Search results for: Marco Picco

Authors: Elisa K. Schoenell, Cristiano De Oliveira, Luiz R. H. Dos Santos, Alexandre Giacobbo, Andréa M. Bernardes, Marco A. S. Rodrigues

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Water is an indispensable natural resource, which must be preserved to human activities as well the ecosystems. However, the sewage discharge has been contaminating water resources. Conventional treatment, such as physicochemical treatment followed by biological processes, has not been efficient to the complete degradation of persistent organic compounds, such as medicines and hormones. Therefore, the use of advanced technologies to sewage treatment has become urgent and necessary. The aim of this study was to apply Reverse Osmosis (RO) on sewage tertiary treatment from a Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) in south Brazil. It was collected 200 L of sewage pre-treated by wetland with aquatic macrophytes. The sewage was treated in a RO pilot plant, using a polyamide membrane BW30-4040 model (DOW FILMTEC), with 7.2 m² membrane area. In order to avoid damage to the equipment, this system contains a pleated polyester filter with 5 µm pore size. It was applied 8 bar until achieve 5 times of concentration, obtaining 80% of recovery of permeate, with 10 L.min-1 of concentrate flow rate. Samples of sewage pre-treated on WWTP, permeate and concentrate generated on RO was analyzed for physicochemical parameters and by gas chromatography (GC) to qualitative analysis of organic compounds. The results proved that the sewage treated on WWTP does not comply with the limit of phosphorus and nitrogen of Brazilian legislation. Besides this, it was found many organic compounds in this sewage, such as benzene, which is carcinogenic. Analyzing permeate results, it was verified that the RO as sewage tertiary treatment was efficient to remove of physicochemical parameters, achieving 100% of iron, copper, zinc and phosphorus removal, 98% of color removal, 91% of BOD and 62% of ammoniacal nitrogen. RO was capable of removing organic compounds, however, it was verified the presence of some organic compounds on de RO permeate, showing that RO did not have the capacity of removal all organic compounds of sewage. It has to be considered that permeate showed lower intensity of peaks in chromatogram in comparison to the sewage of WWTP. It is important to note that the concentrate generate on RO needs a treatment before its disposal in environment.

Keywords: organic compounds, reverse osmosis, sewage treatment, tertiary treatment

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Authors: Umberto Di Staso, Marco Soave, Alessio Giori, Federico Prandi, Raffaele De Amicis

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The increasing availability of information about earth surface elevation (Digital Elevation Models DEM) generated from different sources (remote sensing, Aerial Images, Lidar) poses the question about how to integrate and make available to the most than possible audience this huge amount of data. In order to exploit the potential of 3D elevation representation the quality of data management plays a fundamental role. Due to the high acquisition costs and the huge amount of generated data, highresolution terrain surveys tend to be small or medium sized and available on limited portion of earth. Here comes the need to merge large-scale height maps that typically are made available for free at worldwide level, with very specific high resolute datasets. One the other hand, the third dimension increases the user experience and the data representation quality, unlocking new possibilities in data analysis for civil protection, real estate, urban planning, environment monitoring, etc. The open-source 3D virtual globes, which are trending topics in Geovisual Analytics, aim at improving the visualization of geographical data provided by standard web services or with proprietary formats. Typically, 3D Virtual globes like do not offer an open-source tool that allows the generation of a terrain elevation data structure starting from heterogeneous-resolution terrain datasets. This paper describes a technological solution aimed to set up a so-called “Terrain Builder”. This tool is able to merge heterogeneous-resolution datasets, and to provide a multi-resolution worldwide terrain services fully compatible with CesiumJS and therefore accessible via web using traditional browser without any additional plug-in.

Keywords: Terrain Builder, WebGL, Virtual Globe, CesiumJS, Tiled Map Service, TMS, Height-Map, Regular Grid, Geovisual Analytics, DTM

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Authors: Mohammad M. Aria, Fatma Öz, Yashar Esmaeilian, Marco Carofiglio, Valentina Cauda, Özlem Yalçın

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Photoelectrical stimulation of cells with semiconductor organic polymers have been shown promising applications in neuroprosthetics such as retinal prosthesis. Photoelectrical stimulation of the cell membranes can be induced through a photo-electric charge separation mechanism in the semiconductor materials, and it can alter intracellular calcium level through both stimulation of voltage-gated ion channels and increase of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. On the other hand, targeting voltage-gated ion channels in cancer cells to induce cell apoptosis through calcium signaling alternation is an effective mechanism which has been explained before. In this regard, remote control of the voltage-gated ion channels aimed to alter intracellular calcium by using photo-active organic polymers can be novel technology in cancer therapy. In this study, we used P (ITO/Indium thin oxide)/P3HT(poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl)) and PN (ITO/ZnO/P3HT) photovoltaic junctions to stimulate MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. We showed that the photo-stimulation of breast cancer cells through photo capacitive current generated by the photovoltaic junctions are able to excite the cells and alternate intracellular calcium based on the calcium imaging (at 8mW/cm² green light intensity and 10-50 ms light durations), which has been reported already to safety stimulate neurons. The control group did not undergo light treatment and was cultured in T-75 flasks. We detected 20-30% cell death for ITO/P3HT and 51-60% cell death for ITO/ZnO/P3HT samples in the light treated MDA-MB-231 cell group. Western blot analysis demonstrated poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activated cell death in the light treated group. Furthermore, Annexin V and PI fluorescent staining indicated both apoptosis and necrosis in treated cells. In conclusion, our findings revealed that the photoelectrical stimulation of cells (through long time overstimulation) can induce cell death in cancer cells.

Keywords: Ca²⁺ signaling, cancer therapy, electrically excitable cells, photoelectrical stimulation, voltage-gated ion channels

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Authors: Rossana Taravella, Gilberto M. Cellura, Giuseppe Cirrincione, Salvatore Asciutto, Marco Caruso, Massimo Benedetto, Renato Ciofalo, Giuliana Pace, Salvatore Novo

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Objectives: This retrospective analysis sought to evaluate 1-month outcomes and therapy effectiveness of a population of patients treated with MitraClip therapy. We describe in this article the preliminary results of primary effectiveness endpoint. Background: Percutaneous Mitral Repair is being developed to treat severe mitral regurgitation (MR), with increasing real-world cases of functional MR (FMR). In the EVEREST (Endovascular Valve Edge-to-Edge Repair Study)II trial, the percutaneous device showed superior safety but less reduction in MR at 1year. 4-year outcomes from EVEREST II trial showed no difference in the prevalence of moderate-severe and severe MR or mortality at 4years between surgical mitral repair and percutaneous approach. Methods: We analysed retrospectively collected data from one center experience in Italy enrolled from January 2011 to December 2016. The study included 62 patients [mean age 74±11years, 43 men (69%)] with MR of at least grade3+. Most of the patients had functional MR, were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or IV, with a large portion (78%) of mild-to-moderate Tricuspid Regurgitation (TR). One or more clips were implanted in 67 procedures (62 patients). Results and Conclusions: Severity of MR was reduced in all successfully treated patients,54(90%) were discharged with MR≤2+ (primary effectiveness endpoint). Clinical 1-month follow-up data showed an improvement in NYHA functional class (42 patients (70%) in NYHA class I-II). 60 of 62 (97 %) successfully treated patients were free from death and mitral valve surgery at 1-month follow-up. MitraClip therapy reduces functional MR with acute MR reduction to <2+ in the great majority of patients, with a large freedom from death, surgery or recurrent MR in a great portion of patients.

