showing 36 of ~574560 from 574555 documents
Automated Plankton Classification With a Dynamic Optimization and Adaptation Cycle
2022
With recent advances in Machine Learning techniques based on Deep Neural Networks (DNNs), automated plankton image classification is becoming increasingly popular within the marine ecological sciences. Yet, while the most advanced methods can achieve human-level performance on the classification of everyday images, plankton image data possess properties that frequently require a final manual validation step. On the one hand, this is due to morphological properties manifesting in high intra-class and low inter-class variability, and, on the other hand is due to spatial-temporal changes in the composition and structure of the plankton community. Composition changes enforce a frequent updating…
Spaghetti Enriched with Inulin: Effect of Polymerization Degree on Quality Traits and α-Amylase Inhibition.
2022
Inulin is considered a dietary fiber and represents a noteworthy ingredient for food biofortification due to its health effects and its neutral taste. The aim of the work was the evaluation of the quality of pasta produced using whole-meal flours of two ancient Sicilian landraces (Senatore Cappelli-CAP and Timilia—TIM) fortified with two types of inulin (long-chain topinambur inulin IT and low-chain chicory inulin IC), at two different levels of substitution (2 and 4%) to evaluate its possible effect on α-amylase inhibition. The color indices L* and a* were mainly influenced by cultivars, while IT improved the sensory attributes, mainly the elasticity sensation, and influenced l…
An Epidemiological Study to Investigate Links between Atmospheric Pollution from Farming and SARS-CoV-2 Mortality.
2022
Exposure to atmospheric particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide has been linked to SARS-CoV-2 infection and death. We hypothesized that long-term exposure to farming-related air pollutants might predispose to an increased risk of COVID-19-related death. To test this hypothesis, we performed an ecological study of five Italian Regions (Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Sicily), linking all-cause mortality by province (administrative entities within regions) to data on atmospheric concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and ammonia (NH3), which are mainly produced by agricultural activities. The study outcome was change in all-cause mortality during March–Apri…
Diversity, distribution, and classification of chasmophytic vegetation in the Central Asian biodiversity hotspot : alpine belt of the Eastern Pamir-A…
2022
AbstractThis paper presents the results of research conducted on chasmophytic vegetation occurring within the alpine belt (approx. 1,850–4,000 m a.s.l.) in the eastern part of Middle Asia. We specifically focused on the diversity and syntaxonomy of rock vegetation as well as on environmental variables determining its distribution. Altogether, 242 relevés were sampled in rock fissures, ledges, and clefts during field surveys conducted in 2013–2019. The size of each recorded vegetation plot was 1 m2. Five main groups of chasmophytic vegetation were distinguished in the studied area. Each group was confined to a specific combination of substrate type and climatic conditions. Altogether, 16 spe…
Katsaus Suomen varhaiseen atomihistoriaan
2022
Nykyisellä ydinteknologialla on lähinnä kaksi haaraa joita ovat ydinenergia ja lääketieteellinen isotooppitekniikka. Ensin mainitun lähtölaukauksena Suomessa pidetään nk. energiakomitean perustamista vuonna 1955. Tämän historian tutkimuksen painopiste on ollut 1960-ja 1970-luvun tapahtumissa, jotka liittyvät nykyisten ydinvoimalaitosten hankintakuvioihin. Professori Lennart Simons aloitti vakavasti otettavan ydinfysiikan tutkimuksen Suomessa ja oli alan ykkösnimi 1940- ja 1950-luvuilla kun koko länsimaailman yli pyyhkäisi atomiteknologian huuma, jota ehkä voi sanoa ensimmäiseksi teknologiahypeksi modernissa mielessä. Kirjan tarkoituksena on antaa lisävalaistusta suomalaisen ydinteknologian …
The Palliative Care in the Metastatic Spinal Tumors. A Systematic Review on the Radiotherapy and Surgical Perspective
2022
Spine represents the most common site for metastatic disease involvement. Due to the close relationship between the spinal cord and critical structures, therapeutic management of spinal metastases remains challenging. Spinal localization can lead to neurological sequelae, which can significantly affect the quality of life in patients with a limited life expectancy. The authors conducted a systematic literature review according to PRISMA guidelines in order to determine the impact of the most updated palliative care on spinal metastases. The initial literature search retrieved 2526 articles, manually screened based on detailed exclusion criteria. Finally, 65 studies met the inclusion criteri…
Entrepreneurial choices depend on trust : Some global evidence
2022
Interpersonal trust and people’s trust in institutions are important components of social capital, which has been shown to have not only innate social value but also diverse direct and indirect positive social and economic impacts. Using data for an economically and globally diverse group of countries, we examine empirically how changes in interpersonal trust and trust in institutions affect entrepreneurship over time. Our findings suggest that (1) enhancing either type of trust leads to more entrepreneurial activity and (2) an increase in interpersonal trust causes a structural change in the composition of the TEA-type entrepreneurship. Increased trust reduces the share of relatively lower…
Quality-of-Life Outcomes in Female Patients With Ileal Conduit or Orthotopic Neobladder Urinary Diversion: 6-Month Results of a Multicenter Prospecti…
2022
