showing 36 of ~574560 from 574555 documents
Overland flow hydrodynamic characteristics in rough beds at low Reynolds numbers
2022
This paper considers overland flow resistance at low Reynolds numbers through analysis of experimental runs carried out using water only and water/glycerol mixtures. We first examined the power relationship between the Darcy–Weisbach friction factor f and the Reynolds number Re to obtain the values of the K coefficient and b exponent. These results confirmed the applicability of the values of b suggested in literature, while K required a specific calibration for laminar open-channel flows. The analysis revealed that transition from a laminar to turbulent flow regime for water only flows occurred at a threshold value of Re equal to 500 as described historically. The estimate of f by the powe…
Current European approaches in highway runoff management: A review
2022
Highway runoff is one of the most significant non-point sources of pollution for the terrestrial and aquatic environment with biological, physical, and chemical effects. Considering local characteristics, treatment practices, and determining factors are essential for highway runoff management. The aim of this paper is to survey the review of highway runoff management in Europe with emphasis on runoff characterization, treatment, and modeling approaches and identifying possible knowledge gaps exists based on our review. The results showed that highway runoff has spatiotemporal variation, which is the main factor in the regional selection of the best management practice (BMP). Also, recent st…
Click amidations, esterifications and one–pot reactions catalyzed by Cu salts and multimetal–organic frameworks (M–MOFs)
2022
Amides and esters are prevalent chemicals in Nature, industry and academic laboratories. Thus, it is not surprising that a plethora of synthetic methods for these compounds has been developed along the years. However, these methods are not 100% atom economical and generally require harsh reagents or reaction conditions. Here we show a “spring–loaded”, 100% atom–efficient amidation and esterification protocol which consists in the ring opening of cyclopropenones with amines or alcohols. Some alkyl amines react spontaneously at room temperature in a variety of solvents and reaction conditions, including water at different pHs, while other alkyl amines, aromatic amines and alcohols react in th…
EVOLUTION OF LABOR MARKET AND OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE IN A CHANGING WORLD: ANALYSIS OF THE ITALIAN DATA 2000-2019 AND POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF THE ECON…
2022
Introduction: The first two decades of the third millennium have been characterized by deep economic changes in various countries around the world with an inevitable impact on the job market. The aim of this study is to analyze the data of the last twenty years relating to employment in Italy, compared with European ones, to understand how the 2008 economic crisis affected employment in the following years and how the recent crisis, related to the COVID 19- pandemic emergency, may contribute further. Methods: The study analysed data related to the labor market in Italy and in the European Countries. The 2000-2019 period was analytically evaluated by comparing employment and unemployment rat…
Management diversity begets biodiversity in production forest landscapes
2022
How to manage forest for biodiversity conservation is an ongoing debate. We argue that maximizing biodiversity in managed forest landscapes requires a diversity of forest management regimes in space and time. This will generate high levels of habitat heterogeneity at a landscape scale, which in turn will support various groups of forest species. Based on concepts from landscape ecology, we formulate five hypotheses on how management diversity, i.e. combining various management approaches can benefit overall biodiversity across a production forest landscape. First, management diversity will increase habitat diversity and, therefore, beta diversity (the habitat diversity hypothesis). Second, …
Ficodindia
2022
Lo studio degli alberi e la scienza delle coltivazioni distinguono un’Arboricoltura generale da un’altra speciale. Classificazione dottrinaria, questa, ormai consolidata. Pur essendo entrambe dettate dagli stessi principi teorici, trattano in modo complementare ed integrato le modalità tecniche delle loro applicazioni pratiche. Il volume Arboricoltura speciale, pubblicato da Edagricole, colma finalmente un’esigenza molto sentita dal mondo accademico e dal sistema mediatico di informazione pubblica, di crescente importanza, sempre più attento al recupero delle funzioni degli alberi nel mondo in cui viviamo ficus-indica L. (Mill.) (OFI), comunemente nota come ficodindia, appartiene alla famig…
Exclusive Expression of MyD88 on Dendritic Cells Is Sufficient to Induce Protection against Experimental Leishmaniasis
2022
Modeling seasonal branch carbon dynamics in pistachio as a function of crop load
2022
A simplified model for the prediction of carbon balance was developed to elucidate the seasonal trend of sink-source relationships in bearing and non-bearing pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) branches. Seasonal changes in growth rate of vegetative (leaf and shoot) and reproductive (infructescence) organs were monitored in branches of mature rainfed pistachio trees during the entire growing season (April–September). Simulations from the model were used to gain understanding of the implications of crop load on branch carbon (C) depletion and alternate bearing. Results showed that the pistachio branch was energetically able to sustain up to two infructescences (∼28 fruits) having a slightly positiv…
