On Nina Bandelj and Frederick F. Wherry (2011): The Cultural Wealth of Nations

The authors of this volume investigate their posed questions about the cultural wealth of nations by relying on the traditions of Viviana A. Zelizer and Alejandro Portes, who had ‘visions of an economic sociology that enfolds culture and development into its core’ (p. x.). Cultural economic sociology seeks to analyze the effects that culture, cultural differences and cultural heritage can have on economies through using sociological methods and theories to dissect how (intentionally or unintentionally) cultural advantages/cultural wealth can contribute to economic growth and local development

A Reduced Order Model for Optimal Centrifugal Pump Design

A reduced order model for preliminary design and noncavitating performance prediction of radial turbopumps has been illustrated in a previous paper presented by the same authors. The model expresses the 3D incompressible, inviscid, irrotational flow through helical blades with slow axial variations of the pitch and backsweep by superposing a 2D cross-sectional axial vorticity correction to a fully-guided flow with axisymmetric stagnation velocity in the meridional plane. Application of the relevant governing equations yields a set of constraints for the axial evolution of the blade pitch and backsweep that allows for the closed form definition of the impeller geometry and flowfield in terms of a reduced number of controlling parameters. In turn, mass and momentum conservation are used to account for the mixing of the flow leaving the impeller and its coupling with 2D reduced order models of the flow in the diffuser (if any) and the volute, thus generating the information necessary for completing the geometric definition of the machine and for determining its ideal noncavitating performance in accordance with the resulting flowfield. In the present paper, the above ideal flow model has been interfaced with the calculation of boundary layers inside the blade channels and other major forms of flow losses, with the aim of developing an effective tool for rapid parametric optimization of the machine geometry and performance under appropriate design constraints such as target values of the specific speed, flow coefficient and impeller blading solidity

Laboratory measurements of super-resolving Toraldo pupils for radio astronomical applications

The concept of super-resolution refers to various methods for improving the angular resolution of an optical imaging system beyond the classical diffraction limit. Although several techniques to narrow the central lobe of the illumination Point Spread Function have been developed in optical microscopy, most of these methods cannot be implemented on astronomical telescopes. A possible exception is represented by the variable transmittance filters, also known as "Toraldo Pupils" (TPs) since they were introduced for the first time by G. Toraldo di Francia in 1952 (Toraldo di Francia, Il Nuovo Cimento (Suppl.) 9, 426, 1952). In the microwave range, the first successful laboratory test of TPs was performed in 2003 (Mugnai et al. Phys. Lett. A 311, 77-81, 2003). These first results suggested that TPs could represent a viable approach to achieve super-resolution in Radio Astronomy. We have therefore started a project devoted to a more exhaustive analysis of TPs, in order to assess their potential usefulness to achieve super-resolution on a radio telescope, as well as to determine their drawbacks. In the present work we report on the results of extensive microwave measurements, using TPs with different geometrical shapes, which confirm the correctness of the first experiments in 2003. We have also extended the original investigation to carry out full-wave electromagnetic numerical simulations and also to perform planar scanning of the near-field and transform the results into the far-field

Dupilumab in the treatment of severe uncontrolled chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP): A multicentric observational Phase IV real-life study (DUPIREAL)

Background Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is associated with significant morbidity and reduced health-related quality of life. Findings from clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of dupilumab in CRSwNP, although real-world evidence is still limited. Methods This Phase IV real-life, observational, multicenter study assessed the effectiveness and safety of dupilumab in patients with severe uncontrolled CRSwNP (n = 648) over the first year of treatment. We collected data at baseline and after 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of follow-up. We focused on nasal polyps score (NPS), symptoms, and olfactory function. We stratified outcomes by comorbidities, previous surgery, and adherence to intranasal corticosteroids, and examined the success rates based on current guidelines, as well as potential predictors of response at each timepoint. Results We observed a significant decrease in NPS from a median value of 6 (IQR 5–6) at baseline to 1.0 (IQR 0.0–2.0) at 12 months (p < .001), and a significant decrease in Sino-Nasal Outcomes Test-22 (SNOT-22) from a median score of 58 (IQR 49–70) at baseline to 11 (IQR 6–21; p < .001) at 12 months. Sniffin' Sticks scores showed a significant increase over 12 months (p < .001) compared to baseline. The results were unaffected by concomitant diseases, number of previous surgeries, and adherence to topical steroids, except for minor differences in rapidity of action. An excellent-moderate response was observed in 96.9% of patients at 12 months based on EPOS 2020 criteria. Conclusions Our findings from this large-scale real-life study support the effectiveness of dupilumab as an add-on therapy in patients with severe uncontrolled CRSwNP in reducing polyp size and improving the quality of life, severity of symptoms, nasal congestion, and smell

