Measurements of Backscattering from a Dihedral Corner in a Reverberating Chamber

In this paper, the backscattering of a dihedral corner is evaluated by measurements accomplished within the reverberating chamber (RC) of the Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope, formerly Istituto Universitario Navale (IUN). The obtained results are found in good agreement with those of a previous very accurate model, whose validity was assessed by anechoic chamber measurements

Estudio exploratorio sobre la oferta de infraestructura y la promoción de vínculos orientados a la CTI en parques industriales de la Argentina

En los últimos años se ha registrado, de modo inequívoco, una tendencia hacia la creación de nuevos espacios para uso exclusivo industrial. Actualmente existen más de 400 parques industriales donde el número de aglomeraciones de empresas industriales se ha multiplicado y diseminado por todo el país redundando en un mejor ordenamiento urbano. El objetivo de este estudio es explorar en qué medida los parques industriales en Argentina están realizando actividades y esfuerzos orientados a la promoción de vínculos para la innovación entre sus empresas. Para ello, se analizaron con métodos cuantitativos los resultados de una encuesta electrónica dirigida al universo de parques industriales del país. Con los Entes a cargo de la gestión de los parques como unidad de análisis, la evidencia revela que éstos funcionan más como administradores de espacios y servicios comunes que como agentes de cambio y promotores de la competitividad y la ciencia, tecnología e innovación (CTI). La oferta de infraestructura y servicios orientados a incrementar la capacidad de realizar acciones de CTI de las firmas es limitada y los esfuerzos de promoción de vínculos con organismos de CyT también son escasos y poco sofisticados. Si bien es cierto que las empresas podrían acceder a este tipo de servicios de modo unilateral o a través de canales diferentes al parque, todo parece indicar que habría una oportunidad en aprovechar la concentración de firmas en los parques para canalizar políticas de desarrollo productivo en general y de CTI en particular. En definitiva, el desafío sería que los parques puedan ir agregando, de modo gradual, nuevas funciones y actividades que aporten al fortalecimiento de la competitividad local. Para ello, parecería útil avanzar en el fortalecimiento y profesionalización de los Entes, como agentes de cambio, y en la canalización de políticas de apoyo específicas a través de estos

Estudio diagnóstico Parques Industriales de Argentina

El objetivo del presente estudio es generar información actualizada de los PI distribuidos en el territorio argentino con cuatro propósitos: • Identificar necesidades y cuellos de botella de los PI (cuya atención permita mejorar la competitividad de las empresas que los conforman) que sirvan de insumo para el (re) diseño e implementación de acciones y proyectos específicos en el marco del Programa Nacional de Parques Industriales. • Proveer a empresas nacionales o internacionales información acerca de los servicios, infraestructura y calidad de la gestión de los parques industriales de todo el territorio nacional que sirva para la toma de decisiones de inversión y/o ampliación de plantas productivas y radicación de inversiones en general. • Elaborar una línea de base que permita hacer un monitoreo y análisis de la evolución de los Parques en general y del impacto de las políticas orientadas a los mismos en particular. • Identificar buenas prácticas para la gestión de parques industriales a través de la exploración de experiencias de creación y desarrollo de parques industriales.Proyecto Acreditado en el Programa de Incentivos a Docentes Investigadores, Universidad Nacional de Lomas de Zamor

Brain Switches Utilitarian Behavior: Does Gender Make the Difference?

