A population of red candidate massive galaxies ~600 Myr after the Big Bang

2023

Galaxies with stellar masses as high as $\sim 10^{11}$ solar masses have been identified out to redshifts $z \sim 6$, approximately one billion years after the Big Bang. It has been difficult to find massive galaxies at even earlier times, as the Balmer break region, which is needed for accurate mass estimates, is redshifted to wavelengths beyond $2.5\mum$. Here we make use of the $1-5\mum$ coverage of the JWST early release observations to search for intrinsically red galaxies in the first ~750 million years of cosmic history. In the survey area, we find six candidate massive galaxies (stellar mass $>10^{10}$ solar masses) at $7.4 < z < 9.1$, 500 - 700 Myr after the Big Bang, incl…

Il voto digitale: tra assenteismo parlamentare e astensionismo popolare. Problemi e prospettive

2023

Lo scritto affronta il vasto tema del voto digitale facendo riferimento tanto alla partecipazione popolare quanto a quella parlamentare. Partendo da una comparazione delle esperienze degli altri ordinamenti, il lavoro mira a stimolare una riflessione circa la convenienza dell’introduzione del voto digitale nei procedimenti elettorali e in alcuni aspetti delle procedure parlamentari. Essendo da tempo discussa l’affidabilità di tali sistemi informatici, l’articolo intende, inoltre, soffermarsi sui più recenti sviluppi in tema di cyber-security e blockchain, cercando di illustrare come grazie a questi si potrebbero ottenere livelli di affidabilità e trasparenza idonei a mettere alla prova, sen…

Spatial variation in the evolutionary potential and constraints of basal metabolic rate and body mass in a wild bird

2023

An organism's energy budget is strongly related to resource consumption, performance, and fitness. Hence, understanding the evolution of key energetic traits, such as basal metabolic rate (BMR), in natural populations is central for understanding life-history evolution and ecological processes. Here we used quantitative genetic analyses to study evolutionary potential of BMR in two insular populations of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). We obtained measurements of BMR and body mass (Mb) from 911 house sparrows on the islands of Leka and Vega along the coast of Norway. These two populations were the source populations for translocations to create an additional third, admixed ‘common ga…

Akadēmiķa Jāņa Endzelīna 150. dzimšanas dienas atcerei veltīta starptautiska zinātniska konference "Endzelīns. Valoda. Laiks": Tēzes

2023

Tēžu krājumā apvienotas LU Latviešu valodas institūta rīkotās akadēmiķa Jāņa Endzelīna (1873–1961) 150. dzimšanas dienas atcerei veltītās starptautiskas zinātniskas konferences tēzes, kuras iesnieguši 43 konferences dalībnieki no Latvijas, Lietuvas, Igaunijas, Somijas, Ukrainas, Čehijas, Norvēģijas un Vācijas. Akadēmiķa atceres konferences tiek rīkotas jau kopš 1963. gada. 2023. gada 22.–23. februāra konference “Endzelīns. Valoda. Laiks” bija īpaša, jo tika atzīmēta valodnieka simtpiecdesmitgade; tajā tika godināts Jānis Endzelīns un viņa devums baltistikā, kā arī skartas viņa pētītās jomas: gramatika, onomastika, dialektoloģija, vēsturiskā valodniecība, indoeiropeistika un valodas kultūra.…

Contribution and effectiveness of ski and pole forces in selected roller skiing techniques on treadmill at moderate inclines

2023

BackgroundMost of the studies about the effects of incline on cross-country skiing are related to the metabolic efficiency. The effective skiing biomechanics has also been indicated to be among the key factors that may promote good performance. The aims of this study were to provide biomechanical characteristics and investigate the relative contribution and effectiveness of ski and pole forces in overcoming the total external resistance with double poling (DP) and Gear 3 (G3) techniques at varying moderate uphill inclines.Methods10 male cross-country skiers participated in this study. Custom-made force measurement bindings, pole force sensors, and an 8-camera Vicon system were used to colle…