Neuroimaging correlates of insight in non-affective psychosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
2022
Abstract Objective Neurological correlates of impaired insight in non-affective psychosis remain unclear. This study aimed to review and meta-analyze the studies assessing the grey matter volumetric correlates of impaired insight in non-affective psychosis. Methods This study consisted of a systematic review of 23 studies, and a meta-analysis with SDM-PSI of the 11 studies that were whole-brain and reported maps or peaks of correlation of studies investigating the grey matter volumetric correlates of insight assessments of non-affective psychosis, PubMed and OVID datasets were independently reviewed for articles reporting neuroimaging correlates of insight in non-affective psychosis. Qualit…
Fungal root colonization and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi diversity in soils of grasslands with different mowing intensities
2022
management that has changed in recent decades. The intensity of human-induced disturbances (primarily removal of plant biomass by various methods) has decreased, leading to changes in plant species composition and declines in plant diversity in these communities. So far, no studies have shown how mowing affects fungal communities in both roots and soils and their relation with plant community parameters and soil chemical properties in different grassland types. We thus compared the impact of mowing intensity (low, moderate, high) on root colonization by common root-inhabiting fungi, namely arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), dark septate endophytes (DSE), and Olpidium spp., as well as on AM…
Raccontare lo street food in viaggio: critica del giudizio turistico
2022
This paper is about tourist reviews of a specific gastronomic universe: street food. Specifically, I will deal with reviews from the Tripadvisor platform dedicated to street food places in the city of Palermo. The idea of focusing on reviews comes from the hypothesis that, since this type of textuality is an utterance at the end of a path, and is therefore the Sanction in narrative terms, we can reconstruct from reviews, by presupposition, the value systems that the enunciator-tourist projects on the gastronomic experience. That is, if there is a judgment it is because there is a preceding Contract, more or less explicit, very often implicit, that is grounded in a set of values that constit…
Mucin1 expression and gustatory function in postmenopausal females : a case-control observational study
2022
Investigating possible relationship between Mucin1 expression levels in saliva, gustatory function, and taste perception in postmenopausal females.Using whole mouth taste test, twenty-five post-menopausal females (51.35 ± 5.22 years) and twenty-five premenopausal females (39.65 ± 6.46 years) were prospectively evaluated for gustatory function. The expression of mucin1 was investigated; RNA was isolated from stimulated whole saliva samples and real-time PCR was used to determine mucin1 mRNA levels relative to bactin and GAPDH mRNA levels.Significant difference was observed between postmenopausal and premenopausal women regarding intensity judgments of all tastants. The difference was more ev…
Tourism Dynamics and Sustainability: A Comparative Analysis between Mediterranean Islands: Evidence for Post-COVID-19 Strategies
2022
Tourism may not sustainably support territories with limited natural resource stock such as islands. The volume of visitor arrivals and the industry investments can increase the pressure even beyond sustainable levels. There is an evident and unresolved tension between these two great polarities, sustainability and economic growth driven by tourism. The aim for policymakers is to find an acceptable equilibrium between these two dimensions. This paper investigates tourism evolution between 2007 and 2019 in 15 Mediterranean islands, comparing tourism pressures through statistical indicators. The analysis will compare tourism demand and supply trends in these contexts. The performances will be…
Teoreettinen kehys viestintäteknologioiden käytön hallinnasta: toimijuus ja osaaminen tietotyössä
2022
Erilaisten viestintäteknologioiden käytöllä on keskeinen rooli tietotyöntekijöiden arjessa. Erityisesti etätyössä, kun yhteydenpito tapahtuu pääosin teknologiavälitteisesti, yksittäiset työntekijät ovat enenevässä määrin vastuussa siitä, missä, miten ja milloin työtä tehdään. Viestintäteknologioiden käyttö tuo mukanaan monia mahdollisuuksia, mutta myös haasteita, sillä esimerkiksi keskeytykset, jatkuva tavoitettavuus ja monisuorittaminen voivat olla yhteydessä lisääntyneeseen stressiin ja heijastua näin ollen hyvinvointiin. Onkin perusteltua kysyä, kuinka tietotyöntekijät hallitsevat viestintäteknologioiden käyttöään tehdäkseen siitä mahdollis…
Nonlinear Thermal Transport with Inertia in Thin Wires: Thermal Fronts and Steady States
2022
Abstract In a series of papers we have obtained results for nonlinear heat transport when thin wires exchange heat non-linearly with the surroundings, with particular attention to propagating solitons. Here we obtain and discuss new results related to the propagation of nonlinear heat fronts and some conceptual aspects referring to the application of the second principle of thermodynamics to some nonlinear steady states related to non-propagating solitons.
