Riflessioni sul fenomeno storico dei depositi votivi di tipo etrusco-laziale-campano

Lo studio propone una nuova contestualizzazione storica di un macroscopico fenomeno archeologico, rappresentato dai depositi di ex voto in terracotta rinvenuti nei santuari etrusco-italici. In particolare indaga i motivi ideologici del suo inizio, alla fine del VI secolo a.C., e della sua fine, nel corso del II secolo a.C., introducendo un nuovo punto di vista rispetto alla portata della responsabilità di Roma nell'evoluzione del grande fenomeno storico

Fibrinogen concentrate in surgery

Fibrinogen is a plasma glycoprotein synthesised by the liver which plays a critical role in haemostasis by acting as an endogenous substrate for fibrin formation and by inducing clot formation and platelet aggregation

Improvement through process integration using a simulative, dynamic method

The need for globalisation, the saturation and instability of markets, the life-cycle time reduction of products, the growth of item variety, the customer demands have been main factors contributing to a radical change of management conceptions and strategies. This complex environment has induced companies to search the keys to achieve competitiveness, focusing on process integration. The purpose of the paper is to explain how managing the internal functions of a company in an integrated way can lead to an effective improvement. In order to represent the flows and to quantify improvements, a simulative, dynamic and integrated model is developed

Polynomial Time Approximation Schemes for All 1-Center Problems on Metric Rational Set Similarities

In this paper, we investigate algorithms for finding centers of a given collection N of sets. In particular, we focus on metric rational set similarities, a broad class of similarity measures including Jaccard and Hamming. A rational set similarity S is called metric if D= 1 - S is a distance function. We study the 1-center problem on these metric spaces. The problem consists of finding a set C that minimizes the maximum distance of C to any set of N. We present a general framework that computes a (1 + ε) approximation for any metric rational set similarity

The Italian Regulatory Guidelines for the implementation of Patient Blood Management

Comment in Towards the implementation of patient blood management across Europe. [Blood Transfus. 2017

A Role for Bottom-Up Synthetic Cells in the Internet of Bio-Nano Things?

he potential role of bottom-up Synthetic Cells (SCs) in the Internet of Bio-Nano Things (IoBNT) is discussed. In particular, this perspective paper focuses on the growing interest in networks of biological and/or artificial objects at the micro- and nanoscale (cells and subcellular parts, microelectrodes, microvessels, etc.), whereby communication takes place in an unconventional manner, i.e., via chemical signaling. The resulting “molecular communication” (MC) scenario paves the way to the development of innovative technologies that have the potential to impact biotechnology, nanomedicine, and related fields. The scenario that relies on the interconnection of natural and artificial entities is briefly introduced, highlighting how Synthetic Biology (SB) plays a central role. SB allows the construction of various types of SCs that can be designed, tailored, and programmed according to specific predefined requirements. In particular, “bottom-up” SCs are briefly described by commenting on the principles of their design and fabrication and their features (in particular, the capacity to exchange chemicals with other SCs or with natural biological cells). Although bottom-up SCs still have low complexity and thus basic functionalities, here, we introduce their potential role in the IoBNT. This perspective paper aims to stimulate interest in and discussion on the presented topics. The article also includes commentaries on MC, semantic information, minimal cognition, wetware neuromorphic engineering, and chemical social robotics, with the specific potential they can bring to the IoBNT

Shear-induced reaction-limited aggregation kinetics of Brownian particles at arbitrary concentrations

The aggregation of interacting Brownian particles in sheared concentrated suspensions is an important issue in colloid and soft matter science per se. Also, it serves as a model to understand biochemical reactions occurring in vivo where both crowding and shear play an important role. We present an effective medium approach within the Smoluchowski equation with shear which allows one to calculate the encounter kinetics through a potential barrier under shear at arbitrary colloid concentrations. Experiments on a model colloidal system in simple shear flow support the validity of the model in the range considered. By generalizing Kramers' rate theory to the presence of collective hydrodynamics, our model explains the significant increase in the shear-induced reaction-limited aggregation kinetics upon increasing the colloid concentration

The Influence of Personality, Resilience, and Alexithymia on Mental Health During COVID-19 Pandemic.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries worldwide have put lockdowns in place to prevent the virus from spreading. Evidence shows that lockdown measures can affect mental health; it is, therefore, important to identify the psychological characteristics making individuals more vulnerable. The present study aimed, first, to identify, through a cluster analysis, the psychological attributes that characterize individuals with similar psychological responses to the COVID-19 home confinement; second, to investigate whether different psychological characteristics, such as personality traits, alexithymia, and resilience, specifically influence anxiety, stress, and depression, depending on the scope of the confinement. We analyzed data from 393 participants who completed an online survey on their experiences during two different phases of the Italian lockdown, characterized by more or less strict measures of confinement. Two clusters were identified which included participants reporting a better (+ER) and worse (-ER) emotional response to the lockdown, respectively. Individuals in the -ER group showed lower emotional stability, resilience, and higher alexithymia. Moreover, even if lifting part of the restrictions decreased psychological distress among all participants, a reduction in perceived stress was observed only among individuals with high resilience. Finally, personality traits, alexithymia, and resilience differently affected depression, anxiety, and stress. Our results suggest that different psychological interventions should be planned depending on the context: mental health professionals should focus on enhancing the individuals' coping strategies to alleviate stress in emergencies, while long-term intervention aiming at alleviating anxiety and depressive symptoms should focus on alexithymic tendencies and personality constructs