Management of acute diverticulitis with pericolic free gas (ADIFAS). an international multicenter observational study

Background: There are no specific recommendations regarding the optimal management of this group of patients. The World Society of Emergency Surgery suggested a nonoperative strategy with antibiotic therapy, but this was a weak recommendation. This study aims to identify the optimal management of patients with acute diverticulitis (AD) presenting with pericolic free air with or without pericolic fluid. Methods: A multicenter, prospective, international study of patients diagnosed with AD and pericolic-free air with or without pericolic free fluid at a computed tomography (CT) scan between May 2020 and June 2021 was included. Patients were excluded if they had intra-abdominal distant free air, an abscess, generalized peritonitis, or less than a 1-year follow-up. The primary outcome was the rate of failure of nonoperative management within the index admission. Secondary outcomes included the rate of failure of nonoperative management within the first year and risk factors for failure. Results: A total of 810 patients were recruited across 69 European and South American centers; 744 patients (92%) were treated nonoperatively, and 66 (8%) underwent immediate surgery. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. Hinchey II-IV on diagnostic imaging was the only independent risk factor for surgical intervention during index admission (odds ratios: 12.5, 95% CI: 2.4-64, P =0.003). Among patients treated nonoperatively, at index admission, 697 (94%) patients were discharged without any complications, 35 (4.7%) required emergency surgery, and 12 (1.6%) percutaneous drainage. Free pericolic fluid on CT scan was associated with a higher risk of failure of nonoperative management (odds ratios: 4.9, 95% CI: 1.2-19.9, P =0.023), with 88% of success compared to 96% without free fluid ( P <0.001). The rate of treatment failure with nonoperative management during the first year of follow-up was 16.5%. Conclusion: Patients with AD presenting with pericolic free gas can be successfully managed nonoperatively in the vast majority of cases. Patients with both free pericolic gas and free pericolic fluid on a CT scan are at a higher risk of failing nonoperative management and require closer observation

A social context-aware recommender of itineraries between relevant points of interest

In this paper, we present a personalized recommender system able to suggest to the target user itineraries that both meet her preferences and needs, and are sensitive to her physical and social contexts. The recommendation process takes into account different aspects: in addition to the popularity of the points of interest (POIs), inferred by considering, for instance, the number of check-ins on social networking services such as Foursquare, it also includes the user’s profile, the current context of use, and the user’s network of social ties. The system, therefore, consists of four main modules that accomplish the following tasks: (1) the construction of the user’s profile according to her interests and tastes; (2) the creation of the path graph in the user’s proximity; (3) the routing to locate the first k itineraries that match the query; (4) their ranking through a scoring function that considers the POI popularity, the user’s profile, and her physical and social context. The proposed system was evaluated on a sample of 40 real users. Experimental results showed the effectiveness of the proposed recommender

Enabling Superprotonic Phase Transitions in Solid Acids via Supramolecular Complex Formation: The Case of Crown Ethers and Alkali Hydrogen Sulfates

This investigation, combining both structural and spectroscopic analyses, sheds light on the intricate relationship between conduction properties and the initiation of dynamic motions within the anhydrous crystalline materials of 18-crown-6·KHSO4 (1) and 18-crown-6·RbHSO4 (2) and proves how the formation of supramolecular complexes is pivotal for inducing solid–solid transitions, leading to superprotonic phases, i.e., crystalline solids exhibiting an enhanced ability to conduct protons, as elucidated through impedance spectroscopic measurements. This multifaceted approach deepens our understanding of the phenomenon and sets the stage for further exploration and application in solid-state protonic conductors

Analysis of Flow Instabilities on a Three-Bladed Axial Inducer in Fixed and Rotating Frames

International audienceThe paper describes results of recent experiments carried out under similarity conditions in the Cavitating Pump Rotordynamic Test Facility for the dynamic characterization of cavitation-induced flow instabilities as simultaneously observed in the stationary and rotating frames of a high-head, three-bladed axial inducer with tapered hub and variable pitch. The flow instabilities occurring in the eye and inside the blading of the inducer have been detected, identified and monitored by means of the spectral analysis of the pressure measurements simultaneously generated in the absolute and relative frames by multiple transducers mounted on the casing near the impeller eye and on the inducer hub along the blade channels. The comparison of the results obtained in the two reference frames over a wide range of flow coefficients and cavitation numbers contributed to shed some light on the complex dynamic interactions between the cavitation-induced instabilities in the eye and in the blade channels of typical high-head inducers