Conditional connection explored: the case of Sicilian cusà

2022

Abstract Stemming from a wh-question, the Sicilian marker cusà (cu sa ‘who knows’) expresses several epistemic meanings, which can also reach the realm of conditionality. The paper explores the discourse profile of cusà as it emerges from the analysis of diachronic data (from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries) and present-day informal Sicilian, namely spoken Sicilian and present-day informal Sicilian as written by speakers on the web. These data suggest a possible path of development leading from the wh-question to new functions. We propose that the origin of this development can be explained in the light of the strategy of the “impossible question”, while the diverse functions of cus…

EEG Resting-State Functional Networks in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment.

2022

Background. Alzheimer’s cognitive-behavioral syndrome is the result of impaired connectivity between nerve cells, due to misfolded proteins, which accumulate and disrupt specific brain networks. Electroencephalography, because of its excellent temporal resolution, is an optimal approach for assessing the communication between functionally related brain regions. O bjective. To detect and compare EEG resting-state networks (RSNs) in patients with amnesic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and healthy elderly (HE). Methods. We recruited 125 aMCI patients and 70 healthy elderly subjects. One hundred and twenty seconds of artifact-free EEG data were selected and compared between patients with aM…

Influence of Cross-Section Shape and FRP Reinforcement Layout on Shear Capacity of Strengthened RC Beams

2022

The evaluation of the shear capacity of an FRP-strengthened reinforced-concrete beam is challenging due to the complex interaction between different contributions provided by the concrete, steel stirrup and FRP reinforcement. The shape of the beam and the FRP inclination can have paramount importance that is not often recognized by the models that are suggested by codes. The interaction among different resisting mechanisms has a significant effect on the shear capacity of beams, since it can cause a reduction in the efficiency of some resisting mechanisms. A comparative study of the performance in the shear resistance assessment provided by three models with six different effectiveness fact…

Future contingency and God’s knowledge of particulars in Avicenna

2022

Avicenna’s discussion of future contingent propositions is sometimes considered to entail metaphysical indeterminism. In this paper, I argue that his logical analysis of future contingent statements is best understood in terms of the epistemic modality of those statements, which has no consequences for modal metaphysics. This interpretation is corroborated by hitherto neglected material concerning the question of God’s knowledge of particulars. In the Taʿlīqāt, Avicenna argues that God knows particulars by knowing their complete causes, and when contrasted with the human knowledge of particulars, this epistemically superior access shows that the contingency of statements about future partic…

Analisys on the feasibility to modulate lighting systems load: the case study of Palermo

2022

The feasibility to shift and/or modulating the loads that characterize buildings can be useful to improve the performance of smart grids. As known, it is not possible to shift in the time the operating time of the lighting system, but it is possible to modulate the needed electric power. In this paper, the first set of data and a preliminary analysis conducted in the Solarlab of the University of Palermo are presented. The innovative lighting system was designed, sized and installed with the aim of evaluating the consumption of an island user that can be controlled by the DSO or an aggregator. In order to do this, the lighting system load was modulated by applying different strategies: vary…

Cladding-Pumped Er/Yb-Co-Doped Fiber Amplifier for Multi-Channel Operation

2022

The Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, as a Center of Excellence, has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART2. We express our gratitude to rer. nat. Nicoletta Haarlammert from Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF for the refractive index measurements of ytterbium/erbium-co-doped fibers. This work is supported by the European Regional Development Fund project No. 1.1.1.1/18/A/068.

Linear Quadratic Regulator: A Simple Thrust Vector Control System for Rockets

2022

The paper focuses on developing, tuning, and testing a controller for a two-stage finless rocket during its boost phase that is based on the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) optimal control method. This is accomplished by deriving and adopting a simplified rigid body rocket model that represents accurately its physical properties and the corresponding aerodynamic forces acting on the rocket system during the flight phase. The launcher is commanded through the control input thrust gimbal angle δ to the desired altitude using the implemented LQR-based controller. Emphasis is given to the Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system, and to the minimization of the drift caused by wind gust disturbance p…

Monialaisen ohjauksen rakentuminen ohjaustilanteissa: onko monialainen ohjaus monialaista?