Keywords: MitraClip, mitral regurgitation, heart valves, catheter-based therapy

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Authors: Benjamin A. Ha, Marco Morselli, Xinhui Paige Zhang, Elizabeth A. C. Heath-Heckman, Jonathan B. Puritz, David K. Jacobs

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Next-generation sequencing has enhanced the ability to acquire massive amounts of sequence data to address classic population genetic questions for non-model organisms. Targeted approaches allow for cost effective or more precise analyses of relevant sequences; although, many such techniques require a known genome and it can be costly to purchase probes from a company. This is challenging for non-model organisms with no published genome and can be expensive for large population genetic studies. Expressed exome capture sequencing (EecSeq) synthesizes probes in the lab from expressed mRNA, which is used to capture and sequence the coding regions of genomic DNA from a pooled suite of samples. A normalization step produces probes to recover transcripts from a wide range of expression levels. This approach offers low cost recovery of a broad range of genes in the genome. This research project expands on EecSeq to investigate if mRNA from one taxon may be used to capture relevant sequences from a series of increasingly less closely related taxa. For this purpose, we propose to use the endangered Northern Tidewater goby, Eucyclogobius newberryi, a non-model organism that inhabits California coastal lagoons. mRNA will be extracted from E. newberryi to create probes and capture exomes from eight other taxa, including the more at-risk Southern Tidewater goby, E. kristinae, and more divergent species. Captured exomes will be sequenced, analyzed bioinformatically and phylogenetically, then compared to previously generated phylogenies across this group of gobies. This will provide an assessment of the utility of the technique in cross-species studies and for analyzing low genetic variation within species as is the case for E. kristinae. This method has potential applications to provide economical ways to expand population genetic and evolutionary biology studies for non-model organisms.

Keywords: coastal lagoons, endangered species, non-model organism, target capture method

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Authors: Felipe J. Costa, João F. A. Martos, Ronaldo L. Cardoso, Israel S. Rêgo, Marco A. S. Minucci, Antonio C. Oliveira, Paulo G. P. Toro

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The Prof. Henry T. Nagamatsu Laboratory of Aerothermodynamics and Hypersonics, at the Institute for Advanced Studies designed the Brazilian 14-X Hypersonic Aerospace Vehicle, which is a technological demonstrator endowed with two innovative technologies: waverider technology, to obtain lift from conical shockwave during the hypersonic flight; and uses hypersonic airbreathing propulsion system called scramjet that is based on supersonic combustion, to perform flights on Earth's atmosphere at 30 km altitude at Mach numbers 7 and 10. The scramjet is an aeronautical engine without moving parts that promote compression and deceleration of freestream atmospheric air at the inlet through the conical/oblique shockwaves generated during the hypersonic flight. During high speed flight, the shock waves and the viscous forces yield the phenomenon called aerodynamic heating, where this physical meaning is the friction between the fluid filaments and the body or compression at the stagnation regions of the leading edge that converts the kinetic energy into heat within a thin layer of air which blankets the body. The temperature of this layer increases with the square of the speed. This high temperature is concentrated in the boundary-layer, where heat will flow readily from the boundary-layer to the hypersonic aerospace vehicle structure. Fay and Riddell and Eckert methods are applied to the stagnation point and to the flat plate segments in order to calculate the aerodynamic heating. On the understanding of the aerodynamic heating it is important to analyze the heat conduction transfer to the 14-X waverider internal structure. ANSYS Workbench software provides the Thermal Numerical Analysis, using Finite Element Method of the 14-X waverider unpowered scramjet at 30 km altitude at Mach number 7 and 10 in terms of temperature and heat flux. Finally, it is possible to verify if the internal temperature complies with the requirements for embedded systems, and, if is necessary to do modifications on the structure in terms of wall thickness and materials.

Keywords: aerodynamic heating, hypersonic, scramjet, thermal analysis

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Authors: Renato Morbidelli, Carla Saltalippi, Alessia Flammini, Marco Cifrodelli, Corrado Corradini

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The trend of magnitude and frequency of extreme rainfalls seems to be different depending on the investigated area of the world. In this work, the impact of climate change on extreme rainfalls in Umbria, an inland region of central Italy, is examined using data recorded during the period 1921-2015 by 10 representative rain gauge stations. The study area is characterized by a complex orography, with altitude ranging from 200 to more than 2000 m asl. The climate is very different from zone to zone, with mean annual rainfall ranging from 650 to 1450 mm and mean annual air temperature from 3.3 to 14.2°C. Over the past 15 years, this region has been affected by four significant droughts as well as by six dangerous flood events, all with very large impact in economic terms. A least-squares linear trend analysis of annual maximums over 60 time series selected considering 6 different durations (1 h, 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h) showed about 50% of positive and 50% of negative cases. For the same time series the non-parametrical Mann-Kendall test with a significance level 0.05 evidenced only 3% of cases characterized by a negative trend and no positive case. Further investigations have also demonstrated that the variance and covariance of each time series can be considered almost stationary. Therefore, the analysis on the magnitude of extreme rainfalls supplies the indication that an evident trend in the change of values in the Umbria region does not exist. However, also the frequency of rainfall events, with particularly high rainfall depths values, occurred during a fixed period has also to be considered. For all selected stations the 2-day rainfall events that exceed 50 mm were counted for each year, starting from the first monitored year to the end of 2015. Also, this analysis did not show predominant trends. Specifically, for all selected rain gauge stations the annual number of 2-day rainfall events that exceed the threshold value (50 mm) was slowly decreasing in time, while the annual cumulated rainfall depths corresponding to the same events evidenced trends that were not statistically significant. Overall, by using a wide available dataset and adopting simple methods, the influence of climate change on the heavy rainfalls in the Umbria region is not detected.

Keywords: climate changes, rainfall extremes, rainfall magnitude and frequency, central Italy

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Authors: Francesca Maria Melucci, Marco Panettieri, Rocco Roma

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Cities are at the forefront of achieving the sustainable development goals set out in the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030. For these reasons, increasing attention has been given to the creation of resilient, sustainable, inclusive and green cities and finding solutions to these problems is one of the greatest challenges faced by researchers today. In particular urban green infrastructures, including green roofs, play a key role in tackling environmental, social and economic problems. The starting point was an extensive literature review on 1. research developments on the benefits (environmental, economic and social) and implications of green roofs; 2. sustainability assessment and applied methodologies; 3. specific indicators to measure impacts on urban sustainability. Through this review, the appropriate qualitative and quantitative characteristics that are part of the complex 'green roof' system were identified, as studies that holistically capture its multifunctional nature are still lacking. So, this paper aims to find a method to improve community participation in green roof initiatives and support local governance processes in developing efficient proposals to achieve better sustainability and resilience of cities. To this aim, the multidimensional indicator-based framework, presented by Tapia in 2021, has been tested for the first time in the case of a green roof in the city of Madrid. The framework's set of indicators was implemented with other indicators such as those of waste management and circularity (OECD Inventory of Circular Economy indicators) and sustainability performance. The specific indicators to be used in the case study were decided after a consultation phase with relevant stakeholders. Data on the community's willingness to participate in green roof implementation initiatives were collected through interviews and online surveys with a heterogeneous sample of citizens. The results of the application of the framework suggest how the different aspects of sustainability influence the choice of a green roof and provide input on the main mechanisms involved in citizens' willingness to participate in such initiatives.