Radical cystectomy (RC) often affects patients’ life as this surgery is a traumatic and invasive event for the patients, with drawbacks on their daily, social, working, and sex life. Such changes in the quality of life (QoL) of patients are commonly studied through retrospective clinical evaluations and rarely with longitudinal studies. To date, studies focusing on functional outcomes, sexual function, and health-related QoL for female patients are lacking. We evaluated 37 patients using EORTC QLQ-C30 (QLQ-30) and Short-Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaires, before and after surgery, at 3 and 6 months of follow-up. The mean values for the emotional functioning in QLQ-C30 as well as the mental heal…
Meaningfulness in the work of language professionals
2022
This qualitative study explores the changes that a specific group of knowledge workers – language professionals in Finland – have undergone in their work and how they perceive the meaningfulness of their work as a result. The data presented in this article has been collected through group interviews and is part of a larger data set. To make sense of our data, we use thematic analysis and the framework of meaningful work presented by Rosso et al. For some of our research participants, the factors of meaningful work are present. For others, changes in work, such as platform work and outsourcing, have reduced autonomy and development possibilities. We conclude by discussing the implications of…
A teaching proposal for the didactics of Special Relativity: the spacetime globe
2022
Abstract Special Relativity introduces students to Modern Physics, whose importance in the high school is increasing. Nevertheless its teaching and learning is a critical issue. Different solutions have been developed to overcome the encountered difficulties. In this paper we describe the spacetime globe, a mechanical instrument that allows to experience Special Relativity hands-on. We show how it is possible to treat all the main phenomena foreseen by Special Relativity with simple laboratory experiences, using the idea of Minkowski’s spacetime diagrams. The aim is to develop the use of geometrical approach in learning Special Relativity in high schools.
Analysis of Renovation Works in Cappuccinelli Social Housing District in Trapani
2022
The refurbishment of public residential districts represents a current and complex problem. The Cappuccinelli Social Housing (SH) district in Trapani, designed in the late 1950s by Michele Valori and built during the 1960s, is emblematic of the architectural quality and technological innovation of the time it was designed, but at the same time represents the physical and social decay that occurred just after its construction. The neighborhood was examined through a combination of inspections and documentary research. The inspections were conducted for the entire district in order to identify the recurrent external degradation of building components and the related causes, both physical and …
Novel Translational Read-through–Inducing Drugs as a Therapeutic Option for Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome
2022
Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) is one of the most commonly inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFS). In SDS, bone marrow is hypocellular, with marked neutropenia. Moreover, SDS patients have a high risk of developing myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which in turn increases the risk of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) from an early age. Most SDS patients are heterozygous for the c.183-184TA>CT (K62X) SBDS nonsense mutation. Fortunately, a plethora of translational read-through inducing drugs (TRIDs) have been developed and tested for several rare inherited diseases due to nonsense mutations so far. The authors previously demonstrated that ataluren (PTC124) can restore full-length SBDS…
Unsupervised Anomaly and Change Detection With Multivariate Gaussianization
2022
Anomaly detection (AD) is a field of intense research in remote sensing (RS) image processing. Identifying low probability events in RS images is a challenging problem given the high dimensionality of the data, especially when no (or little) information about the anomaly is available a priori. While a plenty of methods are available, the vast majority of them do not scale well to large datasets and require the choice of some (very often critical) hyperparameters. Therefore, unsupervised and computationally efficient detection methods become strictly necessary, especially now with the data deluge problem. In this article, we propose an unsupervised method for detecting anomalies and changes …
Wet electrospinning-aided self-assembly of multifunctional GO-CNT@PCL core-shell nanocomposites with spider leg bioinspired hierarchical architectures
2022
We report a fast route enabling the multiscale design of nanohybrid structures comprising a 3D fibrous network of polycaprolactone (PCL) wrapped by graphene oxide (GO) sheets onto which carbon nanotube (CNT) brushes are anchored. The method relies on electrospinning PCL solutions onto a suspension of GO and CNTs in ethanol. Self-assembly is due to electrostatic wrapping of GO sheets around PCL fibers and 7C-7C stacking between GO and CNTs. Hierarchical architecture and nanopatterned surface allow gathering the starting properties of PCL, GO and CNTs into lightweight (99% porosity) yet robust (1575% stiffness improvement), amphiphilic monoliths that can remove methylene blue and/or methyl or…
Physics at the grocery store
2022
The motion of a food can on an accelerated conveyor belt in a grocery store is described by means of Newtonian mechanics. By assuming that the food can may roll on the conveyor belt, when the cashier starts this device, one can prove that the rolling motion, observed in the belt reference system, is such that the can is seen to move away for the cashier. Experiments can be performed with common material: an empty and a full food can, and a sheet of paper as conveyor belt.
