D-touch: A Consumer-Grade Tangible Interface Module and Musical Applications

We define a class of tangible media applications that can be implemented on consumer-grade personal computers. These applications interpret user manipulation of physical objects in a restricted space and produce unlocalized outputs. We propose a generic approach to the implementation of such interfaces using flexible fiducial markers, which identify objects to a robust and fast video-processing algorithm, so they can be recognized and tracked in real time. We describe an implementation of the technology, then report two new, flexible music performance applications that demonstrate and validate it

Influential publications in ecological economics revisited

We revisit the analysis of Costanza et al. (2004, Ecological Economics) of influential publications in ecological economics to discover what has changed a decade on. We examine which sources have been influential on the field of ecological economics in the past decade, which articles in the journal Ecological Economics have had the most influence on the field and on the rest of science, and on which areas of science the journal is having the most in- fluence.We find that the field has matured over this period, with articles published in the journal having a greater influence than before, an increase in citation links to environmental studies journals, a reduction in citation links to mainstream economics journals, and possibly a shift in themes to a more applied and empirical direction.Copyright Information: © 2016 Elsevier B.V. http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/issn/0921-8009/..."Authors pre-print on any website, including arXiv and RePEC" from SHERPA/RoMEO site (as at 3/02/16)

Optimization and characterization of tungsten thick coatings on copper based ally substrates

Tungsten is a promising armour material for plasma facing components of nuclear fusion reactors because of its low sputter rate and favourable thermo-mechanical properties. Among all the techniques able to realise W armours, plasma spray looks particularly attractive owing to its simplicity and low cost. The present work concerns the optimisation of spraying parameters aimed at 4–5 mm thickWcoating on copper–chromium–zirconium (Cu,Cr,Zr) alloy substrates. Characterisation of coatings was performed in order to assess microstructure, impurity content, density, tensile strength, adhesion strength, thermal conductivity and thermal expansion coefficient. The work performed has demonstrated the feasibility of thick W coatings on flat and curved geometries. These coatings appear as a reliable armour for medium heat flux plasma facing component

Digital energy visualisations in the workplace: the e-Genie tool

Building management systems are designed for energy managers; there are few energy feedback systems designed to engage staff. A tool, known as e-Genie, was developed to engage workplace occupants with energy data and support them to take action to reduce energy use. Building on research insights within the field, e-Genie’s novel approach encourages users to make plans to meet energy saving goals, supports discussion, and considers social energy behaviours (e.g. discussing energy issues, taking part in campaigns) as well as individual actions. A field based study of e-Genie indicated that visualisations of energy data were engaging and that the discussion ‘Pinboard’ was particularly popular. Pre- and post survey (N = 77) evaluation of users indicated that people were significantly more concerned about energy issues and reported engaging more in social energy behaviour after ~two weeks of e-Genie being installed. Concurrently, objective measures of electricity use decreased over the same period, and continued decreasing over subsequent weeks. Indications are that occupant facing energy feedback visualisations can be successful in reducing energy use in the workplace; furthermore supporting social energy behaviour in the workplace is likely to be a useful direction for promoting action

Normal ultrasonographic features of loggerhead (Caretta caretta) eyes

The Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is widely distributed in the Mediterranean Sea but, like other sea turtles, it is considered a threatened species. Improving anatomical knowledge on normal aspects of the species is important for correct diagnosis and proper therapy and, therefore, for improving the chances of a complete recovery and a fast reintroduction into the wild for a greater number of sea turtle bycatch and other mishaps. For this reason, 15 Loggerhead turtles, with clinically healthy eyes, were submitted to ocular ultrasonographic (US) examinations. The US exam was quick, non-invasive, and simple to perform and permitted researchers to assess all the ocular features. © 2020, Croatian Natural History Museum. All rights reserved

Relative Contributions of Genes, Environment, and Interactions to Blood Lipid Concentrations in a General Adult Population