Keywords: urban agriculture, green roof, urban sustainability, indicators, multi-criteria analysis

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Authors: Ione Loots, Marco van Dijk, Jay Bhagwan

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Historically, South Africa had various small-scale hydropower installations in remote areas that were not incorporated in the national electricity grid. Unfortunately, in the 1960s most of these plants were decommissioned when Eskom, the national power utility, rapidly expanded its grid and capability to produce cheap, reliable, coal-fired electricity. This situation persisted until 2008, when rolling power cuts started to affect all citizens. This, together with the rising monetary and environmental cost of coal-based power generation, has sparked new interest in small-scale hydropower development, especially in remote areas or at locations (like wastewater treatment works) that could not afford to be without electricity for long periods at a time. Even though South Africa does not have the same, large-scale, hydropower potential as some other African countries, significant potential for micro- and small-scale hydropower is hidden in various places. As an example, large quantities of raw and potable water are conveyed daily under either pressurized or gravity conditions over large distances and elevations. Due to the relative water scarcity in the country, South Africa also has more than 4900 registered dams of varying capacities. However, institutional capacity and skills have not been maintained in recent years and therefore the identification of hydropower potential, as well as the development of micro- and small-scale hydropower plants has not gained significant momentum. An assessment model and decision support system for low head hydropower development has been developed to assist designers and decision makers with first-order potential analysis. As a result, various potential sites were identified and many of these sites were situated at existing infrastructure like weirs, barrages or pipelines. One reason for the specific interest in existing infrastructure is the fact that capital expenditure could be minimized and another is the reduced negative environmental impact compared to greenfield sites. This paper will explore the case study of retrofitting an unconventional and innovative hydropower plant to the outlet of a wastewater treatment works in South Africa.

Keywords: low head hydropower, retrofitting, small-scale hydropower, wastewater treatment works

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Authors: Lorenza Fabiocchi, Marco Mariani, Andrea Lucchini Huspek, Matteo Pozzi, Massimiliano Bestetti, Serena Graziosi, Nora Lecis

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Additive manufacturing of stainless steels is rapidly developing thanks to the ability to achieve complex designs effortlessly. Stainless steel 17-4PH is valued for its high strength and corrosion resistance, however intricate geometries are challenging to obtain due to rapid tool wear when machined. Binder jetting additive manufacturing was used to produce 17–4PH samples and pulsed electron beam surface treatment was investigated to enhance surface properties of components. The aim is to improve the tribological performance compared to the as-sintered condition and the H900 aging process, which optimizes hardness and wear resistance. Printed samples were sintered in a reducing atmosphere and superficially treated with an electron beam by varying the voltage (20 - 25 - 30 kV) and pulse count (20 – 40 pulses). Then, the surface was characterized from a microstructural and mechanical standpoint. Scratch tests were performed, and a reciprocating linear pin-on-disk wear test was conducted at 2 N and 10 Hz. Results showed that the voltage affects the roughness and thickness of the treated layer, whilst the number of pulses influences the hardening of the microstructure and consequently the wear resistance. Treated samples exhibited lower coefficients of friction compared to as-printed surfaces, though the values approached those of aged samples after the abrasion of the melted layer, indicating a deeper heat-affected zone formation. Different amounts of residual stress in the heat effected zone were individuated through the scratch tests. Still, the friction remained lower than that of as-printed specimens. This study demonstrates that optimizing electron beam parameters is vital for achieving surface performance comparable to bulk aging treatments, with significant implications for long-term wear resistance.

Keywords: low energy high current pulsed electron beam, tribology, binder jetting 3D printing, 17-4PH stainless steel

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Authors: Jacques Cuenca, Claudio Colangeli, Agnieszka Mroz, Karl Janssens, Gunther Riexinger, Antonio D'Antuono, Giuseppe Pandarese, Milena Martarelli, Gian Marco Revel, Carlos Barcena Martin

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This study presents an on-site acoustic inspection methodology for quality and performance evaluation of building components. The work focuses on global and detailed sound source localisation, by successively performing acoustic beamforming and sound intensity measurements. A portable experimental setup is developed, consisting of an omnidirectional broadband acoustic source and a microphone array and sound intensity probe. Three main acoustic indicators are of interest, namely the sound pressure distribution on the surface of components such as walls, windows and junctions, the three-dimensional sound intensity field in the vicinity of junctions, and the sound transmission loss of partitions. The measurement data is post-processed and converted into a three-dimensional numerical model of the acoustic indicators with the help of the simultaneously acquired geolocation information. The three-dimensional acoustic indicators are then integrated into an augmented reality platform superimposing them onto a real-time visualisation of the spatial environment. The methodology thus enables a measurement-supported inspection process of buildings and the correction of errors during construction and refurbishment. Two experimental validation cases are shown. The first consists of a laboratory measurement on a full-scale mockup of a room, featuring a prefabricated panel. The latter is installed with controlled defects such as lack of insulation and joint sealing material. It is demonstrated that the combined acoustic and augmented reality tool is capable of identifying acoustic leakages from the building defects and assist in correcting them. The second validation case is performed on a prefabricated room at a near-completion stage in the factory. With the help of the measurements and visualisation tools, the homogeneity of the partition installation is evaluated and leakages from junctions and doors are identified. Furthermore, the integration of acoustic indicators together with thermal and geometrical indicators via the augmented reality platform is shown.

Keywords: acoustic inspection, prefabricated building components, augmented reality, sound source localization

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Authors: Desiree Di Marco

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The aim of this work is to show through the lens of art first which kind of reality was the one represented through fascist maps, and second to study the impact of the fascist regime’s cartography (FRC) on observers eye’s. In this study, it is assumed that the FRC’s representation of reality was simplified, timeless, and even a-spatial because it underrates the concept of territoriality. Cubism and Picasso’s paintings will be used as counter-examples to mystify fascist cartography’s ideological assumptions. The difference between the gaze of an observer looking at the surface of a fascist map and the gaze of someone observing a Picasso painting is impressive. Because there is always something dark, hidden, behind and inside a map, the world of fascist maps was a world built starting from the observation of a “window” that distorted reality and trapped the eyes of the observers. Moving across the map, they seem as if they were hypnotized. Cartohypnosis is the state in which the observer finds himself enslaved by the attractive force of the map, which uses a sort of “magic” geography, a geography that, by means of symbolic language, never has as its primary objective the attempt to show us reality in its complexity, but that of performing for its audience. Magical geography and hypnotic cartography in fascism blended together, creating an almost mystical, magical relationship that demystified reality to reduce the world to a conquerable space. This reduction offered the observer the possibility of conceiving new dimensions: of the limit, of the boundary, elements with which the subject felt fully involved and in which the aesthetic force of the images demonstrated all its strength. But in the early 20th century, the combination of art and cartography gave rise to new possibilities. Cubism which, more than all the other artistic currents showed us how much the observation of reality from a single point of view falls within dangerous logic, is an example. Cubism was an artistic movement that brought about a profound transformation in pictorial culture. It was not only a revolution of pictorial space, but it was a revolution of our conception of pictorial space. Up until that time, men and women were more inclined to believe in the power of images and their representations. Cubist painters rebelled against this blindness by claiming that art must always offer an alternative. Indeed the contribution of this work is precisely to show how art can be able to provide alternatives to even the most horrible regimes and the most atrocious human misfortunes. It also enriches the field of cartography because it "reassures" it by showing how much good it can be for cartography if also for other disciplines come close. Only in this way researcher can increase the chances for the cartography of a greater diffusion at the academic level.