Aktiivisen ikääntymisen diskurssi Helsingin Sanomien pääkirjoitusaukeamalla vuosina 2000-2015
2022
Aktiivisen ikääntymisen politiikkaa on pidetty ratkaisuna ikääntymisen haasteisiin. Tarkastelen artikkelissani, miten aktiivisen ikääntymisen diskurssi näkyy Helsingin Sanomien pääkirjoitusaukeaman teksteissä vuosina 2000–2015.Foucault´laisella diskurssianalyysilla tutkin, millaisten aladiskurssien kautta diskurssi rakentuu ja millaisia subjektipositioita on varattu ikääntyneille. Tulosten mukaan työuran pidentäminen näkyy aineistossa vahvasti ja ikääntyneet nähdään resurssina. Yhteiskunnalta odotetaan kuitenkin varautumista väestön ikääntymiseen, esimerkiksi hoivakustannuksiin ja ikäystävällisen ympäristön tarpeeseen. Toisaalta ikääntyneiden poliittiseen aktiivisuuteen suhtaudutaan risti…
CHERAX DESTRUCTOR (CLARK, 1836) AND CHERAX QUADRICARINATUS (VON MARTENS, 1868): SAFETY AND NUTRITIONAL QUALITY- Premio "YOUNG INVESTIGATOR AWARD"
2022
Two species of freshwater Parastacidae (Cherax quadricarinatus and Cherax destructor) are used for breeding in several country and to date also in Italy in one aquaculture plant located near Catania (Sicily). Although they are Australian, they seem to have some of the peculiar properties that make it important, strategic and highly appreciated species for aquaculture facilities in Italy. In fact, they mature early, have multiple reproductive cycles in a year, females can lay over a thousand eggs in a single brood and seem to tolerate wide ranges of temperature (Haubrock et al., 2021). Several authors have studied the Cherax genus from different points of view: diseases, moulting phases and …
Condition classification of fibre ropes during cyclic bend over sheave testing using machine learning
2022
Fibre ropes have been shown to be a viable alternative to steel wire rope for offshore lifting operations. Visual inspection remains a common method of fibre rope condition monitoring and has the potential to be further automated by machine learning. This would provide a valuable aid to current inspection frameworks to make more accurate decisions on recertification or retirement of fibre ropes in operational use. Three different machine learning algorithms: decision tree, random forest and support vector machine are compared to classical statistical approaches such as logistic regression, k-nearest neighbours and Naïve-Bayes for condition classification for fibre ropes under cyclic-bend-ov…
Searching for exceptional points and inspecting non-contractivity of trace distance in (anti-) PT -symmetric systems
2022
Non-Hermitian systems with parity-time ($\mathcal{PT}$) symmetry and anti-$\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry give rise to exceptional points (EPs) with intriguing properties related to, e.g., chiral transport and enhanced sensitivity, due to the coalescence of eigenvectors. In this paper, we propose a powerful and easily computable tool, based on the Hilbert-Schmidt speed (HSS), which does not require the diagonalization of the evolved density matrix, to detect exactly the EPs and hence the critical behavior of the (anti-)$\mathcal{PT}\!-$symmetric systems, especially high-dimensional ones. Our theoretical predictions, made without the need for modification of the Hilbert space, which is performed by …
Two-photon transitions of charmonia on the light front
2022
We investigate the two-photon transitions $H_{c\bar c} \to \gamma^*\gamma$ of the charmonium system in light-front dynamics. The light-front wave functions were obtained from solving the effective Hamiltonian based on light-front holography and one-gluon exchange interaction within the basis light-front quantization approach. We compute the two-photon transition form factors as well as the two-photon decay widths for S- and P-wave charmonia, $\eta_c$ and $\chi_{cJ}$ and their excitations. Without introducing any free parameters, our predictions are in good agreement with the recent experimental measurements by BaBar and Belle, shedding light on the relativistic nature of charmonium.
