Mass preserving distributed langrage multiplier approach to immersed boundary method

This research is devoted to mass conservation and CFL properties of the Finite Elements Immersed Boundary Method. We first explore an enhanced higher order scheme applied to the Finite Element Immersed Boundary Method technique introduced by Boffi and Gastaldi. This technique is based on a Pointwise (PW) formulation of the kinematic condition, and higher order elements show better conservation properties than the original scheme. A further improvement with respect to the classical PW formulation is achieved introducing a fully variational Distributed Lagrange Multiplier (DLM) formulation. Numerical experiments show that DLM is not affected by any CFL condition. Furthermore the mass conservation properties of this method are extremely competitive

Immersed boundary method: performance analysis of popular finite element spaces

The aim of this paper is to understand the performances of different finite elements in the space discretization of the Finite Element Immersed Boundary Method. In this exploration we will analyze two popular solution spaces: Hood-Taylor and Bercovier- Pironneau (P1-iso-P2). Immersed boundary solution is characterized by pressure discontinuities at fluid structure interface. Due to such a discontinuity a natural enrichment choice is to add piecewise constant functions to the pressure space. Results show that P1 + P0 pressure spaces are a significant cure for the well known “boundary leakage” affecting IBM. Convergence analysis is performed, showing how the discontinuity in the pressure is affecting the convergence rate for our finite element approximation

Social Relationships, Self-Esteem, And Loneliness In Adolescents With Learning Disabilities

Objective: many studies have underlined that students with learning disabilities (lds) feel that school is their main factor of frustration and reflects on their social reputations, isolation, and sociorelational discomfort. However, the role of LDs in psychosocial outcomes in adolescence is still unclear. In the present study, we explore the differences among three groups of adolescents (adolescents without LDs, adolescents with LDs, and adolescents with LDs who have the support of psychosocial educational intervention) in self-esteem, friendship quality, loneliness, and secrecy. Method: The sample comprised 93 adolescents, 49 males (53%) and 44 females (47%), in the 11–16 age range (M = 13.73; SD = 1.66). Participants completed measures on self-esteem (Multidimensional Self-Concept Scale), friendship quality (Friendship Quality Scale), loneliness (Loneliness and Aloneness Scale for Children and Adolescents), and secrecy (Self-Concealment Scale). Results: Our findings showed that students with LDs who underwent psychosocial educational intervention felt less parent-related loneliness and showed higher self-esteem than other adolescents regarding interpersonal relationships, their duties, their families, and their bodies. Conclusions: The study suggests that having the support of a psychosocial educational intervention could have a role in adolescent psychosocial adjustment

Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a systematic review

Background: Having a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder can affect family wellbeing and caregiver’s parenting skills. The present review aims to explore the main difficulties reported by parents of children with autism and the most used interventions to provide them support to date. Methods: 26 research articles published from 2006 to 2019 were selected and compared, specifically 10 quantitative and 16 qualitative studies, in which the following topics were discussed: parental stress in the presence of autism, presence of guidelines for intervention and relative difficulties to the achievement of the diagnosis. Results: The results of the review analysis indicate that parental stress is one of the difficulties in assuming a primary role. Parents caring for a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder have been shown to experience significantly higher levels of stress than parents of typically developing children. Conclusions: The presence of guidelines and the difficulties in achieving a diagnosis are closely related to the issue of parental stress, increasing or decreasing the perceived stress of parents

Supported polymer/lipid hybrid bilayers formation resembles a lipid-like dynamic by reducing the molecular weight of the polymer.

Amphiphilic block copolymers form self-assembled bilayers even in combination with phospholipids. They represent an attractive alternative to native lipid-based membrane systems for supported bilayer formation with applications in biomedical research, sensoring and drug delivery. Their enhanced stability and excellent mechanical properties are linked to their higher molecular weight which generates thicker bilayers. Hypothesis: It is hypothesized that reducing the molecular weight of the polymer facilitates the formation of a thinner, more homogeneous polymer/lipid hybrid bilayer which would benefit the formation of supported bilayers on silicon oxide. Experiment: We investigated hybrid bilayers composed of mixtures of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine and increasing amounts of a low molecular weight polybutadiene-b-polyethylene oxide copolymer (1050 g/mol). By assessing the bilayer thickness and the molecular packing behavior we sought to demonstrate how reducing the polymer molecular weight increases the tendency to form supported hybrid bilayers in a lipid-like manner. Findings: The formation of a supported hybrid bilayers occurs at polymer contents70 mol% in a lipid-like fashion and is proportional to the cohesive forces between the bilayer components and inversely related to the bilayer hydrophobic core thickness and the extended brush regime of the PEGylated polymeric headgroup

