Design, mon amour

2023

Questo intrigante testo di Mariacarmela Scrudato, secondo me, non è risultato di un lavoro che si colloca nell’ambito della storia del design ma piuttosto nell’ambito della comunicazione della storia del design. Scrudato, infatti, non approfondisce un tema specifico della storia, non scende in verticale facendo ricerche puntuali. Non aggiunge conoscenza a quel che già abbiamo più volte letto nelle varie sto- rie. Eppure compie un lavoro eccellente: ricostruisce il percorso dando un senso tutto suo, volto a rendere agili e facilmente comprensibili argomenti complessi e a volte ostici. Ma soprattutto riesce a dare al tradizionale percorso storico un senso nuovo, tutto incentrato sull’attrazio…

Promuovere l’inclusione attraverso il Programma Motorio Abilità Diverse

2023

Gli studi svolti nell’ambito delle neuroscienze, delle scienze motorie e le conseguenti applicazioni didattiche, hanno posto in evidenza la necessità di avviare processi di progettazione e organizzazione dei contenuti, delle modalità organizzative e delle metodologie in educazione fisica e nell’avviamento allo sport, per integrare e modulare fattori inerenti la quantità inclusiva e promuovere pratiche adattive e preventive per raggiungere sempre più persone con diverse esigenze. Le politiche nazionali e sovranazionali, attraverso il PNRR, sottolineano come l’educazione motoria rivesta un ruolo privilegiato per contrastare i fenomeni dell’esclusione e della marginalizzazione, nel periodo com…

Amulet, Cure and Ornament. Red Coral in Trapani during the Plague Epidemics of 1575 and 1624

2023

Among the numerous epidemic episodes that have affected western Sicily in modern times, sadly famous are the plague of 1575 and 1624. The latter was the most serious occurred in Trapani and the one of which the most dramatic testimonies are preserved. Trapani quickly assumed the role of the starting point of the plague epidemic that raged in Sicily until 1626. The documents of the time testify to the coexistence of popular and religious beliefs of a superstitious nature with embryonic policies to contain the contagion on a scientific basis. The most famous doctor of the time in Trapani, Pietro Parisi, as it is known also linked to Malta, among other things recommended a coral-based therapy …

Criminal thinking: exploring its relationship whith prosocial behavior, emotional intelligence, and cultural dimensions

2023

This study explores the relationship between criminal thinking and other variables related to criminal cognition. Prosocial behavior, emotional intelligence, and cultural dimensions were chosen to check their predictive capacity for criminal thinking. The research sample comprised 695 young university students and adults, chosen by a non-probabilistic sampling method. The instruments used were the Criminal Sentiments Scales (CSS-M), the Prosociality Scale, the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EQI-C), and the Scale of Cultural Dimensions in its Spanish adaptation. A MANOVA, correlations, and lineal regressions were conducted using SPSS 26 and a SEM was proposed with the results obtained. Crimin…

The early years of Monte dei Paschi's new journal, 1972-1983

2023

We set the stage in 1972 when the bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena founded Economic Notes as part of its manifold scheme to reach two main goals: going international and acquiring a stronger position in the public discourse on economics and finance. Then, we highlight how the new Journal aimed at achieving Monte's goals by adopting a specific editorial style. Moreover, through the turmoil of its first dozen years, Economic Notes' bold strategy attracted top international authors and testimonials, selected topical issues, knitted theory and policy, embraced pluralist and forward‐looking views, helped the University of Siena to strengthen its international connections. The Journal quickly becam…

Medicine of the future: How and who is going to treat us?

2023

Medicine’s ability to quickly respond to challenges raises questions from researchers, practitioners, and society as a whole. Our task in this study was to identify key and atypical current factors influencing the development of medicine and to predict the development of medicine in the short, medium, and long term. To implement our study, we selected 22 medical experts and applied the three-level Delphi method. The current trends caused by COVID-19 have a short-term impact, but they will launch other drivers that will transform the healthcare industry. Well-being technologies, data-informed personalization, and climate change will become key drivers for the development of medicine over the…

Fizikas, matemātikas un optometrijas fakultātes plenārsēde: tēžu krājums

2023

Latvijas Universitātes (LU) Fizikas, matemātikas un optometrijas fakultātes (FMOF) plenārsēde ir iespēja iepazīt piecas LU FMOF struktūrvienības un uzzināt par aktuālāko fakultātes zinātniskajā darbībā.