Atmospheric Deposition around the Industrial Areas of Milazzo and Priolo Gargallo (Sicily–Italy)—Part A: Major Ions

2023

The chemical composition of rainwater was studied in two highly-industrialised areas in Sicily (southern Italy), between June 2018 and July 2019. The study areas were characterised by large oil refining plants and other industrial hubs whose processes contribute to the release of large amounts of gaseous species that can affect the chemical composition of atmospheric deposition As in most of the Mediterranean area, rainwater acidity (ranging in the study area between 3.9 and 8.3) was buffered by the dissolution of abundant geogenic carbonate aerosol. In particular, calcium and magnesium cations showed the highest pH-neutralizing factor, with ~92% of the acidity brought by SO42− and NO…

Social Participation Considered as Meaningful in old age − the Perceptions of Senior Housing Residents in Finland

2023

AbstractAs populations across the world age, there is a recognised need for promoting social participation in older adults. Previous studies related to social participation have addressed that interactions perceived as meaningful may improve quality of life in old age. However, what is less clear is the nature of such participation from the perspective of older adults, as the vast majority of studies have been quantitative. The present study aimed to explore what characterises social participation that contributes to a meaningful everyday life, from the viewpoint of independently living Finnish older adults. Thematic analysis was used as an interpretative method drawing on semi-structured i…

Functional Linear Models for the Analysis of Similarity of Waveforms

2023

In seismology methods based on waveform similarity analysis are adopted to identify sequences of events characterized by similar fault mechanism and propagation pattern. Seismic waves can be considered as spatially interdependent, three dimensional curves depending on time and the waveform similarity analysis can be configured as a functional clustering approach, on the basis of which the membership is assessed by the shape of the temporal patterns. For providing qualitative extraction of the most important information from the recorded signals, we propose the use of metadata, related to the waves, as covariates of a functional response regression model. The temporal patterns of this effect…

Shortwave Ultraviolet Persistent Luminescence of Sr2MgSi2O7: Pr3+

2023

Currently, extensive research activities are devoted to developing persistent phosphors which extend beyond the visible range. In some emerging applications, long-lasting emission of high-energy photons is required; however, suitable materials for the shortwave ultraviolet (UV–C) band are extremely limited. This study reports a novel Sr2MgSi2O7 phosphor doped with Pr3+ ions, which exhibits UV–C persistent luminescence with maximum intensity at 243 nm. The solubility of Pr3+ in the matrix is analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and optimal activator concentration is determined. Optical and structural properties are characterised by photoluminescence (PL), thermally stimulated lumi…

Forest Sharing® as an Innovative Facility for Sustainable Forest Management of Fragmented Forest Properties: First Results of Its Implementation

2023

The forestry sector in Italy and throughout Europe is going through a critical period due to ongoing natural and anthropological processes, such as climate change and the abandonment of rural areas. These processes lead to a constant fragmentation of properties in small forest parcels, with direct impacts on management capacity. In this framework, new sustainable forest management methods are being tested and are shown to be good practices to oppose the decline of forest ecosystems. Their innovative aspects concern the introduction of a form of shared and circular economy, where management is built on the process, rather than on the product. Their technical activities are based on precision…

Effects of Long-Term Physical Activity and BCAA Availability on the Subcellular Associations between Intramyocellular Lipids, Perilipins and PGC-1&al…

2023

Cellular skeletal muscle lipid metabolism is of paramount importance for metabolic health, specifically through its connection to branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) metabolism and through its modulation by exercise. In this study, we aimed at better understanding intramyocellular lipids (IMCL) and their related key proteins in response to physical activity and BCAA deprivation. By means of confocal microscopy, we examined IMCL and the lipid droplet coating proteins PLIN2 and PLIN5 in human twin pairs discordant for physical activity. Additionally, in order to study IMCLs, PLINs and their association to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) in cytosolic…

Measurement of the e+e−→π+π−J/ψ cross section in the vicinity of 3.872 GeV

2023

Interaction of microphysics and dynamics in a warm conveyor belt simulated with the ICON model

