RETRACTION of the paper: About some issues concerning shape memory alloys application s in neuro-rehabilitation, METABK 59(1) (2020), 137-140.

RETRACTION NOTICE for the paper: About some issues concerning shape memory alloys application s in neuro-rehabilitation, METABK 59(1) (2020), 137-140

Reciprocity in group-living animals: partner control versus partner choice.

Reciprocity is probably the most debated of the evolutionary explanations for cooperation. Part of the confusion surrounding this debate stems from a failure to note that two different processes can result in reciprocity: partner control and partner choice. We suggest that the common observation that group-living animals direct their cooperative behaviours preferentially to those individuals from which they receive most cooperation is to be interpreted as the result of the sum of the two separate processes of partner control and partner choice. We review evidence that partner choice is the prevalent process in primates and propose explanations for this pattern. We make predictions that highlight the need for studies that separate the effects of partner control and partner choice in a broader variety of group-living taxa

Grooming coercion and the post-conflict trading of social services in wild Barbary macaques

In animal and human societies, social services such as protection from predators are often exchanged between group members. The tactics that individuals display to obtain a service depend on its value and on differences between individuals in their capacity to aggressively obtain it. Here we analysed the exchange of valuable social services (i.e. grooming and relationship repair) in the aftermath of a conflict, in wild Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus). The relationship repair function of post-conflict affiliation (i.e. reconciliation) was apparent in the victim but not in the aggressor. Conversely, we found evidence for grooming coercion by the aggressor; when the victim failed to give grooming soon after a conflict they received renewed aggression from the aggressor. We argue that post-conflict affiliation between former opponents can be better described as a trading of social services rather than coercion alone, as both animals obtain some benefits (i.e. grooming for the aggressor and relationship repair for the victim). Our study is the first to test the importance of social coercion in the aftermath of a conflict. Differences in competitive abilities can affect the exchange of services and the occurrence of social coercion in animal societies. This may also help explain the variance between populations and species in their social behaviour and conflict management strategies

RETRACTED: About some issues concerning shape memory alloys applications in neuro-rehabilitation

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are a very promising class of metallic materials showing promising nonlinear properties, such as pseudo-elasticity behavior, shape memory effect and damping capacity, due to high mechanical hysteresis and internal friction. SMA have been recently applied in the field of neuromuscular rehabilitation, designing some new devices based on the above properties. The paper discusses possible uses of these materials in the treatment of movement disorders, such as dystonia or hyperkinesia, where their dynamic characteristics can be the key issue

Grooming Up the Hierarchy: The Exchange of Grooming and Rank-Related Benefits in a New World Primate

Seyfarth's model assumes that female primates derive rank-related benefits from higher-ranking females in exchange for grooming. As a consequence, the model predicts females prefer high-ranking females as grooming partners and compete for the opportunity to groom them. Therefore, allogrooming is expected to be directed up the dominance hierarchy and to occur more often between females with adjacent ranks. Although data from Old World primates generally support the model, studies on the relation between grooming and dominance rank in the New World genus Cebus have found conflicting results, showing considerable variability across groups and species. In this study, we investigated the pattern of grooming in wild tufted capuchin females (Cebus apella nigritus) in Iguazú National Park, Argentina by testing both the assumption (i.e., that females gain rank-related return benefits from grooming) and predictions (i.e., that females direct grooming up the dominance hierarchy and the majority of grooming occurs between females with adjacent ranks) of Seyfarth's model. Study subjects were 9 adult females belonging to a single group. Results showed that grooming was given in return for tolerance during naturally occurring feeding, a benefit that higher-ranking females can more easily grant. Female grooming was directed up the hierarchy and was given more often to partners with similar rank. These findings provide supporting evidence for both the assumption and predictions of Seyfarth's model and represent, more generally, the first evidence of reciprocal behavioural interchanges driven by rank-related benefits in New World female primates

Exploring the components, asymmetry and distribution of relationship quality in wild Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus)

Social relationships between group members are a key feature of many animal societies. The quality of social relationships has been described by three main components: value, compatibility and security, based on the benefits, tenure and stability of social exchanges. We aimed to analyse whether this three component structure could be used to describe the quality of social relationships in wild Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus). Moreover, we examined whether relationship quality was affected by the sex, age and rank differences between social partners, and investigated the asymmetric nature of social relationships. We collected over 1,900 hours of focal data on seven behavioural variables measuring relationship quality, and used principal component analysis to investigate how these variables clustered together. We found that relationship quality in wild Barbary macaques can be described by a three component structure that represents the value, compatibility and security of a relationship. Female-female dyads had more valuable relationships and same-age dyads more compatible relationships than any other dyad. Rank difference had no effect on the quality of a social relationship. Finally, we found a high degree of asymmetry in how members of a dyad exchange social behaviour. We argue that the asymmetry of social relationships should be taken into account when exploring the pattern and function of social behaviour in animal societies

