Heritage / Culture and Social Cohesion in the Project of Metropolitan City

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Canonical Characteristic Sets of Characterizable Differential Ideals

We study the concept of canonical characteristic set of a characterizable differential ideal. We propose an efficient algorithm that transforms any characteristic set into the canonical one. We prove the basic properties of canonical characteristic sets. In particular, we show that in the ordinary case for any ranking the order of each element of the canonical characteristic set of a characterizable differential ideal is bounded by the order of the ideal. Finally, we propose a factorization-free algorithm for computing the canonical characteristic set of a characterizable differential ideal represented as a radical ideal by a set of generators. The algorithm is not restricted to the ordinary case and is applicable for an arbitrary ranking.Comment: 26 page

A Conceptual Approach for Business Incubator Interdependencies and Sustainable Development

Abstract Sustainable development is an important dimension for business incubators to improve tenant-businesses in the coffee value chain. This study focuses on business incubators addressing social and economic dimensions of sustainability in developing countries. Business incubators are perceived as important mechanisms for sustainable development as they involve relevant stakeholders and activities to interact each other. Prior research highlights the gap of theoretical explanation to understand business incubators linked to sustainable development. The purpose of this study is to provide a conceptual approach based on resource dependence theory to better understand strategies in interdependencies to address power imbalance issues of business incubators in developing countries. Strategies such as integration and coordination should be implemented in the incubator management to increase mutual dependencies and improve relationships to secure resources, thereby, providing quality services for tenants. Relationships with relevant partner organizations such as universities, business centers, and public research organizations represent opportunities for business incubators in boosting sustainable business development

Search for top squark with two leptons in the final state at LHC Run 2 with the ATLAS detector

An analysis in progress on the data collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC collider at √s = 13TeV is presented. The goal is to observe supersymmetric particles and, in particular, the pair production of top squarks. The decay considered is top squark into chargino and b quark, followed by the decay of chargino into W boson and neutralino. Considering only the W leptonic decay, the final state contains two leptons, two b-jets and large missing transverse momentum

Combining predominant polarity and affective spectrum concepts in bipolar disorder: towards a novel theoretical and clinical perspective

This is an overview of recent advances on predominant polarity conceptualization in bipolar disorder (BD). Current evidence on its operationalized definitions, possible contextualization within the affective spectrum, along with its epidemiological impact, and treatment implications, are summarized. Predominant polarity identifies three subgroups of patients with BD according to their mood recurrencies: (i) those with depressive or (ii) manic predominance as well as (iii) patients without any preponderance (‘nuclear’ type). A predominant polarity can be identified in approximately half of patients, with similar rates for depressive and manic predominance. Different factors may influence the predominant polarity, including affective temperaments. More generally, affective disorders should be considered as existing on a spectrum ranging from depressive to manic features, also accounting for disorders with ‘ultrapredominant’ polarity, i.e., unipolar depression and mania. While mixed findings emerge on its utility in clinical practice, it is likely that the construct of predominant polarity, in place of conventional differentiation between BD-I and BD-II, may be useful to clarify the natural history of the disorder and select the most appropriate interventions. The conceptualization of predominant polarity seems to reconcile previous theoretical views of both BD and affective spectrum into a novel perspective. It may provide useful information to clinicians for the early identification of possible trajectories of BD and thus guide them when selecting interventions for maintenance treatment. However, further research is needed to clarify the specific role of predominant polarity as a key determinant of BD course, outcome, and treatment response

The Social Appearance Anxiety Scale in Italian adolescent populations: Construct validation and group discrimination in community and clinical eating disorders samples

Anxiety in situations where one’s overall appearance (including body shape) may be negatively evaluated is hypothesized to play a central role in Eating Disorders (EDs) and in their co-occurrence with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). Three studies were conducted among community (N = 1995) and clinical (N = 703) ED samples of 11- to 18-year-old Italian girls and boys to (a) evaluate the psychometric qualities and measurement equivalence/invariance (ME/I) of the Social Appearance Anxiety (SAA) Scale (SAAS) and (b) determine to what extent SAA or other situational domains of social anxiety related to EDs distinguish adolescents with an ED only from those with SAD. Results upheld the one-factor structure and ME/I of the SAAS across samples, gender, age categories, and diagnostic status (i.e., ED participants with and without comorbid SAD). The SAAS demonstrated high internal consistency and 3-week test–retest reliability. The strength of the inter-relationships between SAAS and measures of body image, teasing about appearance, ED symptoms, depression, social anxiety, avoidance, and distress, as well as the ability of SAAS to discriminate community adolescents with high and low levels of ED symptoms and community participants from ED participants provided construct validity evidence. Only SAA strongly differentiated adolescents with any ED from those with comorbid SAD (23.2 %). Latent mean comparisons across all study groups were performed and discussed

