La “strana” bellezza della vita quotidiana

2021

Recensione a La bellezza per il rospo. Venustas, architettura, mercato, democrazia, a cura di Roberta Amirante, Carmine Piscopo, Paola Scala, CLEAN, Napoli, 2016, 352 pp.

Acceptance towards digital health interventions – Model validation and further development of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology

2021

Internet- and mobile-based interventions (IMI) offer an effective way to complement health care. Acceptance of IMI, a key facilitator of their implementation in routine care, is often low. Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this study validates and adapts the UTAUT to digital health care. Following a systematic literature search, 10 UTAUT-grounded original studies (N = 1588) assessing patients' and health professionals' acceptance of IMI for different somatic and mental health conditions were included. All included studies assessed Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Social Influence, Facilitating Conditions and acceptance as well as age, gender,…

“Sensing” the destination: Development of the destination sensescape index

2021

Abstract Despite the increasing academic interest in the sensory dimension of the tourist experience, the quantitative empirical research in the field is limited by a lack of measurement instruments for evaluating the sensory stimuli perceived by tourists during a destination visit. The study addresses this gap by developing a composite index to assess the sensory destination panorama, termed as “destination sensescape”. The construct is conceptualised as a formative multidimensional variable with 5 dimensions (visualscape, smellscape, tastescape, soundscape, and hapticscape). The psychometric validity and reliability of the 17 items integrating the formative index were established by a rig…

Do patients with pathological health anxiety fear COVID-19? A time-course analysis of 12 single cases during the “first wave” of the COVID-19 pandemi…

2021

Objective Pre-existing health anxiety is associated with an intensified affective response to the novel COVID-19 pandemic in the general population. Still, results on the reaction of people with a diagnosis of pathological health anxiety (i.e., hypochondriasis) are scarce. Methods In the present study, we investigated the course of (health) anxiety related to SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 in comparison to (health) anxiety related to other severe diseases (e.g., cancer) in a sample of 12 patients with the diagnosis of pathological health anxiety during the “first wave” of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Both SARS-CoV-2 related anxiety and anxiety related to other severe diseases were assessed weekly…

Influence of “Productive” Impurities (Cd, Na, O) on the Properties of the Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 Absorber of Model Solar Cells

2021

The research has been supported by grant of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan AP09562784. The authors (D. Sergeyev) acknowledges the provision of SCAPS-1D software by Prof. Marc Burgelman. The research of A.I. Popov has been supported by the Institute of Solid State Physics (ISSP), University of Latvia (UL). ISSP UL as the Centre of Excellence is supported through the Framework Program for Euro-pean Universities Union Horizon 2020, H2020-WIDESPREAD-01–2016–2017-TeamingPhase2 under Grant Agreement No. 739508, CAMART2 project.

Recensione di CAU A., 2019. La rivoluzione piumata. I nuovi dinosauri e l’origine degli uccelli. Volume primo, Pubblicazione indipendente, 160 pp.,13…

2021

Exploring the mediator role of self-critical rumination between emotion regulation and psychopathology: A validation study of the Self-Critical Rumin…

2021

Abstract Self-critical rumination is a negative and repetitive self-thinking process related to different disorders and negative psychological outcomes such as emotion dysregulation. The objectives of this study are twofold: (a) to examine the factor structure of the Spanish version of the Self-Critical Rumination Scale (SCRS), providing further evidence on its construct validity, and (b), to explore the mediator role of self-critical rumination between emotion dysregulation and psychopathology. A sample of 431 Spanish participants were recruited and completed online questionnaires. Confirmatory factor analysis, mediation analysis, and Pearson's correlations were conducted. A single factor …

A New Approach for CAD Modelling of Customised Orthoses by Generative Design

2021

The standard method of design and manufacturing customised orthoses is still very time-consuming due to their often very complex shape. Different authors have tried to solve this problem but, unfortunately, the proposed approaches cannot be easily used in clinical practice because they require substantial interaction among medical staff and engineers or technicians. The aim of this work is to present the framework of a new design approach that could allow clinicians to easily model a customised orthosis, without a skilled technician develops the entire procedure. In particular, an automatic process based on Generative Design has been implemented. The obtained results have demonstrated that …

Editorial: Searching for the Boundaries of Microbial Speciation in a Rapidly Evolving World

2021

Editorial on the Research Topic.