Keywords: cartography, Picasso, fascism, culture

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Authors: Marco Soto-Arriaza, Eduardo Cena-Ahumada, Jaime Melendez-Rojel

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Background: Liposomes have been widely used as a model of lipid bilayer to study the physicochemical properties of biological membrane, encapsulation, transport and release of different molecules. Furthermore, extensive research has focused on improving the efficiency in the transport of drugs, developing tools that improve the release of the encapsulated drug from liposomes. In this context, the enzymatic activity of PLA₂, despite having been shown to be an effective tool to promote the release of drugs from liposomes, is still an open field of research. Aim: The aim of the present study is to explore the effect of cholesterol (Cho) and amphipathic di- and tri-block copolymers, on calcein release mediated by enzymatic activity of PLA2 in Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) liposomes under physiological conditions. Methods: Different dispersions of DPPC, cholesterol, di-block POE₄₅-PCL₅₂ or tri-block PCL₁₂-POE₄₅-PCL₁₂ were prepared by the extrusion method after five freezing/thawing cycles; in Phosphate buffer 10mM pH 7.4 in presence of calcein. DPPC liposomes/Calcein were centrifuged at 15000rpm 10 min to separate free calcein. Enzymatic activity assays of PLA₂ were performed at 37°C using the TBS buffer pH 7.4. The size distribution, polydispersity, Z-potential and Calcein encapsulation of DPPC liposomes was monitored. Results: PLA₂ activity showed a slower kinetic of calcein release up to 20 mol% of cholesterol, evidencing a minimum at 10 mol% and then a maximum at 18 mol%. Regardless of the percentage of cholesterol, up to 18 mol% a one-hundred percentage release of calcein was observed. At higher cholesterol concentrations, PLA₂ showed to be inefficient or not to be involved in calcein release. In assays where copolymers were added in a concentration lower than their cmc, a similar behavior to those showed in the presence of Cho was observed, that is a slower kinetic in calcein release. In both experimental approaches, a one-hundred percentage of calcein release was observed. PLA₂ was shown to be sensitive to the 4-(4-Octadecylphenyl)-4-oxobutenoic acid inhibitor and calcium, reducing the release of calcein to 0%. Cell viability of HeLa cells decreased 7% in the presence of DPPC liposomes after 3 hours of incubation and 17% and 23% at 5 and 15 hours, respectively. Conclusion: Calcein release from DPPC liposomes, mediated by PLA₂ activity, depends on the percentage of cholesterol and the presence of copolymers. Both, cholesterol up to 20 mol% and copolymers below it cmc could be applied to the regulation of the kinetics of antitumoral drugs release without inducing cell toxicity per se.

Keywords: amphipathic copolymers, calcein release, cholesterol, DPPC liposome, phospholipase A₂

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Authors: Marco Sewald

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Comparing present to past the numbers of Americans expatriating U. S. citizenship have risen. Even though these numbers are small compared to the immigrants, U. S. citizens expatriations have historically been much lower, making the uptick worrisome. In addition, the published lists and numbers from the U.S. government seems incomplete, with many not counted. Different branches of the U. S. government report different numbers and no one seems to know exactly how big the real number is, even though the IRS and the FBI both track and/or publish numbers of Americans who renounce. Since there is no single explanation, anecdotal evidence suggests this uptick is caused by global tax law and increased compliance burdens imposed by the U.S. lawmakers on U.S. citizens abroad. Within a research project the question arose about the reasons why a constant growing number of U.S. citizens are expatriating – the answers are believed helping to explain the underlying governmental policy rational, leading to such activities. While it is impossible to locate former U.S. citizens to conduct a survey on the reasons and the U.S. government is not commenting on the reasons given within the process of expatriation, the chosen methodology is Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), in the first step by re-using current surveys conducted by different researchers within the population of U. S. citizens residing abroad during the last years. Surveys questioning the personal situation in the context of tax, compliance, citizenship and likelihood to repatriate to the U. S. In general SEM allows: (1) Representing, estimating and validating a theoretical model with linear (unidirectional or not) relationships. (2) Modeling causal relationships between multiple predictors (exogenous) and multiple dependent variables (endogenous). (3) Including unobservable latent variables. (4) Modeling measurement error: the degree to which observable variables describe latent variables. Moreover SEM seems very appealing since the results can be represented either by matrix equations or graphically. Results: the observed variables (items) of the construct are caused by various latent variables. The given surveys delivered a high correlation and it is therefore impossible to identify the distinct effect of each indicator on the latent variable – which was one desired result. Since every SEM comprises two parts: (1) measurement model (outer model) and (2) structural model (inner model), it seems necessary to extend the given data by conducting additional research and surveys to validate the outer model to gain the desired results.

Keywords: expatriation of U. S. citizens, SEM, structural equation modeling, validating

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Authors: Jennifer Gallup, Joel Bocanegra, Greg Callan, Abigail Vaughn

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Students with disabilities (SWD) engaged in a distance summer program delivered over multiple virtual mediums that used gaming principles to teach and practice self-regulated learning (SRL) through the process of exploring possible jobs. Gaming quests were developed to explore jobs and teach transition skills. Students completed specially designed quests that taught and reinforced SRL and problem-solving through individual, group, and teacher-led experiences. SRL skills learned were reinforced through guided job explorations over the context of MinecraftEDU, zoom with experts in the career, collaborations with a team over Marco Polo, and Zoom. The quests were developed and laid out on an accessible web page, with active learning opportunities and feedback conducted within multiple virtual mediums including MinecraftEDU. Gaming mediums actively engage players in role-playing, problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. Gaming has been used as a medium for education since the inception of formal education. Games, and specifically board games, are pre-historic, meaning we had board games before we had written language. Today, games are widely used in education, often as a reinforcer for behavior or for rewards for work completion. Games are not often used as a direct method of instruction and assessment; however, the inclusion of games as an assessment tool and as a form of instruction increases student engagement and participation. Games naturally include collaboration, problem-solving, and communication. Therefore, our summer program was developed using gaming principles and MinecraftEDU. This manuscript describes a virtual learning summer program called Virtual Academy New and Exciting Transitions (VAN) that was redesigned from a face-to-face setting to a completely online setting with a focus on SWD aged 14-21. The focus of VAN was to address transition planning needs such as problem-solving skills, self-regulation, interviewing, job exploration, and communication for transition-aged youth diagnosed with various disabilities (e.g., learning disabilities, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder).

Keywords: autism, disabilities, transition, summer program, gaming, simulations

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Authors: Marco Furinghetti, Alberto Pavese, Michele Rinaldi

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Concave Surface Slider devices have been more and more used in real applications for seismic protection of both bridge and building structures. Several research activities have been carried out, in order to investigate the lateral response of such a typology of devices, and a reasonably high level of knowledge has been reached. If radial analysis is performed, the frictional force is always aligned with respect to the restoring force, whereas under bidirectional seismic events, a bi-axial interaction of the directions of motion occurs, due to the step-wise projection of the main frictional force, which is assumed to be aligned to the trajectory of the isolator. Nonetheless, if non-linear time history analyses have to be performed, standard codes provide precise rules for the definition of an averagely spectrum-compatible set of accelerograms in radial conditions, whereas for bidirectional motions different combinations of the single components spectra can be found. Moreover, nowadays software for the adjustment of natural accelerograms are available, which lead to a higher quality of spectrum-compatibility and to a smaller dispersion of results for radial motions. In this endeavor a simplified design procedure is defined, for building structures, base-isolated by means of Concave Surface Slider devices. Different case study structures have been analyzed. In a first stage, the capacity curve has been computed, by means of non-linear static analyses on the fixed-base structures: inelastic fiber elements have been adopted and different direction angles of lateral forces have been studied. Thanks to these results, a linear elastic Finite Element Model has been defined, characterized by the same global stiffness of the linear elastic branch of the non-linear capacity curve. Then, non-linear time history analyses have been performed on the base-isolated structures, by applying seven bidirectional seismic events. The spectrum-compatibility of bidirectional earthquakes has been studied, by considering different combinations of single components and adjusting single records: thanks to the proposed procedure, results have shown a small dispersion and a good agreement in comparison to the assumed design values.