Graphene-based dental adhesive with anti-biofilm activity

BACKGROUND: Secondary caries are considered the main cause of dental restoration failure. In this context, anti-biofilm and bactericidal properties are desired in dental materials against pathogens such as Streptococcus mutans. To this purpose, graphene based materials can be used as fillers of polymer dental adhesives. In this work, we investigated the possibility to use as filler of dental adhesives, graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), a non toxic hydrophobic nanomaterial with antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties. RESULTS: Graphene nanoplatelets have been produced starting from graphite intercalated compounds through a process consisting of thermal expansion and liquid exfoliation. Then, a dental adhesive filled with GNPs at different volume fractions has been produced through a solvent evaporation method. The rheological properties of the new experimental adhesives have been assessed experimentally. The adhesive properties have been tested using microtensile bond strength measurements (µ-TBS). Biocidal activity has been studied using the colony forming units count (CFU) method. The anti-biofilm properties have been demonstrated through FE-SEM imaging of the biofilm development after 3 and 24 h of growth. CONCLUSIONS: A significantly lower vitality of S. mutans cells has been demonstrated when in contact with the GNP filled dental adhesives. Biofilm growth on adhesive-covered dentine tissues demonstrated anti-adhesion properties of the produced materials. µ-TBS results demonstrated no significant difference in µ-TBS between the experimental and the control adhesive. The rheology tests highlighted the necessity to avoid low shear rate regimes during adhesive processing and application in clinical protocol, and confirmed that the adhesive containing the 0.2%wt of GNPs possess mechanical properties comparable with the ones of the control adhesive

The academic network in the sector of psychology as a strategy of innovation for non profit enterprises

Aim: The present study aims to explore the issue of innovation and public-private partnership by presenting an analysis of the economic and non-economic effects produced by the collaboration between an Italian Social Cooperative and the academic sector. The main questions addressed by the study are: does the collaboration with the university sector boost the economic growth of social enterprises, both in their start up phase and afterwards? Does the collaboration with the university sector promote social innovation?Methods: The authors analyzed: (1) number of agreements (cumulative data) and number of interns, PhD students, and master students operating at the target Social Cooperative per year; (2) number of agreements (cumulative data) and number of internships per year for the target Social Cooperative and 4 other organizations replicating its model; (3) annual income from privates (in euros) per year for each organization; (4) awards and recognitions gained by the target Social Cooperative throughout the years. Results: Besides the existing differences among the observed organizations, data seem to confirm that the relationship with the university sector does not promote, at least in the initial phase, any important outcome in terms of income growth. Moreover, despite the description and amount of grants might not represent an "objective" measure of social innovation, it is undeniable that the target Cooperative shows a propensity to social innovation which is recognized by third parties too. Discussion: Although the data seem to disincentive, at least in the start up phase, the assumption that the university represents an economic or marketing boost, future studies might investigate other strategies to measure the qualitative and quantitative relationship between private companies and universities, in order to find different correlations with the social innovation issue and other economic and financial variables

Effects of complete replacement of corn flour with sorghum flour in dairycows fed Parmigiano Reggiano dry hay-based ration

The aim of this research was to evaluate of the productive responses of cows fed a dry hay based total mixed ration (TMR) in which sorghum (SOR) or corn (COR) meal (8 kg/h/d) were the main source of starch. The study involved two dairy herds located in the Parmigiano Reggiano PDO area, for a total of 1,400 cows (30% primiparous and 70% pluriparous). Each herd was fed alternatively SOR or COR TMR for 4 periods of 3 weeks: two weeks of adaptation and one week of data collection. Total milk production and composition, cheesemaking properties, fatty acid content and cheese yield were measured. In addition, within each herd, a random subgroup of 50 cows was selected for individual milk production, composition and cheesemaking properties analysis. Fibre digestibility was evaluated on faecal samples collected in 15 cows randomly selected in each subgroup. Data were analysed by a linear mixed model procedure with diet, herd, days in milk, parity and their interactions as fixed effects and cow as random effect. Individual milk production increase in SOR (32.43 vs. 31.34 kg, for SOR and COR, respectively; p<.0001) however, bulk milk and cheese yield did not show differences. Milk urea content was higher in SOR (27.38 vs. 22.79 mg/dL, for SOR and COR, respectively; p<.05).In this study the complete replacement of corn with finely ground sorghum meal in dairy cow diets in the Parmigiano Reggiano region did not result in negative effects on cows\u2019productivity, cheese making properties and production

Future orientation in adolescence: A literature review | L’orientamento al futuro in età adolescenziale: una rassegna della letteratura

L’orientamento al futuro in adolescenza costituisce un ambito di ricerca di grande interesse, poiché strettamente connesso ai compiti evolutivi del periodo, ampiamente indagato dalla letteratura a partire da diverse prospettive, con molteplici strumenti e in popolazioni differen-ti. L’obiettivo principale di questa rassegna è stato quello di organizza-re e sistematizzare gli studi focalizzati su una popolazione di età com-presa tra i 12 e i 18 anni, con l’intento di evidenziare quali componenti del costrutto possano costituire un fattore di protezione o di rischio per il benessere dell’adolescente. Un’analisi di 100 articoli ha mostrato che l’orientamento al futuro è stato prevalentemente studiato attraverso tre modelli teorici, il Modello a Tre Processi, la Prospettiva Temporale e i Sè Possibili, i quali tuttavia appaiono strettamente interconnessi nel de-finire il costrutto. Tra i vari strumenti utilizzati è stata evidenziata una molteplicità di scale di misurazione sia di tipo quantitativo sia di tipo qualitativo. Dall’analisi è emerso che l’orientamento al futuro, indagato in adolescenti sia a sviluppo tipico sia atipico e in contesti socio-culturali differenti, è associato a variabili di tipo protettivo, quali il supporto familiare percepito, il successo scolastico e nella carriera e a una diminuzione dei comportamenti “a rischio”. E’ stata infine eviden-ziata la necessità di incrementare lo studio del costrutto in popolazioni a rischio in ambito scolastico, quali ad esempio i ragazzi con Disturbi Specifici di Apprendimento