PROVA TECNICA E CONTRADDITTORIO NEL PROCESSO PENALE

2023

When science and the criminal process come into contact, cognitive mechanisms are set in motion aimed at reorganizing knowledge belonging to worlds other than the legal one. In this context, the actors of the trial scene are forced to move on a hybrid terrain in which judicial epistemology and scientific epistemology mix. Such a fascinating picture pushes the scholar of the criminal process to seek interpretations suitable for explaining the multiple dilemmas that the phenomenon entails. Starting from a historical-legislative excursus of the expert evidence, the proposed analysis examines the different channels through which expert knowledge enters the process, starting from the investigati…

Adolescent use of social media and associations with sleep patterns across 18 European and North American countries

2023

Objective Over the past decade, concurrent with increasing social media use (SMU), there has been a shift toward poorer sleep among adolescents in many countries. The purpose of this study was to examine the cross-national associations between adolescent SMU and sleep patterns, by comparing 4 different categories of SMU (nonactive, active, intense, and problematic use). Design, setting, and participants Data were from 86,542 adolescents in 18 European and North American countries that participated in the 2017/18 Health Behaviour in School-aged study. Measurements Mixed-effects linear regression models were used to examine cross-national associations between 4 SMU categories and adolescent s…

Binding of ion pairs and neutral guests by aryl-extended meso‑p-hydroxyphenyl calix[4]pyrrole : The interplay between three binding sites

2023

An aryl-extended calix[4]pyrrole with four meso‑p-hydroxyphenyl substituents was investigated as a host for chloride, acetate, and benzoate anions. Crystal structures of pyridinium and imidazolium chloride complexes were obtained in which chloride ions are hydrogen bonded exo-cavity to the upper rim hydroxyl groups, and the aromatic cations are bound to the shallow cavity of the host. Furthermore, the calix[4]pyrrole formed a hydrogen bonded dimeric capsule templated by inclusion of adiponitrile guest in the endo-cavity binding site. NMR titrations revealed the preference of the OH groups of the host to bind anionic guests in solution. Benzoate anion had the highest binding constant (4 700 …

Il quartiere San Berillo a Catania. Appunti per una rinascita

2023

Nell’analizzare lo sviluppo della città di Catania nei secoli, e in particolare nel secondo dopoguerra, ci si imbatte nel microcosmo di San Berillo, con la sua storia fatta di progetti mancati, pianificazioni errate e buoni propositi mai realizzati. Ancora aperta è la ferita dovuta al noto sventramento del quartiere condotto alla fine degli anni Cinquanta del secolo scorso, generatore di un vuoto urbano che solo in parte è stato colmato, trattandosi in realtà anche di un vuoto sociale e culturale. Il volume si pone nella stessa direzione positiva e propositiva di tutte quelle azioni che hanno reso pubblica e affascinante l’immagine di San Berillo: dai cortometraggi alle Web serie, dai video…

Fair immunization and network topology of complex financial ecosystems

2023

The aftermath of the recent financial crisis has shown how expensive and unfair the stabilization of financial ecosystems can be. The main cause is the level of complexity of financial interactions that poses a problem for regulators. We provide an analytical framework that decomposes complex ecosystems in both their overall level of instability and the contribution of institutions to instability. These ingredients are then used to study the pathways of the ecosystems towards stability by means of immunization schemes. The latter can be designed to penalize institutions proportionally to their contribution to instability, and therefore enhance fairness. We show that fair immunization scheme…

Evaluation of Peri-Operative Management in Women with Deep Endometriosis Who are Candidates for Bowel Surgery: A Survey from the Italian Society of G…

2023

Study objective: There is great consensus that the implementation of ERAS approach is beneficial for surgical patients, but there is paucity of data concerning its application in women with deep endometriosis (DE) who are candidates for bowel surgery. The present survey was aimed at gathering detailed information on perioperative management of DE patients undergoing sigmoid/rectal (discoid or segmental) resection within SEGI group. Design: Baseline survey. Setting: National survey conducted within the main Italian cooperative group in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery (SEGI). Patients: The study did not involve patients. Interventions: A 63-item questionnaire, covering ERAS items for g…

Correction to: Engagement in entrepreneurship after business failure. Do formal institutions and culture matter?