Keywords: concave surface slider, spectrum-compatibility, bidirectional earthquake, base isolation

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Authors: Andreas Aceranti, Simonetta Vernocchi, Marco Colorato, Daniel Zaccariello

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Our study explores the usefulness of implementing facial expression recognition capabilities and using the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) in contexts where the other person is wearing a mask. In the communication process, the subjects use a plurality of distinct and autonomous reporting systems. Among them, the system of mimicking facial movements is worthy of attention. Basic emotion theorists have identified the existence of specific and universal patterns of facial expressions related to seven basic emotions -anger, disgust, contempt, fear, sadness, surprise, and happiness- that would distinguish one emotion from another. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have come up against the problem of having the lower half of the face covered and, therefore, not investigable due to the masks. Facial-emotional behavior is a good starting point for understanding: (1) the affective state (such as emotions), (2) cognitive activity (perplexity, concentration, boredom), (3) temperament and personality traits (hostility, sociability, shyness), (4) psychopathology (such as diagnostic information relevant to depression, mania, schizophrenia, and less severe disorders), (5) psychopathological processes that occur during social interactions patient and analyst. There are numerous methods to measure facial movements resulting from the action of muscles, see for example, the measurement of visible facial actions using coding systems (non-intrusive systems that require the presence of an observer who encodes and categorizes behaviors) and the measurement of electrical "discharges" of contracting muscles (facial electromyography; EMG). However, the measuring system invented by Ekman and Friesen (2002) - "Facial Action Coding System - FACS" is the most comprehensive, complete, and versatile. Our study, carried out on about 1,500 subjects over three years of work, allowed us to highlight how the movements of the hands and upper part of the face change depending on whether the subject wears a mask or not. We have been able to identify specific alterations to the subjects’ hand movement patterns and their upper face expressions while wearing masks compared to when not wearing them. We believe that finding correlations between how body language changes when our facial expressions are impaired can provide a better understanding of the link between the face and body non-verbal language.

Keywords: facial action coding system, COVID-19, masks, facial analysis

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Authors: Edvard Kokanyan, Narine Babajanyan, Ninel Kokanyan, Marco Bazzan

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Lithium niobate (LN) crystals, renowned for their exceptional nonlinear optical, electro-optical, piezoelectric, and photorefractive properties, stand as foundational materials in diverse fields of study and application. While they have long been utilized in frequency converters of laser radiation, electro-optical modulators, and holographic information recording media, LN crystals doped with rare earth ions represent a compelling frontier for modern compact devices. These materials exhibit immense potential as key components in infrared lasers, optical sensors, self-cooling systems, and radiation balanced laser setups. In this study, we present the successful synthesis of Ho-doped lithium niobate (LN:Ho) thin films on sapphire substrates employing the Sol-Gel technique. The films exhibit a strong crystallographic orientation along the perpendicular direction to the substrate surface, with X-ray diffraction analysis confirming the predominant alignment of the film's "c" axis, notably evidenced by the intense (006) reflection peak. Further characterization through Raman spectroscopy, employing a confocal Raman microscope (LabRAM HR Evolution) with exciting wavelengths of 532 nm and 785 nm, unraveled intriguing insights. Under excitation with a 785 nm laser, Raman scattering obeyed selection rules, while employing a 532 nm laser unveiled additional forbidden lines reminiscent of behaviors observed in bulk LN:Ho crystals. These supplementary lines were attributed to luminescence induced by excitation at 532 nm. Leveraging data from anti-Stokes Raman lines facilitated the disentanglement of luminescence spectra from the investigated samples. Surface scanning affirmed the uniformity of both structure and luminescence across the thin films. Notably, despite the robust orientation of the "c" axis perpendicular to the substrate surface, Raman signals indicated a stochastic distribution of "a" and "b" axes, validating the mosaic structure of the films along the mentioned axis. This study offers valuable insights into the structural properties of Ho-doped lithium niobate thin films, with the observed luminescence behavior holding significant promise for potential applications in optoelectronic devices.

Keywords: lithium niobate, Sol-Gel, luminescence, Raman spectroscopy

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Authors: Marco Camilli

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This article examines the impact of the pandemic outbreak of COVID-19 in the tourism sector in Italy, analyzing the current scenario, the government decisions and the private company reaction for the summer season 2020. The framework of the data analyzed shows how massive it’s the impact of the pandemic outbreak in the tourism revenue, and the weaknesses of the measures proposed. Keywords Travel &Tourism, Transportation, Sustainability, COVID-19, Businesses Introduction The current COVID-19 scenario shows a shocking situation for the tourism and transportation sectors: it could be the most affected by the Coronavirus in Italy. According to forecasts, depending on the duration of the epidemic outbreak and the lockdown strategy applied by the Government, businesses in the supply chain could lose between 24 and 66 billion in turnover in the period of 2020-21, with huge diversified impacts at the national and regional level. Many tourist companies are on the verge of survival and if there are no massive measures by the government they risk closure. Data analysis The tourism and transport sector could be among the sectors most damaged by Covid-19 in Italy. Considering the two-year period 2020-21, companies operating in the travel & tourism sector (Tour operator, Travel Agencies, Hotel, Guides, Bus Company, etc..) could in suffer losses in revenues of 24 to 64 billion euros, especially in the sectors such as the travel agencies, hotel and rental. According to Statista Research Department, from April 2020 estimated that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will have a significant impact on revenues of the tourism industry in Italy. Revenues are expected to decrease by over 40 billion euros in the first semester of 2020, compared to the same period of the previous year. According to the study, hotel and non-hotel accommodations will experience the highest loss. Revenues of this sector are expected to decrease by 13 billion euros compared to the first semester of 2019 when accommodations registered revenues for about 17 billion euros. According to Statista.com, in 2020, Italy is expected to register a decrease of roughly 28.5 million tourist arrivals due to the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on the country's tourist sector. According to the estimate, the region of Veneto will record the highest drop with a decrease of roughly 4.61 million arrivals. Similarly, Lombardy is expected to register a decrease of about 3.87 million arrivals in 2020.

Keywords: travel and tourism, sustainability, COVID-19, businesses, transportation

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Authors: Joana PaScoa Pinheiro, David Goncalves Ferreira, Filipe Ramos, Joaquim Soares Do Brito, Samuel Martins, Marco Sarmento

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Introduction: The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic was identified in January 2020 in China, in the city of Wuhan. The increase in the number of cases over the following months was responsible for the restructuring of hospitals and departments in order to accommodate admissions related to COVID-19. Essential services, such as trauma, had to readapt to maintain their functionality and thus guarantee quick and safe access in case of an emergency. Objectives: This study describes the impact of COVID-19 on a Level III Trauma Center and particularly on the clinical management of hospitalized patients with spine injuries. Study Design & Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study whose results were obtained through the medical records of patients with spine injuries who underwent surgical intervention in the years 2019 and 2020 (period from March 1st to December 31st). A comparison between the two groups was made. In the study patients with injuries in the context of trauma were included who underwent surgery in the periods previously described. Patients hospitalized with a spine injury in a non-traumatic context and/or were not surgically treated were excluded. Results: In total, 137 patients underwent trauma spine surgery of which 71 in 2019 (51.8%) were without significant differences in intergroup comparisons. The most frequent injury mechanism in 2019 was motor vehicle crash (47.9%) compared to 2020 which was of a person falling from a height between 2-4 meters (37.9%). Cervical trauma was reported to be the most frequent spine injury in both years. There was a significant decrease in the need for intensive care in 2020, 51.4% vs 30.3%, p = .015 and the number of complications was also lower in 2020 (1.35% vs 0.98%), including the number of deaths, being the difference marginally significant. There were no significant differences regarding time for presentation to surgery or in the total days of hospitalization. Conclusions: The restructuring made in the trauma unit at a Level III Trauma Center in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic was effective, with no significant differences between the years of 2019 vs 2020 when compared with the time for presentation to surgery or the number of days of hospitalization. It was also found that lockdown rules in 2020 were probably responsible for the decrease in the number of road traffic accidents, which justifies a significant decrease in the need for intensive care as well as in the number of complications in patients hospitalized in the context of spine trauma.