The effect of staining and bleaching on the color of two different types of composite restoration

2021

Background Long term success of composite restorations depends greatly on their color stability and esthetic appearance. This study aimed to assess the effects of commonly consumed beverage and bleaching on the color of composite restoration. Material and Methods Two resin composite were used Filtek™ Z350 XT (3M/ESPE) and Briliant EverGlow (Coltene). Fifteen discs were made from each resin composite then baseline color measurements were made. The specimens divided into 3 groups (n=5) according to the storage solution. The storage solutions that used in this study are distilled water, tea and coffee. The specimens were stored in the solutions for 3h/day for 40 days and then second color meas…

Leggere, scrivere, presentare

2021

La manifestazione “Pioggia di Libri” nasce da un’idea di Andrea Sciascia, prima Coordinatore del Corso di Studi in Architettura e poi Direttore del Dipartimento di Architettura di Palermo. L’obiettivo è quello di divulgare le attività didattiche e di ricerca condotte dai docenti del Dipartimento di Architettura alla comunità scientifica universitaria e non solo, in modo da attivare una virtuosa circolazione di informazioni e idee. Gli attori principali sono gli studenti che frequentano i Corsi di Laurea del Dipartimento e i Dottorandi. La formula è semplice ma efficace: come in una pièce teatrale, la presentazione di uno o più libri avviene attraverso un relatore senjor (professore UNIPA o …

Exploring land snails’ response to habitat characteristics and their potential as bioindicators of riparian forest quality

2021

Abstract Riparian ecosystems are crucial for landscape-level biodiversity, especially in highly anthropic and agricultural areas. Although the low mobility of snails reduces their dispersal capacity and makes them vulnerable to habitat degradation, they are less commonly used as indicators. We evaluated the potential of land snails as bioindicators of riparian forest quality in central European riparian forests by surveying snail communities in relation to habitat characteristics that characterize its quality. Habitat characteristics were found to affect both snail abundance and species richness. The abundance of snail species increased with the forest continuity, forest width and abundance…

Prospective Cancer Therapies Using Stimuli‐Responsive DNA Nanostructures

2021

Financial support by the Emil Aaltonen Foundation, the Sigrid Jusélius Foundation, the Magnus Ehrnrooth Foundation, Academy of Finland (grants no. 317042 and 331151), the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation and the Vilho, Yrjö and Kalle Väisälä Foundation of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters is gratefully acknowledged Nanostructures based on DNA self-assembly present an innovative way to address the increasing need for target-specific delivery of therapeutic molecules. Currently, most of the chemotherapeutics being used in clinical practice have undesired and exceedingly high off-target toxicity. This is a challenge in particular for small molecules, and hence, developing robust and ef…

Bout duration and number of players of soccer small-sided games affect perceived enjoyment, physiological responses, and technical-tactical performan…

2021

To compare perceived enjoyment (PE), % of heart rate peak (%HRpeak), blood lactate (La), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and technical-tactical performance of soccer players after four-a-side (4vs4) and three-a-side (3vs3) small-sided games (SSGs) with goalkeepers.Sixteen males (20.7 ± 0.7 years; experience: 6.9 ± 1.2 years) completed and were measured after six sessions of SSGs (one twelve-minute bout (1x12), two six-minute bouts (2x6), and three four-minute bouts (3x4), both 3vs3 and 4vs4). Repeated measurements ANOVA evaluated significant differences (There was higher PE for 1 × 12 compared to 2 × 6 (effect sizes [ES] = 1.53 [3vs3 and 4vs4]) and 3 × 4 (ES = 3.13 [4vs4] and 4.16 [3vs3…

Consolidation Comes with Practice: On Ending a Prime Exploratory Journey in the Digital and Public Humanities

2021

With this second issue of magazén’s 2021 volume we are drawing towards the end of a research journey, which involved dozens of international scholars mutually pondering what kind of methodological consolidation was in sight for the wider and heterogeneous field of digital and public humanities after more than two decades in the making.

