Bentonite-ionic liquid composites for Congo red removal from aqueous solutions

2021

Abstract Clay-organic composites have attracted great interest due to their ability to remove various contaminants from wastewater. The surfactants are the most commonly used organic compounds for clay modification. However, cationic surfactants are toxic and can be environmentally hazardous. Ionic liquids are a new promising alternative to the cationic surfactants due to lesser toxicity and appropriate thermal stability. The research aim is to prepare an environmentally friendly new class of clay sorbents modified with ionic liquids for potential applications in wastewater treatment from the textile industry. Imidazolium-based ionic liquids with different lengths of alkyl chains were inter…

Transient DC-Arc Voltage Model in the Hybrid Switch of the DTT Fast Discharge Unit

2021

The focus of this work is the transient modelling of the DC-arc voltage on a Hybrid Switch (a mechanical switch in parallel with a static switch) of a key protection component called Fast Discharge Unit (FDU) in the Divertor Tokamak Test (DTT). The DTT facility is an experimental tokamak in advanced design and realization phase, which will be built in the ENEA Research Centre in Frascati (Italy). The FDU allows the safe discharge of the Toroidal Field (TF) superconducting magnets when a quench is detected or a failure occurs in the power supply or in the cryogenic system. In this work, the arc conductance of the mechanical By-Pass Switch (BPS) of the Hybrid Switch is modelled using the well…

Pervivencias de la historiografía decimonónica en los manuales escolares de educación musical primaria

2021

Los libros de texto constituyen uno de los principales objetos de estudio de la historia de la educación en tanto que depositarios de la ideología del grupo del que emanan y reflejo de los significados que configuran la cultura escolar. Durante las últimas décadas, ha surgido un gran número de trabajos que abordan los discursos presentes en los manuales escolares. En especial, se ha desarrollado en el ámbito de las ciencias sociales una línea de investigación con entidad propia dedicada al estudio de los modelos historiográficos que reflejan los libros de texto. Este artículo presenta un estudio sobre la pervivencia de dos modelos historiográficos decimonónicos, el formalista y el nacionali…

Symbolic play among children with autism spectrum disorder: a scoping review

2021

Symbolic play is considered an early indicator in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and its assessment. The objective of this study was to analyze the difficulties in symbolic play experienced by children with ASD and to determine the existence of differences in symbolic play among children with ASD, children with other neurodevelopmental disorders and children with typical development. A scoping review was carried out in the Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, ERIC, and PsycInfo databases, following the extension for scoping reviews of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The number of papers included in the review was 22. The r…

1624P Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the cancer fast-track programme

2021

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many aspects of clinical practice in oncology, particularly in making timely cancer diagnosis. Our public health system has been concerned about potential delays leading to a higher proportion of patients with advanced stages. Our cancer diagnosis fast-track program (CFP) in the Clinic-Malvarrosa Health department in Valencia (Spain) is connecting primary care (PC) with different specialists to speed cancer diagnosis and treatment upon well founded suspicion. A 10-year evaluation of our CFP has recently been published. The aim of this analysis was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the CFP. Methods: We analysed the programme…

The Particularities of Pharmaceutical Care in Improving Public Health Service during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021

Nowadays, humanity is confronted with one of the most difficult challenges. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified for the first time in Hubei, China in December 2019 and produced the COVID-19 pandemic, a devastating disease that led to many complications and deaths. The authorities and the global healthcare system have been alerted regarding the prevention and treatment of this pathology. Even though worldwide quarantine was declared, health care professionals, including pharmacists, have been at the frontline in this war. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the authorities relied on the involvement of the community, hospital, or clinical pharmacists i…

Child-to-parent violence, peer victimization and cybervictimization in spanish adolescents.