Keywords: trauma, spine, impact, covid-19

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Authors: Marco Ferretti, Marcello Risitano, Maria Cristina Pietronudo, Lina Ozturk

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A green port is the result of a sustainable long-term strategy adopted by an entire port infrastructure, therefore by the set of actors involved in port activities. The strategy aims to realise the development of sustainable port infrastructure focused on the reduction of negative environmental impacts without jeopardising economic growth. Green technology represents the core tool to implement sustainable solutions, however, they are not a magic bullet. Ports have always been integrated in the local territory affecting the environment in which they operate, therefore, the sustainable strategy should fit with the entire local systems. Therefore, adopting a sustainable strategy means to know how to involve and engage a wide stakeholders’ network (industries, production, markets, citizens, and public authority). The existing research on the topic has not well integrated this perspective with those of sustainability. Research on green ports have mixed the sustainability aspects with those on the maritime industry, neglecting dynamics that lead to the development of the green port phenomenon. We propose an analysis of green ports adopting the lens of ecosystem studies in the field of management. The ecosystem approach provides a way to model relations that enable green solutions and green practices in a port ecosystem. However, due to the local dimension of a port and the port trend on innovation, i.e., sustainable innovation, we draw to a specific concept of ecosystem, those on local innovation systems. More precisely, we explore if a green port is a local innovation system engaged in developing sustainable innovation with a large impact on the territory or merely an innovation adopter. To address this issue, we adopt a comparative case study selecting two innovative ports in Europe: Rotterdam and Genova. The case study is a research method focused on understanding the dynamics in a specific situation and can be used to provide a description of real circumstances. Preliminary results show two different approaches in supporting sustainable innovation: one represented by Rotterdam, a pioneer in competitiveness and sustainability, and the second one represented by Genoa, an example of technology adopter. The paper intends to provide a better understanding of how sustainable innovations are developed and in which manner a network of port and local stakeholder support this process. Furthermore, it proposes a taxonomy of green ports as developers and adopters of sustainable innovation, suggesting also best practices to model relationships that enable the port ecosystem in applying a sustainable strategy.

Keywords: green port, innovation, sustainability, local innovation systems

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Authors: Francesco Pantano, Marta Fogolari, Michele Iuliani, Sonia Simonetti, Silvia Cavaliere, Marco Russano, Fabrizio Citarella, Bruno Vincenzi, Silvia Angeletti, Giuseppe Tonini

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Background: Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have changed the treatment paradigm of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), these drugs fail to elicit durable responses in the majority of NSCLC patients. The gut microbiota, able to regulate immune responsiveness, is emerging as a promising, modifiable target to improve ICIs response rates. Since the oral microbiome has been demonstrated to be the primary source of bacterial microbiota in the lungs, we investigated its composition as a potential predictive biomarker to identify and select patients who could benefit from immunotherapy. Methods: Thirty-five patients with stage IV squamous and non-squamous cell NSCLC eligible for an anti-PD-1/PD-L1 as monotherapy were enrolled. Saliva samples were collected from patients prior to the start of treatment, bacterial DNA was extracted using the QIAamp® DNA Microbiome Kit (QIAGEN) and the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced on a MiSeq sequencing instrument (Illumina). Results: NSCLC patients were dichotomized as “Responders” (partial or complete response) and “Non-Responders” (progressive disease), after 12 weeks of treatment, based on RECIST criteria. A prevalence of the phylum Candidatus Saccharibacteria was found in the 10 responders compared to non-responders (abundance 5% vs 1% respectively; p-value = 1.46 x 10-7; False Discovery Rate (FDR) = 1.02 x 10-6). Moreover, a higher prevalence of Saccharibacteria Genera Incertae Sedis genus (belonging to the Candidatus Saccharibacteria phylum) was observed in "responders" (p-value = 6.01 x 10-7 and FDR = 2.46 x 10-5). Finally, the patients who benefit from immunotherapy showed a significant abundance of TM7 Phylum Sp Oral Clone FR058 strain, member of Saccharibacteria Genera Incertae Sedis genus (p-value = 6.13 x 10-7 and FDR=7.66 x 10-5). Conclusions: These preliminary results showed a significant association between oral microbiota and ICIs response in NSCLC patients. In particular, the higher prevalence of Candidatus Saccharibacteria phylum and TM7 Phylum Sp Oral Clone FR058 strain in responders suggests their potential immunomodulatory role. The study is still ongoing and updated data will be presented at the congress.

Keywords: oral microbiota, immune checkpoint inhibitors, non-small cell lung cancer, predictive biomarker

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Authors: Yingyi Luo

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Cross-border surrogacy is seen by many as a market in which women are bought and sold commodities at risk of trafficking. A surrogate can be framed as either a fully acknowledged subject, with whom intended parents engage in cross-border surrogacy—or as a tool utilized by intended parents and surrogacy facilitators in the furtherance of their own objectives. In order to identify which frame prevails, this paper applies subjectivity theory to an empirical study of cross-border surrogacy facilitated by facilitators in Australia analysing interviews with surrogate agents, counsellors and lawyers, and observations at trade show. The aim of the paper is to advance understanding of the dynamics of the relationship between intended parents, surrogates, and surrogacy facilitators by collecting new data and applying unique framework. As dominant players, surrogacy facilitators have a significant impact on determining the nature of cross-border surrogacy. However, little is known concerning the manner in which facilitators influence the inter-subjectivity between surrogate mothers and intended parents. Thus, this paper intends to identify how facilitators depict surrogate mothers, the degree to which their perspectives bear upon both the subjectivity of the surrogate mother and the relationship of intended parents with surrogate mothers. For the purpose of introducing and developing this framework in the context of cross-border surrogacy, this paper borrows from the work of theorists not often mentioned in bioethics, including Jacques Lacan, Marco Cavallaro, Michel Foucault, and others. It also applies the concept of 'the gaze' along with the dynamic of 'self' and 'other' to the cross-border surrogacy arrangement. Applying the concept of the gaze can provide a new way to interpret the power dynamic that plays out among surrogacy facilitators, intended parents, and surrogates within the commercial surrogacy arrangement and how the subjectivity is produced through the power. Viewing the relationships between the players in cross-border surrogacy through the lens of gaze theory, this paper finds that, in cross-border surrogacy, due to the structural power imbalance, affluent intended parents and surrogacy facilitators are possessors of the gaze, while surrogate mothers are under the thrall of the gaze. Specifically, facilitators frame surrogate mothers' reproductive abilities as commodities that intended parents can purchase to fulfil their urgent need to have children and experience full subjectivity, and they take a cut of the money that paid by intended parents. Therefore, commodification of the body results in degrading a surrogate mother (the object), reifying her as no more than a walking womb (the other), a process which is highly detrimental to the self of surrogate mothers. This relationship, formalized through contractual means, allows intended parents and facilitators to take advantage of surrogate mothers in the furtherance of their own objectives. This argument is enriched by new data from interviews and observations that provide nuance to this understanding of inter-subjectivity.

Keywords: cross-border surrogacy, facilitators, self, surrogate mothers

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Authors: Nicole Virgili, Marco Utili

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The design of the Breeding Blanket in Tokamak fusion energy systems has to guarantee sufficient availability in addition to its functions, that are, tritium breeding self-sufficiency, power extraction and shielding (the magnets and the VV). All these function in the presence of extremely harsh operating conditions in terms of heat flux and neutron dose as well as chemical environment of the coolant and breeder that challenge structural materials (structural resistance and corrosion resistance). The movement and activation of fluids from the BB to the Ex-vessel components in a fusion power plant have an important radiological consideration because flowing material can carry radioactivity to safety-critical areas. This includes gamma-ray emission from activated fluid and activated corrosion products, and secondary activation resulting from neutron emission, with implication for the safety of maintenance personnel and damage to electrical and electronic equipment. In addition to the PbLi breeder activation, it is important to evaluate the contribution due to the activated corrosion products (ACPs) dissolved in the lead-lithium eutectic alloy, at different concentration levels. Therefore, the purpose of the study project is to evaluate the PbLi activity utilizing the FISPACT II inventory code. Emphasis is given on how the design of the EU-DEMO WCLL, and potential recycling of the breeder material will be impacted by the activation of PbLi and the associated active corrosion products (ACPs). For this scope the following Computational Tools, Data and Geometry have been considered: • Neutron source: EU-DEMO neutron flux < 1014/cm2/s • Neutron flux distribution in equatorial breeding blanket module (BBM) #13 in the WCLL BB outboard central zone, which is the most activated zone, with the aim to introduce a conservative component utilizing MNCP6. • The recommended geometry model: 2017 EU DEMO CAD model. • Blanket Module Material Specifications (Composition) • Activation calculations for different ACP concentration levels in the PbLi breeder, with a given chemistry in stationary equilibrium conditions, using FISPACT II code. Results suggest that there should be a waiting time of about 10 years from the shut-down (SD) to be able to safely manipulate the PbLi for recycling operations with simple shielding requirements. The dose rate is mainly given by the PbLi and the ACP concentration (x1 or x 100) does not shift the result. In conclusion, the results show that there is no impact on PbLi activation due to ACPs levels.