Adapting Cohort-Component Methods to a Microsimulation: A case study
2022
Social scientists generally take United Nations (UN) population projections as the baseline when considering the potential impact of any changes that could affect fertility, mortality or migration, and the UN typically does projections using the cohort-component method (CCM). The CCM technique is computationally simple and familiar to demographers. However, in order to avoid the exponential expansion of complexity as new dimensions of individual difference are added to projections, and to understand the sensitivity of projections to specific conditions, agent-based microsimulations are a better option. CCMs can mask hidden assumptions that are surfaced by the construction of microsimulatio…
ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIBIOFILM ACTIVITY OF A PEPTIDE IDENTIFIED IN THE SEAGRASS POSIDONIA OCEANICA
2022
Il legato pontificio tra norma, dottrina e prassi (sec. V-XII): il caso della Sicilia e la questione dell’Apostolica Legazia
2022
Sin dall'Alto Medioevo, il papa inviò delegati papali in Sicilia per amministrare la chiesa locale. Con l'arrivo dei Normanni nell'XI secolo, l'invio dei legati apostolici fu fortemente osteggiato dal potere secolare. Per questo motivo, le sfere di competenza tra il papa e i normanni furono definite da accordi e concessioni reciproche: il punto di partenza fu il rilascio del privilegio dell'Apostolica Legazia (1098). La prima parte della tesi analizza la natura e le funzioni dei delegati papali inviati in Sicilia nell'Alto Medioevo. La seconda parte si concentra sullo studio degli atti giuridici che delimitarono i poteri del papato e dei normanni sulla chiesa locale. Since the early Middle …
Surgical Antimicrobial Prophylaxis in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Plastic Surgery: A RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method Consensus Study
2022
For many years, it was clearly shown that surgical procedures might be associated with surgical site infection (SSI). Many scientific institutions prepared guidelines to use in surgery to reduce abuse and misuse of antibiotics. However, in the general guidelines for surgical antibiotic prophylaxis, plastic surgical procedures are not addressed or are only marginally discussed, and children were almost systematically excluded. The main aim of this Consensus document is to provide clinicians with recommendations on antimicrobial prophylaxis for pediatric patients undergoing plastic surgery. The following scenarios were considered: clean plastic surgery in elective procedures with an exclusive…
La brecha digital de género, ¿una cuestión inexistente, intangible, ignorada o no asumida?
2022
La presencia e importancia de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) en el día a día es uno de los rasgos que caracteriza y define nuestra sociedad contemporánea. Desde las ciencias sociales se ha analizado en profundidad las particularidades de esta “sociedad de la información”, “sociedad digital”, “sociedad cibernética” o “sociedad red”. Al margen de los matices y peculiaridades que incluyen cada una de las definiciones, lo que tienen en común es el protagonismo de las TIC como eje vertebrador de los distintos ámbitos de la estructura social. Este escenario fuertemente digitalizado, en el que las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación permiten y regulan un gran…
New Frontiers in Payment Services: The Payment Initiation Service in the Directive 2015/2366/EU
2022
The chapter will explore issues related to the Payment Initiation Service, currently subject to Directive 2015/2366/EU (Payment Services Directive II, PSD2) and, in Italy, to the Law Decree n. 11 of January 27th, 2010. It plays a relevant part in e-commerce payments establishing a software bridge between the website of the merchant and the online banking platform of the payer's account servicing payment service provider in order to initiate internet payments on the basis of a credit transfer. The transaction involves many actors, including some new entrants into the payment service market, such as third-party providers (TTPs). The chapter will deal with the nature of relations between payme…
EFFECTS OF ACUSTIC STRESS ON BIOCHEMICAL AND MOBILITY PARAMETERS AND BEHAVIOUR IN THE CRAYFISH, CHERAX DESTRUCTOR
2022
A new picking algorithm based on the variance piecewise constant models
2022
AbstractIn this paper, we propose a novel picking algorithm for the automatic P- and S-waves onset time determination. Our algorithm is based on the variance piecewise constant models of the earthquake waveforms. The effectiveness and robustness of our picking algorithm are tested both on synthetic seismograms and real data. We simulate seismic events with different magnitudes (between 2 and 5) recorded at different epicentral distances (between 10 and 250 km). For the application to real data, we analyse waveforms from the seismic sequence of L’Aquila (Italy), in 2009. The obtained results are compared with those obtained by the application of the classic STA/LTA picking algorithm. Althoug…
Of Mice and Culture: How Beliefs About Knowing Affect Habits of Thinking.
