Disentangling the Impact of International Migration on Food and Nutrition Security of Left-Behind Households: Evidence from Bangladesh

This paper explores the linkages between international migration and household food and nutrition security (FNS). First, building on existing literature, we discuss the main microeconomic channels through which international migration may affect household FNS. Second, taking Bangladesh as a case study, we estimate the overall impact of international migration on the FNS of left-behind households. Third, by disentangling the overall effect, we assess the importance of the various microeconomic channels that link international migration to household FNS. The empirical results suggest that international migration has a positive impact on the quantity, quality and variety of food consumed by left-behind households. Our findings also suggest that international migration might be considered among the possible drivers of the so-called Bangladesh paradox, i.e. the exceptional progress in health and nutrition achieved by the country during a period of relatively poor economic performance

Investigating PWM-Induced Iron Losses. Measurements and Estimation Models up to 350 kHz Switching Frequency

This article deals with the investigation of iron losses in toroidally wound laminated magnetic cores excited with wide-bandgap-device-based power electronic converters. The study aims to analyze the impact of selected pulsewidth modulation voltages on the iron losses, through an extensive experimental measurement campaign. In particular, four toroidal specimens made of different magnetic materials are supplied by pulsewidth-modulated voltage waveforms with switching frequencies ranging from 1 to 350 kHz and different deadtimes. Test campaigns have been conducted with the dual objectives of critically reviewing an engineering method proposed in the prior literature for predicting iron losses under distorted voltage waveforms. Additionally, the aim is to extend this estimation model to accommodate the highest frequen- cies currently employed in high-speed ac motor drives equipped with wide-bandgap semiconductor power converters

Database MISIT (Mappatura delle Informazioni di Strutture e Infrastrutture sul Territorio)

Nuovo sistema di database con strumenti GIS e BIM per la gestione intelligente e funzionale di risorse sul territorio. Applicazione a progetto pilota sul territorio della città di Roma.The project scope of this paper is to show how to use the cutting-edges informatics technologies for buildings and infrastructures. In fact GIS (Geographic Information System) and BIM (Building Information Modeling) are extremely useful to "build" a intelligent and functional database with geographic information. It is possible to use this method for existing structures/infrastructures or for their design, and this is essential to manage in a good way the resources on the territory. It is described a research project for the Municipality V of the city of Rome and ideas for future uses

An update on maternal hydration strategies for amniotic fluid improvement in isolated oligohydramnios and normohydramnios: Evidence from a systematic review of literature and meta-analysis

open8Objective Several trials aimed at evaluating the efficacy of maternal hydration (MH) in increasing amniotic-fluid-volume (AFV) in pregnancies with isolated oligohydramnios or normohydramnos have been conducted. Unfortunately, no evidences support this intervention in routineclinical- practice. The aim of this systematic-literature-review and meta-analysis was to collect all data regarding proposed strategies and their efficacy in relation to each clinical condition for which MH-therapy was performed with the aim of increasing amniotic-fluid (AF) and improving perinatal outcomes. Materials and Methods A systematic literature search was conducted in electronic-database MEDLINE, EMBASE, ScienceDirect and the Cochrane-Library in the time interval between 1991 and 2014. Following the identification of eligible trials, we estimated the methodological quality of each study (using QADAS-2) and clustered patients according to the following outcome measures: route of administration (oral versus intravenous versus combined), total daily dose of fluids administered (2000), duration of hydration therapy: (1 day, >1 day but 1 week), type of fluid administered (isotonic versus hypotonic versus combination). Results In isolated-oligohydramnios (IO), maternal oral hydration is more effective than intravenous hydration and hypotonic solutions superior to isotonic solutions. The improvement in AFV appears to be time-dependent rather than daily-dose dependent. Regarding normohydramnios pregnancies, all strategies seem equivalent though the administration of hypotonicfluid appears to have a slightly greater effect than isotonic-fluid. Regarding perinatal outcomes, data is fragmentary and heterogeneous and does not allow us to define the real clinical utility of MH. Conclusions Available data suggests that MH may be a safe, well-tolerated and useful strategy to improve AFV especially in cases of IO. In view of the numerous obstetric situations in which a reduced AFV may pose a threat, particularly to the fetus, the possibility of increasing AFV with a simple and inexpensive practice like MH-therapy may have potential clinical applications. Considering the various strategies of maternal hydration implemented in the treatment of IO, better results were observed when treatment was based on a combination of intravenous (for a period of 1 day) and oral (for a period of at least 14 days) hypotonic fluids (≥2000ml).openGizzo, Salvatore; Noventa, Marco; Vitagliano, Amerigo; Dall'Asta, Andrea; D'Antona, Donato; Aldrich, Clive J.; Quaranta, Michela; Frusca, Tiziana; Patrelli, Tito SilvioGizzo, Salvatore; Noventa, Marco; Vitagliano, Amerigo; Dall'Asta, Andrea; D'Antona, Donato; Aldrich, Clive J.; Quaranta, Michela; Frusca, Tiziana; Patrelli, Tito Silvi