Post-fire practices benefits on vegetation recovery and soil conservation in a Mediterranean area

2021

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade da Coruña/CISUG. [Abstract] Post-fire practices (PFP) aim to reduce soil erosion and favour vegetation recovery, but their effectiveness is spatially heterogeneous and under debate because of the economic and environmental costs. This study evaluates the different changes (Δ) of canopy cover (CC), sediment connectivity (SC) and local topography in four areas affected by the Pinet fire in eastern Spain (August 8th, 2018) and managed with: totally burnt with tree removal and long log erosion barriers (LEBs) (Pinet-1), partially burnt without PFP (Pinet-2), totally burnt with tree removal and short LEBs (Pinet-3), and totally burnt wit…

Disuguaglianze e polarizzazioni

2021

Editoriale al numero 38 di In folio, rivista del dottorato di ricerca in Architettura, Arti e Pianificazione del Dipartimento di Architettura - Università degli Studi di Palermo.

Relationships between Heart Rate Variability, Sleep Duration, Cortisol and Physical Training in Young Athletes.

2021

The aims of the current study were to examine the relationships between heart rate variability (HRV), salivary cortisol, sleep duration and training in young athletes. Eight athletes (16 ± 1 years) were monitored for 7 weeks during training and competition seasons. Subjects were training for endurance-based winter sports (cross-country skiing and biathlon). Training was divided into two zones (K1, easy training and K2, hard training). Heart rate and blood lactate during submaximal running tests (SRT), as well as cortisol, sleep duration and nocturnal HRV (RMSSD), were determined every other week. HRV and cortisol levels were correlated throughout the 7-week period (r = -0.552, P = 0.01), wi…

Clinical and Imaging Features of Adults with Recurrent Pulmonary Tuberculosis - A Prospective Case-Controlled Study

2021

Background: Recurrent pulmonary tuberculosis (RPTB) is a growing, important and neglected problem affecting treated TB patients and TB health services across the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Analyses and identification of differences in clinical features between recurrent PTB and newly diagnosed PTB may lead to improved management recommendations. Methods: Between September 1st 2019 and January 31st 2020, we performed a prospective case controlled study of clinical and imaging features of patients with recurrent pulmonary tuberculosis and compared them with those of newly diagnosed PTB cases. Recurrent PTB was defined as a patient with bacteriologically confirmed active PTB wh…

Hydraulic Characterization of the Full Scale Mock-Up of the DEMO Divertor Outer Vertical Target

2021

In the frame of the pre-conceptual design activities of the DEMO work package DIV-1 “Divertor Cassette Design and Integration” of the EUROfusion program, a mock-up of the divertor outer vertical target (OVT) was built, mainly in order to: (i) demonstrate the technical feasibility of manufacturing procedures; (ii) verify the hydraulic design and its capability to ensure a uniform and proper cooling for the plasma facing units (PFUs) with an acceptable pressure drop; and (iii) experimentally validate the computational fluid-dynamic (CFD) model developed by the University of Palermo. In this context, a research campaign was jointly carried out by the University of Palermo and ENEA to experimen…

Effectiveness of a digital dietary intervention program targeting young adults before parenthood: protocol for the PREPARED randomised controlled tri…

2021

IntroductionThe importance of preconception health for lifelong physical and mental health in the next generation has gained increasing recognition in recent years. Preconception paternal and maternal risk factors such as obesity and inadequate diet affect the metabolic and cardiovascular health of their offspring later in life. This highlights the importance of diet and dietary behaviour in the years before parenthood. In our project, PREPARED, we will evaluate the effectiveness of a digital intervention targeting young adults. Our primary aim is to improve participants’ preconception diet, and our secondary aim is to improve preconception quality of life and maternal and child perinatal o…

A methodology for optimisation of solar dish-Stirling systems size, based on the local frequency distribution of direct normal irradiance

2021

Abstract In geographical areas where direct solar irradiation levels are relatively high, concentrated solar energy systems are one of the most promising green energy technologies. Dish-Stirling systems are those that achieve the highest levels of solar-to-electric conversion efficiency, and yet they are still among the least common commercially available technologies. This paper focuses on a strategy aimed at promoting greater diffusion of dish-Stirling systems, which involves optimizing the size of the collector aperture area based on the hourly frequency distributions of beam irradiance and defining a new incentive scheme with a feed-in tariff that is variable with the installed costs of…

Lipocalin-2 Regulates Hippocampal Microglial Activation in Poststroke Depression

2021

Background and Purpose: Microglia play important role in poststroke depression (PSD), however, the exact mechanism was still unclear. The purpose of the study was to study the mechanism of microglial activation in PSD.Methods: 24 rats were randomly divided into three groups: the PSD group (n = 10), the poststroke (PS) group (n = 7), and the sham group (n = 7). Primary hippocampal microglia were isolated and cultured, and recombined LCN2 protein was used to stimulate the cultured microglia. The protein expression of Iba1, P38 MAPK and PP38 MAPK was analyzed by western blotting; the LCN2 expression was measured by RT-qPCR, the serum LCN2 level and the NO level were analyzed by ELISA.Results: …