Habitat culturali tra identità e immagini di paesaggio

The ability to understand the cultural habitat and contemporary landscape requires careful consideration capable of interpreting the scope of changes taking place. Present conformations are the result of progressive layers, but the shift from one period to the next one is the result of true cultural and spatial breaks, which over time have had the ability to camouflaging themselves, appearing less evident to the glance of a careless observer. Understanding these processes means decoding forms of identity which are often not recognized, in order to counteract the loss of sense that in recent times has become increasingly manifest and perceptible in many places. The dynamics that have led to changes in the identity/cultural image, especially in territorial or urban contexts where today there is an essentially dialectic conflict between identity and design, turn out to be very dangerous. Changes, which were brought about by natural processes, linked to evolution and the usual dynamics of places, are today suddenly and irreversibly caused by human activities. These changes prejudice sites and their features, and the resulting impact both direct and indirect, affects the economic, structural and social efficiency. Moreover, the changes do not allow the re-generation and renewability of the balance of urban and territorial systems.La capacità di capire gli habitat culturali e il paesaggio contemporaneo necessita di un attenta riflessione che sia in grado di interpretare la portata delle trasformazioni in atto. Le conformazioni attuali sono il risultato di progressive stratificazioni, ma i passaggi da un periodo all’altro sono esito di vere e proprie rotture culturali e spaziali, che nel tempo hanno avuto la capacità di mimetizzarsi col tutto, al punto di mostrarsi con meno evidenza allo sguardo di un osservatore poco attento. Capire questi processi significa decodificare forme di identità spesso non riconosciute, al fine di contrastare la perdita di senso, che negli ultimi tempi, in molti luoghi è divenuta sempre più evidente e percepibile. Le dinamiche che hanno portato ai mutamenti dell’immagine identitaria/culturale, soprattutto in contesti territoriali o urbani in cui oggi è presente una dialettica essenzialmente conflittuale tra identità e progetto, risultano essere molto pericolose. Da processo naturale, legato all’evoluzione e alla dinamicità consueta dei luoghi, oggi è causato repentinamente e irreversibilmente dalle attività umane. Le alterazioni compromettono i luoghi e la loro funzionalità, e gli impatti che ne derivano, sia diretti che indiretti, pregiudicano la loro efficienza a livello economico, strutturale e sociale e soprattutto non permettono la ri-generazione e la rinnovabilità degli equilibri dei sistemi urbani e territoriali

Single and Multiple Clinical Syndromes in Incarcerated Offenders

The present study examined the prevalence and correlates of clinical syndromes in a large group (N = 438) of incarcerated violent offenders, looking at differences between inmates with one and those with more than one clinical syndromes. More than a half of the sample (57%) reported clinically relevant symptoms for at least one clinical syndrome (n = 252), and the majority of them (38%) reported more syndromes in comorbidity (n = 169). Increased severity of clinical conditions (none, one, more than one syndrome) corresponded with significantly greater levels of personality disorder traits, psychological symptoms, dissociation, and negative emotionality, with large effect sizes. After controlling for co-occurrence of personality disorder traits and other symptoms, the presence of more than one comorbid syndrome significantly predicted unique variance in dissociation (positively) and positive emotionality (negatively). The presence of one clinical syndrome significantly and positively predicted negative emotionality. Findings support the possibility that the complexity, and not just the presence, of psychopathology could identify different groups of inmates

Family Associations as Social Capital for Families and Society

At a time of renewed interest in the family, family associations are attracting increasing attention. This is due to a growing awareness that fraying social bonds and the general crisis of the welfare system are related to lack of support for the family and its code of solidarity. This article explores a number of issues, starting with the question of the identity of a family association, both in theory, within the framework of relational sociology and international literature, and in practice, in light of the international federations of family associations’ membership criteria. Finally, family associations will be described according with the concept of social capital, to show that when families form associations with other families they become an irreplaceable resource for society