Search for supersymmetry in pp collisions at s\sqrt{s} = 13 tev in the single-lepton final state using the sum of masses of large-radius jets

Results are reported from a search for supersymmetric particles in proton-proton collisions in the final state with a single lepton, multiple jets, including at least one b-tagged jet, and large missing transverse momentum. The search uses a sample of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9  $fb^{−1}$. The observed event yields in the signal regions are consistent with those expected from standard model backgrounds. The results are interpreted in the context of simplified models of supersymmetry involving gluino pair production, with gluino decay into either on- or off-mass-shell top squarks. Assuming that the top squarks decay into a top quark plus a stable, weakly interacting neutralino, scenarios with gluino masses up to about 1.9 TeV are excluded at 95% confidence level for neutralino masses up to about 1 TeV

Search for dark matter produced in association with heavy-flavor quark pairs in proton-proton collisions at s\sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

A search is presented for an excess of events with heavy-flavor quark pairs ($t\overline{t}$ and $b\overline{b}$) and a large imbalance in transverse momentum in data from proton–proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13TeV. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 2.2 $fb^{−1}$ collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. No deviations are observed with respect to standard model predictions. The results are used in the first interpretation of dark matter production in $t\overline{t}$ and $b\overline{b}$ final states in a simplified model. This analysis is also the first to perform a statistical combination of searches for dark matter produced with different heavy-flavor final states. The combination provides exclusions that are stronger than those achieved with individual heavy-flavor final states

Search for black holes in high-multiplicity final states in proton-proton collisions at s=13\sqrt{s}=13 TeV

A search for new physics in energetic, high-multiplicity final states has been performed using proton-proton collision data collected with the CMS detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 fb$^{−1}$. The standard model background, dominated by multijet production, is determined exclusively from control regions in data. No statistically significant excess of events is observed. Model-independent limits on the product of the cross section and the acceptance of a new physics signal in these final states are set and further interpreted in terms of limits on the production of black holes. Semiclassical black holes and string balls with masses as high as 9.5 TeV, and quantum black holes with masses as high as 9.0 TeV are excluded by this search in the context of models with extra dimensions, thus significantly extending limits set at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the LHC Run 1 data

Search for dark matter produced with an energetic jet or a hadronically decaying W or Z boson at s=13\sqrt{s}=13 TeV

A search for dark matter particles is performed using events with large missing transverse momentum, at least one energetic jet, and no leptons, in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 12.9 $fb^{−1}$. The search includes events with jets from the hadronic decays of a W or Z boson. The data are found to be in agreement with the predicted background contributions from standard model processes. The results are presented in terms of simplified models in which dark matter particles are produced through interactions involving a vector, axial-vector, scalar, or pseudoscalar mediator. Vector and axial-vector mediator particles with masses up to 1.95 TeV, and scalar and pseudoscalar mediator particles with masses up to 100 and 430 GeV respectively, are excluded at 95% confidence level. The results are also interpreted in terms of the invisible decays of the Higgs boson, yielding an observed (expected) 95% confidence level upper limit of 0.44 (0.56) on the corresponding branching fraction. The results of this search provide the strongest constraints on the dark matter pair production cross section through vector and axial-vector mediators at a particle collider. When compared to the direct detection experiments, the limits obtained from this search provide stronger constraints for dark matter masses less than 5, 9, and 550 GeV, assuming vector, scalar, and axial-vector mediators, respectively. The search yields stronger constraints for dark matter masses less than 200 GeV, assuming a pseudoscalar mediator, when compared to the indirect detection results from Fermi-LAT

Search for a light pseudoscalar Higgs boson produced in association with bottom quarks in pp collisions at s\sqrt{s} = 8 TeV

A search for a light pseudoscalar Higgs boson (A) produced in association with bottom quarks and decaying into a muon pair is reported. The search uses 19.7 $fb{−1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment. No signal is observed in the dimuon mass range from 25 to 60 GeV. Upper limits on the cross section times branching fraction, $\sigma (pp \to b\overline{b}A)\mathcal{B}(A \to \mu \mu)$, are set