2022

Monialaisia ohjauspalveluita perustellaan niiden myönteisillä vaikutuksilla asiakkaisiin, työntekijöihin ja mukana oleviin palveluntuottajiin, mutta monialaista ohjausta koskeva empiirinen ja teoreettinen tutkimusnäyttö on toistaiseksi vähäistä. Tarkastelemme artikkelissamme sitä, miten eri tavoin monialaista ohjausta toteutetaan toiminnan tasolla. Aineiston muodostaa vuosina 2018–2019 kerätty havainnointiaineisto nuorten ohjaus- ja neuvontapalveluja tuottavan Ohjaamon ohjaustilanteista (n = 68). Kysymme, millaisiin erilaisiin tekoihin monialainen ohjaus jäsentyy ohjauksen työmuodon ja ammatillisten toimintatapojen perusteella, joita olivat ohjaajien lukumäärä, ohjauksen tavoite, ohjauksen …

Effects of operational assessment of the 4:4 and 4:4/6:6 watch systems on sleepiness, fatigue, and stress responses during patrolling on a navy missi…

2022

The operation of naval vessels involves watchkeeping 24 h per day, which is globally carried out by a variety of different watch systems. In this study, the rotating 4:4 and fixed 4:4/6:6 two-section watch systems were compared in terms of sleepiness, fatigue, and stress responses. The data collection took place on a Finnish Defence Forces' (FDF) Navy missile patrol boat with 15 crew members serving as study participants. The data collection periods lasted two separate weeks (7 days, 6 nights) with the different watch systems. The subjective sleepiness of the participants was assessed before and after every watch using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS). Stress responses were assessed da…

Efficiency of temporal sensor data compression methods to reduce LoRa-based sensor node energy consumption

2022

Purpose Minimizing the energy consumption in a wireless sensor node is important for lengthening the lifetime of a battery. Radio transmission is the most energy-consuming task in a wireless sensor node, and by compressing the sensor data in the online mode, it is possible to reduce the number of transmission periods. This study aims to demonstrate that temporal compression methods present an effective method for lengthening the lifetime of a battery-powered wireless sensor node. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the energy consumption of LoRa-based sensor node was evaluated and measured. The experiments were conducted with different LoRaWAN data rate parameters, with and without …

The Healthy Body Image intervention and reduction in eating disorder symptomatology and muscle building supplement use in high school students: a stu…

2022

BackgroundMediation analysis is important to test the theoretical framework underpinning an intervention. We therefore aimed to investigate if the healthy body image (HBI) intervention’s effect on eating disorder (ED) symptomatology and use of muscle building supplements was mediated by the change in risk and protective factors for ED development and muscle building supplement use.MethodsThis study used data from the HBI intervention: a cluster randomized controlled universal intervention aiming to promote positive body image and embodiment and reduce the risk for ED development including 30 schools in Norway. A total of 1,713 (37% boys) participants were included in the analyses. Condition…

Dynamic Control of Static Converters for the Transition from Grid-on to Grid-off Operation of AC/DC Microgrids

2022

In this paper, specific control logics defined for generators, controllable loads and electric energy storage systems are illustrated in order to improve the reliability of AC/DC hybrid microgrids in their grid-off operation following failure events such as short-circuits, line breaks, sudden disconnections of generating units or loads, etc. After defining specific control schemes, these were modelled in a digital environment and finally tested with dynamic simulations. Finally, the paper highlights the role of virtual synchronous machine control for the self-healing capacity of islanded hybrid microgrids.

A Blockchain-based Platform for Positive Energy Districts

2022

The reduction of climate change effects (mitigation) is now mainly driven by the limitation of CO2 emissions which is currently becoming increasingly necessary and urgent to achieve. In this context, within the past Horizon 2020 program, the Urban Europe Joint Programming Initiative aimed to promote the development and deployment of at least 100 Positive Energy Districts by 2025. The latter are flexible, energy-efficient urban areas or groups of buildings that produce zero net CO2 emissions and actively manage annual renewable energy surplus production at the local or regional level. As they are connected to the electric power system, Positive Energy Districts have the ability to offer flex…

Demand Responsive Transport Services for Improving the Public Transport in Suburban Areas