Trajectory Analysis of Suicidal Ideation in Spanish College Students Using Ecological Momentary Assessment.
2022
IntroductionSuicide is a preventable death in young people. It is well known that suicide behavior is a multicausal phenomenon. However, suicidal ideation (SI) commonly underlies suicide, and Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) can help us to better characterize it and its risk and protective factors in the short term. We aimed, first, to investigate the estimated prevalence and trajectories of SI in a community sample of Spanish college students using an EMA methodology and, second, explore the associations between risk and protective factors and SI categorized as moderate or low.Materials and MethodsA total of 737 participants followed the EMA during a period of 6 months. We estimated t…
A Perspective Review on Integrating VR/AR with Haptics into STEM Education for Multi-Sensory Learning
2022
As a result of several governments closing educational facilities in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, almost 80% of the world’s students were not in school for several weeks. Schools and universities are thus increasing their efforts to leverage educational resources and provide possibilities for remote learning. A variety of educational programs, platforms, and technologies are now accessible to support student learning; while these tools are important for society, they are primarily concerned with the dissemination of theoretical material. There is a lack of support for hands-on laboratory work and practical experience. This is particularly important for all disciplines related …
Duvalo “Volcano” (North Macedonia): A Purely Tectonic‐Related CO 2 Degassing System
2022
Duvalo “volcano” is a site of anomalous geogenic degassing close to Ohrid (North Macedonia) not related to volcanic activity, despite its name. CO2 flux measurements made with the accumulation chamber (321 sites over ∼50,000 m2) showed fluxes up to nearly 60,000 g m-2 d-1, sustaining a total output of ∼67 t d-1. Soil gas samples were taken at 50 cm depth from sites with high CO2 fluxes and analyzed for their chemical and isotope composition. The gas is mainly composed by CO2 (> 90%) with significant concentrations of H2S (up to 0.55 %) and CH4 (up to 0.32 %). The isotope compositions of He (R/RA 0.10) and of CO2 (δ13C ∼0‰) exclude significant mantle contribution, while δ13C-CH4 (∼ -35‰) …
Endoscopic Treatment of Iatrogenic Perforation of Sigmoid Diverticulum: A Case Report of Multidisciplinary Management
2022
Iatrogenic perforations are severe complications of gastrointestinal endoscopy; therefore, their management should be adequately planned. A 77-year-old man with a history of diverticulosis underwent a colonoscopy for anemia. During the procedure, an iatrogenic perforation occurred suddenly in the sigmoid colon, near a severe angle among the numerous diverticula. Through-the-scope clips were immediately applied to treat it and close mucosal edges. Laboratory tests showed increased levels of inflammation and infection, and although there were no complaints of abdominal pain, the patient had an extremely distended abdomen. A multidisciplinary board began management based on a conservative appr…
The chemical composition of essential oil from Seseli bocconei (Apiaceae) aerial parts growing in Sicily (Italy)
2022
Seseli is a large genus of aromatic and economically important herbs of the Apiaceae family that includes eighty-seven taxa, mainly distributed in Europe and Asia. Several species of this genus are extensively used in various popular medicines and based on their traditional uses, much research concerning biological activities have been carried out. In the present study, the chemical composition of the essential oil from aerial parts of Seseli bocconei Guss., a rare plant endemic of Sicily, was analysed by GC-MS. No one report has been previously published on the essential oil of this species. The result showed the presence of large quantity of monoterpene and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons wher…
The emergence and development of the cryptocurrency as a sign of global financial markets financialisation
2022
The article presents one of the most important, in the author's opinion, manifestations of further intensification of the processes of financialisation of global financial markets, which was the emergence of decentralized digital currencies (so-called cryptocurrencies) based on blockchain technology. Their creation and existence on the global financial market have been widely considered as one of significant effect of the global financial crisis, which symbolic beginning is September 15, 2008, when one of the largest US investment banks Lehman Brothers collapsed. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has only highlighted the importance of this effect of financialization. The purpose of the articl…
Assessment conceptions of Finnish pre-service teachers
2022
The aim of this quantitative survey study (N = 287) was to investigate the assessment conceptions of three different pre-service teacher groups (classroom teachers, subject teachers and special needs teachers). Assessment conceptions were best described by the following three main factors: 1) assessment of learning, 2) assessment for teaching and learning and 3) assessment as a harmful action. These main factors were clustered into three assessment conception profiles – assessment-cautious, assessment-positive and assessment-critical. Pre-service special needs teachers showed more assessment-oriented conceptions emphasising both the assessment of learning and assessment for learning than th…
Eficacia de procesamiento de los entrañamientos y de las implicaturas conversacionales generalizadas: la lógica deductiva y la lógica por defecto
2022
This work aims to study the processing differences that occur between deductive logic and default logic. Since the entailments are based on deductive logic and generalised conversational implicatures (GCI) are built from the default logic, two questionnaires were proposed to collect the processing efficiency expressed as the number of hits per minute. The data collected shows that there is a significant difference in the processing of entailments and ICGs: entailments are processed more efficiently than ICGs and, therefore, it is concluded that the default logic requires greater cognitive effort. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo estudiar las diferencias de procesamiento que se producen al a…
Promuovere negli uomini la scelta di prepararsi all’esercizio della professione di maestro di scuola primaria
2022
The sixth principle of the Charte de la Ligue Internationale de l’Education Nouvelle of 1921 emphasizes the concept of coeducation. The definition of this concept provides interesting insights to launch a proactive debate on the need to increase the male presence in primary school teaching staff. First of all, some results of empir- ical research that support the request to increase the number of male teachers in the primary school are displayed. Secondly, the most significant measures adopted by some States to promote the figure of the male primary school teacher are described. Finally, a few proposals are made on what could be done in Italy.
