Towards a Not Obtrusive Low Cost Biosystem to Assess Risk Perception in Workplace Through Stress Detection

The main aim of the article is to build a method to assess risk perception in real time in order to early detect and prevent risk behaviors and possible human errors. To this end, the relation between mental workload and stress as critical factors affecting risk perception has been investigated. In particular the mental-physical activation generated by an increment of the workload has the effect of reducing the resources needed to perceive risk increasing the worker vulnerability. The complexity of the stress phenomenon suggested the adoption of an integrated view. The Functional Model has been adopted to for its holistic perspective (body-mind integration) and for the capability of being operationalized with physiological computing. In fact, limits of the current self reporting and subjective assessment methods prevent the possibility to have timely information to take decison. Finally a preliminary overview of how to implement a low cost not obtrusive biosystem to detect stress and assess in real time risk perception is presented

Model-based Design of a Solar Driven Hybrid System for Space Heating and DHW Preparation of a Multifamily House☆

Abstract Following the most recent European Directives on Energy Performance of Buildings and Energy Efficiency, new solutions for DHW production, space heating and cooling have to be developed and applied to reduce the primary energy consumption of residential buildings. Due to the complexity of installation and control, H&C hybrid systems exploiting a mix of conventional fuels and RES are not yet widespread although they can bring important savings to the yearly building energy consumptions. This work summarizes the parametric analysis used as part of the design process of a hybrid system for the retrofit of a multifamily house located in Madrid, and shows how heating, cooling and DHW demands of multifamily houses can be covered by a heat pump plus solar systems, integrating a high share of RES. The design of the system has taken into account energy savings, economics and architectural aspects

Surrounding the Sacred Space: Two Painted Scrolls from the Collection of Namgyal Monastery in Mustang, Nepal

The Collection of Namgyal Monastery (Mustang, Nepal) preserves two long and narrow scrolls painted on both sides, of exquisite artistic quality. This article describes and investigates the iconographic and symbolic meaning of the paintings and the use of these objects. One of the scrolls shows the Eight Auspicious Symbols and deities that personify diverse group of offerings painted in an elegant Newari style. The other scroll features an intriguing representation of the Eight Charnel Grounds in a continuous landscape. Full of delicate and charming details, it illustrates the Mahasiddhas, Guardians, Nāgas and stupa of the respective directions. The back of both scrolls has a vajra chain at the bottom and flames represented above it. The scrolls must have been used to encircle specific mandalas. Such objects are rather rare, and it is interesting to reflect on their former use, even more so as no contemporaneous objects of that type are known. The stylistic features of the paintings reveal the broader relationships of the Mustang region to neighbouring areas. Relationships can also be established to objects preserved in the same collection, such as a collection of metal stupa of similar design and typical for the Mustang region and the western Himalayas

Binge Eating Disorder and Body Uneasiness

Debate continues regarding the nosological status of binge eating disorder (BED) and the specific diagnostic criteria, including whether, like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, it should be characterized by body image disturbances in addition to abnormal eating behaviour. The aims of this article are: a) to concisely review the main points of the literature that has developed on diagnosis and treatment (especially pharmacological) of BED and b) to present the results of an original research on body image in obese patients with BED. The study was aimed to verify the following hypothesis: in persons with obesity, BED is associated with greater body uneasiness independently of some possible modulating factors. We studied a clinical sample of 159 (89 females and 70 males) adult obese patients who fulfilled DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for BED matched to 159 non-BED obese patients for gender, ethnicity, BMI class, age, weight, stature, onset age of obesity, education level, and marital status. We used the Body Uneasiness Test (BUT), a valuable multidimensional tool for the clinical assessment of body uneasiness in subjects suffering from eating disorders and/or obesity. Obese patients with BED reported higher scores than non-BED patients in the General Severity Index (BUT-A GSI) and in every BUT-A subscale. All differences were statistically significant in both sexes. As expected women obtained higher scores than men. According to some other studies, our findings suggest that a negative body image should be included among diagnostic criteria for BED. Consequently, treatment should be focused not simply on eating behaviour and outcome studies should evaluate changes of body image as well

Deity and Display: Meanings, Transformations, and Exhibitions of Tibetan Buddhist Objects

This paper analyses the values and uses of Tibetan sacred artefacts in their original contexts as well as the transformation of meanings once placed in museums. It discusses the perception of statues, paintings, ritual instruments and books from a Tibetan Buddhist perspective, examining the iconographic and iconometric functions of the images, and asserting that a primary purpose is as a ‘support for practice’ (tib. sku rten, ‘body-support’). Sacred images represent the embodiment of the Buddhas, deities and masters and, once consecrated by lamas, are considered to have the power to confer blessings. Despite the instrumental function of such artefacts, however, it is also possible to identify and delineate a complex Himalayan concept of aesthetics. The text moves on to analyse the effects of the transition of Tibetan Buddhist images into different museological contexts, comparing the display of Tibetan material in the consecrated spaces of Himalayan monastery museums with their exhibition in secular museological sites in the West

Fabrication and First Full Characterisation of Timing Properties of 3D Diamond Detectors

Tracking detectors at future high luminosity hadron colliders are expected to be able to stand unprecedented levels of radiation as well as to efficiently reconstruct a huge number of tracks and primary vertices. To face the challenges posed by the radiation damage, new extremely radiation hard materials and sensor designs will be needed, while the track and vertex reconstruction problem can be significantly mitigated by the introduction of detectors with excellent timing capabilities. Indeed, the time coordinate provides extremely powerful information to disentangle overlapping tracks and hits in the harsh hadronic collision environment. Diamond 3D pixel sensors optimised for timing applications provide an appealing solution to the above problems as the 3D geometry enhances the already outstanding radiation hardness and allows to exploit the excellent timing properties of diamond. We report here the first full timing characterisation of 3D diamond sensors fabricated by electrode laser graphitisation in Florence. Results from a 270MeV pion beam test of a first prototype and from tests with a β source on a recently fabricated 55×55μm2 pitch sensor are discussed. First results on sensor simulation are also presented

Regional identification of mechanical properties in arteries

International audienceAortic aneurysms are often characterized by localized changes in aortic wall composition and structure that result from the degradation of elastin, loss of smooth muscle cell function, and remodeling of collagen. Correlations between wall composition and local mechanical properties can potentially provide insight into conditions that render a vessel susceptible to failure. Previous work has shown that chronic angiotensin-II infusion in ApoE-/- mice often results in dissecting aneurysms (Bersi et al. 2012). The objective of this work is to establish a new protocol able to characterize in vitro the local mechanical properties of arteries on the murine model

Histological changes in odontogenic parakeratinized keratocysts treated with marsupialization followed by enucleation

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether marsupialization treatment induces changes in the histology of odontogenic keratocyst epithelium and to compare our experience with the literature. A retrospective revision of histological samples was performed. 5 patients with odontogenic keratocyst treated with marsupialization follow by enucleation were selected. Histologic evaluation analyzed the changes in the keratocyst epithelium after marsupialization in terms of type of keratinization, thickness of the epithelium and connective tissue, the presence of acanthosis, the presence and grade of fibrosis, the type and grade of inflammation and the presence and number of mitotic figures and daughter cysts. In our case series, a variation of para-keratinized into ortho-keratinized keratocyst was found in one case, and no significant increases were observed in the epithelium and capsule thickness, or even in the level of inflammation. However, we observed an increase in fibrosis and qualitative changes in inflammation type. Minor and major histological changes were associated with reduction in cyst volume, which resulted in a simpler and less invasive cystic enucleation after marsupialization