Sachs' free data in real connection variables

We discuss the Hamiltonian dynamics of general relativity with real connection variables on a null foliation, and use the Newman-Penrose formalism to shed light on the geometric meaning of the various constraints. We identify the equivalent of Sachs' constraint-free initial data as projections of connection components related to null rotations, i.e. the translational part of the ISO(2) group stabilising the internal null direction soldered to the hypersurface. A pair of second-class constraints reduces these connection components to the shear of a null geodesic congruence, thus establishing equivalence with the second-order formalism, which we show in details at the level of symplectic potentials. A special feature of the first-order formulation is that Sachs' propagating equations for the shear, away from the initial hypersurface, are turned into tertiary constraints; their role is to preserve the relation between connection and shear under retarded time evolution. The conversion of wave-like propagating equations into constraints is possible thanks to an algebraic Bianchi identity; the same one that allows one to describe the radiative data at future null infinity in terms of a shear of a (non-geodesic) asymptotic null vector field in the physical spacetime. Finally, we compute the modification to the spin coefficients and the null congruence in the presence of torsion.Comment: 23 pages + Appendix, 2 figures. v2: Improved text and some amendments throughout, added more details on the relation between 2+2 foliations and null tetrads, updated references. Version submitted for peer reviewing. v3: Few minor amendments, footnote added on a null congruence in the presence of torsion; matches published versio

A new methodological approach in the diagnosis of extra-medullary lymphomas: the role of classical and molecular cytogenetics.

Lymphomas are a group of heterogeneous malignant neoplasms involving B, T and NK lymphocytes. Their localization is predominantly lymph node, but frequently they can diffuse to the bone marrow. Cytogenetic analysis, required for a correct diagnosis, prognosis and therapy is harder when the lymphoma is extra-medullary: in these cases Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) analysis is commonly applied, performed on interphase nuclei coming from sections of lymph node tissue. However, this method has some limitations: 1) it is based on the use of locus specific probes and it provides targeted information; 2) the outcome of FISH investigations is strongly conditioned by the correct processing of the biopsy sample and by the presence of a sufficient amount of neoplastic cells. The aim of this work is trying to optimize the tissue taken by lymph node biopsy in a patient with suspected extra-medullary lymphoma, producing cell cultures added with a specific combination of B-cell mitogen named DSP30 with Interleukin 2, the same used in the BM cultures. On this "enriched" and correctly processed sample, we performed a complete analysis of the karyotype that, in some cases, allowed to identify additional chromosomal alterations comparing to those highlighted by FISH analysis. Based on the obtained results, we believe that we have developed an ideal protocol to improve the cytogenetic analysis of lymphomas, including the different types of cell culture, the use of an appropriate mitogen and the analyses made by conventional and molecular cytogenetics. Our methodological approach, moreover, allows storing cells suspension, bioptical and histological samples, that can be used also later to perform molecular genetic investigations

A new methodological approach in the diagnosis of extra-medullary lymphomas: the role of classical and molecular cytogenetics.

Lymphomas are a group of heterogeneous malignant neoplasms involving B, T and NK lymphocytes. Their localization is predominantly lymph node, but frequently they can diffuse to the bone marrow. Cytogenetic analysis, required for a correct diagnosis, prognosis and therapy is harder when the lymphoma is extra-medullary: in these cases Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) analysis is commonly applied, performed on interphase nuclei coming from sections of lymph node tissue. However, this method has some limitations: 1) it is based on the use of locus specific probes and it provides targeted information; 2) the outcome of FISH investigations is strongly conditioned by the correct processing of the biopsy sample and by the presence of a sufficient amount of neoplastic cells. The aim of this work is trying to optimize the tissue taken by lymph node biopsy in a patient with suspected extra-medullary lymphoma, producing cell cultures added with a specific combination of B-cell mitogen named DSP30 with Interleukin 2, the same used in the BM cultures. On this "enriched" and correctly processed sample, we performed a complete analysis of the karyotype that, in some cases, allowed to identify additional chromosomal alterations comparing to those highlighted by FISH analysis. Based on the obtained results, we believe that we have developed an ideal protocol to improve the cytogenetic analysis of lymphomas, including the different types of cell culture, the use of an appropriate mitogen and the analyses made by conventional and molecular cytogenetics. Our methodological approach, moreover, allows storing cells suspension, bioptical and histological samples, that can be used also later to perform molecular genetic investigations

A gauge-invariant symplectic potential for tetrad general relativity

We identify a symplectic potential for general relativity in tetrad and connection variables that is fully gauge-invariant, using the freedom to add surface terms. When torsion vanishes, it does not lead to surface charges associated with the internal Lorentz transformations, and reduces exactly to the symplectic potential given by the Einstein-Hilbert action. In particular, it reproduces the Komar form when the variation is a Lie derivative, and the geometric expression in terms of extrinsic curvature and 2d corner data for a general variation. The additional surface term vanishes at spatial infinity for asymptotically flat spacetimes, thus the usual Poincare charges are obtained. We prove that the first law of black hole mechanics follows from the Noether identity associated with the covariant Lie derivative, and that it is independent of the ambiguities in the symplectic potential provided one takes into account the presence of non-trivial Lorentz charges that these ambiguities can introduce.Comment: 19 pages. V2: some amendments to the text, typos corrected, updated references and more details in Section 5. Matches published versio

Combined impact of forest management and climate change on Boletus edulis productivity: may mycosilviculture mitigate the effects of climate extremes?