2023

Despite the extensive literature on the relationship between entrepreneurship and institutions, there is limited knowledge of the relationship between institutions and engagement after failure. This study compares the entrepreneurial engagement of entrepreneurs who have recently experienced failure and individuals without entrepreneurial experience, emphasizing the interaction of government policies and programmes (formal institutions) and individualistic/collectivist cultures (informal institutions) with business failure and its impact on entrepreneurial engagement. We test our hypotheses using multilevel analysis on a large cross-sectional sample that combines individual-level data from t…

La memoria fotografica dell’architettura : restituzioni prospettiche e ricostruzioni

2023

This book explores perspective restitution from photographs for the reconstruction of buildings and urban sites that no longer exist or have suffered many alterations over time. Digital drawing and modelling tools overcome many of the limitations that, in the past, made perspective restitution from photographs inaccurate and inconvenient. Traditional drawing tools made perspective restitution from photographs difficult, especially when vanishing points appeared at a great distance from the image frame. The results of perspective restitution were either 1D or 2D objects, i.e. points, segments, angles, planar figures and profiles, that were revolved into the picture plane. By contrast, digita…

Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues in Patients with Brain Cancer Admitted to ICU

2023

Background and Objectives: Palliative care is an interdisciplinary medical specialty focused on improving the quality of life of critically ill patients, including those with frailty, during their illness. Materials and Methods: We conducted an extensive literature review on Pubmed focusing on palliative care in neuro-oncology patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs). Results: We identified 967 articles and, after excluding 952 articles in accordance with the PRISMA flow chart, we included a total of 15 articles in the final selection. The potential role of palliative care in neuro-oncology appears necessary to ensure comprehensive end-of-life patient care. However, this seems under…

Encapsulation of xenon by bridged resorcinarene cages with high 129Xe NMR chemical shift and efficient exchange dynamics

2023

Functionalized cages encapsulating xenon atoms enable highly sensitive, background-free molecular imaging through a technique known as HyperCEST 129Xe MRI. Here, we introduce a class of potential biosensor cage structures based on two resorcinarene macrocycles bridged either by aliphatic carbon chains or piperazines. First-principles-based modeling predicts a high chemical shift (about 345 ppm) outside the typical experimental observation window for 129Xe encapsulated by the aliphatically bridged cage and two 129Xe resonances for the piperazine-bridged cages corresponding to single and double loading. Based on the computational predictions as well as 129Xe chemical exchange saturation trans…

A potential host and virus targeting tool against COVID-19: Chemical characterization, antiviral, cytoprotective, antioxidant, respiratory smooth mus…

2023

COronaVIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a newly emerging infectious disease that spread across the world, caused by the novel coronavirus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Despite the advancements in science that led to the creation of the vaccine, there is still an urgent need for new antiviral drugs effective against SARS-CoV-2. This study aimed to investigate the antiviral effect of Paulownia tomentosa Steud extract against SARS-CoV-2 and to evaluate its antioxidant properties, including respiratory smooth muscle relaxant effects. Our results showed that P. tomentosa extract can inhibit viral replication by directly interacting with both the 3-chymotrypsin-like…

Testing CPT Invariance by High-Precision Comparisons of Fundamental Properties of Protons and Antiprotons at BASE

2023

The BASE collaboration at the Antiproton Decelerator facility of CERN compares the fundamental properties of protons and antiprotons using advanced Penning-trap systems. In previous measurement campaigns, we measured the magnetic moments of the proton and the antiproton, reaching (sub-)parts-in-a-billion fractional uncertainty. In the latest campaign, we have compared the proton and antiproton charge-to-mass ratios with a fractional uncertainty of 16 parts in a trillion. In this contribution, we give an overview of the measurement campaign, and detail how its results are used to constrain nine spin-independent coefficients of the Standard-Model Extension in the proton and electron sector.