2022
Recent research suggests that individuals from East Asian and Western cultures differ in the degree to which they hold a folk world view known as naïve dialecticism, which is characterized by tolerance for contradiction, expectation of change, and cognitive holism. The current research utilizes the Mouse Paradigm to investigate the dynamic nature of naïve dialecticism in real time by measuring individuals’ fluctuations in judgment during the process of contemplation. The results showed cultural differences in dynamic measures of evaluation process: Japanese participants took more time to stabilize their thought and showed more fluctuations in their judgment than American participants. These…
An empirical evaluation of two natural hand interaction systems in augmented reality
2022
AbstractHuman-computer interaction based on hand gesture tracking is not uncommon in Augmented Reality. In fact, the most recent optical Augmented Reality devices include this type of natural interaction. However, due to hardware and system limitations, these devices, more often than not, settle for semi-natural interaction techniques, which may not always be appropriate for some of the tasks needed in Augmented Reality applications. For this reason, we compare two different optical Augmented Reality setups equipped with hand tracking. The first one is based on a Microsoft HoloLens (released in 2016) and the other one is based on a Magic Leap One (released more than two years later). Both d…
Accuracy evaluation of orthodontic movements with aligners: a prospective observational study.
2022
Abstract Background Since their introduction in orthodontics, clear aligners have been appreciated by patients, including adults, for their comfort and low aesthetic impact. Despite the enormous mobilization of financial resources all over the world aimed at producing new product lines, few clinical studies or high-quality evidence have been produced regarding the real effectiveness of such treatment. Given the few limited kinds of research on the subject, this study aims to produce and critically evaluate other data, to establish the concrete reliability of clear aligners in orthodontic therapy. Results Significant sample sizes were obtained for intrusion, vestibulo/lingual (V/L) crown tip…
Effects of diclofenac on the gametes and embryonic development of Arbacia lixula
2022
Diclofenac (DCF), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is among the main pollutants of aquatic environments. Nevertheless, even if several authors evaluated its effects on marine organisms, no work has ever analysed its impact on the sea urchin Arbacia lixula. The purpose of this study was to analyse, for the first time, the impact of DCF at different concentrations (50 mg/l, 5 mg/l, 0.5 mg/l, 0.05 mg/l) on A. lixula embryos and gametes to indicate possible safe minimum levels of release of this drug in marine environments. Our results showed significant concentration-dependent effects on embryonic development (decrease in the number of developed embryos and increase in the quant…
Editorial: Genetic and Gene Regulation Underlying Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Disease.
2022
Pyrus pedrottiana (Rosaceae), a new species from the Nebrodi Mountains (N-E Sicily)
2022
A new species of Pyrus for the dendroflora of Sicily is here described. It is Pyrus pedrottiana, actually considered endemic to the Nebrodi Mountains, a territory which includes the largest wooded area of the island with a high forest biodiversity.In the same area, P. vallis-demonis and P. ciancioi have also been described in recent times. The authors report diagnostic characters to distinguish the new taxon from the other two sympatric species.
Is There Hope for First Graders at the Lowest Percentiles? : The Roles of Self-Efficacy, Task Avoidance, and Support in the Development of Reading Fl…
2022
Self-efficacious children are expected to be more task-focused in challenging achievement situations and consequently have better chances of overcoming learning difficulties than children who have lower self-efficacy. The present study investigates this presumption with Finnish-speaking first graders struggling with reading acquisition ( N = 285). The development of the children’s reading fluency, self-efficacy, and task avoidance was followed from the middle of Grade 1 to the end of Grade 2, and a 6-week mobile game-based intervention was administered to those who exhibited the greatest risk for reading disabilities (≤ 5th percentile). Exploratory structural equation modeling was used to …
Production of Λ and KS0 in jets in p–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV and pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV
2022
The production of Λ baryons and KS0 mesons (V0 particles) was measured in p–Pb collisions at √sNN=5.02 TeV and pp collisions at √s=7 TeV with ALICE at the LHC. The production of these strange particles is studied separately for particles associated with hard scatterings and the underlying event to shed light on the baryon-to-meson ratio enhancement observed at intermediate transverse momentum (pT) in high multiplicity pp and p–Pb collisions. Hard scatterings are selected on an event-by-event basis with jets reconstructed with the anti-kT algorithm using charged particles. The production of strange particles associated with jets pT,jetch>10 and pT,jetch>20 GeV/c in p–Pb collisions, and with …