2022

Suburbs suffer from isolation from densely populated urban centers due to the poor performance of traditional public transport services such as buses. This isolation worsens the quality of life of the residents of these areas, with related problems of social exclusion. One of the possible solutions to meet the mobility needs of these people is a flexible service such as Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) systems. This article assessed the effectiveness of a DRT service as a feeder transit service, assuming a connection of three suburban districts of Palermo, Italy, with a Railway Line station. Thanks to a Revealed Preferences (RP) and Stated Preferences (SP) survey campaign, both the current…

Smartphone-based bridge monitoring through vehicle-bridge interaction: analysis and experimental assessment

2022

AbstractIn this study, the results of a vast experimental campaign on the applicability of a smartphone-based technique for bridge monitoring are presented. Specifically, the vehicle–bridge interaction (VBI)-based approach is exploited as a cost-effective means to estimate the natural frequencies of bridges, with the final aim of possibly developing low-cost and diffused infrastructure monitoring system. The analysis is performed using a common hybrid vehicle, fully equipped with classical piezoelectric accelerometers and a smartphone MEMS accelerometer, to record its vertical accelerations while passing over the bridge. In this regard, the experimental campaign is carried out considering t…

Valproate and Short-Chain Fatty Acids Activate Transcription of the Human Vitamin D Receptor Gene through a Proximal GC-Rich DNA Region Containing Tw…

2022

The vitamin D receptor (VDR) mediates 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 pleiotropic biological actions through transcription regulation of target genes. The expression levels of this ligand-activated nuclear receptor are regulated by multiple mechanisms both at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Vitamin D3 is the natural VDR activator, but other molecules and signaling pathways have also been reported to regulate VDR expression and activity. In this study, we identify valproic acid (VPA) and natural short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) as novel transcriptional activators of the human VDR (hVDR) gene. We further report a comprehensive characterization of VPA/SCFA-responsive elements in the 5…

Design and Implementation of Mechatronics Home Lab for Undergraduate Mechatronics Teaching

2022

Author's accepted manuscript © 2022 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works. The field of mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field of engineering, where the combination of physical components and theory from several engineering fields is applied to build complex machines. Mechatronics education is an active learning process through practical laboratory exercis…

Premessa al Volume

2022

Convective precipitation over a Mediterranean area: From identification to trend analysis starting from high-resolution rain gauges data

2022

Heavy rainfall events are likely to become more frequent and severe in the next future, under the effects of a changing climate. In this context, the scientific literature is characterized by a relevant number of studies trying to identify the convective component of precipitation, since this kind of phenomena, due to their short duration and high intensity, may lead to an increased risk of flash floods or debris flows and, consequently, human life losses and economic damages. In this study, a separation between the convective and stratiform precipitation, starting from the subhourly precipitation time series recorded over Sicily (Italy), is provided on a monthly scale. Results show that th…

Har vi for stor tro på religiøse lederes mulighet til å bygge fred?

2022

Author's accepted manuscript Mange av verdens voldelige konflikter har religiøse dimensjoner. Religiøse toppledere går ofte inn i disse konfliktsituasjonene for å forsøke å redusere volden mellom religiøse grupper, for å forebygge nye voldsutbrudd og for å støtte pågående fredsprosesser.1 Men har slike prosjekter god nok effekt? Skaper de fred?

Effects of 5-Week of FIFA 11+ Warm-Up Program on Explosive Strength, Speed, and Perception of Physical Exertion in Elite Female Futsal Athletes

2022

Futsal is a sport that originates from soccer and is increasingly practiced all over the world. Since training and warm-up protocols should be sport-specific in order to reduce injuries and maximize performance, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of 5 weeks of the FIFA 11+ warm-up program on explosive strength, speed, and perception of physical exertion in elite female futsal athletes. Twenty-nine elite female futsal athletes participating in the Italian national championships were divided into two groups: the experimental group (EG) underwent 5 weeks of the FIFA 11+ warm-up program, and the control group (CG) underwent 5 weeks of a dynamic warm-up. We evaluated any effect on explosiv…

Duloxetina: un antidepresivo con numerosas posibilidades terapéuticas

2022

Duloxetine is a dual action antidepressant included in the pharmacological class of serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. Its mechanism of action makes it a drug indicated for the treatment of clinical conditions than frequently coexist and share pathophysiological pathways such as major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, or chronic musculoskeletal pain. It is also indicated in other diseases that reduce quality of life such as chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy or stress urinary incontinence. All this with a favorable side effect profile. In this review, we will elucidate current evidences on the use of dul…

