A model study for tardigrade identification

Using tardigrades from a single moss sample as a case study, we propose a new method for tardigrade species identification, which is often problematic, due to the low number of morphological characters. Identification at generic level was carried out on adults, while morphological analyses were performed on animals (LM) and eggs (LM and SEM), including hologenophores, vouchers used also for molecular analysis of COI mtDNA. This multi-approach method revealed the presence of three species of the “Macrobiotus hufelandi group” instead of the two species identified in a previous study. The validity of the method is shown, indicating that it could be applied to studies of problematic meiofauna taxa

Study on thermal performance of a PCM enhanced hydronic radiant floor heating system

Abstract Radiant floor systems enhanced with Phase Change Materials (PCMs) could achieve significant energy savings while improving the thermal comfort of occupants in lightweight buildings. Effective integration of PCMs typically requires customised solutions based on a comprehensive analysis due to their complex nature. The objective of the present study is the experimental and numerical investigation of a hydronic radiant floor heating system integrated with macroencapsulated PCM. Experimental tests were carried out on a laboratory-scale by the University of Ferrara, Italy, within the H2020 European project IDEAS. A 2D model was then implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics and calibrated in steady as well as in transient state according to the experimental tests. The behaviour of the system, including temperature distribution and heat flux, were analysed under different conditions. The impact of using dry and wet sand, as well as the effect of the position of PCM – above or under heating pipes – on thermal performance, were investigated. Results showed that the use of high thermal conduction in mortar increases much faster the overall performance of the PCM integrated underfloor heating system. Furthermore, the coupling technology with PCM containers installed under piping significantly enhances the positive effect of wet sand

The rubber hand illusion in hypnosis provides new insights into the sense of body ownership

Body ownership can be experimentally investigated with the rubber hand illusion (RHI), in which watching a rubber hand stroked synchronously with one's own hidden hand induces a feeling of ownership over the rubber hand. The aim of this study was to investigate response to the RHI in high (N\u2009=\u200921) and low (N\u2009=\u200919) hypnotizable individuals in normal waking state and in hypnosis. Response to the RHI was measured via a question on the illusory feeling of ownership and with proprioceptive drift. The Highs expressed an overall feeling of more ownership over the rubber hand in both the normal waking state and hypnosis, although both groups gave higher ownership scores after synchronous than after asynchronous stroking and the difference between conditions was similar across groups. Conversely, the proprioceptive drift appeared to be differentially modulated by hypnosis and hypnotic suggestibility: it was increased in the Highs and decreased in the Lows after hypnosis induction. These findings hint at an interplay between hypnotic suggestibility and hypnosis in modulating response to the RHI. The selective breakdown of proprioceptive drift among the Lows suggests resistance to recalibrate one's own limb in hypnosis

Taxonomy and phylogeny of European Monochamus species: first molecular and karyological data