Drivers of food waste reduction behaviour in the household context

2021

Studies on the drivers of household consumer engagement in various food waste reduction strategies have been limited. We thus address this gap by developing a research model that utilises two well-known theories, namely, the Theory of Interpersonal Behaviour (TIB) and the Comprehensive Model of Environmental Psychology (CMEP), to explain food waste reduction behaviour in household consumers. The model hypothesises positive associations between emotional, social, and cognitive factors and food waste reduction behaviour, as conceptualised using the 3Rs (reuse, reduce, and recycle). A total of 515 U.S. household consumers participated in the cross-sectional survey. The results suggest that emo…

Proper $k$-ball-contractive mappings in $C_b^m[0, + infty)$

2021

In this paper we deal with the Banach space C-b(m)[0,+infinity] of all m-times continuously derivable, bounded with all derivatives up to the order m, real functions defined on [0, +infinity). We prove, for any epsilon > 0, the existence of a new proper k-ball-contractive retraction with k < 1+epsilon of the closed unit ball of the space onto its boundary, so that the Wosko constant W-gamma(C-b(m)[0,+infinity]) is equal to 1.

Il filosofo non è il suo doppio: la scivolosa somiglianza tra filosofia e sofistica

2021

Heristics and rhetoric can therefore constitute a dangerous drift of the dialogical method; and despite some apparent similarities between the dialectical and the eristic method, what will always differentiate the philosopher from the erist is a radically different ethical horizon. If the philosopher is genuinely a friend of knowledge, wisdom and justice, and therefore every action of his is aimed at good, it will not be too difficult a task, as instead believes Deleuze, to think that his talks always transform the dispute into new acquisitions for knowledge

Future of e-Government: An integrated conceptual framework

2021

Abstract The information and hyper-connectivity revolutions have caused significant disruptions in citizens’ interactions with governments all over the world. Failures in implementing e-government interventions suggest the lack of an integrated approach in understanding e-government as a discipline. In this study, we present an overarching and integrated conceptual framework of e-government grounded in robust qualitative research to describe the factors that must be integrated to implement e-government successfully. Drawing insights from 168 in-depth interviews conducted with multiple stakeholders in India, this study defines e-government as a multidimensional construct with customer orient…

Populated Places and Conspicuous Consumption: High Population Density Cues Predict Consumers’ Luxury-Linked Brand Attitudes

2021

Population density has been identified as an ecological factor with considerable behavioral implications. The present research aimed to examine whether the mere perception of more (vs. less) populated places can change consumers’ luxury-linked brand attitudes. To this end, we experimentally manipulated consumers’ perceptions of population density using pictorial exposure to high (vs. low) population density cues. The results revealed a significant interaction between manipulated population density and perceived brand luxury on brand attitudes. Specifically, exposure to high rather than low population density cues resulted in more positive (negative) attitudes toward brands deemed to be more…

The Effect of Postoperative Complications After Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy on Long-term Survival: An International Multicenter Cohort Study

2021

Item does not contain fulltext BACKGROUND: Esophagectomy is a technically challenging procedure, associated with significant morbidity. The introduction of minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) has reduced postoperative morbidity. OBJECTIVE: Although the short-term effect on complications is increasingly being recognized, the impact on long-term survival remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the association between postoperative complications following MIE and long-term survival. METHODS: Data were collected from the EsoBenchmark Collaborative composed by 13 high-volume, expert centers routinely performing MIE. Patients operated between June 1, 2011 and May 31, 2016 were included…

Advancing cyanobacteria biomass estimation from hyperspectral observations: Demonstrations with HICO and PRISMA imagery

2021

Retrieval of the phycocyanin concentration (PC), a characteristic pigment of, and proxy for, cyanobacteria biomass, from hyperspectral satellite remote sensing measurements is challenging due to uncertainties in the remote sensing reflectance (?R) resulting from atmospheric correction and instrument radiometric noise. Although several individual algorithms have been proven to capture local variations in cyanobacteria biomass in specific regions, their performance has not been assessed on hyperspectral images from satellite sensors. Our work leverages a machine-learning model, Mixture Density Networks (MDNs), trained on a large (N = 939) dataset of collocated in situ chlorophyll-a concentrat…