VESICAL IMAGING-REPORTING AND DATA SYSTEM – A NEW APPROACH TO BLADDER CANCER STAGING

2022

The aim: To present the assumptions and to show the usefulness of Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS) based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) in the diagnostic pathway management of patients with a bladder cancer. Materials and methods: The review is based on available literature from last 10 years from PubMed database and the Przegląd Urologiczny journal focusing on articles on VI-RADS. Overall, 18 articles were included. Presented magnetic resonance images come from the examinations of the patients who were diagnosed with bladder cancer from 2019 to 2021 at Department of Diagnostic Imaging in University Clinical Hospital in Opole, Poland. Conclusions: T…

Analysis of the psychometric properties of a banking instrument applied to the health sector

2022

Different studies have shown the importance of corporate reputation, corporate image and corporate identity and how they are present in the healthcare field. These studies show that these terms establish reputation as a socially constructed asset, which has been gaining relevance in organizations due to its increasing importance as a strategic resource. The aim of this study is to analyze the psychometric properties of an instrument used to measure reputation in the banking field, in its Spanish version, adapted to the health sector, thus determining whether it is a reliable and valid instrument to be used in future research on samples of users in the health sector.In a pilot phase, the sur…

Jordan Decompositions of Tensors

2022

We expand on an idea of Vinberg to take a tensor space and the natural Lie algebra which acts on it and embed them into an auxiliary algebra. Viewed as endomorphisms of this algebra we associate adjoint operators to tensors. We show that the group actions on the tensor space and on the adjoint operators are consistent, which endows the tensor with a Jordan decomposition. We utilize aspects of the Jordan decomposition to study orbit separation and classification in examples that are relevant for quantum information.

Human Claudin-7 cis-Interactions Are Not Crucial for Membrane-Membrane (Trans-) Interactions

2022

Human Claudin-7 (Cldn7) is a member of the Claudin (Cldn) superfamily. In vivo, these proteins form tight junctions, which establish constricted connections between cells. Cldns oligomerize within the membrane plane (= cis-interaction), and also interact with Cldns from adjacent cells (= trans-interaction). Interactions of Cldns are typically studied in vivo and structural analyses of isolated Cldns are limited. Here, we describe heterologous expression in E. coli and purification of human Cldn7, enabling in vitro analyses of the isolated protein using detergent and model membrane systems. Cldn7 exists as a monomer, hexamer, and various higher oligomers in micelles. While only limited unfol…

Understanding the Strategies and Practices of Facebook Microcelebrities for Engaging in Sociopolitical Discourses

2022

In this paper, we study popular microcelebrities from the Global South to understand their strategies and practices on Facebook. Unlike traditional celebrities who gain their reputation through different types of physical performance, these microcelebrities attain their status by presenting themselves in a favorable way to their online followers. We conducted interviews with 19 microcelebrities from Bangladesh and analyzed our data using actor-network theory (ANT) and Goffman’s dramaturgical analysis (DA) of human interaction. We discuss the complex socio-technical ecosystem of the microcelebrity and the roles of non-human actors, such as platforms and local internet infrastructure along wi…

Spectroscopy of Alkali Atoms in Solid Matrices of Rare Gases: Experimental Results and Theoretical Analysis

2022

We present an experimental and theoretical investigation of the spectroscopy of dilute alkali atoms in a solid matrix of inert gases at cryogenic temperatures, specifically Rubidium atoms in a solid Argon or Neon matrix, and related aspects of the interaction energies between the alkali atoms and the atoms of the solid matrix. The system considered is relevant for matrix isolation spectroscopy, and it is at the basis of a recently proposed detector of cosmological axions, exploiting magnetic-type transitions between Zeeman sublevels of alkali atoms in a magnetic field, tuned to the axion mass, assumed in the meV range. Axions are one of the supposed constituents of the dark matter (DM) of t…

Evolución de la desinformación sobre COVID-19 en Argentina a través de los desmentidos del verificador Chequeado

