showing 36 of ~574560 from 574555 documents
Incontri
2022
Varda's cinema is intimately a cinema of encounter: in each of them the filmmaker puts herself on the line and opens herself to the other; the encounter with the other is the high road to understanding and determining one's own identity. This contribution analyzes some of Varda's cinematic encounters with the aim of understanding the director's gaze.
A direct comparison of 2D versus 3D diffusion analysis at nanowire electrodes: A finite element analysis and experimental study
2022
In electroanalysis, the benefits accrued by miniaturisation are a key driver in sensor development. Finite element simulations of electrochemical processes occurring at ultramicro- and nano-electrodes are used to provide key insight into experimental design in relation to diffusion profiles and expected currents. The most commonly used method, the diffusion domain approach (DDA) offers a means of reducing a three dimensional design to two dimensions to ease computational demands. However, the DDA approach can be limited when using basic assumptions which can be incorrect, for example that all electrodes in an array are equivalent. Consequently, to get a more realistic view of molecular diff…
Ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, chemical ecology and invasion biology of Acanthus mollis L.
2022
Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance Acanthus mollis L. (Bear's Breeches) is a wide-spread medicinal and ornamental plant and is particularly suited to exemplarily illustrate the diverse aspects of invasion biology by neophytes. Since ancient times, it has been a popular Mediterranean ornamental plant in horticulture and served as model for the decoration of column capitals in architecture. Aim of the study In the present review, we aimed to give an overview about ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, chemical ecology, and invasion biology of A. mollis. Thus, the importance of plantation cultivation in the presence of ecologically problematic species and environmental protection were emphas…
Blind source separation for non-stationary random fields
2022
Regional data analysis is concerned with the analysis and modeling of measurements that are spatially separated by specifically accounting for typical features of such data. Namely, measurements in close proximity tend to be more similar than the ones further separated. This might hold also true for cross-dependencies when multivariate spatial data is considered. Often, scientists are interested in linear transformations of such data which are easy to interpret and might be used as dimension reduction. Recently, for that purpose spatial blind source separation (SBSS) was introduced which assumes that the observed data are formed by a linear mixture of uncorrelated, weakly stationary random …
A porous media CFD model for the simulation of hemodialysis in hollow fiber membrane modules
2022
A computational model was developed to predict the performance of hollow fiber membrane hemodialyzers. Blood and dialysate were modelled as fluids flowing through two interpenetrating porous media. Concerning hydrodynamics, experimental Darcy permeabilities measured for commercial hemodialyzers were used for both compartments. Concerning mass transfer, both diffusion and ultrafiltration were simulated. On the blood side theoretical Sherwood numbers for parallel flow in pipes were adopted. On the dialysate side Sherwood numbers were derived from CFD predictions for regular hexagonal fiber bundles. Solute concentrations on the two sides were alternatively computed in an iterative way and were…
INNOVATIVE PHOTOVOLTAIC-THERMAL HEAT PUMP SOLUTIONS FOR DOMESTIC HOT WATER PRODUCTION
2022
With the rapid growth of energy consumption in the building sector and the consequent necessity to develop energy efficiency strategies, the application of heat pump systems seems to be a competitive solution to improve energy efficiency. In particular, air-source heat pump (ASHP) systems assisted by solar energy have drawn great attention, owing to their great feasibility in buildings for space heating/cooling and hot ater production purposes. The complementation system between solar and air energy can solve the poor performance of the air source heat pump under low-temperature conditions and can also make up for the shortcoming of the solar collector as an unstable energy source. Both sol…
Letter to the Editor Regarding "Cystoventricular Drainage of Intracranial Arachnoid Cysts in Adults".