Climate change can affect forest ecosystems, especially through an increase of extreme events. In order to verify whether mycosilvicultural practices could mitigate the effects of climate change, productivity of Boletus edulis in Abies alba managed plantations was correlated to intense rainfall and temperature peaks during three years. Fungal productivity in each of the 21 days following an extreme climatic event was considered. Results showed that sudden increases in maximum temperature seemed to have an inhibitory effect on B. edulis productivity in sites with no or modest thinning. In sites with heavy thinning, productivity seemed to be favoured by high temperatures, starting from the twentieth day following the extreme event. Mycosilviculture may mitigate the climate change effects; however, further studies are needed to verify how climate-dominated effects can be altered by local factors and how ecological relationship between B. edulis and forest ecosystem will be affected

Caratterizzazione delle eterogeneità dello slip su una faglia mediante tecniche di face detection

Il problema della caratterizzazione delle eterogeneità dello scorrimento cosismico su una faglia in occasione di un terremoto è affrontato mediante l’applicazione di una tecnica di “machine learning” nota come “face detection”. In assenza di un metodo univoco per prevedere quale sarà la struttura spaziale dello slip in funzione della magnitudo, del meccanismo focale e della localizzazione geografica di un terremoto, questa tesi propone uno studio di fattibilità sull’utilizzo di algoritmi che normalmente sono utilizzati per il riconoscimento facciale, per lo studio delle suddette relazioni. Il database di riferimento è SRCMOD, una collezione di 180 modelli cosiddetti “a faglia finita”, consistenti in altrettante rappresentazioni matriciali della distribuzione di slip sulle faglie responsabili di terremoti avvenuti a livello mondiale fra il 1906 e il 2017. Il software OpenCV è utilizzato in tutti i principali passaggi in cui l’approccio di face detection si articola: definizione di diversi classificatori basati sull’aspect ratio delle asperità sul piano di faglia, loro “allenamento”, valutazione della performance dei classificatori sull’intero database SRCMOD, applicazione ad un sottoinsieme di modelli a singola asperità per la ricerca di eventuali correlazioni fra l’aspect ratio dell’asperità e la magnitudo, il meccanismo focale, la localizzazione geografica. Il principale risultato ottenuto conferma una conclusione già proposta in letteratura (Goda et al., 2016): non sembra esistere alcuna correlazione fra l’aspect ratio delle asperità e la magnitudo del terremoto, nemmeno se l’analisi è trattata separatamente per diversi meccanismi focali. E’ invece possibile che alcune regolarità esistano fra l’area geografica in cui un terremoto avviene e l’aspect ratio dell’asperità dominante: i dati a disposizione sono però troppo poco numerosi per trarre conclusioni certe

Life Cycle Assessment of an Industrial Laundry: a Case Study in the Italian Context

The high volumes of wastewater from industrial laundry with known toxicological concerns represent a relevant source of pollution for water bodies. Moreover, the unavailability of a detailed and specific Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) referring to the use of detergent within the laundry system could undermine the overall quality of the environmental assessment. This is related to the use of a substitutional product or proxy dataset for specific processes like the use of detergents. Laundry services are also known as highly energy consuming sites. This paper thus aims to make a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) and Assessment (LCA) for an industrial laundry to provide the environmental profile for an Italian case study. The primary data input to finalize the LCI came from data collected directly from an Italian industrial laundry, integrated with literature, data provided from supporting databases (i.e. Ecoinvent 3.8), and data specifically obtained from the technical datasheets of detergents. The industrial laundry system considers the product’s overall supply chain: extraction and manufacturing of raw materials, including the detergent, transportation and logistics, the industrial process associated with the laundry activity, wastewater treatment, recirculation packaging, and final disposal stages. The calculated environmental profiles refer to the functional unit of 1 kg of linen washed by a standard washing cycle. The system boundaries of this study include the production stages of the process. The analysed activities are the transportation for the delivery and collection of linen, the purchase of raw materials, and the sanitization and washing processes. SimaPro 9.2 software and the ReCiPe 2016 H method are used for the LCA study. The baseline scenario has been compared with an alternative scenario introducing renewable energy technology (i.e. solar PV panel). The result shows a total impact of 12.77 mPt. The most impacting activities are the washing phase (4.62 mPt), the ironing phase (4.29 mPt), and the drying phase (1.56 mPt). The greatest impact in the washing phase is caused by the use of detergents and washing products. It is observed that most of the impacts fall into the categories of ‘Global Warming, Human Health’, ‘Fine Particulate Formation’, ‘Carcinogenic Human Toxicity’, ‘Non- Carcinogenic Human Toxicity’, ‘Fossil Resource Scarcity’. The midpoint category with the highest impact is ‘Fine Particulate Formation’ with a value of 5.18 mPt. The alternative scenario introducing renewable energy technology (i.e. solar PV panel) reduces the impact by 19.7 %. Sensitivity analyses have been performed to evaluate the LCA model’s uncertainty, with specific reference to the washing agents, the transportation of raw materials, and the energy consumption

