A GSM-based method for the electromagnetic analysis and design of truncated periodic structures

The research activity, illustrated in this work, has been developed in the area of applied electromagnetics and it concerns the development and the improvement of a hybrid numerical method combining the Mode Matching (MM) and the Finite Element (FE) specifically derived for the study of complex microwave devices. Firstly, the optimization problem of unconventional Frequency Selective Surfaces (FSSs), obtained by using NURBS curves, is analyzed. A genetic algorithm is used in order to address the optimization of a multiparametric structure such as the FSS. The hybrid method MM-FE is used to evaluate the frequency behaviour of this kind of structures. The hybrid technique is therefore applied to the study of large finite arrays of open-ended or iris-loaded waveguide apertures or horn antennas. The finite dimensions are taken into account by using a Spectral Decomposition (SD) approach that allows us to reduce the finite problem to a summation of infinite periodic ones. A similar procedure, now based on the Method of Moments (MoM) and the spectral decomposition approach, is applied to the analysis of finite thin frequency selective surfaces. Finally the hybrid methodology MM-FEM-SD, combined with an MoM, is used to study finite arrays of rectangular waveguide cascaded with a finite thin FSS. In order to prove the effectiveness of this methodology, several numerical results are compared with that obtained through a commercial software or available in literature

Transparent support for partial rollback in software transactional memories

The Software Transactional Memory (STM) paradigm has gained momentum thanks to its ability to provide synchronization transparency in concurrent applications. With this paradigm, accesses to data structures that are shared among multiple threads are carried out within transactions, which are properly handled by the STM layer with no intervention by the application code. In this article we propose an enhancement of typical STM architectures which allows supporting partial rollback of active transactions, as opposed to the typical case where a rollback of a transaction entails squashing all the already-performed work. Our partial rollback scheme is still transparent to the application programmer and has been implemented for x86-64 architectures and for the ELF format, thus being largely usable on POSIX-compliant systems hosted on top of off-the-shelf architectures. We integrated it within the TinySTM open-source library and we present experimental results for the STAMP STM benchmark run on top of a 32-core HP ProLiant server. © 2013 Springer-Verlag

Tragovi metala u tkivima Galeus melastomus (Rafinesque, 1810) iz sjevernog dijela Tirenskog mora (SZ Mediteran)

In the last decades, the decline of coastal waters resources has forced fisheries to expand into deeper waters. However, while the increase of industrial activities make it essential to find biological models that can explain pollutants dynamics, little is still known about pollutants distribution, dynamics, and their possible effects on deep-water organisms. In this context, new information on the concentrations of trace metals (Arsenic, As; Cadmium, Cd; Copper, Cu; Mercury, Hg; Lead, Pb) in muscle, liver and gonads of blackmouth catshark, Galeus melastomus, from north-western Mediterranean (northern Tyrrhenian Sea) are presented. Significant differences between males and females were found in the concentrations of three of the five trace elements in gonads. Lower concentrations of trace metals were found in the ovaries, and this could be due to the almost continuous vitellogenic activity which could transfer contaminants to developing oocytes.Pad resursa u obalnim vodama u posljednjih nekoliko desetljeća prisilio je ribarstvo da se proširi i na dublje vode. Međutim, dok je zbog porasta industrijskih aktivnosti bitno pronaći biološke modele koji mogu objasniti dinamiku zagađivala, malo se zna o njihovoj distribuciji i dinamici te o njihovim mogućim učincima na dubokomorske organizme. U tom kontekstu, prikazane su nove informacije o koncentraciji tragova metala (arsen, As; kadmij, Cd; bakar, Cu; živa, Hg; olovo, Pb) u mišićima, jetrima i gonadama mačke crnouste, Galeus melastomus, iz sjeverozapadnog Mediterana (sjever Tirenskog mora). Značajne razlike između mužjaka i ženki uočene su u koncentracijama od tri do pet elemenata u tragovima u gonadama. Niže koncentracije tragova metala pronađene su u jajnicima, što bi mogao biti rezultat gotovo neprekidne vitelogene aktivnosti koja može dovesti do prenošenja zagađivala do oocita u razvoju

Improving the Shelf-Life of Fish Burgers Made with a Mix of Sea Bass and Sea Bream Meat by Bioprotective Cultures