2022
AR METHODS FOR THE VISUALIZATION OF THE LOST MARBLE “TRIBUNA” IN THE MAIN APSE OF THE CATHEDRAL OF PALERMO
2022
Abstract. In recent years research works have shown that augmented reality tools can offer effective support for the dissemination of architectural heritage, when integrated into the information data extracted with surveying and representation tools and further data from other sources, e.g., history.The development and permanent updating of software platforms dedicated to augmented reality, i.e., Apple's ARKit and Google's ARCore, as well as the introduction of new features, offer today affordable support for the development of AR solutions.Some operational difficulties are due to the rapid and constant evolution of the technologies; the available solutions can be compared to prototypes and…
Nespole disidratate: un nuovo prodotto creato a partire da frutti di scarto
2022
La disidratazione delle nespole, sia a polpa gialla che a polpa bianca, rappresenta un metodo innovativo per prolungare la shelf-life dei frutti e per poter reinventare un prodotto che altrimenti verrebbe individuato come scarto alimentare. Anche se alcuni parametri, come il colore e la consistenza, hanno subito un cambiamento, rimangono comunque apprezzati a livello sensoriale. Tra tutti i trattamenti le nespole disidratate a polpa bianca della cv Claudia hanno mostrato una migliore evoluzione dei parametri qualitativi e la tecnica di packaging in MAP non ne ha influenzato l’evoluzione dei parametri. In definitiva, tramite una semplice trasformazione, come la disidratazione in corrente di …
Spatial and temporal distribution of SARS-CoV-2 diversity circulating in wastewater
2022
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has proven to be an effective tool for epidemiological surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, combining WBE together with high-throughput sequencing techniques can be useful for the analysis of SARS-CoV-2 viral diversity present in a given sample. The present study focuses on the genomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in 76 sewage samples collected during the three epidemiological waves that occurred in Spain from 14 wastewater treatment plants distributed throughout the country. The results obtained demonstrate that the metagenomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater allows the detection of mutations that define the B.1.1.…
Syntactic complexity in Finnish-background EFL learners’ writing at CEFR levels A1–B2
2022
Eurooppalaisen viitekehyksen (EVK) merkitys kielikoulutukselle on lisännyt tutkimusta sen taitotasojen kielellisistä piirteistä; tarkempi tieto näistä piirteistä auttaisi EVK:n soveltamista opetusmateriaalien, kurssien ja arviointin laatimiseen. Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin eroavatko EVK:n tasot toisistaan syntaksin kompleksisuuden perusteella. Suomalaiset 14- ja 17-vuotiaat englannin oppijat (N=379) kirjoittivat kolme kirjoitelmaa, jotka arvioitiin EVK:n taitotasoille. Arviointiaineisto tutkittiin monitahoisella Rasch-analyysillä ja tekstien piirteet selvitettiin automaattisilla analyysiohjelmilla. Tuloksien perusteella alimpia EVK-tasoja (A1–A2) erotti selvimmin toisistaan lauseiden ja T-yk…
Epidemiología de la transfusión sanguínea en los Servicios de Medicina Intensiva en España: «Transfusion Day»
2022
Objective To describe the transfusion practice in the ICUs in Spain, according to national and international recommendations (guidelines).DesignProspective, cross-sectional, multi-centre study.ScopeData collection was carried out by means of a questionnaire sent electronically to the Heads of Service of 111 ICUs in Spain.Participants1,448 patients were included, aged 61.8 (SD 15.7) years, 66.2% male, with an SOFA of 4.7 ± 3.8 and average stay of 10.62 ± 17.49 days.VariablesDemographic and clinical variables of the patients were collected, as well as variables related to the transfusion act.ResultsOf the 1,448 patients, 9.9% received al least one transfusion of any blood product, 3.7% fresh …
Peri-operative red blood cell transfusion in neonates and infants: NEonate and Children audiT of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe: A prospective Europe…
2022
BACKGROUND Little is known about current clinical practice concerning peri-operative red blood cell transfusion in neonates and small infants. Guidelines suggest transfusions based on haemoglobin thresholds ranging from 8.5 to 12���g���dl-1, distinguishing between children from birth to day 7 (week 1), from day 8 to day 14 (week 2) or from day 15 (���week 3) onwards. OBJECTIVE To observe peri-operative red blood cell transfusion practice according to guidelines in relation to patient outcome. DESIGN A multicentre observational study. SETTING The NEonate-Children sTudy of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe (NECTARINE) trial recruited patients up to 60 weeks' postmenstrual age undergoing anaesthe…
Transient asymptomatic bradycardia and Remdesivir in COVID-19 patients
2022
BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a coronavirus in humans, namely SARS-CoV-2, which has quickly become a global pandemic. The infection is responsible for a severe form of pneumonia, which may lead to lung failure and death. Among the therapeutic strategies, the antiviral agent Remdesivir has become one of the most used drugs. The current literature reports a causal correlation between Remdesivir administration and the incidence of cardiovascular effects. We aimed at further investigating this relationship, by exploring the association between the use of Remdesivir and the onset of bradyarrhythmic disorders. METHODS: We reviewed medical records, blood exams and chest i…
Electromechanical properties in CaTiO 3 modified Na 0.5 Bi 0.5 TiO 3 -BaTiO 3 solid solutions above morphotropic phase boundary
2022
This work was supported by Mutual funds Taiwan–Latvia–Lithuania cooperation project (Application No. LV-LT-TW/2020/10). The Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia at the Center of Excellence, received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under Grant Agreement No. 739508, project CAMART.2 This project also received funding from the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT; Agreement No. S-LLT-20-4). The authors are also indebted to D. Bocharov for technical assistance.
