Defining frequency domain performance of analog-to-information converters

Peer Reviewe

Nutritional and Functional Advantages of the Use of Fermented Black Chickpea Flour for Semolina-Pasta Fortification

Pasta represents a dominant portion of the diet worldwide and its functionalization with high nutritional value ingredients, such as legumes, is the most ideal solution to shape consumers behavior towards healthier food choices. Aiming at improving the nutritional quality of semolina pasta, semi-liquid dough of a Mediterranean black chickpea flour, fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum T0A10, was used at a substitution level of 15% to manufacture fortified pasta. Fermentation with the selected starter enabled the release of 20% of bound phenolic compounds, and the conversion of free compounds into more active forms (dihydrocaffeic and phloretic acid) in the dough. Fermented dough also had higher resistant starch (up to 60% compared to the control) and total free amino acids (almost 3 g/kg) contents, whereas antinutritional factors (raffinose, condensed tannins, trypsin inhibitors and saponins) significantly decreased. The impact of black chickpea addition on pasta nutritional, technological and sensory features, was also assessed. Compared to traditional (semolina) pasta, fortified pasta had lower starch hydrolysis rate (ca. 18%) and higher in vitro protein digestibility (up to 38%). Moreover, fortified cooked pasta, showing scavenging activity against DPPH and ABTS radicals and intense inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation, was appreciated for its peculiar organoleptic profile. Therefore, fermentation technology appears to be a promising tool to enhance the quality of pasta and promote the use of local chickpea cultivars while preventing their genetic erosion.Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) RYC-2015-1879

Reducing parasitic resonances in particle accelerators components by broadband Higher Order Mode couplers

In particle accelerator components, parasitic resonances must be reduced because they heat up the equipment and cause beam instabilities. In this paper, a method for designing and characterizing Higher Order Mode (HOM) couplers for reducing such resonances in a broad bandwidth is proposed. A case study is considered for a specific component, called QuattroTank, showing geometrical discontinuities and thus causing significant electro-magnetic resonances. Results of numerical simulation and experimental emulation prove the capability of the proposed method to reduce the peaks and the $Q-factor of the resonances

The Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Services of Biodiversity Components in Protected Areas: A Review for a Framework of Analysis for the Gargano National Park

Protected areas play an important role in the conservation and protection of biodiversity of particular territories, especially of ecosystems that provide resources for living organisms, including human beings. Different studies highlight the importance of biodiversity and its associated benefits in terms of ecosystem services of protected areas. The economic assessment of ecosystem services and biodiversity becomes a viable solution to help the policy maker to make decisions on the environmental preservation of these areas according to the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. Nonetheless, very few studies provide an economic evaluation of the benefits of protected areas. To advance the current debate on the economic evaluation of the benefits provided by protected areas, the present paper purposes an integrated approach. It presents an overview of main ecosystem services’ mapping techniques currently available to researchers and policy makers and offers a systematic review carried out for the period 2015–2020 at an international level. The main findings are particularly attractive for the Gargano National Park (GNP) in the south of Italy, which is recognised as being a biodiversity hot spot at global level. The current study provides useful guidance for the assessment of trade-offs, the support to policy makers, and the provision of efficient allocation of public resources for protected area

Childhood vaccinations: A pilot study on knowledge, attitudes and vaccine hesitancy in pregnant women

Background. The objective of this pilot study was to test a questionnaire aimed at assessing knowledge of and attitudes towards vaccination, as well as intention to vaccinate, among pregnant women. Methods. The questionnaire was self-administered by 49 pregnant women attending antenatal classes at three Family Centers in Rome. Results. Poor knowledge of vaccinations, inadequate attention from healthcare professionals, recurrent consultation of unreliable sources of information, and misconceptions about the side effects of vaccines, all contribute to vaccine hesitancy. Where appropriate, questionnaire sections were shown to be internally consistent. Conclusion. The questionnaire proved reliable and is suitable for further studies

Grotta della Rondinella a Polignano a Mare: un progetto di ricerca della Federazione Speleologica Pugliese