The regulatory environment and financial constraints of private firms in the European Union

2023

This study analyzes the influence of the institutional environment on firms' capital structure in the European Union (EU). Unlike other research, we focus on private firms and include data from all EU countries from 2010 to 2018. We split the sample into groups of small and large firms, which we consider financially constrained and unconstrained, respectively. Throughout the study, we posit that institutional effects on financing policies vary with size, with the effects being greater for constrained firms as they face more financing frictions. We also run regression models controlling for firm-level characteristics and relevant macroeconomic factors. Our findings reveal that a high-quality…

Come e quando le norme internazionali operano negli ordinamenti statali

2023

In this chapter the main issues concerning legal effects of international legal rules in domestic orders are examined in a systematic way. This investigation is underpinned by the following five pillars. First, the idea that States are not bound by international obligations in this respect. Second, that despite the persistent (albeit limited) importance of formal models of incorporation of international law into domestic law, a central role is played by domestic courts, with particular regard to the identification of self-"executing" rules. Third, that international legal rules may sometimes produce legal effects in domestic orders, even in the absence of a formal incorporation into domesti…

Looking at the impact of collaborative policies on intangibles and outcomes through dynamic performance governance

2023

The Etorkizuna Eraikiz (EE) case study provides thought-provoking insights on the role of intangibles as driving forces for a collaborative network governance primarily lead by the civil society. Among such factors are: 1) social cohesion around core values rooted in cultural traditions (e.g. language and gastronomy); 2) natural and historical assets; 3) human and social capital; and 4) policy innovation. All of them are at the same time framed in an ideal continuity with history, and consistently transposed into the future (Bianchi et al., 2019, p. 104). The fast and intensive growth in both the collaborative network and the achieved outcomes experienced since the inception of the EE ‘mode…

The Elements of Advocacy : Finnish PR Consultants' Media Strategies in Lobbying

2023

In Finland the use of public relations (PR) agencies and consultants in political decision making has increased in the last two decades. The development of the Finnish political realm has been similar to that of other Nordic countries where the PR industry has built a strong linkage to the political sphere. The present study analyses how Finnish PR consultants with a political background use and attempt to influence the news media as part of lobbying processes to advance their clients' causes. The chapter is based on 11 interviews with PR consultants that were conducted during November 2018. The main findings indicate that Finnish PR consultants consider the news media and journalists as an…

Spectral analysis of the AMXP during its 2018 outburst

2023

The Accreting Millisecond X-ray Pulsar IGR J17591-2342 is a Low Mass X-ray Binary (LMXB) system that went in outburst on 2018 August and it was monitored by the NICER observatory and partially by other facilities. We aim to study how the spectral emission of this source evolved during the outburst by exploiting the whole X-ray data repository of simultaneous observations. The continuum emission of the combined broad-band spectra is on average well described by an absorbed Comptonization component scattering blackbody-distributed photons peaking at (0.8 +/- 0.5) keV by a moderately optically thick corona (tau = 2.3 +/- 0.5) with temperature of (34 +/- 9) keV. A blackbody component with tempe…

A quest between fiscal and market discipline

2023

Fiscal rules are typically seen as government constraints. Yet, the extent to which they are substituted or complemented by market discipline (especially, during financial stress) remains unexplored. Using data for 71 countries over the period 1985–2015, we estimate an “augmented” fiscal reaction function to assess the impact of both fiscal and market discipline. We find that different market signals influence fiscal policy, but fiscal discipline depends on market incentives. In the EU and the OECD, market signals complement fiscal rules. These are less effective in the EMU and non-OECD countries that are “debt intolerant”. Yet, there are unintended consequences: (i) neither output and debt…

Therapy of ATTR Cardiac Amyloidosis: Current Indications

2023

Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis is a restrictive cardiomyopathy caused by extracellular deposition in the heart of amyloid fibrils derived from plasma transthyretin (ATTR), either in its hereditary (ATTRh) or acquired (ATTRwt) forms. Cardiac amyloidosis has a very poor prognosis if therapy is not started promptly. Therefore, it is very important to recognize cardiac amyloidosis early in order to immediately start a treatment capable of modifying the prognosis. Treatment of cardiac amyloidosis is not easy, often requiring a multidisciplinary team. New RNA-interfering drugs (such as patisiran) have been devised and are effective in the treatment of ATTRh amyloidosis. Tafamidis (a stabilizer…

FluoCat: A cable-suspended multi-sensor system for the vegetation SIF Cal/Val monitoring and estimation of effective sunlit surface fluorescence

2023

Chemistry Section and Section of Institute of Chemical Physics: Book of Abstracts