Asymptotic efficiency of the calibration estimator in a high-dimensional data setting
2022
Abstract In a finite population sampling survey, auxiliary information is commonly used to improve the Horvitz-Thompson estimators and calibration has been extensively used by national statistical agencies over the last decades for that purpose. This method enables to make estimators consistent with known totals of auxiliary variables and to reduce variance if the calibration variables are explanatory for the variable of interest. Nowadays, it is not unusual anymore to have high-dimensional auxiliary data sets and adding too much additional calibration variables may increase the variance of calibration estimators. We study in this paper the asymptotic efficiency of the calibration estimator…
Le proprietà nutrizionali e salutistiche del formaggio in funzione della stagione di pascolamento
2022
Il consumo alimentare si è notevolmente modificato negli ultimi anni. L’alimento, oltre a rappresentare una fonte di nutrienti, è diventato anche espressione dello stile di vita ed un mezzo di interazione e distinzione tra le persone. Il consumatore moderno, in risposta ai modelli alimentari che nei paesi industrializzati hanno generato gravi problemi di salute (obesità, malattie cardiovascolari, tumori), tende ad essere più informato, critico ed esigente sotto il profilo salutistico. Inoltre, cresce nel consumatore l'interesse per il cibo sostenibile proveniente da sistemi che, contribuendo alla mitigazione delle emissioni di CO2 e limitando lo sfruttamento delle risorse naturali, producon…
Valutazione del potenziale anticancro del frutto di Mangifera indica proveniente dalle aree rurali siciliane
2022
Governance, foreign aid, and Chinese foreign direct investment
2022
This article examines how Chinese foreign aid interacts with the quality of the host country's governance in shaping Chinese state-owned enterprises' (CSOEs') foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa. By analyzing the firm-level greenfield FDI data of CSOEs between 2003 and 2014 and distinguishing between China's official development assistance and less concessional forms of Chinese foreign aid, we reveal two main findings. First, the quality of the host country's governance negatively affects CSOEs' FDI. Second, other official aid and loans from China negatively moderate the relationship between the quality of the host country's governance and FDI by CSOEs. Specifically, the tendency for …
Fibred-categorical obstruction theory
2022
Abstract We set up a fibred categorical theory of obstruction and classification of morphisms that specialises to the one of monoidal functors between categorical groups and also to the Schreier-Mac Lane theory of group extensions. Further applications are provided to crossed extensions and crossed bimodule butterflies, with in particular a classification of non-abelian extensions of unital associative algebras in terms of Hochschild cohomology.
Producer Services and the Current Account
2022
Abstract In this paper, we present evidence that countries which experienced a larger expansion of services as a share of GDP in recent years exhibited lower current account balances. We argue that this relationship is compatible with the notion that producer services raise aggregate productivity by enhancing increasing returns to specialization, and we develop a model in which the deregulation of the services industry results in higher GDP growth, a reallocation of resources into the services industry, and a temporary current account deficit. We demonstrate that our theoretical argument is supported by the data, even if we control for a multitude of other factors that potentially affect th…
Photocycle of point defects in highly- and weakly-germanium doped silica revealed by transient absorption measurements with femtosecond tunable pump.