Seafood products are one of the most perishable foods, and their shelf life is limited by enzymatic and microbial spoilage. Developing methods to extend the shelf life of fresh fish could reduce food waste in the fishery industry, retail stores, and private households. In recent decades, the application of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as bioprotective cultures has become a promising tool. In this study, we evaluated the use of four starter cultures, previously selected for their properties as bioprotective agents, for sea bass and sea bream burgers biopreservation. Starter cultures impacted the microbial populations, biochemical parameters (pH, TVB-N), and sensory properties of fish burgers, during 10 days of storage at 4 degrees C and then 20 days at 8 degrees C in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). Also, storage time influenced the microbial and physicochemical characteristics of all the tested samples, except for TVB-N values, which were significantly higher in the uninoculated burgers. The volatilome changed in the different treatments, and in particular, the samples supplemented with starter presented a profile that described their rapid growth and colonization, with the production of typical molecules derived from their metabolism. The addition of bioprotective cultures avoided bloating spoilage and improved the sensory parameters of the burgers. The shelf life of the fish burgers supplemented with starter cultures could be extended up to 12 days

The Effectiveness of Pump Techniques and Pompages: A Systematic Review

Background: Osteopathic manual procedures called pump techniques include thoracic, ab-dominal, and pedal pump. Similar techniques, called pompages, are also addressed to joints and muscles. Despite their widespread use, no systematic review has been published on their effectiveness. (2) Methods: CINAHL, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, ISI Web of Science, PEDro, PubMed, and Scopus databases were searched until July 2020. Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) on adults were included. Subjective (e.g. pain, physical function) and objective (e.g. pulmonary function, blood collection) outcomes were considered. The Risk of Bias tool (RoB 2) and the GRADE instrument were used to evaluate the quality of evidence. (3) Results: 25 RCTs were included: 20 concerning the pump techniques and five the pompages. Due to the extensive heterogeneity of such studies, it was not possible to perform a meta-analysis. Risk of bias resulted from moderate to high and quality of the evidence from very very low to high. Singular studies suggested some effectiveness of pump techniques on pain and length of hospitalization. Pompages seems also to help improve walking distance and balance. (4) Conclusions: Although Despite several studies have been published on manual pump tech-niques, the differences for population, modalities, dosage, and outcome measures do not allow definite conclusions of their effectiveness

Respiratory viral infections and effects of meteorological parameters and air pollution in adults with respiratory symptoms admitted to the emergency room

Background Respiratory viral infections (RVIs) are the most common causes of respiratory infections. The prevalence of respiratory viruses in adults is underestimated. Meteorological variations and air pollution are likely to play a role in these infections. Objectives The objectives of this study were to determine the number of emergency visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and to evaluate the association between ILI/SARI, RVI prevalence, and meteorological factors/air pollution, in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil, from November 2008 to October 2010. Methods Eleven thousand nine hundred and fifty-three hospitalizations (adults and children) for respiratory symptoms were correlated with meteorological parameters and air pollutants. In a subset of adults, nasopharyngeal aspirates were collected and analyzed through IFI test. The data were analyzed using time-series analysis. Results Influenza-like illness and SARI were diagnosed in 3698 (30 9%) and 2063 (17 7%) patients, respectively. Thirty-seven (9 0%) samples were positive by IFI and 93 of 410 (22 7%) were IFI and/or PCR positive. In a multivariate logistic regression model, IFI positivity was statistically associated with absolute humidity, use of air conditioning, and presence of mold in home. Sunshine duration was significantly associated with the frequency of ILI cases. For SARI cases, the variables mean temperature, sunshine duration, relative humidity, and mean concentration of pollutants were singnificant. Conclusions At least 22% of infections in adult patients admitted to ER with respiratory complaints were caused by RVI. The correlations among meteorological variables, air pollution, ILI/SARI cases, and respiratory viruses demonstrated the relevance of climate factors as significant underlying contributors to the prevalence of RVI

Geomorphology of the upper Mkhomazi River basin, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with emphasis on late Pleistocene colluvial deposits

We present a 1:50 000 scale geomorphological map of the upper Mkhomazi River basin, located in the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The sub-horizontal strata of the Permo-Triassic Beaufort Group forms plateau interfluves with a concave valley slope morphology. Locally, thick sequences of late Pleistocene colluvial deposits and associated buried paleosols (Masotcheni Formation) infill first-order tributary stream valleys and extend across the adjacent lower slopes. Surface runoff processes preferentially incise into the poorly consolidated, highly erodible sediments causing severe gully erosion that is responsible for widespread land degradation and desertification phenomena. The main purpose of this work is to derive a geomorphological map of the study area focussing on the erosional landforms to understand their spatial distribution and their relation to the colluvial deposits. Finally, a local and regional stratigraphic correlation of colluvial deposits and associated buried palaeosol profiles is proposed

A Retrospective Study on Dietary FODMAP Intake in Celiac Patients Following a Gluten-Free Diet