2023

Long-term hepatic safety of lomitapide in homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia

2023

Introduction: Lomitapide is a microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibitor for patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia. Due to its mechanism of action, potential hepatic effects of lomitapide are of clinical interest. This study aimed to determine the long-term hepatic safety of lomitapide. Methods: Data were aggregated from the pivotal phase 3 and extension phase clinical trial with lomitapide (median 5.1 years; serum total bilirubin, transaminases, cytokeratin-18 [CK-18] and enhanced liver fibrosis [ELF] score, fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids), 8-year data from the Lomitapide Observational Worldwide Evaluation Registry (LOWER) and real-world evidence f…

Quantum versus Classical Online Streaming Algorithms with Logarithmic Size of Memory

2023

We consider online algorithms with respect to the competitive ratio. Here, we investigate quantum and classical one-way automata with non-constant size of memory (streaming algorithms) as a model for online algorithms. We construct problems that can be solved by quantum online streaming algorithms better than by classical ones in a case of logarithmic or sublogarithmic size of memory.

Preface to “Efficiency, Fairness and Sustainability in Social Housing Policy and Projects”

2023

The provision of affordable housing for low-income households is a very complex issue long debated in many countries around the world. Social Housing (SH) is one of the tools for achieving fairness, social sustainability and economic feasibility, and is interrelated with politics, ethics and economics, as well as the environment, architecture and technology. In other words, national and local policy, and also public and private financial resources are all needed to provide SH. SH also involves social and urban transformations and is, consequently, linked to urban planning and redevelopment projects, real estate market dynamics and cooperation between public and private stakeholders. Further…

Photovoltaic Devices Using Sublimed Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskites: Long‐Term Reproducible Processing

2023

Effectiveness of isolated vertical extension of masonry buildings as nonconventional TMD

2023

In this paper, the strategy of Intermediate Isolation System (IIS) is proposed for the vertical extension of an aggregate of masonry buildings located in Pozzuoli, south Italy. The effectiveness of IIS working as a nonconventional Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) for the existing construction is assessed in terms of reduction of seismic demand and damage in the masonry structure undergoing inelastic deformation under seismic input. For this aim, a general step-by-step procedure is first defined and then applied to the case study building. In particular, the characterization of dynamic behaviour and seismic capacity of the building aggregate is first addressed through modal and push over analyses. El…

Single-trial-based temporal principal component analysis on extracting event-related potentials of interest for an individual subject.

2023

Background: Temporal principal component analysis (tPCA) has been widely used to extract event-related potentials (ERPs) at group level of multiple subjects ERP data and it assumes that the underlying factor loading is fixed across participants. However, such assumption may fail to work if latency and phase for one ERP vary considerably across participants. Furthermore, effect of number of trials on tPCA decomposition has not been systematically examined as well, especially for within-subject PCA. New method: We reanalyzed a real ERP data of an emotional experiment using tPCA to extract N2 and P2 from single-trial EEG of an individual. We also explored influence of the number of trials (con…

Effect of Mycorrhizal Inoculation on Melon Plants under Deficit Irrigation Regimes

2023

The shortage of good quantity and quality of water for irrigated agriculture is a major problem in arid and semiarid regions. To deal with this problem, deficit irrigation (DI) or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation have been proposed and adopted for many crops as a tool to save water, or to improve crop tolerance to drought stress. An experiment was conducted for two consecutive years to evaluate the effect of mycorrhizal inoculation on the physiological, morphological, yield, and quality characteristics of melon plants grown under deficit irrigation. Melon crop (Cucumis melo L. cv. Helios) was grown under field conditions adopting a split-plot design with four replications, whe…

Comparing two methods to perform a beerkan infiltration run in a loam soil at different dates

2023

<p>Performing beerkan infiltration runs with different heights of water pouring could help to obtain saturated soil sorptivity, <em>S</em>, and hydraulic conductivity, <em>K<sub>s</sub></em>, data usable to explain and simulate hydrological processes. However, most of the available information on the L (low height of water pouring, nearly 3 cm) - H (high height, 1-2 m) methodology refers to runs making use of a relatively limited number of water volumes and there is some sign that a few water volumes could yield an incomplete description of soil alteration phenomena induced by wetting. For a lo…