2022
AbstractWe report pump-probe transient absorption measurements addressing the photocycle of the Germanium lone pair center (GLPC) point defect with an unprecedented time resolution. The GLPC is a model point defect with a simple and well-understood electronic structure, highly relevant for several applications. Therefore, a full explanation of its photocycle is fundamental to understand the relaxation mechanisms of such molecular-like systems in solid state. The experiment, carried out exciting the sample resonantly with the ultraviolet (UV) GLPC absorption band peaked at 5.1 eV, gave us the possibility to follow the defect excitation-relaxation dynamics from the femto-picosecond to the nan…
Human and organizational factors in European nuclear safety: A fifty-year perspective on insights, implementations, and ways forward
2022
Abstract In this essay we investigate the “lessons learned” within the domain of human and organizational factors (HOF) from operating European nuclear power plants (NPPs) in a fifty-year perspective. Specifically, we consider learning processes at an industry level that aim at promoting human contributions to nuclear safety. This is done by bringing together two main perspectives: (1) a historical perspective on HOF-related institutional and research initiatives is presented by outlining the history of nuclear safety according to three major nuclear accidents, (2) an applied perspective is provided on how HOF are managed in the field. This latter perspective rests on the results of the EU …
Management of Complex Cerebral Aneurysms
2022
BACKGROUND: Complex intracranial aneurysms (CIAs) are challenging pathologies to treat. Characteristics making an aneurysm complex include dimension, history of previous treatment, location, absence of collateral circulation, intraluminal thrombosis, and calcification of the wall. The goal of the therapeutic process is to exclude the malformation from the cerebral circulation and both endovascular and surgical treatments are valid procedures.METHODS: Between 1990 and 2020, 170 CIAs were treated at our institution (33 ruptured, 137 unruptured). They were 3 prepetrous segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA), 14 purely intracavernous sinus, 27 intracavernous with subarachnoid extension, 6…
Environmental and digital innovation in food: The role of digital food hubs in the creation of sustainable local agri-food systems.
2022
This document is based on the study of what a local digital food hub is. Topics such as the sustainability of agri-food systems, de-agrarianization and the causes related to them are covered, but also such principles as “shared value”, useful for improving the competitiveness of a company as well as the economical and social conditions within the communities in which it operates. In addition to these discussions, an excursus is created on the actual developments of the models ranging from “field to table”, with the new possibilities obtained from modern types of distribution networks, particularly focusing on Food Hubs and the first reasons for the validity of the system. Having explained t…
Le sfide della formazione urbanistica nell’era post-pandemia
2022
La diffusione dell’infezione da Sars-CoV2 e la crisi di sistema, che ne è conseguita, hanno generato una serie di impatti che vanno ben oltre il campo dell’epidemiologia investendo anche l’ambito della formazione accademica dei futuri pianificatori sotto il profilo sia dei contenuti che delle metodologie didattiche. L’articolo restituisce una riflessione critica sull’impatto della pandemia da Covid-19 sull’insegnamento del planning a partire dalle esperienze didattiche condotte dall’autore presso il Corso di laurea magistrale in Pianificazione territoriale urbanistica e ambientale dell’Università degli Studi di Palermo. Un’occasione per avviare un ragionamento più ampio non solo sulle compe…
Avoiding Complications in Aneurysm Ligation: Operative Tips and Tricks
2022
Preventing possible complications during brain aneurysm surgery is mandatory to ensure a better outcome for patients. Currently, it is possible to rely on some technologic innovations such as motor evoked potential, endoscope-assisted surgery, dye with indocyanine green, and video angiography capable of supporting the surgeon's work. The innovation process has mainly assisted the endovascular technique compared with surgery. The latter, apart from some new technical expedients, always requires anatomic knowledge and optimal technical preparation. A careful patient selection, adequate surgical exposure, use of microsurgical techniques in expert hands, and meticulous postoperative management …
Genetic colour variation visible for predators and conspecifics is concealed from humans in a polymorphic moth
2022
The definition of colour polymorphism is intuitive: genetic variants express discretely coloured phenotypes. This classification is, however, elusive as humans form subjective categories or ignore differences that cannot be seen by human eyes. We demonstrate an example of a 'cryptic morph' in a polymorphic wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis), a phenomenon that may be common among well-studied species. We used pedigree data from nearly 20,000 individuals to infer the inheritance of hindwing colouration. The evidence supports a single Mendelian locus with two alleles in males: WW and Wy produce the white and yy the yellow hindwing colour. The inheritance could not be resolved in females as t…
Adaptive Control Design for Underactuated Cranes With Guaranteed Transient Performance: Theoretical Design and Experimental Verification
2022
For antiswing control of underactuated cranes, how to guarantee the converging speed of cranes through control design is essential but still remains unsolved. In this paper, the adaptive antiswing control for underactuated gantry cranes with guaranteed transient performance under unmodeled dynamics and external disturbances is investigated. To sovle this problem, a set of filters are proposed to make the backstepping technique applicable for the control of crane systems. Then through variable transformation the position error and swing angel could be guaranteed converging to the origin with a given exponential speed. Hardware experiments are conducted to show that the proposed scheme achiev…
Rooftop Oasis. Re-commoning urban natures. Regenerating So-Ho and its energies
2022
In the age of increasing global warming, in an era in which sustainable design practicies are entering the mainstream of the profession, we must develop novel ways of design thinking that must address a variety of dominans. The contribution describes present and future paradigms of city design.