2021

The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between child-to-parent violence (CPV) (high, moderate and low), peer victimization (PV) (relational and overt, both physical and verbal) and cybervictimization (CV) (relational and overt), taking into account the role of sex. 1304 adolescents (53.14% girls) between the ages of 11 and 18 enrolled at secondary schools in the Autonomous Communities of Valencia, Aragón and Andalusia participated in the study. Adolescents with high CPV scores obtained higher scores for all types of PV and CV compared to the other CPV groups. Boys scored higher than girls in overt physical PV and in overt CV and girls obtained higher scores in relational PV. …

Characteristic ERK1/2 signaling dynamics distinguishes necroptosis from apoptosis

2021

International audience; ERK1/2 involvement in cell death remains unclear, although many studies have demonstrated the importance of ERK1/2 dynamics in determining cellular re- sponses. To untangle how ERK1/2 contributes to two cell death programs, we investigated ERK1/2 signaling dynamics during hFasL-induced apoptosis and TNF-induced necroptosis in L929 cells. We observed that ERK1/2 inhibition sensi- tizes cells to apoptosis while delaying necroptosis. By monitoring ERK1/2 activity by live-cell imaging using an improved ERK1/2 biosensor (EKAR4.0), we reported differential ERK1/2 signaling dynamics between cell survival, apoptosis, and nec- roptosis. We also decrypted a temporally shifted …

Shilling, Squeezing, Sniping. A further explanation for late bidding in online second-price auctions

2021

Abstract Several studies provide empirical evidence for sniping (i.e., waiting until the last few seconds to bid) in second-price internet auctions, particularly in auctions at eBay . This evidence was regarded as puzzling and an anomaly for an extended period: How could sniping be consistent with rational behaviour in second-price auctions, where theory predicts that bids’ timing plays no role and there is no incentive to bid less than one’s private value. An essential contribution to this puzzling issue has been the insight by Bose and Daripa (2017) that late bidding is itself a response to the shilling. Their paper explains well late bidding for repeating auctions. However, late bidding …

Effectiveness of anti-vascular endothelial growth factors in neovascular age-related macular degeneration and variables associated with visual acuity…

2021

Objective To assess the overall effectiveness of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy in treatment-naïve patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) in a clinical practice setting. Study design EAGLE was a retrospective, 2-year, cohort observational, multicenter study conducted in Italy that analyzed secondary data of treatment-naïve patients with nAMD. The primary endpoint evaluated the mean annualized number of anti-VEGF injections at Years 1 and 2. The main secondary endpoints analyzed the mean change in visual acuity (VA) from baseline and variables associated with visual outcomes at Years 1 and 2. Results Of the 752 patients enrolled, 745 (99.07…

Potassium demineralization of coconut fiber via combined hydrothermal treatment and washing: Effect on pyrolysis kinetics, mechanisms, and bio-oil co…

2021

Abstract Producing clean energy from waste biomass via pyrolysis is critical in reducing dependence on fossil fuels and alleviating their environmental impacts. Inherent potassium in low energy density coconut fibers reduces bio-oil yield and compromises bio-oil quality and the integrity of reactors within which pyrolysis occurs. The effect of consecutive hydrothermal treatment (180°C-220 °C) and water washing on coconut fiber demineralization, pyrolysis behavior, and bio-oil composition was investigated. Chemical fractionation method classified the most occurring inorganic (potassium) as ~76% water-soluble, ~19% ion-exchangeable, and ~5% acid-soluble species. Demineralization results show …

676 NECESSITY OF EXTENDED LOWER PARATRACHEAL LYMPH NODE RESECTION DURING ESOPHAGECTOMY FOR CANCER

2021

Abstract Objective To evaluate the impact of lower paratracheal lymph node resection on oncological radicality and complication rate during esophagectomy for cancer. Backround The ideal extend of lymphadenectomy (LAD) in esophageal surgery is debated. Until today, there has been no proof for improved survival after standardized paratracheal lymph node resection performing oncological esophagectomy. Methods Lymph nodes from the lower paratracheal station are not standardly resected during 2-field Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Retrospectively, we identified 200 patients operated in our center for esophageal cancer from January 2017—December 2019. Histopathologically, 143 pat…

A range of pulses commonly used for human transcranial ultrasound stimulation are clearly audible.

2021

Applying the trans-contextual model to promote sport injury prevention behaviors among secondary school students.