Our aim was to evaluate the intake of foods containing fermentable oligo/di/mono-saccharides and polyols (FODMAP) as a possible factor that induces gastrointestinal symptoms in treated celiac disease (CD) patients. We collected seven-day weighed food records for 104 CD patients and 91 healthy volunteers. All evaluated food items were from sources with high and low content of FODMAP, which were divided into cereals and sweets, sweeteners and soft drinks, fruits, dried fruits, and vegetables. Nutrient intake was calculated using the food database of the European Institute of Oncology. The symptoms reported were assessed by a Rome IV Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) diagnostic questionnaire and by specific questions for the evaluation of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). The 12% of CD patients met IBS symptoms criteria as opposed to 6% of controls (p = 0.09) and 27% of patients reported FGIDs symptoms vs. 22% of healthy controls (p = 0.42). The intake by CD patients was significantly higher than healthy volunteers for: sweeteners and sugars with low content of FODMAP (p = 0.0007), fruits, dried fruits, and vegetables high in FODMAP (p = 0.003) and low in FODMAP (p = 0.04) when compared to controls. CD patients had a lower intake of cereals and sweets with a high content of FODMAP (p = 0.00001). Healthy volunteers consumed significantly higher alcoholic beverages and fats high in FODMAP (both p < 0.044). The mean daily intake of other food categories did not differ between both groups. Even though CD patients had a low intake of gluten-free cereals high in FODMAP, they still consumed a significant amount of fruits and vegetables high in FODMAP. The clinical effect of a concomitant gluten-free diet and low-FODMAP diet should be prospectively evaluated as a supportive therapy in CD patients

Losing the warning signal: Drought compromises the cross-talk of signaling molecules in quercus ilex exposed to ozone

Understanding the interactions between drought and acute ozone (O3) stress in terms of signaling molecules and cell death would improve the predictions of plant responses to climate change. The aim was to investigate whether drought stress influences the responses of plants to acute episodes of O3 exposure. In this study, the behavior of 84 Mediterranean evergreen Quercus ilex plants was evaluated in terms of crosstalk responses among signaling molecules. Half of the sample was subjected to drought (20% of the effective daily evapotranspiration, for 15 days) and was later exposed to an acute O3 exposure (200 nL L-1 for 5 h). First, our results indicate that in well-water conditions, O3 induced a signaling pathway specific to O3-sensitive behavior. Second, different trends and consequently different roles of phytohormones and signaling molecules (ethylene, ET; abscisic acid, ABA; salycilic acid, SA and jasmonic acid, JA) were observed in relation to water stress and O3. A spatial and functional correlation between these signaling molecules was observed in modulating O3-induced responses in well-watered plants. In contrast, in drought-stressed plants, these compounds were not involved either in O3-induced signaling mechanisms or in leaf senescence (a response observed in water-stressed plants before the O3-exposure). Third, these differences were ascribable to the fact that in drought conditions, most defense processes induced by O3 were compromised and/or altered. Our results highlight how Q. ilex plants suffering from water deprivation respond differently to an acute O3 episode compared to well-watered plants, and suggest new effect to be considered in plant responses to environmental changes. This poses the serious question as to whether or not multiple high-magnitude O3 events (as predicted) can change these cross-talk responses, thus opening it up possible further investigations

Analysis of food labels to evaluate the nutritional quality of bread products and substitutes sold in Italy: Results from the Food Labelling of Italian Products (FLIP) study

Bread is one of the most common staple foods, despite the increasing consumption of the so-called "bread substitutes". The aim of the present work is to survey the nutritional quality intended as a nutrition declaration of 339 pre-packed bread products and 1020 bread substitutes sold in the major retailers present on the Italian market. Comparisons of energy, macronutrient, and salt content within product types, and between regular and gluten-free (GF) products and products with or without nutrition claim (NC) and health claim (HC) declarations, were performed. A high inter-product variability was detected. The median energy contents were 274 (interquartile range 255-289) and 412 (380-437) kcal/100 for bread products and substitutes, respectively. Irrespective of the category, GF products had lower amounts of energy than their gluten-containing counterpart (p < 0.001), whereas products carrying NC had lower energy, sugar and salt amounts than the products without these declarations on the pack (p < 0.001 for all). A strong positive correlation was observed between energy and carbohydrate in bread (rho = 0.73, p < 0.001), but not in substitutes (rho = 0.033, p = 0.29). The present work highlighted a high variability in the apparent nutritional quality of bread products and substitutes sold on the Italian market, and suggested that bread alternatives should not be considered tout court as substitutes from a nutritional point of view