Geomechanical Behaviour of Recycled Construction and Demolition Waste Submitted to Accelerated Wear

The construction industry is one of the most important sectors for economic and social development. However, it is responsible for more than 50% of the depletion of natural resources, for 40% of the energy consumption and construction and demolition waste (CDW) accounting for 30-60% of the total municipal solid waste generated worldwide. In this sense, the recycling of CDW is considered a safe alternative to the current trend, which can produce environmental and economic benefits, namely the reduction of the depletion of natural resources and the volume of waste sent to landfills. Some studies have shown promising results in the use of recycled CDW as geotechnical materials. However, the degradation performance induced by the construction procedures and weather conditions on the geotechnical behaviour of recycled CDW is still a research gap, creating an obstacle for its regular use in general engineering practice. This work evaluated the mechanical performance of recycled CDW over time when subjected to wetting-drying degradation cycles under different temperature and pH conditions. The effects of such degradation were then evaluated qualitatively (changes in particle size distribution and Proctor parameters) and quantitatively (stress-strain response and permeability). The results showed that 10 wetting-drying cycles and different compaction energies have no change in the particle size distribution of CDW compared to the original CDW. The shear strength parameters were very similar for the different degradation conditions except when different pH values were used, which may have weakened the grains and decrease the friction angle of the material. Regarding the permeability, all tested samples were classified in the same hydraulic conductivity range (very low) without significant changes induced by the degradation mechanisms

A low cost visual sensor for gesture recognition via AI CNNS

One of the possible ways that prosthetics can become smarter is with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): this area in computer science is growing massively as the number of useful applications that stem of AI are endless Here we propose an AI intelligent system that react and learn as humans combined with prosthetics: smart prosthetic can recognize (1) hand gesture and (2) daily life objects and react accordingly without the user having to interact with the device through biomedical signal

A live-online mindfulness-based intervention for children living with epilepsy and their families: protocol for a randomized controlled trial of Making Mindfulness Matter©.

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy extends far beyond seizures; up to 80% of children with epilepsy (CWE) may have comorbid cognitive or mental health problems, and up to 50% of parents of CWE are at risk for major depression. Past research has also shown that family environment has a greater influence on children\u27s and parents\u27 health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and mental health than epilepsy-related factors. There is a pressing need for low-cost, innovative interventions to improve HRQOL and mental health for CWE and their parents. The aim of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to evaluate whether an interactive online mindfulness-based intervention program, Making Mindfulness Matter (M3), can be feasibly implemented and whether it positively affects CWE\u27s and parents\u27 HRQOL and mental health (specifically, stress, behavioral, depressive, and anxiety symptoms). METHODS: This parallel RCT was planned to recruit 100 child-parent dyads to be randomized 1:1 to the 8-week intervention or waitlist control and followed over 20 weeks. The intervention, M3, will be delivered online and separately to parents and children (ages 4-10 years) in groups of 4-8 by non-clinician staff of a local community epilepsy agency. The intervention incorporates mindful awareness, social-emotional learning skills, and positive psychology. It is modeled after the validated school-based MindUP program and adapted for provision online and to include a parent component. DISCUSSION: This RCT will determine whether this online mindfulness-based intervention is feasible and effective for CWE and their parents. The proposed intervention may be an ideal vector to significantly improve HRQOL and mental health for CWE and their parents given its low cost and implementation by community epilepsy agencies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04020484 . Registered on July 16, 2019

New lanthanide metalloligands and their use for the assembly of Ln-Ag bimetallic coordination frameworks : stepwise modular synthesis, structural characterization, and optical properties