Keywords: activation, corrosion products, recycling, WCLL BB., PbLi

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Authors: Manuela Villani, Anila Xhahysa, Christopher Brooks, Marco Pagani

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The geological structure of Western Balkans is strongly affected by the collision between Adria microplate and the southwestern Euroasia margin, resulting in a considerably active seismic region. The Harmonization of Seismic Hazard Maps in the Western Balkan Countries Project (BSHAP) (2007-2011, 2012-2015) by NATO supported the preparation of new seismic hazard maps of the Western Balkan, but when inspecting the seismic hazard models produced later by these countries on a national scale, significant differences in design PGA values are observed in the border, for instance, North Albania-Montenegro, South Albania- Greece, etc. Considering the fact that the catalogues were unified and seismic sources were defined within BSHAP framework, obviously, the differences arise from the Ground Motion Prediction Equations selection, which are generally the component with highest impact on the seismic hazard assessment. At the time of the project, a modest database was present, namely 672 three-component records, whereas nowadays, this strong motion database has increased considerably up to 20,939 records with Mw ranging in the interval 3.7-7 and epicentral distance distribution from 0.47km to 490km. Statistical analysis of the strong motion database showed the lack of recordings in the moderate-to-large magnitude and short distance ranges; therefore, there is need to re-evaluate the Ground Motion Prediction Equation in light of the recently updated database and the new generations of GMMs. In some cases, it was observed that some events were more extensively documented in one database than the other, like the 1979 Montenegro earthquake, with a considerably larger number of records in the BSHAP Analogue SM database when compared to ESM23. Therefore, the strong motion flat-file provided from the Harmonization of Seismic Hazard Maps in the Western Balkan Countries Project was merged with the ESM23 database for the polygon studied in this project. After performing the preliminary residual analysis, the candidate GMPE-s were identified. This process was done using the GMPE performance metrics available within the SMT in the OpenQuake Platform. The Likelihood Model and Euclidean Distance Based Ranking (EDR) were used. Finally, for this study, a GMPE logic tree was selected and following the selection of candidate GMPEs, model weights were assigned using the average sample log-likelihood approach of Scherbaum.

Keywords: residual analysis, GMPE, western balkan, strong motion, openquake

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Authors: Corinna Zeli, Silvia Calati, Marco Simeoni, Chiara Comastri

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Developmental stuttering affects about 10% of preschool children; although the high percentage of natural recovery, a quarter of them will become an adult who stutters. An effective early intervention should help those children with high persistence risk for the future. The Psicodizione method for early stuttering is an Italian behavior indirect treatment for preschool children who stutter in which method parents act as good guides for communication, modeling their own fluency. In this study, we give a preliminary measure to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of Psicodizione method on stuttering preschool children with a high persistence risk. Among all Italian children treated with the Psicodizione method between 2018 and 2019, we selected 8 kids with at least 3 high risk persistence factors from the Illinois Prediction Criteria proposed by Yairi and Seery. The factors chosen for the selection were: one parent who stutters (1pt mother; 1.5pt father), male gender, ≥ 4 years old at onset; ≥ 12 months from onset of symptoms before treatment. For this study, the families were contacted after an average period of time of 14,7 months (range 3 - 26 months). Parental reports were gathered with a standard online questionnaire in order to obtain data reflecting fluency from a wide range of the children’s life situations. The minimum worthwhile outcome was set at "mild evidence" in a 5 point Likert scale (1 mild evidence- 5 high severity evidence). A second group of 6 children, among those treated with the Piscodizione method, was selected as high potential for spontaneous remission (low persistence risk). The children in this group had to fulfill all the following criteria: female gender, symptoms for less than 12 months (before treatment), age of onset <4 years old, none of the parents with persistent stuttering. At the time of this follow-up, the children were aged 6–9 years, with a mean of 15 months post-treatment. Among the children in the high persistence risk group, 2 (25%) hadn’t had stutter anymore, and 3 (37,5%) had mild stutter based on parental reports. In the low persistency risk group, the children were aged 4–6 years, with a mean of 14 months post-treatment, and 5 (84%) hadn’t had stutter anymore (for the past 16 months on average).62,5% of children at high risk of persistence after Psicodizione treatment showed mild evidence of stutter at most. 75% of parents confirmed a better fluency than before the treatment. The low persistence risk group seemed to be representative of spontaneous recovery. This study’s design could help to better evaluate the success of the proposed interventions for stuttering preschool children and provides a preliminary measure of the effectiveness of the Psicodizione method on high persistence risk children.

Keywords: early treatment, fluency, preschool children, stuttering

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Authors: Andreas Aceranti, Simonetta Vernocchi, Marco Colorato, Massimo Briamo, Giovanni Abalsamo

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Most of the benefits of sport come from related physical activity, however, there are secondary psychological positive effects. There are also obvious disadvantages, high tensions related to failure, injuries, eating disorders and burnout. Depressive symptoms and illnesses related to anxiety or stress can be preventable or even simply alleviated through regular activity and exercise. It has been shown that the practice of a sport brings physical benefits, but can also have psychological and spiritual benefits. Reduced performance in male individuals has been linked to sexual activity before competitions in the past. The long-standing debate about the impact of sexual activity on sports performance has been controversial in the mainstream media in recent decades. This salacious topic has generated extensive discussion, although its high-quality data has been limited. Literature has, so far, mainly included subjective assessments from surveys. However, such surveys can be skewed as these assessments are based on individual beliefs, perceptions, and memory. There has been a long discussion over the years but even there objective data has been lacking. One reason behind coaches' bans on sexual activity before sporting events may be the belief that abstinence increases frustration, which in turn is shifted into aggressive behavior toward competitors. However, this assumption is not always valid. In fact, depriving an athlete of a normal activity can cause feelings of guilt and loss of concentration. Sexual activity during training can promote relaxation and positively influence performance. The author concludes that, although there is a need for scientific research in this area, it seems that sexual intercourse does not decrease performance unless it is accompanied by late night socialization, loss of sleep or drinking. Although the effects of sexual engagement on aerobic and strength athletic performance have not been definitively established, most research seems to rule out a direct impact. In order to analyze, as much as possible without bias, whether sexual activity significantly affects an athletic performance or not, we sampled 5 amateur athletes, between 22 and 25 years old and all male. The study was based on the timing of 4 running races of 5 champions. We asked participants to respect guidelines to avoid sexual activity (sex or masturbation) 12 hours before 2 of the 4 competitions, and to practice before the remaining 2 races.In doing so, we were able to compare and analyze the impact of activity and abstinence on performance results. We have come to the conclusion that sexual behavior on athletic performance needs to be better understood, more randomized trials and high-quality controls are strongly needed but available information suggests that sexual activity the day before a race has no negative effects on performance.