2023

Abstract. The representation of warm conveyor belts (WCBs) in numerical weather prediction (NWP) models is important, as they are responsible for the major precipitation in extratropical cyclones and modulate the large-scale flow evolution. Their cross-isentropic ascent into the upper troposphere is influenced by latent heat release mostly, but not exclusively, from cloud formation whose representation in NWP models is associated with large uncertainties. The diabatic heating additionally modifies the potential vorticity (PV) distribution which influences the circulation. We analyse diabatic heating and associated PV rates from all physics processes, including microphysics, turbulence, conv…

Vegetation Patterns in the Hyperbolic Klausmeier Model with Secondary Seed Dispersal

2023

This work focuses on the dynamics of vegetation stripes in sloped semi-arid environments in the presence of secondary seed dispersal and inertial effects. To this aim, a hyperbolic generalization of the Klausmeier model that encloses the advective downhill transport of plant biomass is taken into account. Analytical investigations were performed to deduce the wave and Turing instability loci at which oscillatory and stationary vegetation patterns arise, respectively. Additional information on the possibility of predicting a null-migrating behavior was extracted with suitable approximations of the dispersion relation. Numerical simulations were also carried out to corroborate theoretical pre…

Effect of confinement and Coulomb interactions on the electronic structure of (111) LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interface

2023

A tight binding supercell approach is used for the calculation of the electronic structure of the (111) LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interface. The confinement potential at the interface is evaluated solving a discrete Poisson equation by means of an iterative method. In addition to the effect of the confinement, local Hubbard electron-electron terms are included at mean-field level within a fully self-consistent procedure. The calculation carefully describes how the two-dimensional electron gas arises from the quantum confinement of electrons near the interface due to band bending potential. The resulting electronic sub-bands and Fermi surfaces show full agreement with the electronic structure dete…

Pelagic calcium carbonate production and shallow dissolution in the North Pacific Ocean

2023

Funding: Funding was provided by NSF Grants OCE1220600 and OCE1220302 awarded to JA and WB, respectively, MINECO PID2020-113526RB-I00, the Generalitat de Catalunya MERS (#2017 SGR-1588) awarded to PZ and NERC grant NE/N011716/1 awarded to JR. Planktonic calcifying organisms play a key role in regulating ocean carbonate chemistry and atmospheric CO2. Surprisingly, references to the absolute and relative contribution of these organisms to calcium carbonate production are lacking. Here we report quantification of pelagic calcium carbonate production in the North Pacific, providing new insights on the contribution of the three main planktonic calcifying groups. Our results show that coccolithop…

Developing Students Well-Being and Engagement in Higher Education during COVID-19—A Case Study of Web-Based Learning in Finland

2023

COVID-19 rapidly and extensively changed the normal everyday practices of societies, and there is no going back to the past. Universities also had to adapt and re-establish their normal routines, from policies to practices. In this article, we explore university students’ experiences of web-based learning, their well-being, and engagement during the pandemic. As a theoretical framework, we use the concept of the university student engagement inventory (USEI), which includes behavioral, cognitive, and emotional dimensions. The data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic from university students (N = 35) via an online survey and analyzed using a thematic content analysis. According to th…

A vacuum transition in the FSM with a possible new take on the horizon problem in cosmology

2023

The framed standard model (FSM), constructed to explain the empirical mass and mixing patterns of quarks and leptons, gives the same result as the standard model in almost all areas in particle physics where it has been successfully applied, except for a few deviations such as the W mass and the g-2 of muons, where experiment is showing departures from what SM predicts. It predicts further the existence of a hidden sector of particles which may function as dark matter. In this paper, we first note that the above results involve the FSM undergoing a vacuum transition at a scale of around 17 MeV, where the vev's of the colour framons which are all nonzero above that scale acquire some vanishi…

Metrology and multipartite entanglement in measurement-induced phase transition

2023

Measurement-induced phase transition arises from the competition between a deterministic quantum evolution and a repeated measurement process. We explore the measurement-induced phase transition through the Quantum Fisher Information in two different metrological scenarios. We demonstrate through the scaling behavior of the quantum Fisher information the transition of the multi-partite entanglement across the phases. In analogy with standard quantum phase transition, we reveal signature of a measurement-induced phase transition in the non-analytic behaviour of the quantum Fisher information as the measurement strength approaches the critical value. Our results offer novel insights into the …