Greenfield FDI attractiveness index: a machine learning approach
2022
Purpose This study aims to propose a comprehensive greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) attractiveness index using exploratory factor analysis and automated machine learning (AML). We offer offer a robust empirical measurement of location-choice factors identified in the FDI literature through a novel method and provide a tool for assessing the countries' investment potential. Design/methodology/approach Based on five conceptual key sub-domains of FDI, We collected quantitative indicators in several databases with annual data ranging from 2006 to 2019. This study first run a factor analysis to identify the most important features. It then uses AML to assess the relative importance of…
The Virtual Reconstruction of the Aesculapius and Hygeia Statues from the Sanctuary of Isis in Lilybaeum: Methods and Tools for Ancient Sculptures’ E…
2022
Thanks to recent technological developments in 3D surveys, computer graphics and virtual reality, new scenarios have been opened for the documentation and enhancement of ancient sculptures. When not totally preserved, sculptures can be digitally reproduced, modified and visualized to simulate their physical or virtual reconstruction in a non-invasive way for specialists or for dissemination aims. The virtual sculptural reconstruction process starts usually from the 3D survey of real fragments, and then continues by integrating missing parts with 3D modelling techniques by means of source evaluation. Along with primary data sources (reality-based model), secondary data sources (photos, drawi…
European traditional tomatoes galore: a result of farmers' selection of a few diversity-rich loci
2022
A comprehensive collection of 1254 tomato accessions, corresponding to European traditional and modern varieties, early domesticated varieties, and wild relatives, was analyzed by genotyping by sequencing. A continuous genetic gradient between the traditional and modern varieties was observed. European traditional tomatoes displayed very low genetic diversity, with only 298 polymorphic loci (95% threshold) out of 64 943 total variants. European traditional tomatoes could be classified into several genetic groups. Two main clusters consisting of Spanish and Italian accessions showed higher genetic diversity than the remaining varieties, suggesting that these regions might be independent seco…
Knowledge and Attitudes towards Palliative Care : Validation of the Spanish Version of Questionnaire on Palliative Care for Advanced Dementia
2022
Background: Palliative care is essential in the care of people with advanced dementia, due to the increasing number of patients requiring care in the final stages of life. Nurses need to acquire specific knowledge and skills to provide quality palliative care. The Questionnaire on Palliative Care for Advanced Dementia (qPAD) is useful for assessing knowledge and attitudes toward palliative care, but its adaptation to the Spanish language and analysis of its effectiveness and usefulness for the Spanish culture is lacking. Objective: To report on the Spanish language adaptation and psychometric analysis of the qPAD. Methods: The Questionnaire on Palliative Care for Advanced Dementia Spanish v…
Bene vivere politice
2022
Abstract This chapter approaches the question of biopolitics in ancient political thought looking not at specific political techniques but at notions of the final aim of the political community. It argues that the “happiness” (eudaimonia, beatitudo) that constitutes the greatest human good in the tradition from Aristotle to Thomas Aquinas is not a “biopolitical” ideal, but rather a metabiopolitical one, consisting in a contemplative activity situated above and beyond the biological and the political. It is only with Thomas Hobbes that civic happiness becomes “biopolitically” identified with simple survival; for modernity, as Hannah Arendt puts it, mere being alive becomes the greatest human…
The essential oil compositions of three Sicilian accessions of Viscum album L. growing on three different host trees
2022
Viscum album L., (Common Mistletoe), is a hemiparasitic shrub that lives on a wide range of woody plant species, known since Neolithic period for its ritual and for pharmacological properties. Up to now, no investigation has been reported on the chemical composition of the essential oils of V. album aerial parts in relation with the diverse host trees. Consequently, the essential oils compositions of three Sicilian accession of V. album, growing on Quercus suber L., Crataegus monogyna Jacq. and Olea europaea L. var. europaea cv. 'Santagatese', respectively, were evaluated by GC-MS. The three populations showed quite different profiles indicating that the nature of the host considerably infl…