Keywords: sex, masturbation, male performance, soccer

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Authors: Cinzia Federico, Gaetano Giudice, Salvatore Inguaggiato, Marco Liuzzo, Maria Pedone, Fabio Vita, Christoph Kern, Leonardo La Pica, Giovannella Pecoraino, Lorenzo Calderone, Vincenzo Francofonte

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The periods of increased fumarolic activity at La Fossa volcano have been characterized, since early 80's, by changes in the gas chemistry and in the output rate of fumaroles. Excepting the direct measurements of the steam output from fumaroles performed from 1983 to 1995, the mass output of the single gas species has been recently measured, with various methods, only sporadically or for short periods. Since 2008, a scanning DOAS system is operating in the Palizzi area for the remote measurement of the in-plume SO₂ flux. On these grounds, the need of a cross-comparison of different methods for the in situ measurement of the output rate of different gas species is envisaged. In 2015, two field campaigns have been carried out, aimed at: 1. The mapping of the concentration of CO₂, H₂S and SO₂ in the fumarolic plume at 1 m from the surface, by using specific open-path diode tunable lasers (GasFinder Boreal Europe Ltd.) and an Active DOAS for SO₂, respectively; these measurements, coupled to simultaneous ultrasonic wind speed and meteorological data, have been elaborated to obtain the dispersion map and the output rate of single species in the overall fumarolic field; 2. The mapping of the concentrations of CO₂, H₂S, SO₂, H₂O in the fumarolic plume at 0.5 m from the soil, by using an integrated system, including IR spectrometers and specific electrochemical sensors; this has provided the concentration ratios of the analysed gas species and their distribution in the fumarolic field; 3. The in-fumarole sampling of vapour and measurement of the steam output, to validate the remote measurements. The dispersion map of CO₂, obtained from the tunable laser measurements, shows a maximum CO₂ concentration at 1m from the soil of 1000 ppmv along the rim, and 1800 ppmv in the inner slopes. As observed, the largest contribution derives from a wide fumarole of the inner-slope, despite its present outlet temperature of 230°C, almost 200°C lower than those measured at the rim fumaroles. Actually, fumaroles in the inner slopes are among those emitting the largest amount of magmatic vapour and, during the 1989-1991 crisis, reached the temperature of 690°C. The estimated CO₂ and H₂S fluxes are 400 t/d and 4.4 t/d, respectively. The coeval SO₂ flux, measured by the scanning DOAS system, is 9±1 t/d. The steam output, recomputed from CO₂ flux measurements, is about 2000 t/d. The various direct and remote methods (as described at points 1-3) have produced coherent results, which encourage to the use of daily and automatic DOAS SO₂ data, coupled with periodic in-plume measurements of different acidic gases, to obtain the total mass rates.

Keywords: DOAS, fumaroles, plume, tunable laser

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Authors: Rensson Homero Celiz Ygnacio, Marco Aurélio Schiavo Novaes, Lucy Vanessa Sulca Ñaupas, Ana Paula Ribeiro Rodrigues

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The cryopreservation of testicular tissue emerges as an alternative for the preservation of the reproductive potential of individuals who still cannot produce sperm; however, they will undergo treatments that may affect their fertility (e.g., chemotherapy). Therefore, the present work aims to compare two cryopreservation methods (slow freezing and vitrification) in testicular tissue of prepubertal lambs. For that, to obtain the testicular tissue, the animals were castrated and the testicles were collected immediately in a physiological solution supplemented with antibiotics. In the laboratory, the testis was split into small pieces. The total size of the testicular fragments was 3×3x1 mm³ and was placed in a dish contained in Minimum Essential Medium (MEM-HEPES). The fragments were distributed randomly into non-cryopreserved (fresh control), slow freezing (SF), and vitrified. To SF procedures, two fragments from a given male were then placed in a 2,0 mL cryogenic vial containing 1,0 mL MEM-HEPES supplemented with 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 20% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). Tubes were placed into a Mr. Frosty™ Freezing container with isopropyl alcohol and transferred to a -80°C freezer for overnight storage. On the next day, each tube was plunged into liquid nitrogen (NL). For vitrification, the ovarian tissue cryosystem (OTC) device was used. Testicular fragments were placed in the OTC device and exposed to the first vitrification solution composed of MEM-HEPES supplemented with 10 mg/mL Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA), 0.25 M sucrose, 10% Ethylene glycol (EG), 10% DMSO and 150 μM alpha-lipoic acid for four min. The VS1 was discarded and then the fragments were submerged into a second vitrification solution (VS2) containing the same composition of VS1 but 20% EG and 20% DMSO. VS2 was then discarded and each OTC device containing up to four testicular fragments was closed and immersed in NL. After the storage period, the fragments were removed from the NL, kept at room temperature for one min and then immersed at 37 °C in a water bath for 30 s. Samples were warmed by sequentially immersing in solutions of MEM-HEPES supplemented with 3 mg/mL BSA and decreasing concentrations of sucrose. Hematoxylin-eosin staining to analyze the tissue architecture was used. The score scale used was from 0 to 3, classified with a score 0 representing normal morphologically, and 3 were considered a lot of alteration. The histomorphological evaluation of the testicular tissue shows that when evaluating the nuclear alteration (distinction of nucleoli and condensation of nuclei), there are no differences when using slow freezing with respect to the control. However, vitrification presents greater damage (p <0.05). On the other hand, when evaluating the epithelial alteration, we observed that the freezing showed scores statistically equal to the control in variables such as retraction of the basement membrane, formation of gaps and organization of the peritubular cells. The results of the study demonstrated that cryopreservation using the slow freezing method is an excellent tool for the preservation of pubertal testicular tissue.

Keywords: cryopreservation, slow freezing, vitrification, testicular tissue, lambs

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Authors: Patrícia Severino, Luciana Nalone, Daniele Martins, Marco Chaud, Classius Ferreira, Cristiane Bani, Ricardo Albuquerque

Abstract:

Hydrogels produced with polymers have been used in the development of dressings for wound treatment and tissue revitalization. Our study on polymer nanocomposites containing silver nanoparticles shows antimicrobial activity and applications in wound healing. The effects are linked with the slow oxidation and Ag⁺ liberation to the biological environment. Furthermore, bacterial cell membrane penetration and metabolic disruption through cell cycle disarrangement also contribute to microbial cell death. The silver antimicrobial activity has been known for many years, and previous reports show that low silver concentrations are safe for human use. This work aims to develop a hydrogel using natural polymers (sodium alginate and gelatin) combined with silver nanoparticles for wound healing and with antimicrobial properties in cutaneous lesions. The hydrogel development utilized different sodium alginate and gelatin proportions (20:80, 50:50 and 80:20). The silver nanoparticles incorporation was evaluated at the concentrations of 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 mM. The physico-chemical properties of the formulation were evaluated using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The morphological characterization was made using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Human fibroblast (L2929) viability assay was performed with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assessment as well as an in vivo cicatrizant test. The results suggested that sodium alginate and gelatin in the (80:20) proportion with 4 mM of AgNO₃ in the (UV-Vis) exhibited a better hydrogel formulation. The nanoparticle absorption spectra of this analysis showed a maximum band around 430 - 450 nm, which suggests a spheroidal form. The TG curve exhibited two weight loss events. DSC indicated one endothermic peak at 230-250 °C, due to sample fusion. The polymers acted as stabilizers of a nanoparticle, defining their size and shape. Human fibroblast viability assay L929 gave 105 % cell viability with a negative control, while gelatin presented 96% viability, alginate: gelatin (80:20) 96.66 %, and alginate 100.33 % viability. The sodium alginate:gelatin (80:20) exhibited significant antimicrobial activity, with minimal bacterial growth at a ratio of 1.06 mg.mL⁻¹ in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 0.53 mg.mL⁻¹ in Staphylococcus aureus. The in vivo results showed a significant reduction in wound surface area. On the seventh day, the hydrogel-nanoparticle formulation reduced the total area of injury by 81.14 %, while control reached a 45.66 % reduction. The results suggest that silver-hydrogel nanoformulation exhibits potential for wound dressing therapeutics.

Keywords: nanocomposite, wound healing, hydrogel, silver nanoparticle

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