Characteristic of Pseudomonas syringae pv. atrofaciens Isolated from Weeds of Wheat Field

2021

The aim of this study was the identification of the causative agent of the basal glume rot of wheat Pseudomonas syringae pv. atrofaciens from the affected weeds in wheat crops, and determination of its virulent properties. Isolation of P. syringae pv. atrofaciens from weeds of wheat crops was carried out by classical microbiological methods. To identify isolated bacteria, their morphological, cultural, biochemical, and serological properties as well as fatty acids and Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) profiles with the OPA-13 primer were studied. Pathogenic properties were investigated by artificial inoculation of wheat plants and weed plants, fr…

Proximity Effects on the Charge Density Wave Order and Superconductivity in Single-Layer NbSe2

2021

Collective electronic states such as the charge density wave (CDW) order and superconductivity (SC) respond sensitively to external perturbations. Such sensitivity is dramatically enhanced in two dimensions (2D), where 2D materials hosting such electronic states are largely exposed to the environment. In this regard, the ineludible presence of supporting substrates triggers various proximity effects on 2D materials that may ultimately compromise the stability and properties of the electronic ground state. In this work, we investigate the impact of proximity effects on the CDW and superconducting states in single-layer (SL) NbSe2 on four substrates of diverse nature, namely, bilayer graphene…

Combining carvacrol and nisin in biodegradable films for antibacterial packaging applications

2021

Abstract In this work, the feasibility of antibacterial biopolymeric films containing carvacrol (CRV) and a nisin commercial formulation (Nis) for potential food packaging applications was investigated. As polymer matrix, a commercial biodegradable polymer formulation of Mater-Bi (MB) was chosen due to its significant food packaging applications. CRV and Nis were chosen due to their well-established antibacterial properties and their potential synergistic effect. MB/CRV, MB/Nis, and MB/CRV/Nis systems were produced by melt mixing and compression molding. The mechanical properties of the films were evaluated by tensile tests. Differential scanning calorimetry was assessed aiming at investiga…

Ecosistemas locales de aprendizaje ante la globalización tecnológica. Retos de los modelos educativos digitales pospandemia

2021

La educación frente a la covid-19 ha puesto en práctica una infinidad de respuestas, todas urgentes, tentativas, generadas por ensayo y por error, y todavía pendientes de validación. Para comprender mejor el impacto de estas respuestas, el presente artículo defiende, partiendo de la teoría de los ecosistemas de aprendizaje, la necesidad de investigar cómo han influido las tecnologías de ámbito global en la construcción de experiencias locales de aprendizaje. Además, pone de manifiesto la necesidad de estudiar qué tipo de apoyo tanto teórico como práctico se requiere para reconducir los posibles efectos nocivos de la introducción de la tecnología de emergencia. A tal efecto, se describen las…

Marqueurs inflammatoires pour le diagnostic précoce d’infection postopératoire : le même seuil pour la chirurgie rectale et colique ?

2021

Resume Introduction La fistule anastomotique est la complication redoutee apres chirurgie colorectale. De nombreux travaux ont montre l’interet du dosage de la CRP en postoperatoire comme marqueur diagnostic precoce. Le seuil critique des marqueurs biologiques de l’inflammation doit-il rester le meme que la resection soit colique ou rectale ? Patients et methode Il s’agit d’une etude basee sur une cohorte constituee entre 2011 et 2014, incluant 497 patients avec une resection colorectale programmee. La proteine C-reactive et la pro-calcitonine ont ete mesurees tous les jours entre la veille et le 4e jour. Toutes les complications postoperatoires intra-abdominales ont ete considerees comme u…

Cardiac magnetic resonance in the assessment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy phenotypes and stages : pictorial review

2021

The aim of this paper is to present recent advances in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) diagnosis and treatment based on a literature review. Special emphasis has been placed on the role of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) for the assessment of morphological and functional consequences of different stages of HCM including prognostication. The text is illustrated with the images and data of the HCM patients diagnosed with CMR study in our hospital. CMR is an important tool, particularly relevant in novel risk factors and LV dysfunction groups. The HCM group with overt left ventricular dysfunction is underrecognized, often labelled by clinicians as dilated cardiomyopathy. Advanced di…