The worldwide distributed genus Monochamus Megerle, 1821 (Coleoptera Cerambicydae) comprises beetles that may become pests of economic importance in conifer stands in the Nearctic and Palearctic Regions. Besides direct damage due to the larval tunnelling habits, they have also been recognized as main vectors of the phytoparasitic nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner & Buhrer, 1934) (Nematoda Aphelenchoididae). We analysed the complete mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene and a fragment of the small subunit RNA gene sequences (1536 base pairs) in the five European species. These are: Monochamus galloprovincialis (Olivier, 1795), morphologically distinguished in two subspecies M. galloprovincialis galloprovincialis (Olivier, 1795) and M. galloprovincialis pistor (Germar, 1818); Monochamus sutor (Linneus 1758); Monochamus saltuarius (Gebler 1830); Monochamus sartor (Fabricius, 1787) and Monochamus urussovi (Fischer, 1806). For appropriate comparisons, also the Asiatic Monochamus alternatus Hope, 1842 and a Japanese M. saltuarius sample have been analysed. Both genes show an absolute identity between the two subspecies of M. galloprovincialis and a strong affinity between M. sartor and M. urussovi: the morphological subdivisions of the former taxon in two subspecies and of the latter in two entities of specific level are therefore not supported genetically. On the other hand, the Italian and the Japanese samples of M. saltuarius always cluster together in all trees, and for the remaining taxa, no doubt about their rank of specific differentiation emerges from present analyses. From a phyletic point of view, tree topology indicates the Japanese M. alternatus as the most differentiated taxon and the Euroasiatic M. saltuarius as basal to all other strictly European entities. Chromosome analyses show that the diploid autosomal complement ranges from 18 in M. saltuarius to 20 in M. galloprovincialis, and 22 in M. sartor, but a XX–Xyp sex determining system is shared by all analysed taxa. The M. saltuarius karyotype appears as the most primitive from which the others may be derived through Robertsonian fissions. Karyological data therefore agree with molecular analyses in indicating a basal position of Euroasiatic M. saltuarius with respect to the group of European Monochamus taxa; among these, M. galloprovincialis and M. sartor represent two clearly diverging evolutionary units. Furthermore, karyotype analyses substantiate molecular conclusions about the identity between M. galloprovincialis galloprovincialis and M. galloprovincialis pistor. Zusammenfassung Die weltweit verbreitete Gattung Monomachus Megerle, 1821 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) enthalt Kaferarten, die in den Nadelwaldern der nearktischen und palaarktischen Regionen zu wirtschaftlich bedeutenden Schadlingen werden konnen. Neben dem direkten Schaden durch die minierenden Larven sind sie auch als Hauptvektoren des Nematoden Bursaphelenchus xylophilus bekannt geworden. Wir haben das gesamte Gen der mitochondrialen Cytochromoxidase I und ein Stuck des ssRNA-Gens (1536 bp) der funf europaischen Arten (M. galloprovincialis, mit den zwei Unterarten M. g. galloprovincials und M. g. pistor, M. sutor, M. saltuarius, M. sartor und M. urossovi, sowie fur einen Vergleich auch von der asiatischen Art M. alternatus und aus dem japanischen Verbreitungsgebietes der Art M. saltuarius analysiert. Beide Gene erweisen sich fur die beiden Unterarten M. g. galloprovincials und M. g. pistor als vollkommen identisch und weisen auf eine nahe Verwandtschaft zwischen M. sartor und M. urossovi hin; die morphologische Unterteilung in die beiden Unterarten und die Auftrennung dieser beiden Spezies auf Artniveau wird also genetisch nicht unterstutzt. Auf der anderen Seite clustern die italienischen und die japanischen Stichproben von M. saltuarius in allen Dendrogrammen sehr eng, so das ihr Status als Art gegenuber den anderen Taxons nicht bezweifelt werden kann. Vom phylogenetischen Standpunkt beurteilt weist die Topologie der Baume darauf hin, das die japanische Art M. alternatus die am meisten abweichende Spezies und die eurasische Art M. saltuarius die ursprunglichste unter den streng europaischen Monomachus-Arten ist. Die Chromosomenanalyse ergibt, das die diploide Chromosomenzahl sich von 18 bei M. saltuarius auf 20 bei M. galloprovincialis und auf 22 bei M. sartor erhoht, das geschlechtsdeterminierende System aber bei allen Taxa gemeinsam dem Typ XX-Xyp entspricht. Der Karyotyp von M. saltuarius scheint der ursprunglichste zu sein, von dem die anderen durch Robertsonsche Fissionen abgeleitet werden konnen. Die karyologischen Daten stimmen auch mit den molekularen uberein, indem sie der eurasischen Art M. saltuarius eine, zu den europaischen Arten basale Position zuweisen. Unter diesen stellen die Arten M. galloprovincialis und M. sartor zwei deutlich divergierende evolutionare Einheiten dar. Auserdem bestatigen die karyotypischen Analysen die molekulare Schlusfolgerung, das die zwei Unterarten M. g. galloprovincials und M. g. pistor identisch sind

Role of phase change materials in backfilling of flat-panels ground heat exchanger