2021

The current study tested the effects of an intervention based on the trans-contextual model (TCM) on secondary school PE students' sport injury prevention behavior and on theory-based motivational and social cognition mediators. Participants were PE students (N = 1168; Mage = 13.322 ± 1.045, range = 12-16; female = 51.721%) who participated in a 3-month cluster-randomized controlled trial. Schools were randomly assigned to a treatment group, in which PE teachers received training to be more supportive of psychological needs in teaching sport injury prevention, or a control group, in which PE teachers received no training. Participants completed survey measures of TCM variables and self-rep…

Extension of the potential intervals of high redox activity and electronic conductivity of polypyrrole films on electrode surface via their electroch…

2021

Abstract Thin polypyrrole films (thickness: about 30 nm) have been deposited at electrode surface via potentiostatic oxidation of dilute (1 mM) pyrrole solution in acetonitrile (AN). It has been shown that their subsequent treatment by means of multi-cycle voltammetry within a broad potential range (up to -2.0 V vs. Ag/Ag+ in AN) leads to their "activation", i.e. to a very strong extension of their redox response region in the negative direction as well as to almost uniform distribution of the redox activity within this potential range. Region of their high conductivity under in situ conditions has also extended significantly. Spectral and electrocatalytic properties of such PPy films befor…

Intralabyrinthine neurinoma: Management, exeresis and auditory restoration with cochlear implant

2021

Abstract Background and objective Vestibular schwannoma is a benign tumour that originates in the eighth cranial nerve. It is termed intralabyrinthine schwannoma (ILS) when it develops in the inner ear, this being a rare origin. We present our experience in the management of three patients with ILS. Materials and methods The results of tumour excision and cochlear implantation were evaluated in three patients with ILS: two intracochlear schwannomas (ICS) and one intravestibular schwannoma (IVS). Results Prior to surgery, all patients presented progressive sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus. Complete tumour resection and cochlear implantation was possible in all patients, with favourabl…

Accommodative response in various design soft contact lens wearers

2021

The progression of myopia in young adults due to inadequate accommodation is currently one of the global research challenges. Studies have demonstrated that multifocal contact lenses have a different effect on accommodative response. The aim of this study was to assess the accommodative lag using various design multifocal contact lenses at different working distances. The study was conducted on 10 emmetropic subjects aged 22â28 years. An open-field autorefractor PowerRef 3 was used to assess the response of eye accommodation to stimuli placed at a distance of 25 cm and 40 cm for subjects wearing monofocal and multifocal contact lenses. To determine the effectiveness of contact lens design f…

Design of a LLC Resonant Converter for Powering a PEM Electrolyzer

2021

International audience; This paper proposes the design of a LLC resonant converter to supply a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer. The PEM requires a low voltage with high current, a reduced output voltage ripple, and an overdamped dynamic behavior of the converter to avoid voltage overshoots. The designed converter allows satisfying the design constraints, minimizing switching and reverse recovery losses; the efficiency is influenced mainly by the output rectifier's conduction losses.

Postfazione

2021

This text of Dreyfus takes on for us a double value. It speaks to us of knowledge, of the way in which it can be thought in a different way with respect to the Leibnizian paradigm of pure calculation pure calculation and rules of application, offering us consequently a divergent perspective divergent perspective towards the scientific discourse in general, understood as something that, Kantian-style, is such a priori . In doing so, however, it makes evident the constant conflictuality of which the very idea of competence is the product.

Verso un curricolo 0-6: continuità, discontinuità e prospettive possibili a partire da un percorso di ricerca-azione nella città di Palermo

2021

A partire da una ricerca sulla costruzione di un possibile curricolo zero-sei, condotta con un gruppo di insegnanti di scuola dell’infanzia statale ed un gruppo di educatrici di un nido comunale operanti nello stesso territorio (un quartiere del centro storico di Palermo), l’articolo mira a mettere in luce e a problematizzare ambiti di continuità e di discontinuità tra i due servizi educativi collegandoli alla storia e alla cultura organizzativa dei servizi stessi. Intende, inoltre, riflettere su possibili proposte di cambiamento organizzativo nella direzione della continuità, attraverso l’adozione di una metodologia partecipativa centrata sulla autovalutazione riflessiva, sulla progettazio…

Frailty Scales for Prognosis Assessment of Older Adult Patients after Acute Myocardial Infarction

2021

We aimed to compare the prognostic value of two different measures, the Fried’s Frailty Scale (FFS) and the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), following myocardial infarction (MI). We included 150 patients ≥ 70 years admitted from AMI. Frailty was evaluated on the day before discharge. The primary endpoint was number of days alive and out of hospital (DAOH) during the first 800 days. Secondary endpoints were mortality and a composite of mortality and reinfarction. Frailty was diagnosed in 58% and 34% of patients using the FFS and CFS scales, respectively. During the first 800 days 34 deaths and 137 admissions occurred. The number of DAOH decreased significantly with increasing scores of both FFS…