Acute appendicitis and situs viscerum inversus: radiological and surgical approach—a systematic review

2023

Abstract Introduction Acute appendicitis is one of the most frequent intra-abdominal diseases requiring emergency surgical consult and treatment. The diagnosis of this condition is based on clinical features and radiologic findings. One-third of patients with acute appendicitis present unusual symptoms. There are several circumstances that may cause misdiagnosis and unclear prognostic prediction. Among these, situs viscerum inversus totalis and midgut malrotation can be challenging scenarios, leading to a delay in treatment, especially when these conditions are unknown. We decided to carry on a systematic review of published cases of acute appendicitis in the context of anatomical anomalies…

Electrodialysis with Bipolar Membranes for the Sustainable Production of Chemicals from Seawater Brines at Pilot Plant Scale

2023

Environmental concerns regarding the disposal of seawater reverse osmosis brines require the development of new valorization strategies. Electrodialysis with bipolar membrane (EDBM) technology enables the production of acid and base from a salty waste stream. In this study, an EDBM pilot plant with a membrane area of 19.2 m2 was tested. This total membrane area results much larger (i.e., more than 16 times larger) than those reported in the literature so far for the production of HCl and NaOH aqueous solutions, starting from NaCl brines. The pilot unit was tested both in continuous and discontinuous operation modes, at different current densities (200-500 A m-2). Particularly, three differe…

Evaluation of Correlation between Sleep and Psychiatric Disorders in a Population of Night Shift Workers: A Pilot Study

2023

Background: Insomnia is the perception of inadequate, insufficient or non-restorative sleep. Of all sleep-related disorders, insomnia is the most common. It is important to remember that the sleep–wake cycle also plays a central role in the genesis of anxiety and depression. The aim of our study is to evaluate the association between sleep disturbances and anxiety and depression in a group of workers of both sexes who perform night shift work. Methods: Information on sleep disorders was collected by administering the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) questionnaire. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Chi-square test to assess whether there were any differences between sex for those who…

Microchimerism and multiple sclerosis: a study on the impact of the sex of offspring on clinical, radiological, and paraclinical features of maternal…

2023

Background. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterised by inflammation and neurodegeneration and representing one of the most common causes of neurologic disability among young adults. Over the last 40 years, several authors have confirmed the existence of fetal cells in maternal blood and their pregnancy-related origin, demonstrating that pregnancy may establish a long-term, low-grade chimeric state in women. The biological and clinical significance of fetal microchimeric cells (fMCs) in maternal health is largely unknown, although a role in autoimmune diseases have been hypothesised. Aims. The overarching aim of my PhD dissertation was to investigate the role o…

Nonequilibrium dynamics of nonconservative diffusion processes

2023

Fokker-Planck operators of diffusion processes with nonconservative drift fields, in dimension $N\geq 2$, can be directly related with non-Hermitian electromagnetic-type Hamiltonian generators of motion. The induced nonequilibrium dynamics of probability densities points towards an issue of path integral solutions of the Fokker-Planck equation, and calls for revisiting links between known exact path integral formulas for quantum propagators in real and Euclidean time, with these for Fokker-Planck-induced transition probability density functions. In below we shall follow the $N=3$ "magnetic thread", within which one encounters formally and conceptually distinct implementations of the magneti…

Spanish adaptation of the Burden Assessment Scale in family caregivers of people diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder

2023

Abstract Background Caregiving is a strong source of stress and leads the family caregiver to experience the burden of being responsible for the care of a severely mentally ill family member. The Burden Assessment Scale (BAS) assesses burden in family caregivers. This study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the BAS in a sample of family caregivers of people diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Methods Participants were 233 Spanish family caregivers (157 women and 76 men aged between 16–76 years old, M = 54.44, SD = 10.09) of people diagnosed with BPD. The BAS, the Multicultural Quality of Life Index, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 were used. Result…