Stepwise self-assembly processes using new lanthanide metalloligands (Ln-MLs) and silver salts have been successfully applied to isolate 4f-4d heterometallic coordination networks of four different structural types. In particular, the new lanthanide tetrakis-chelate complexes NEt4[Ln(L1)4] [HL1 = 1,3-bis(4\u2032-cyanophenyl)-1,3-propanedione; Ln = Eu (1a), La (1b), Nd (1c), Tb (1d)] and NEt4[Ln(L2)4] (HL2 = 1,3-bis(4\u2032-pyridyl)-1,3-propanedione; Ln = Eu (1e), Nd (1f)] have been synthetized, characterized and reacted with different silver salts. The use of NEt4[Ln(L1)4] allowed then to isolate and characterize i) neutral one-dimensional ladder-like species of formula [Ln(L1)4Ag] [Ln = Eu (2a), La(2b), Nd(2c), Tb(2d)] and ii) their supramolecular isomers [Ln(L1)4Ag] [Ln = Eu (3a), La (3b), Nd (3c), Tb (3d)] showing a very unstable 2D network structure, iii) the cationic 2D species [Ln(L1)4Ag2]X [Ln = Eu, X = PF6\u203e, CF3SO3\u203e, ClO4\u203e (4a\u20134c); Ln = Tb, Nd, La X = PF6\u203e (4d\u20134f)] and, only for lanthanum, iv) a fourth 2D species of formula [La(L1)4(H2O)Ag] (5) and sql topology. Of the eight nitrile groups on the MLs potentially coordinating, only a partial number is used for networking with Ag(I), that is, only two in families 2 and 3, and four in family 4 and in network 5. Finally, the four structural types are rationalized in terms of a new \u201cpincer-like\u201d Secondary Building Unit (SBU) consisting of a silver cation coordinating two central carbon atoms (\uf067 carbon) of two different diketonate ligands on the same ML. Therefore, it is shown that compounds 5, 4 and 2\u20133 contain, respectively, none, one or two of such pincer-like SBUs. The luminescence properties of the Ln-MLs and some of their polymeric species have been also investigated in solution and in the solid state

The role of agency in the emergence and development of social innovations in rural areas. Analysis of two cases of social farming in Italy and the Netherlands

Social innovation is considered a relevant concept to tackle societal challenges and needs in rural areas and to promote smart, inclusive and sustainable growth. The characterising sector of rural areas is agriculture; therefore, the focus of this paper is on social innovation in the field of social farming. Among the many factors leading to the emergence and development of social innovation, agency has been considered relevant in the literature on transformability and transformative social innovation as it is the ability to turn contextual difficulties into opportunities for social innovation and for inclusive growth. This paper proposes an evaluation framework to assess the different dimensions of agency by triangulating quantitative with qualitative data and by using indicators. This paper adopts a case study approach, analysing two cases of social farming in Italy and the Netherlands. The results show that the social innovation idea and the resilience of the agency are among the most relevant dimensions for the emergence and development of social innovations. Finally, this paper discusses the three most relevant factors for agency to lead to social innovation: idea and embeddedness of the agency, transformability of the context through agencys resilience, and agency as catalyst for empowerment

Optical coherence tomography guidance for percutaneous coronary intervention with bioresorbable scaffolds

Background The effect of optical coherence tomography (OCT) guidance on the implantation strategy during all phases of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVSs) in a real-world scenario has been poorly investigated. Methods Consecutive patients undergoing BVS implantation at our institution were included in this registry. Frequency-domain OCT pullbacks were performed at the operator's discretion during all phases of BVS implantation procedures to optimize preparation of lesions, confirm BVS size, and optimize expansion and apposition of scaffolds. Results Between September 2012 and July 2015, 203 BVSs were implanted in 101 consecutive patients at our institution (2.01 BVSs/patient). In 66 patients, the procedure was performed under OCT guidance. In the OCT subgroup, 66 (77.6%) of the 85 treated lesions were complex (B2/C AHA/ACC type). Overall, 147 OCT pullbacks were performed and 72/147 (49.0%) pullbacks indicated the need for changing strategy. After angiography-only-guided optimisation of BVS in 27 (31.8%) lesions, an OCT examination prompted performance of a second post-expansion. This resulted in an increase in the minimal scaffold area (5.5 to 6.3\ua0mm2, p\ua0=\ua00.004) and a decrease in the incomplete scaffold apposition area (1.1 to 0.6\ua0mm2, p\ua0=\ua00.082), with no new stent fractures. When the population was divided according to the time of BVS implantation, an initial learning adaptation became evident, with the number of OCT-guided changes in strategy significantly decreasing between the initial and final time periods (p\ua0=\ua00.017). Conclusions OCT guidance for BVS implantation significantly affects the procedural strategy, with favourable effects on acute results and the learning curve