Effects of Home-Based Physical Exercise on Days at Home, Health Care Utilization, and Functional Independence Among Patients With Hip Fractures: A Ra…

2021

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effects of a physical exercise program on days lived at home, the use and costs of health care and social services, mortality, and functional independence among patients with hip fractures. Design Randomized controlled trial with a parallel 2-group design consisting of a 12-month intervention and 12-month registry follow-up. Setting Home-based intervention. Participants Patients aged ≥60 years (N=121) with operated hip fracture and who were living at home were randomized into physical exercise (n=61) and usual care (n=60) groups. Interventions Supervised physical exercise twice a week. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome was the number of days lived …

Long‐term neuropsychiatric outcomes in COVID‐19 survivors: A 1‐year longitudinal study

2021

Volcanic Lakes in Africa: The VOLADA_Africa 2.0 Database, and Implications for Volcanic Hazard

2021

Volcanic lakes pose specific hazards inherent to the presence of water: phreatic and phreatomagmatic eruptions, lahars, limnic gas bursts and dispersion of brines in the hydrological network. Here we introduce the updated, interactive and open-access database for African volcanic lakes, country by country. The previous database VOLADA (VOlcanic LAke DAta Base, Rouwet et al., Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 2014, 272, 78–97) reported 96 volcanic lakes for Africa. This number is now revised and established at 220, converting VOLADA_Africa 2.0 in the most comprehensive resource for African volcanic lakes: 81 in Uganda, 37 in Kenya, 33 in Cameroon, 28 in Madagascar, 19 in Ethiop…

Dehydrated Sulla forage in dairy ewes feeding: effects on cheese properties

2021

Feeding green sulla forage (GSF) (Sulla Coronarium L.), a shortlived perennial legume containing phenolic compounds, especially condensed tannins, showed to increase intake, milk yield and casein level in ruminants, and enhance fatty acid (FA) profile and antioxidant activity of dairy products. To obtain analogous favourable effects using conserved sulla forage, dehydration could be a valid alternative to the haymaking process which causes greater losses of biomass and its nutritional and bioactive compounds. The aim of this research was to evaluate the dairy products from ewes fed with pelleted dehydrated sulla forage (PDSF) in the diet by comparisons with those obtained using sulla hay (S…

Metabolic Syndrome: From Molecular Mechanisms to Novel Therapies

2021

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) consists of a cluster of metabolic abnormalities including central obesity, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, hypertension, and atherogenic dyslipidemia [...]

Lifetime measurements of excited states in $^{169,171,173}$Os: Persistence of anomalous $B(E2)$ ratios in transitional rare earth nuclei in the prese…

2021

International audience; Lifetimes of low-lying excited states in the νi13/2+ bands of the neutron-deficient osmium isotopes 169,171,173Os have been measured for the first time using the recoil-distance Doppler shift and recoil-isomer tagging techniques. An unusually low value is observed for the ratio B(E2;21/2+→17/2+)/B(E2;17/2+→13/2+) in 169Os, similar to the “anomalously” low values of the ratio B(E2;41+→21+)/B(E2;21+→0gs+) previously observed in several transitional rare-earth nuclides with even numbers of neutrons and protons, including the neighbouring 168,170Os. Furthermore, the evolution of B(E2;21/2+→17/2+)/B(E2;17/2+→13/2+) with increasing neutron number in the odd-mass isotopic c…

Association of physical fitness with quality of life in community-dwelling older adults aged 80 and over in Poland: a cross-sectional study

2021

Abstract Background Aging is a progressive and irreversible process that negatively affects the quality of life (QOL). Older adults face difficulties related to worsening health, lowering the level of physical and mental efficiency. We aimed to analyze the associations between physical fitness and QOL in Polish older adults considering sex differences. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed from March to August 2015. The sample consisted of 100 community-dwelling adults (67 women, 33 men) with a mean age of 82.94 ± 2.67 years. The World Health Organization QOL, Short Form questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF), and the Fullerton Functional Fitness Test (FFFT) were used. Biometric data, socia…