Fecal Calprotectin in Self-Reported Milk Intolerance: Not Only Lactose Intolerance

2023

The hypothesis is that inflammatory/allergic conditions should be considered in self-reported milk intolerance (SRMI) patients who test negative and/or are asymptomatic at Lactose Hydrogen Breath Test (LHBT). We analyzed fecal calprotectin (FCP) values in SRMI patients to investigate the frequency of a “positive” intestinal inflammation marker and its correlation with lactose tolerance/intolerance. Data from 329 SRMI patients were retrospectively analyzed; according to the positive/negative results (maldigester/digester) and the presence/absence of symptoms reported during LHBT (intolerant/tolerant), patients were divided into: ‘lactose tolerants’ (n. 104), ‘ma…

Major ions and trace elements composition of rainwater around the two industrial areas of Milazzo and Priolo Gargallo (Sicily - Italy)

2023

This database shows the concentration of major ions and trace elements in rainwater from two polluted industrial areas of Sicily, Milazzo and Priolo Gargallo, collected from June 2018 to July 2019, through a network of 11 bulk collectors to sample bulk atmospheric deposition, for a total of 131 samples collected. Different sources, both natural and anthropogenic, for both major ions and trace elements have been recognised. This study also highlighted some critical issues with common methods of sampling and analysing atmospheric deposition. The analysis and comparison of two different aliquots, filtered and unfiltered rainwater, has shown that the filtration method removes from the sample a …

New perspectives in time-resolved laser-induced electron diffraction

2023

Journal of physics / B 56(5), 054002 (2023). doi:10.1088/1361-6455/acb872

Pain Increases the Risk for Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Adults: Results From the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

2023

AbstractBackgroundPain and sarcopenia are common in older people. Cross-sectional studies have reported a significant association between these two conditions, but cohort studies exploring pain as a potential risk factor for sarcopenia are scarce. Given this background, the aim of the present work was to investigate the association between pain (and its severity) at baseline, and the incidence of sarcopenia over 10 years of follow-up in a large representative sample of the English older adult population.MethodsPain was diagnosed using self-reported information and categorized as mild to severe pain at four sites (low back, hip, knee, and feet). Incident sarcopenia was defined as having low …

First simultaneous measurement of $\Xi^0$ and $\bar{\Xi}^0$ asymmetry parameters in $\psi(3686)$ decay

2023

The $\Xi^0$ asymmetry parameters are measured using entangled quantum $\Xi^0$-$\bar{\Xi}^0$ pairs from a sample of $(448.1 \pm 2.9) \times 10^6$ $\psi(3686)$ events collected with the BESIII detector at BEPCII. The relative phase between the transition amplitudes of the $\Xi^0 \bar{\Xi}^0$ helicity states is measured to be $\Delta \Phi = -0.050 \pm 0.150 \pm 0.020$~rad, which implies that there is no obvious polarization at the current level of statistics. The decay parameters of the $\Xi^0$ hyperon $(\alpha_{\Xi^0}, \alpha_{\bar{\Xi}^0}, \phi_{\Xi^0}, \phi_{\bar{\Xi}^0})$ and the angular distribution parameter $(\alpha_{\psi(3686)})$ and $\Delta \Phi$ are measured simultaneously for the fi…

Gold Au(I)6 Clusters with Ligand-Derived Atomic Steric Locking: Multifunctional Optoelectrical Properties and Quantum Coherence

2023

Funding Information: This work was supported by the ERC Advanced grant (DRIVEN, ERC‐2016‐AdG‐742829), the ERC grant (834742), the EU H2020‐MSCA‐RISE‐872049 (IPN‐Bio), the Academy of Finland's Centre of Excellence in Molecular Engineering of Biosynthetic Hybrid Materials Research (HYBER, 2014–2019), and Life‐Inspired Hybrid Materials (LIBER, 346108), Academy of Finland project fundings (No. 352900, 314810, 333982, 336144, 352780, 352930 and 353364), FinnCERES and Photonics Research and Innovation (PREIN) flagship programs. The authors acknowledge the provision of facilities and technical support by Aalto University OtaNano – Nanomicroscopy Center (Aalto‐NMC). | openaire: EC/H2020/834742/EU//…