Clinical evolution and quality of life in clinically based copd chronic bronchitic and emphysematous phenotypes: Results from the 1-year follow-up of the storico italian observational study

Introduction: Understanding clinical evolution of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is crucial for improving disease management. Materials and Methods: STORICO (NCT03105999), an Italian, multicenter, non-inter-ventional, observational study conducted in 40 pulmonology centers, aimed to describe the 1-year clinical evolution and health status of clinicallbased phenotypes. Baseline and follow-up data of COPD subjects with a chronic bronchitis (CB) or emphysema (EM) phenotype were collected. The frequency of COPD symptoms during the 24 hours (gathered via the night-time, morning and day-time symptoms of COPD questionnaire) and the anxiety and depression levels (via the HADS Scale) were recorded at each visit. Results: A total of 261 CB and 159 EM patients were analyzed. CB patients with ≥1 night-time symptom seemed to be more frequent (51.7%, 41.8% and 41.4% at baseline, 6-month and 12-month follow-up, respectively) than EM (37.7%, 32.1% and 30.2% at study visits) even if no statistical differences were observed at time points between phenotypes (chi-square test p-values presence/absence of night-time symptoms in CB vs EM at study visits >0.0007). In the first 6 months, the frequency of patients with ≥1 night-time symptom decreased of 9.9% in CB and of 5.6% in EM. A clinically relevant decline of DLCO % predicted over 1 year in EM was observed, the mean (SD) being 61.5 (20.8) % at baseline and 59.1 (17.4) % at 12-month follow-up. EM had higher levels of anxiety and depression than CB (median (25th-75th percentile) HADS total score in CB: 7.0 (4.0–13.0) and 7.0 (3.0–12.0), in EM: 9.0 (3.0–14.0) and 9.5 (3.0–14.0) both at baseline and at 6-month follow-up, respectively), considering 1.17 as minimally clinical important difference (MCID) for the total score. Conclusion: EM patients, evaluated in a real-world setting, seem to suffer from a worse clinical condition and health status compared to CB patients, appearing to have “more treatable” traits

Colouring titanium alloys by anodic oxidation

The present study is focused on analyzing the change of colors of anodized titanium and effects of applied electrolytic voltages on chromatics. The titanium specimens were anodize in 20 g/L citric acid and 20 g/L baking soda electrolyte by use of different voltages. The colors of anodize titanium were measured with a spectrophotometer and then evaluated in the CIELAB color space. It is found that different volt produces different colors. Anodizing in the range of 15 V to 150 V produces respectively a wide spectrum of color ranging from brown to fuchsia. It can be concluded that the colors of the anodize titanium are dependent upon the applied voltages

Disegno metallurgico di una microstruttura alto resistenziale ad alta tenacità e deformabilità migliorata

A causa della domanda crescente di gas, si sta rendendo necessaria la costruzione di lunghi gasdotti cheattraversino regioni sismicamente attive e/o regioni artiche in cui movimenti del terreno causati dalla presenzadi “permafrost” possano sottoporre a deformazione il gasdotto stesso. Perché tali gasdotti possano lavorare insicurezza, è necessario l’utilizzo di tubi che soddisfino requisiti di “strain-based design”. Ciò implica la richiestadi un basso rapporto Y/T in direzione longitudinale del tubo, di una curva sforzo-deformazione continua, diun alto grado resistenziale in direzione trasversale. Inoltre, una adeguata tenacità è richiesta, anche a bassetemperature. Per raggiungere tali obiettivi è necessario un opportuno disegno metallurgico della microstrutturadella lamiera di partenza, attraverso la comprensione dei meccanismi microstrutturali che regolano leproprietà meccaniche, e che guidino di conseguenza la definizione della composizione chimica e dei parametridi processo da adottare. Il lavoro qui presentato riporta i risultati conseguiti in tal senso nell’ambito di unprogetto di cooperazione tra Baosteel e CSM

Self-Protective Function of Post-Conflict Bystander Affiliation in Mandrills

Background: Affiliative interactions exchanged between victims of aggression and individuals not involved in the original aggression (bystanders) have been observed in various species. Three hypothetical functions have been proposed for these interactions: consolation, self-protection and substitute reconciliation, but data to test them are scanty. Methodology/Principal Findings: We conducted post-conflict and matched control observations on a captive group of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx). We found that victims often redirected aggression to bystanders, that they received most affiliation from those bystanders that were frequently the target of redirection, and that bystander affiliation reduced the likelihood of redirection. Bystander affiliation did not reduce the victim\u27s distress (as measured by its scratching rates) and was not received primarily from kin/friends. Finally, bystander affiliation did not reduce the likelihood of renewed aggression from the original aggressor. Conclusions/Significance: These results provide support for the self-protection hypothesis but not for the consolation and substitute reconciliation hypotheses