Grotta della Rondinella (PU 71) è una tra le cavità più note e suggestive della fascia costiera di Polignano a Mare, in provincia di Bari. Essa presenta un doppio ingresso: da terra, attraverso uno sprofondamento (sinkhole) e da mare con un ampio portale che conduce a una bella spiaggia in ciottoli. Sebbene inserita in un contesto certamente ad alta vocazione turistica, la cavità, al pari delle molte altre distribuite lungo la costa, non è mai stata adeguatamente tutelata, per cui è di frequente oggetto di degrado, specialmente durante la affollata stagione estiva. Grazie ad un finanziamento privato, è stato avviato un progetto di ricerca multi-disciplinare della Federazione Speleologica Pugliese, comprendente un nuovo rilievo della cavità, indagini a carattere geologico-strutturale e di geomorfologia ipogea, analisi petrografiche e mineralogiche, indagini geofisiche indirizzate alla verifica di eventuali prosecuzioni degli ambienti ipogei. Inoltre, è stato messo in opera il monitoraggio micro-climatico della cavità, e sono stati condotti studi di carattere biospeleologico, con particolare riguardo ai chirotteri, presenti con una piccola colonia nella grotta. L’insieme dei dati così raccolti costituisce indubbiamente un’importante banca dati su un singolo ambiente ipogeo, raramente disponibile in Puglia.Rondinella Cave (PU 71 in the Cadastre of Caves of Apulia region, managed by the Apulian Speleological Federation) is one of the most well known coastal karst caves at Polignano a Mare, along the Adriatic coast in the Bari province. The cave has a double entrance: a wide access allows to enter by the sea, leading to a nice pebble shore, whilst inland a collapse sinkhole represents the main access, produced by fall of the rock diaphragm above the cave. Even though the cave is in a coastal sector heavily frequented by tourists, it was never adequately safeguarded, and, as many other coastal caves in the area, commonly experiences negative effects due to anthropogenic disturbance. Thanks to private funds, a research project was recently started by the Apulian Speleological Federation: it included, but was not limited to, the cave survey with modern speleological techniques; geological, structural and geomorphological analyses; petrographic and mineralogical researches; geophysical surveys addressed to identification of likely further cavities in the areas surrounding the cave. In addition, a micro-climatic monitoring system has been established, and the colony of bats hosted in the cave has been monitored and studied. The amount of data so collected represent without any doubt one of the widest database nowadays available about a karst cave in Apulia

Frequency-domain characterization of random demodulation analog-to-information converters

The paper aims at proposing test methods for Analog-to-Information Converters (AICs).In particular, the objective of this work is to verify if figures of merit and test methods, currently defined in standards for traditional Analog-to-Digital Converters, can be applied to AICs based on the random demodulation architecture.For this purpose, an AIC prototype has been designed, starting from commercially available integrated circuits. A simulation analysis and an experimental investigation have been carried out to study the additional influencing factors such as the parameters of the reconstruction algorithm. Results show that standard figures of merit are in general capable of describing the performance of AICs, provided that they are slightly modified according to the proposals reported in the paper. In addition, test methods have to be modified in order to take into account the statistical behavior of AICs.</p

COVID-19 Pandemic and Head and Neck Surgery Residency Program: Proposals for the "Phase 2"

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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Otolaryngology Residency: A Real-Life Experience

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic as been rapidly spreading worldwide. In our country, the entire Italian Healthcare System has been forced to adapt to this unprecedented condition in this century. The Head and Neck Department clinical and surgical activity was substantially reduced. In this situation, the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) residents in University Hospitals find themselves in an uncertain position; we are physicians, facing a deadly disease about which much remains unknown, but we are also trainees, and there is a high risk for our residency training to be affected. With this Letter, we would like to give a testimony of our experience and give some advices to bridge the training gap

The effect of calving season on milk production in water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

The influence of calving season on milk production and composition was studied in 16 adult (3rd lactation) water buffaloes from a single form in southern Italy over a 3 yr period. The data were separated into two groups according to calving season: group A of animals that calved from winter to spring and group B of those that calved throughout summer and autumn. Daily milk production and lactation length over the whole period (1997-2000) were higher (P&lt;0.01) in group B than in A (9.11 vs. 8.55 kg and 275 vs. 258 d), but milk fat content was higher (P&lt;0.05) in A than B (8.88 vs. 8.41%). No differences between groups were observed in milk protein content (4.7%). It was concluded that the calving season had little effect on the net income from this herd (In English)