Chapter The struggle for (self-)integration. Manuscripts, liturgy and networks in Verona at the time of Bishop Ratold (c. 802-840/3)

Between the 780s and the 840s the episcopal see of Verona was held by bishops coming from beyond the Alps, appointed by the Carolingian rulers and charged with control over a prestigious and strategically key bishopric. They were called upon to boost the communications between the local elites and the political and social machinery of the Carolingian world. In order to achieve that, they first had to negotiate their own integration in their new field of action, and to be acknowledged as effective political mediators between Verona and the rulers. The tools they used to do that were, on the one hand, their own skills and previous experience, on the other, the centre for textual production, preservation and dissemination they found in Verona, that is, the cathedral scriptorium and library. The books that can be attributed to them allow us to keep trace of the networks of relationships and cultural exchanges they developed, linking the two sides of the Alps. This paper focuses more specifically on the activities and endeavours of Bishop Ratold (c. 802-840). The liturgical and hagiographical manuscripts produced in Verona in that period are examined as key markers of Ratold’s intellectual networks, and of the ways in which he used them for his own need for self-integration. They also provide elements casting light on the introduction and reception of the Carolingian cultural reforms in the Kingdom of Italy

Chapter Episcopal authority and networks in Carolingian times: recent approaches and perspectives

This paper introduces the volume, aiming first of all at presenting the historiographical framework in which the collected essays are placed and the common questions around which they revolve, with particular regard to typologies, characteristics, extension of the social and cultural networks that the Italian bishops built around themselves, and to their effects on the integration of the regnum in the Carolingian political structures

Autonomic dysfunction in Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A paraneoplastic syndrome?

We wanted to determine whether autonomic dysfunction in patients with lymphoma is related to chemotherapy or represent a paraneoplastic syndrome. 40 patients with current or cured Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 40 healthy controls, matched for age, gender, hypertension and diabetes mellitus underwent autonomic evaluation (Deep Breath, Valsalva Maneuver, Hand Grip, Lying to Standing, Tilt Test). Current patients also suffering from diabetes or hypertension, or still on chemotherapy revealed autonomic changes, while cured or healthy subjects did not. Autonomic dysfunction in lymphoma is a transient manifestation of a paraneoplastic syndrome

A Procedure for Characterizing the Range of Input Uncertainty Parameters by the Use of FFTBM

In the last years various methodologies were proposed to evaluate the uncertainty of Best Estimate (BE) code predictions. The most used method at the industrial level is based upon the selection of input uncertain parameters, on assigning related ranges of variations and Probability Distribution Functions (PDFs) and on performing a suitable number of code runs to get the combined effect of the variations on the results. A procedure to characterize the variation ranges of the input uncertain parameters is proposed in the paper in place of the usual approach based (mostly) on engineering judgment. The procedure is based on the use of the Fast Fourier Transform Based Method (FFTBM), already part of the Uncertainty Method based on the Accuracy Extrapolation (UMAE) method and extensively used in several international frameworks. The FFTBM has been originally developed to answer questions like “How long improvements should be added to the system thermal-hydraulic code model? How much simplifications can be introduced and how to conduct an objective comparison?”. The method, easy to understand, convenient to use and user independent, clearly indicates when simulation needs to be improved. The procedure developed for characterizing the range of input uncertainty parameters involves the following main aspects: a) One single input parameter shall not be ‘responsible’ for the entire error |exp-calc|, unless exceptional situations to be evaluated case by case; b) Initial guess for Max and Min for variation ranges to be based on the usual (adopted) expertise; c) More than one experiment can be used per each NPP and each scenario. Highly influential parameters are expected to be the same. The bounding ranges should be considered for the NPP uncertainty analysis; d) A data base of suitable uncertainty input parameters can be created per each NPP and each transient scenario

Coronavirus Diseases (COVID-19) Current Status and Future Perspectives: A Narrative Review

At the end of 2019 a novel virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing severe acute respiratory syndrome expanded globally from Wuhan, China. In March 2020 the World Health Organization declared the SARS-Cov-2 virus a global pandemic. We performed a narrative review to describe existing literature with regard to Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, management and future perspective. MEDLINE, EMBASE and Scopus databases were searched for relevant articles. Although only when the pandemic ends it will be possible to assess the full health, social and economic impact of this global disaster, this review represents a picture of the current state of the art. In particular, we focus on public health impact, pathophysiology and clinical manifestations, diagnosis, case management, emergency response and preparedness

Effect of Calcifediol on Physical Performance and Muscle Strength Parameters: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

There is general agreement that optimal vitamin D status is necessary for bones, muscles, and general health, particularly in older adults, who are at higher risk of negative consequences of vitamin D deficiency, including sarcopenia; vitamin D supplementation is proposed as a potential intervention to mitigate sarcopenia. Several RCTs have reported that calcifediol (25(OH)D) was more potent than cholecalciferol in increasing plasma 25(OH)D. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the effects of calcifediol on physical performance and muscle strength. We searched databases from inception to 1 January 2022 for studies investigating calcifediol on physical performance or muscle strength parameters. We calculated the difference between the means of follow-up vs. baseline data using standardized mean differences (SMD) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs); a random-effect model was considered for all of the analyses. Seven RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. Calcifediol significantly improved gait speed (SMD = 2.500; 95%CI = 1.768-3.223; p < 0.0001); handgrip strength (n = 5446 participants, SMD = 0.532; 95%CI: 0.305-0.758; p < 0.0001; I-2 = 20.2%); and leg extension (n = 4318 participants, SMD = 0.641; 95%CI: 0.346 to 0.935; p < 0.0001; I-2 = 18.8%;) vs. baseline values. In conclusion, in this systematic review and meta-analysis, we observed that calcifediol may have a positive effect on muscle strength parameters, with less evidence on physical performance. These data further indicate the importance of vitamin D and, in particular, of calcifediol, not only on bone metabolism but also on muscle parameters and sarcopenia

Recent Applications of RELAP5-3D at GRNSPG

CNA2 : FSAR activities Standard Consolidated Reference Experimental Database MASLWR benchmark OECD benchmarks CHF calculation in low mass flux condition Turbulence effects in Relap5-3