2022

Este trabajo estudia la evolución de la desinformación sobre COVID-19 en Argentina desde la declaración de la situación de pandemia por la OMS en marzo de 2020 hasta junio de 2021. La investigación aplica un análisis de contenido de cuatro variables —intención, temática, protagonismo y apelación emocional— a los 154 desmentidos publicados al respecto en dicho periodo por el medio Chequeado, único del país acreditado por la International Fact-Checking Network. Los resultados evidencian el predominio de la intención desestabilizadora, la temática negacionista, el protagonismo de las instituciones y del personal sanitario, y la apelación emocional negativa. Además, la puesta en relación de dic…

Physiological and Structural Responses to Prolonged Water Deficit in Young Trees of Two Olive Cultivars

2022

This study aimed to characterize the physiological and structural responses of potted one-year-old olive trees belonging to two olive cultivars—‘Nocellara del Belice’ and ‘Cerasuola’—exposed to prolonged drought under greenhouse conditions. Two irrigation treatments based on evapotranspiration (ET) were imposed for 69 days, i.e., well-watered (WW, 100% ET) and drought-stressed (DS, 10–30% ET). Leaf stomatal conductance (gs), stem water potential (Ψstem), transpiration (E), photosynthetic capacity (Amax), water use efficiency (WUE), stem (Kstem) and root (Kroot) hydraulic conductance, trunk diameter variations (TDV), and leaf patch attenuated pre…

The Role of Immunosenescence in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: A Review.

2022

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is one of the most important causes of vascular dementia. Immunosenescence and inflammatory response, with the involvement of the cerebrovascular system, constitute the basis of this disease. Immunosenescence identifies a condition of deterioration of the immune organs and consequent dysregulation of the immune response caused by cellular senescence, which exposes older adults to a greater vulnerability. A low-grade chronic inflammation status also accompanies it without overt infections, an “inflammaging” condition. The correlation between immunosenescence and inflammaging is fundamental in understanding the pathogenesis of age-related CSVD (ArCSVD). Th…

Liver stiffness measurement by vibration-controlled transient elastography improves outcome prediction in primary biliary cholangitis

2022

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) has been shown to predict outcomes of patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) in small-size studies. We aimed to validate the prognostic value of LSM in a large cohort study. METHODS: We performed an international, multicentre, retrospective follow-up study of 3,985 patients with PBC seen at 23 centres in 12 countries. Eligibility criteria included at least 1 reliable LSM by VCTE and a follow-up ≥ 1 year. Independent derivation (n = 2,740) and validation (n = 568) cohorts were built. The primary endpoint was time to poor clinical outcomes defined as liver-related complications,…

Epidemiology, Physiology and Clinical Approach to Sleepiness at the Wheel in OSA Patients: A Narrative Review

2022

Sleepiness at the wheel (SW) is recognized as an important factor contributing to road traffic accidents, since up to 30 percent of fatal accidents have been attributed to SW. Sleepiness-related motor vehicle accidents may occur both from falling asleep while driving and from behavior impairment attributable to sleepiness. SW can be caused by various sleep disorders but also by behavioral factors such as sleep deprivation, shift work and non-restorative sleep, as well as chronic disease or the treatment with drugs that negatively affect the level of vigilance. An association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and motor vehicle accidents has been found, with an increasing risk in OSA pati…

Adaptive Quantized Control of Offshore Underactuated Cranes with Uncertainty

2022

Author's accepted manuscript. © 2022 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works. Paid open access

L'ultima curva. In ricordo di Jean-Louis Trintignant

2022

Un ricordo di Jean-Louis Trintignant: come s'intrecciano la vita, il cinema, il teatro

Use of high flow nasal cannula in patients with acute respiratory failure in general wards under intensivists supervision: a single center observatio…

2022

Abstract Background Few data exist on high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) use in patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) admitted to general wards. Rationale and objectives To retrospectively evaluate feasibility and safety of HFNC in general wards under the intensivist-supervision and after specific training. Methods Patients with ARF (dyspnea, respiratory rate-RR > 25/min, 150 < PaO2/FiO2 < 300 mmHg during oxygen therapy) admitted to nine wards of an academic hospital were included. Gas-exchange, RR, and comfort were assessed before HFNC and after 2 and 24 h of application. Results 150 patients (81 male, age 74 [60–80] years, SOFA 4 [2–4]), 123 with de-novo ARF underwent HFNC wi…