The authors evaluated the contributions of nine genetic (G) variants (selected from 275 single nucleotide polymorphisms in 11 reverse cholesterol transport pathway genes), five environmental (E) factors (selected from 10), and G × G, E × E, and G × E interactions in explaining population variance of blood lipid concentrations. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were measured, and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and HDL cholesterol/LDL cholesterol ratio were calculated in a population-based random sample of 1,543 men and women in Geneva, Switzerland, aged 35-74 years in 1999-2001. Explained variances (R2) for HDL cholesterol/LDL cholesterol ratio, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol, respectively, were 34%, 33%, and 19%, decomposed into main effects of G (6%, 4%, and 5%) and E (25%, 28%, and 11%), with just 3%, 2%, and 3% due to G × G, E × E, and G × E interactions, respectively. Risk factor clustering was only moderate: 70% of study subjects had ≤3 variants, 75% had ≤2 environmental exposures, and 69% had ≤5 of both types of factors. Multiple genes with weak associations, together with more dominating environmental factors, are involved in determining blood lipid concentrations. Interactions added little explained variance. Increasing trends in hypercholesterolemia are attributable to environmental changes affecting populations as a whole. Reducing obesity and smoking and moderating alcohol intake in entire populations should remain the primary strategies for lipid contro

The alkaline lamprophyres of the Dolomitic Area (Southern Alps, Italy): markers of the Late Triassic change from orogenic-like to anorogenic magmatism

We present the first complete petrological, geochemical and geochronological characterization of the oldest lamprophyric rocks in Italy, which crop out around Predazzo (Dolomitic Area), with the aim of deciphering their relationship with Triassic magmatic events across the whole of the Southern Alps. Their Mg# of between 37 and 70, together with their trace element contents, suggests that fractional crystallization was the main process responsible for their differentiation, together with small-scale mixing, as evidenced by some complex amphibole textures. Moreover, the occurrence of primary carbonate ocelli suggests an intimate association between the alkaline lamprophyric magmas and a carbonatitic melt. 40Ar/39Ar data show that the lamprophyres were emplaced at 219·22 ± 0·73 Ma (2σ; full systematic uncertainties), around 20 Myr after the high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic, short-lived, Ladinian (237–238 Ma) magmatic event of the Dolomitic Area. Their trace element and Sr–Nd isotopic signatures (87Sr/86Sri = 0·7033–0·7040; 143Nd/144Ndi = 0·51260–0·51265) are probably related to a garnet–amphibole-bearing lithosphere interacting with an asthenospheric component, significantly more depleted than the mantle source of the high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic magmas. These features suggest that the Predazzo lamprophyres belong to the same alkaline–carbonatitic magmatic event that intruded the mantle beneath the Southern Alps (e.g. Finero peridotite) between 190 and 225 Ma. In this scenario, the Predazzo lamprophyres cannot be considered as a late-stage pulse of the orogenic-like Ladinian magmatism of the Dolomitic Area, but most probably represent a petrological bridge to the opening of the Alpine Tethys

Analysis of BRCA1 and RAD51C promoter methylation in italian families at high-risk of breast and ovarian cancer

Previous studies on breast and ovarian carcinoma (BC and OC) revealed constitutional BRCA1 and RAD51C promoter hypermethylation as epigenetic alterations leading to tumor predisposition. Nevertheless, the impact of epimutations at these genes is still debated. One hundred and eight women affected by BC, OC, or both and considered at very high risk of carrying BRCA1 germline mutations were studied. All samples were negative for pathogenic variants or variants of uncertain significance at BRCA testing. Quantitative BRCA1 and RAD51C promoter methylation analyses were performed by Epityper mass spectrometry on peripheral blood samples and results were compared with those in controls. All the 108 analyzed cases showed methylation levels at the BRCA1/RAD51C promoter comparable with controls. Mean methylation levels (\ub1 stdev) at the BRCA1 promoter were 4.3% (\ub1 1.4%) and 4.4% (\ub1 1.4%) in controls and patients, respectively (p > 0.05; t-test); mean methylation levels (\ub1 stdev) at the RAD51C promoter were 4.3% (\ub1 0.9%) and 3.7% (\ub1 0.9%) in controls and patients, respectively (p > 0.05; t-test). Based on these observations; the analysis of constitutional methylation at promoters of these genes does not seem to substantially improve the definition of cancer risks in patients. These data support the idea that epimutations represent a very rare event in high-risk BC/OC populations

Influential publications in ecological economics revisited

International audienceWe revisit the analysis of Costanza et al. (2004, Ecological Economics) of influential publications in ecological economics to discover what has changed a decade on. We examine which sources have been influential on the field of ecological economics in the past decade, which articles in the journal Ecological Economics have had the most influence on the field and on the rest of science, and on which areas of science the journal is having the most influence. We find that the field has matured over this period, with articles published in the journal having a greater influence than before, an increase in citation links to environmental studies journals, a reduction in citation links to mainstream economics journals, and possibly a shift in themes to a more applied and empirical direction