The Impact of a Permeation Grouting Technique Quantitatively Assessed through a Process-Focused Life Cycle Assessment

Permeation grouting technique can be considered nowadays a well-established ground improvement strategy in urban built environments, where an accurate fine-tuning of its component can lead to tailored and efficient interventions. But how environmentally impacting is it? Using life cycle assessment analyses (LCA) and focusing on the construction phase, this research highlights the leverages that can improve the environmental performance of this geotechnical construction process. The alternative approaches in terms of materials and processes are identified, quantified and compared using the standard output of the LCA analysis and represent the ideal input for the three-step sustainability assessment method for geotechnical infrastructure developed by the author

A Sustainability-based Approach for Geotechnical Infrastructure

Urban growth needs large cities, and the current emphasis on landscape preservation makes using underground spaces both an opportunity and a significant necessity. However, underground construction techniques significantly impact the sustainability of the built environment, including infrastructure systems and their entire supply chains. Nowadays, there is a shortage of quantitative methodologies to assess and measure the sustainability of underground building processes that effectively integrate the three pillars of sustainability (environmental, social, and economic). Thus, this study aims to solve the abovementioned issues by explaining how to incorporate sustainability goals into geotechnical projects to address measure-driven strategies and eco-design-based solutions appropriately. This study illustrates a novel methodology based on the Life Cycle Thinking approach, with a particular emphasis on geotechnical ground improvement techniques. Specifically, the suggested method incorporates the concept of the EU Taxonomy, following the EU Green Deal, with the Envision framework to guide decision-makers toward a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable infrastructure design. In addition, incorporating a cradleto-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) into the suggested methodological approach will improve the quantitative estimation of the performance of construction processes. The definition of the proposed method will provide the guidelines to systematically assess the sustainability of geotechnical infrastructures to allow further the selection of an optimal solution to reduce their impact from an environmental, social, and economic point of view

Clima laboral y satisfacción personal en docentes de la Institución Educativa "Rosa de América" Iquitos 2015

The objective of this research was: To determine the extent to which it correlates the Work Climate and Personal Satisfaction in Teachers of the Educational Institution "Rosa de América" - Iquitos 2015. The problems raised in the study are: To what extent does the Work Climate and Personal Satisfaction in Teachers of the Educational Institution "Rosa de America" in Iquitos correlate in 2015?. The study belonged to correlational research because it allowed to know the degree of correlation between the variables: Work Climate and Personal Satisfaction. The research design was that of the non-experimental research and the specific design was the correlational transectional one. the population consisted of 47 teachers and and the sample was represented by 100%of the population. The selection of the sample was intentionally non-probabilistic. The results show that the work environment correlates with personal satisfaction with a magnitude greater than 40%. It was concluded that the work environment correlates with a magnitude greater than 40% with personal satisfaction in teachers of the “Rosa de América” Educational Institution in Iquitos in 2015. We recommend to the directors of the “Rosa de América” Educational Institution in Iquitos, to raise their work environment so that the personnel working in said organization are 100% satisfied.El objetivo de esta investigación fue determinar la medida en que correlaciona el Clima Laboral y Satisfacción Personal en docentes de la Institución Educativa “Rosa de América” - Iquitos 2015. Los problemas planteados en el estudio son: ¿En qué medida correlaciona el Clima Laboral y Satisfacción personal en docentes de la Institución Educativa “Rosa de América” de Iquitos en el año 2015?. El estudio perteneció a la investigación de tipo correlacional, porque Permitió conocer el grado de correlación entre las variables: Clima Laboral y Satisfacción personal. - El diseño de investigación fue el de la Investigación no experimental y el diseño Específico fue el transeccional correlacional porque se recolecto datos en el mismo lugar y en el mismo momento. La población estuvo conformada por 47 docentes y la muestra lo representó el 100% de la población. Los resultados demuestran que el clima laboral correlaciona con la Satisfacción Personal con una magnitud mayor de 40% en los Docentes de la Institución “Rosa de América de Iquitos en el año 2015”. Se arribó a la conclusión de que el Clima Laboral correlaciona con una magnitud mayor que 40% con la satisfacción personal en docentes de la Institución Educativa “Rosa de América” de Iquitos en el año 2015.Recomendamos a los directivos de la Institución Educativa “Rosa de América” de Iquitos, elevar su clima laboral a fin de que el personal que labora en dicha organización se encuentre satisfechos al 100