties on our extraction of nuclear PDFs.
The Impact on Healthcare Workers of Italian Law n. 24/2017 “Gelli–Bianco” on Patient Safety and Medical Liability: A National Survey
2022
Italian “Gelli–Bianco” law (law n. 24 enacted by the Italian Government on 8 March 2017) introduced innovative changes and regulations regarding patient safety and healthcare workers’ (HCWs) liability. We promoted a national survey to evaluate the effect of the law on HCWs. The questionnaire was edited and distributed using the free online tool “Google Forms” (Google LLC). The mode of administration chosen for the questionnaire was telematic self-completion. In particular, the questionnaire was sent to several portals of information, websites, in the scientific and medical sectors. Four hundred forty-five subjects participated in the survey. The differenc…
Dipole picture and the nonrelativistic expansion
2022
We study exclusive quarkonium production in the dipole picture at next-to-leading order (NLO) accuracy, using the non-relativistic expansion for the quarkonium wavefunction. This process offers one of the best ways to obtain information about gluon distributions at small $x$, in ultraperipheral heavy ion collisions and in deep inelastic scattering. The quarkonium light cone wave functions needed in the dipole picture have typically been available only at tree level, either in phenomenological models or in the nonrelativistic limit. In this paper, we discuss the compatibility of the dipole approach and the non-relativistic expansion and compute NLO relativistic corrections to the quarkonium …