Prodrugs of sulfacetamide: Synthesis, X-ray structure, Hirshfeld analysis, antibacterial assessment, and docking studies
2022
Abstract New prodrugs of sulfacetamide as azo compounds were synthesized and have been evidenced through elemental and spectral analyses. Their synthesis was carried out by coupling the diazonium salt of sulfacetamide with activated carbanion salt of ethyl acetoacetate at 0 ˚C to afford the hydrazono derivative 3. Other prodrugs as sulfacetamide-pyrazoles, 5a, 5b and 5c were furnished via cyclocondensation of 3 with aryl/heteroaryl hydrazines. X-ray diffraction for single crystal was used to confirm the molecular and supramolecular structures of 3. In addition, DFT studies were performed to analyze the geometric parameters and compute the electronic properties of 3 and 5a-c. Hirshfeld analy…
Violenza
2022
Il capitolo descrive la genesi e gli aspetti molteplici della violenza interpersonale fra i generi eplicitando i passaggi interpretativi che che hanno determinato le diverse definizioni del fenomeno in ambito sociologico: Violence against Women, Gender based Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, violenza di prossimità The chapter describes the genesis and multiple aspects of interpersonal violence between genders, epitomizing the interpretative passages that have determined the different definitions of the phenomenon in the sociological field: Violence against Women, Gender based Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, proximity violence
Ecology and extent of freshwater browning - What we know and what should be studied next in the context of global change
2022
Water browning or brownification refers to increasing water color, often related to increasing dissolved organic matter (DOM) and carbon (DOC) content in freshwaters. Browning has been recognized as a significant physicochemical phenomenon altering boreal lakes, but our understanding of its ecological consequences in different freshwater habitats and regions is limited. Here, we review the consequences of browning on different freshwater habitats, food webs and aquatic-terrestrial habitat coupling. We examine global trends of browning and DOM/DOC, and the use of remote sensing as a tool to investigate browning from local to global scales. Studies have focused on lakes and rivers while seldo…
Validation of a multi-residue UHPLC-HRMS method for antibiotics screening in milk, fresh cheese, and whey
2022
Abstract The aim of this study was to develop a UHPLC–HRMS methodology as a suitable tool for the screening of antibiotics in milk, fresh cheese, and whey. Compounds were analysed using an Orbitrap Exactive™ analyser working at a resolving power of 50,000 FWHM in full scan, both in positive and negative electrospray ionization mode, and a high mass accuracy (
Natural Course, Clinical Profile, and Treatment Strategies for Cerebral Cavernous Malformations
2022
A large body of evidence has suggested that the natural biology for symptomatic cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) is dynamic. These lesions exhibit a temporal clustering epiphenomenon and usually manifest with multispectral clinical patterns, the most relevant being hemorrhagic and seizurogenic events. Most patients with cerebral cavernous malformations are asymptomatic, and the lesions are detected as incidentalomas. However, association with the CCM3 gene, Zabramski type I and II lesions, and brainstem location have the propensity to increase the bleeding events. The rebleeding risk is 20%/year per lesion, which supports the need for surgical strategies for brainstem cavernous malfo…
Investigation of hydrogen and deuterium impact on the release of tritium from two-phase lithium ceramics under reactor irradiation
2022
In the development of fusion energy, an important task is the study and improvement of tritium production technologies. In this case, one of the most promising materials for tritium generation is lithium ceramics. Considering the importance of the task, numerous studies are aimed at solving the problem of determining the parameters and mechanisms of tritium release in lithium-containing materials. This paper presents the results of a study of tritium release processes from two-phase lithium ceramics of Li$_{4}$SiO$_{4}$/Li$_{2}$TiO$_{3}$ during reactor irradiation when hydrogen and deuterium are injected into the chamber with irradiated samples. The mechanisms regularities of the tritium yi…