The behaviour of a multi-source heat pump system coupled with phase change materials (PCMs) is discussed in this manuscript, as based on selected data collected during one-year testing at the TekneHub Laboratory of the University of Ferrara (Italy), as a synergic prototype setup of two European projects: IDEAS, an H2020 project, and CLIWAX, an EFDR project. Three geothermal loops of novel shallow FlatPanels ground heat exchangers (GHX) provide the coupling of a water-to-water heat pump with the ground, as backfilled with sand, a mixture of sand and granules with paraffins and containers filled in with hydrated salts. Furthermore, two hybrid photovoltaic panels and a dry-cooler complete the exploitable thermal sources landscape. Finally, a control unit manages all the elements for the exploitation of the different thermal sources. How the increased underground thermal energy storage is driven by PCMs has been investigated by means of specific tests, and compared with the standard case of backfilling sand. Results confirm that PCMs can compensate peak loads occurring during hard weather conditions. Good performances of the multi-source heat pump were found, with a winter coefficient of performance always higher than 5. Finally, the application of PCM in summer should be preferred in climatic zones with hot summers and cold winters, With evidence, latent heat, thermal conductivity and melting point of PCMs should be tuned accordingly to the energy requirements and the local ground thermal conditions. (c) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

High diversity in species, reproductive modes and distribution within the Paramacrobiotus richtersi complex (Eutardigrada, Macrobiotidae)

For many years, Paramacrobiotus richtersi was reported to consist of populations with different chromosome numbers and reproductive modes. To clarify the relationships among different populations, the type locality of the species (Clare Island, Ireland) and several Italian localities were sampled. Populations were investigated with an integrated approach, using morphological (LM, CLSM, SEM), morphometric, karyological, and molecular (18S rRNA, cox1 genes) data. Paramacrobiotus richtersi was redescribed and a neotype designed from the Irish bisexual population. Animals of all populations had very similar qualitative and quantitative characters, apart from the absence of males and the presence of triploidy in some of them, whereas some differences were recorded in the egg shell. All populations examined had the same 18S haplotype, while 21 haplotypes were found in the cox1 gene. In four cases, those qualitative characters were correlated with clear molecular (cox1) differences (genetic distance 14.6\u201321.8%). The integrative approach, which considered the morphological differences in the eggs, the reproductive biology and the wide genetic distances among putative species, led to the description of four new species (Paramacrobiotus arduus sp. n., Paramacrobiotus celsus sp. n., Paramacrobiotus depressus sp. n., Paramacrobiotus spatialis sp. n.) and two Unconfirmed Candidate Species (UCS) within the P. richtersi complex. Paramacrobiotus fairbanksi, the only ascertained parthenogenetic, triploid species, was redescribed and showed a wide distribution (Italy, Spain, Poland, Alaska), while the amphimictic species showed limited distributions. The difference in distribution between apomictic and amphimictic populations can be explained by the difference in the dispersal potentials associated with these two types of reproduction

Insurance Fraud Detection: A Statistically-Validated Network Approach

Fraud is a social phenomenon, and fraudsters oftencollaborate with other fraudsters, taking on differentroles. The challenge for insurance companies is toimplement claim assessment and improve frauddetection accuracy. We developed an investigativesystem based on bipartite networks, highlighting therelationships between subjects and accidents or vehi-cles and accidents. We formalize filtering rules throughprobability models and test specific methods to assessthe existence of communities in extensive networksand propose new alert metrics for suspicious struc-tures. We apply the methodology to a real database—the Italian Antifraud Integrated Archive—and compare the results to out‐of‐sample fraud scams underinvestigation by the judicial authoritie

Hypnosis-induced modulation of corticospinal excitability during motor imagery

Hypnosis can be considered an altered state of consciousness in which individuals produce movements under suggestion without apparent voluntary control. Despite its application in contexts implying motor control, evidence for the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying hypnosis is scarce. Inter-individual differences in hypnotic susceptibility suggest that sensorimotor strategies may manifest in a hypnotic state. We tested by means of transcranial magnetic stimulation applied over the primary motor cortex whether motor system activation during a motor imagery task differs in the awake and in the hypnotic state. To capture individual differences, 30 healthy volunteers were classified as high or low hypnotizable (Highs and Lows) according to ad-hoc validated scales measuring hypnotic susceptibility and personality questionnaires. Corticospinal activation during motor imagery in the hypnotic state was greater in the Highs than the Lows. Intrinsic motivation in task performance and level of persuasion modulated corticospinal activation in the Highs. Corticospinal system activation under hypnosis may have practical implications that merit research in areas where hypnosis can be applied to improve motor performance, such as loss of motor abilities and sports