Personality Profile in Orthorexia Nervosa and Healthy Orthorexia

2021

Little is known about orthorexia in both its pathological (orthorexia nervosa, OrNe) and adaptive (healthy orthorexia, HeOr) forms. To date, few studies have been carried out to analyze the personality profile associated with orthorexia, and the results have been contradictory. The aim of the present study was to explore the characteristic pathological personality traits associated with OrNe and HeOr. A total of 297 participants (Mage= 30.8 years; 94.6% women) from the general population completed the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) and Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Short Form (PID-5-SF) questionnaires. Results showed significant low-medium correlations between OrNe and the four personality…

Giancarlo De Carlo. Maestro difficile, recensione di Giancarlo De Carlo. Visione e valori, a cura di: Antonietta Iolanda Lima

2021

Book review of the Proceedings of the conference Giancarlo De Carlo scomodo e necessario, Palermo-Catania 2018

Prassi della scrittura

2021

Alla metà degli anni Sessanta, Italo Calvino e Leonardo Sciascia risposero a un'inchiesta proposta dal periodico "Rinascita" con acute osservazione sulla prassi della scrittura e sul rapporto che intrattenevano con il lettore ideale. L'articolo espone le loro idee, le confronta e le mette in correlazione con lo stato presente della scrittura saggistica e letteraria.

Urban Services to Ecosystems - Green Infrastructure Benefits from the Landscape to the Urban Scale

2021

The aim of this book is to bring together multidisciplinary research in the field of green infrastructure design, construction and ecology. The main core of the volume is constituted by contributions dealing with green infrastructure, vegetation science, nature-based solutions and sustainable urban development. The green infrastructure and its ecosystem services, indeed, are gaining space in both political agendas and academic research. However, the attention is focused on the services that nature is giving for free to and for human health and survival. What if we start to see things from another perspective? Our actions shall converge for instance to turn man-made environment like cities f…

Città (in)vivibili

2021

Questo volume è strutturato in tre parti e raccoglie i contributi di studiosi con lunga esperienza e di giovani ricercatori che hanno voluto incuriosire il lettore con appassionanti e complessi viaggi in città (in)vivibili. This volume is structured in three parts and collects the contributions of scholars with long experience and young researchers who wanted to intrigue the reader with exciting and complex trips to (in) livable cities.

Portal Hypertension and Ascites: Patient-and Population-centered Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver (…

2021

Abstract Portal hypertension and ascites are two crucial events in the natural history of liver cirrhosis, whose appearance marks a downward shift in the prognosis of the disease. Over the years, several international and national societies have issued clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of portal hypertension and ascites. The present document addresses the needs of an updated guidance on the clinical management of these conditions. Accordingly, the AISF Governing Board appointed a multi-disciplinary committee of experts for drafting an update of the most recent EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines. The aim of this work was to adapt the EASL recommendations to nationa…

Partnership educativa tra scuola e Organizzazioni No Profit

2021

Attraverso il lavoro di ricerca svolto in tre differenti paesi europei, è stato messo a fuoco il tema della cooperazione tra le organizzazioni no profit (ONP) e le istituzioni scolastiche nella presa in carico educativa di minori di madrelingua differente da quella del Paese ospitante. Il lavoro muove dalla convinzione che in questo periodo di rapidi e drammatici cambiamenti derivanti da trasformazioni geopolitiche in tutto il mondo, il settore no profit, con la sua politica flessibile e indipendente, possa contribuire alla stabilizzazione di una situazione che richiede grande attenzione educativa.

Energie rinnovabili e trasformazioni territoriali: il caso del fotovoltaico in Sicilia

2021

La presente comunicazione intende trattare il tema delle trasformazioni territoriali sono avvenute negli ultimi due decenni in Sicilia, in seguito alla costruzione di centinaia di impianti fotovoltaici di piccole, medie e grandi dimensioni. Tali impianti sono stati costruiti causando spesso profondi mutamenti paesaggio, con trasformazioni territoriali che non hanno tenuto conto delle caratteristiche di produttività dei suoli, della vicinanza di aree protette e siti della Rete Natura 2000 e soprattutto senza il reale coinvolgimento delle comunità locali che spesso hanno subito passivamente tali trasformazioni. Gli strumenti di pianificazione territoriale, quali il Piano Paesistico Regionale,…