Assessing the Impact of Road and Land Use on Species Diversity of Trees, Shrubs, Herbs and Grasses in the Mountain Landscape in Southern Africa
2022
Mountain landscape, described as a global biodiversity hotspot due to high endemism, is threatened by land-use change, including management and modification of vegetation. However, there is little knowledge about how road and land use affect plant diversity in mountains landscapes, particularly in southern Africa. Previous studies have studied the impact of the road or land use on plant species diversity separately and have concentrated on a single plant species. Here we compare the plant diversity of regenerated trees, shrubs, herbaceous plant, and grasses among Forest, Fallow, Agriculture, and Road in the Moribane Forest Reserve (MFR), in Eastern Chimanimani Mountain landscape in Mozambiq…
Healthy and unhealthy eating after a behaviour change intervention in primary care
2022
Abstract Background: To prevent and reduce non-communicable diseases, the Norwegian Directorate of Health encourages Healthy Life Centres (HLCs) in all municipalities. Aims: This study investigates whether the behaviour change interventions at HLCs positively affected participants’ diet and to evaluate predictors for healthy and unhealthy eating. Our data are part of the Norwegian Healthy Life Centre Study, a 6-month, pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT). Methods: Totally, 118 participants ≥18 years old were randomised to an intervention group (n 57), or a waiting list (control group) (n 61). Eighty-six participants met at the 6 months follow-up visit. We merged the participants to o…
Advancing engineering students’ conceptual understanding through puzzle-based learning: a case study with exact differential equations
2022
AbstractCurrent views on the teaching of differential equations (DEs) are shifting towards the use of graphical and numerical methods. Motivated by recent research suggesting that puzzle-based learning (PzBL) can improve the teaching and learning of STEM subjects and by the lack of relevant studies for DEs, we designed two tasks—sophism and paradox—to explore undergraduate engineering students’ conceptual understanding of a classical topic—exact DEs—and to analyse the process of meaning-making during collaborative learning in small groups. One hundred and thirty-five undergraduate engineering students from a public university in Iran participated. In response to recent research signalling t…
HR1 Robot: An Assistant for Healthcare Applications
2022
According to the World Health Organization1,2 the percentage of healthcare dependent population, such as elderly and people with disabilities, among others, will increase over the next years. This trend will put a strain on the health and social systems of most countries. The adoption of robots could assist these health systems in responding to this increased demand, particularly in high intensity and repetitive tasks. In a previous work, we compared a Socially Assistive Robot (SAR) with a Virtual Agent (VA) during the execution of a rehabilitation task. The SAR consisted of a humanoid R1 robot, while the Virtual Agent represented its simulated counter-part. In both cases, the agents evalua…
Child–educator disagreements in Finnish early childhood education and care: young children’s possibilities for influence
2022
This study explores young children’s possibilities for influence in situations of child–educator disagreement in Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC). Data were gathered from observations conducted in four ECEC groups of under three year-olds. A total of 112 child–educator disagreements were analysed qualitatively using reflexive thematic analysis. Children’s influence was rather limited in most disagreements, as these involved the established institutional order as manifested in the rules and norms of daily activities and educators’ control over children’s bodies and material resources. However, disagreements over social rules and the ongoing social situation often allowed chi…
Impact of Vaccination on Rotavirus Genotype Diversity: A Nearly Two-Decade-Long Epidemiological Study before and after Rotavirus Vaccine Introduction…
2022
Sicily was the first Italian region to introduce rotavirus (RV) vaccination with the monovalent G1P[8] vaccine Rotarix® in May 2012. In this study, the seasonal distribution and molecular characterization of RV strains detected over 19 years were compared to understand the effect of Rotarix® on the evolutionary dynamics of human RVs. A total of 7846 stool samples collected from children < 5 years of age, hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis, were tested for RV detection and genotyping. Since 2013, vaccine coverage has progressively increased, while the RV prevalence decreased from 36.1% to 13.3% with a loss of seasonality. The local distribution of RV genotypes changed over th…