Decision often implies a utilitarian choice based on personal gain, even at the expense of damaging others. Despite the social implications of utilitarian behavior, its neurophysiological bases remain largely unknown. To assess how the human brain controls utilitarian behavior, we delivered transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the ventral prefrontal cortex (VPC) and over the occipital cortex (OC) in 78 healthy subjects. Utilitarian judgment was assessed with the moral judgment task before and after tDCS. At baseline, females provided fewer utilitarian answers than males for personal moral dilemmas (p = .007). In males, VPC-tDCS failed to induce changes and in both genders OC-tDCS left utilitarian judgments unchanged. In females, cathodal VPC-tDCS tended to decrease whereas anodal VPC-tDCS significantly increased utilitarian responses (p = .005). In males and females, reaction times for utilitarian responses significantly decreased after cathodal (p<.001) but not after anodal (p = .735) VPC-tDCS. We conclude that ventral prefrontal tDCS interferes with utilitarian decisions, influencing the evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of each option in both sexes, but does so more strongly in females. Whereas cathodal tDCS alters the time for utilitarian reasoning in both sexes, anodal stimulation interferes more incisively in women, modifying utilitarian reasoning and the possible consequent actions. The gender-related tDCS-induced changes suggest that the VPC differentially controls utilitarian reasoning in females and in males. The gender-specific functional organization of the brain areas involved in utilitarian behavior could be a correlate of the moral and social behavioral differences between the two sexes

Bone and body composition analyzed by Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) in clinical and nutritional evaluation of young patients with Cystic Fibrosis: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>the improved general therapy has led to reduced morbidity and mortality from Cystic Fibrosis (CF), and bone status may have a potentially greater clinical impact.</p> <p>We investigated the correlation between the severity of the clinical condition, bone status and body composition parameters, in a group of children and young adults with CF.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>we measured lumbar spine bone density and total body composition by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 82 consecutive CF patients (42 males; median age: 13 years - range: 5-30). Eighty-two healthy subjects, matched for age, gender, height and pubertal stage were recruited as a control group.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>37 patients (45.1%) had a normal bone mineral density (BMD). A BMD reduction were observed in 45 (54.8%) patients. Lumbar spine Z score was positively related to Body Mass Index (BMI) and a higher Shwachman-Kulczycki score, and negatively related to Crispin-Norman score. A positive and significant correlation was also observed between lumbar spine Z score and total body composition.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>a significant BMD reduction can be present early in CF children and adolescents. A careful follow up of bone status is required starting in childhood.</p

Efficacy and safety of growth hormone treatment in children with short stature: the Italian cohort of the GeNeSIS clinical study

Purpose: We examined auxological changes in growth hormone (GH)-treated children in Italy using data from the Italian cohort of the multinational observational Genetics and Neuroendocrinology of Short Stature International Study (GeNeSIS) of pediatric patients requiring GH treatment. Methods: We studied 711 children (median baseline age 9.6&nbsp;years). Diagnosis associated with short stature was as determined by the investigator. Height standard deviation score (SDS) was evaluated yearly until final or near-final height (n&nbsp;=&nbsp;78). Adverse events were assessed in all GH-treated patients. Results: The diagnosis resulting in GH treatment was GH deficiency (GHD) in 85.5&nbsp;% of patients, followed by Turner syndrome (TS 6.6&nbsp;%). Median starting GH dose was higher in patients with TS (0.30&nbsp;mg/kg/week) than patients with GHD (0.23&nbsp;mg/kg/week). Median (interquartile range) GH treatment duration was 2.6 (0.6\u20133.7) years. Mean (95&nbsp;% confidence interval) final height SDS gain was 2.00 (1.27\u20132.73) for patients with organic GHD (n&nbsp;=&nbsp;18) and 1.19 (0.97\u20131.40) for patients with idiopathic GHD (n&nbsp;=&nbsp;41), but lower for patients with TS, 0.37 ( 120.03 to 0.77, n&nbsp;=&nbsp;13). Final height SDS was&nbsp;&gt; 122 for 94&nbsp;% of organic GHD, 88&nbsp;% of idiopathic GHD and 62&nbsp;% of TS patients. Mean age at GH start was lower for organic GHD patients, and treatment duration was longer than for other groups, resulting in greater mean final height gain. GH-related adverse events occurred mainly in patients diagnosed with idiopathic GHD. Conclusions: Data from the Italian cohort of GeNeSIS showed auxological changes and safety of GH therapy consistent with results from international surveillance databases