New insight about the mural painting branches of Roman baths in Reggio Calabria

2023

The Roman baths in Reggio Calabria (Italy) provides many information regarding both engineering and technology for this type of buildings. A small treasure of three survived mural paintings enclose information about the artistic style and the ancient luxury of the baths. In order to get light on the executive technique and conservation state we performed the investigation of these paintings by following a non invasive approach composed of multispectral imaging and spectroscopic analysis. By so doing we determined the pigment palette and the distribution of some pigments allowing us to make some hypothesis about the executive technique and provide a basis for a future virtual restoration of …

New Insight on Archaeological Metal Finds, Nails and Lead Sheathings of the Punic Ship from Battle of the Egadi Islands

2023

The wreck of the Punic ship exhibited at the Archaeological Park of Lilybaeum (Marsala, Italy) is a unique example in the world. In this paper, the investigation of some metal finds (30 nails and 3 fragments of sheathings) belonging to the wreck of the Punic ship is reported. Portable X-ray fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy allowed us to identify the elements and compounds constituting them and make some deductions about their composition. X-ray diffractometry, polarised optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of the collected micro-samples allowed us to explain the degradation that occurred in the underwater environment.

Moniammatillisen yhteistyön kirjaaminen ja yhteistyötahojen asemointi esi- ja perusopetuksessa laadituissa oppimissuunnitelmissa ja HOJKS-asiakirjois…

2023

Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan, miten moniammatilliset yhteistyötahot asemoidaan esi- ja perusopetuksessa laadituissa oppimisen ja koulunkäynnin tuen asiakirjoissa. Tutkimusaineisto koostui 114 oppimissuunnitelmasta ja henkilökohtaisesta opetuksen järjestämistä koskevasta suunnitelmasta (HOJKS), jotka analysoitiin diskurssianalyyttisesti. Tutkimustulokset osoittivat, että yhteistyötahot asemoitiin asiakirjoissa viiteen eri positioon: äänetön läsnäolija, täydentävä tuentarjoaja, asiantuntija, auktoriteetti ja kumppani. Moniammatillisen yhteistyön kirjaaminen vaihteli pedagogisissa asiakirjoissa, eivätkä yhteistyötahojen vastuiden kirjaamiselle valtakunnallisissa opetussuunnitelmissa määri…

Transcriptomic and Bioinformatic Analyses Identifying a Central Mif-Cop9-Nf-kB Signaling Network in Innate Immunity Response of Ciona robusta

2023

The Ascidian C. robusta is a powerful model for studying innate immunity. LPS induction activates inflammatory-like reactions in the pharynx and the expression of several innate immune genes in granulocyte hemocytes such as cytokines, for instance, macrophage migration inhibitory factors (CrMifs). This leads to intracellular signaling involving the Nf-kB signaling cascade that triggers downstream pro-inflammatory gene expression. In mammals, the COP9 (Constitutive photomorphogenesis 9) signalosome (CSN) complex also results in the activation of the NF-kB pathway. It is a highly conserved complex in vertebrates, mainly engaged in proteasome degradation which is essential for maintaining proc…

Influence of wall-to-floor connections and pounding on pre- and post-diction simulations of a masonry building aggregate tested on a shaking table

2023

AbstractThis paper presents numerical simulations within the frame of the project SERA—AIMS (Seismic Testing of Adjacent Interacting Masonry Structures). The study includes blind pre-diction and post-diction stages. The former was developed before performing the shaking table tests at the laboratory facilities of LNEC (Lisbon), while the latter was carried out once the test results were known. For both, three-dimensional finite element models were prepared following a macro-modelling approach. The structure consisted of a half-scaled masonry aggregate composed by two units with different floor levels. Material properties used for the pre-diction model were based on preliminary tests previou…