When the positivity of the h-vector implies the Cohen-Macaulay property

We study relations between the Cohen-Macaulay property and the positivity of $h$-vectors, showing that these two conditions are equivalent for those locally Cohen-Macaulay equidimensional closed projective subschemes $X$, which are close to a complete intersection $Y$ (of the same codimension) in terms of the difference between the degrees. More precisely, let $X\subset \mathbb P^n_K$ ($n\geq 4$) be contained in $Y$, either of codimension two with $deg(Y)-deg(X)\leq 5$ or of codimension $\geq 3$ with $deg(Y)-deg(X)\leq 3$. Over a field $K$ of characteristic 0, we prove that $X$ is arithmetically Cohen-Macaulay if and only if its $h$-vector is positive, improving results of a previous work. We show that this equivalence holds also for space curves $C$ with $deg(Y)-deg(C)\leq 5$ in every characteristic $ch(K)\neq 2$. Moreover, we find other classes of subschemes for which the positivity of the $h$-vector implies the Cohen-Macaulay property and provide several examples.Comment: Main changes with respect the previuos version are in the title, the abstract, the introduction and the bibliograph

Preliminary testing using Mokken scaling of an Italian translation of the Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia (EdFED-I) scale

© 2015 Elsevier Inc. Purpose: To study the psychometric properties of an Italian version of the Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia (EdFED-I) Scale. Background: The EdFED Scale is the only validated instrument that measures difficulty with feeding in older people with dementia. The original English version of the EdFED had three factors measuring: behavioral aspects of feeding difficulty (obstinacy/passivity); indicators of feeding difficulty; and nursing interventions. Methods: Participants affected by dementia and living in nursing homes (n = 210) were selected. Data collectors were trained to observe the residents' eating problems and their food intake. The data were analyzed using Mokken scaling and Pearson's correlation. Results: The Italian version of the EdFED Scale formed a Mokken scale which correlated in the expected direction with measures of residents' weight, Body Mass Index, time taken to eat, Mini Mental State Examination score and Barthel Index according to the unmet needs model of Cohen-Mansfield. Conclusions: The EdFED-I shows reasonable psychometric properties and can be used for the assessment of feeding difficulty in Italian samples of older people with dementia. However, further work with larger samples is required to test the utility of the whole range of items and the necessity of their inclusion in the EdFED-I

European Museums: Mapping an Ongoing Change

While the investigation and the consideration of the role of contemporary museums and heritage has nowadays become a relevant component of the European agenda and lively debate on the subject is gaining prominence, nurtured also by several research projects and academic studies, museums themselves are questioning their raison d’être and roles, and undergoing a process of deep transformation of their missions, strategies, practices, spaces and exhibitions. Building on on this consideration, this essay sketches a theoretical introductory framework for the reading of the book "European Museums in the 21st Century"

Lo sviluppo digitale: l'effetto della diffusione della banda larga nei comuni italiani e le determinanti degli investimenti NGN nelle province italiane

Il lavoro è dedicato allo studio dello sviluppo di un'economia digitale. Le opportunità offerte dallo sviluppo delle infrastrutture di comunicazione e dai servizi digitali contribuiscono alla coesione sociale e alla crescita economica del Paese. I primi due capitoli sono inerenti al fenomeno della diffusione della banda larga, il terzo ed il quarto capitolo riguardano gli investimenti nelle reti di nuova generazione

Stress relaxation in asymmetric bistable composites: Experiments and simulations

In the last years, bistable composite structures are finding interest in several aeronautical applications such as power harvesting devices or morphing applications on very small aircraft/drones, not needing servo-activated control systems. Residual stresses, developed upon cooling after curing, leads to warped the composite laminates. Several batches of unsymmetrical and unbalanced [0/90] laminates were cured in an autoclave according to a standard temperature cycle, following the pre-preg supplier suggested curing cycle. In order to increase the thermal stresses (and hence the bistability phenomenon), these laminates were removed from the autoclave immediately after the curing reaction and rapidly cooled down at room temperature not applying the indicated cool rate between 2 and 5 °C min-1. During storage at room temperature, thermal stresses changed over time, indicating that asymptotic stress relaxation occurs. The first part of this work looks at residual stress characterization of bistable composite plates measuring the changes of shape observed during room temperature annealing. Rectangular plates were produced and the bistable geometric shapes were accurately assessed using a laser scanner system over several days, in order to monitor the curvature changes due to stress relaxation. Then phenomenological viscoelastic predicting models were proposed for a quick estimate for the strain/stress relaxation phenomenon. The loss of bistability was demonstrated with the help of numerical simulation and experimental testing. The final goal was to gain a better knowledge of the relation between processing and final shape of bistable laminates, in order to make them suitable for application on small air vehicles

big data management

The twenty-first century is characterized by the digital revolution, and this revolution is disrupting the way business decisions are made in every industry, be it healthcare, life sciences, finance, insurance, education, entertainment, retail, etc. The Digital Revolution, also known as the Third Industrial Revolution, started in the 1980s and sparked the advancement and evolution of technology from analog electronic and mechanical devices to the shape of technology in the form of machine learning and artificial intelligence today. Today, people across the world interact and share information in various forms such as content, images, or videos through various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Also, the twenty-first century has witnessed the adoption of handheld devices and wearable devices at a rapid rate. The types of devices we use today, be it controllers or sensors that are used across various industrial applications or in the household or for personal usage, are generating data at an alarming rate. The huge amounts of data generated today are often termed big data. We have ushered in an age of big data-driven analytics where big data does not only drive decision-making for firms but also impacts the way we use services in our daily lives. A few statistics below help provide a perspective on how much data pervades our lives today

Methods to Evaluate Lighting Quality in Educational Environments

Abstract The current standard for lighting of indoor work places (EN 12464-1) essentially prescribes values of photometric quantities (illuminance, Unified Glare Index, etc.); therefore it does not allow a comprehensive analysis of the luminous environment. In Italy, educational buildings do not always comply with the standard requirements for lighting. Therefore an analysis of their current state is needed and this paper illustrates two methods, developed by the authors, to carry out this investigation: the former is based on the analysis of luminance maps obtained through the HDR imaging technique whereas the latter focuses on the evaluation of non-visual effects of light

Determination of pesticides in the respirable fraction of airborne particulate matter by high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Potential harmful effects of pesticides include risks to human health of workers involved in the wet spray application in cultivated areas. Inhalation exposure depends on several factors including pesticide concentrations in the respirable fraction of airborne particulate matter (PM4). To ensure a high level of protection, the use of tractors with cabins provides protection against dust, aerosols, and vapors. Since tractors not providing maximum protection are still in use, PM4 was sampled during spreading operations in agricultural fields inside and outside tractor cabins. Sample preparation technique based on accelerated solvent extraction and solid-phase extraction cleanup was optimized before analysis of nine pesticides in PM4. Meptyldinocap, deltamethrin, myclobutanil, fluopyram, methoxyfenozide, dimethomorph, fluopicolide, cyflufenamid, and metrafenone were simultaneously determined by high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–ESI–MS–MS). The results demonstrated the efficacy of the tractor cabs used in the sampling sites. © 2017 Taylor & Francis

Re-discovery of the top quark at the LHC and first measurements

This paper describes the top quark physics measurements that can be performed with the first LHC data in the ATLAS and CMS experiments.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures. Talk given at `V Workshop Italiano sulla Fisica pp a LHC', Perugia, Italy, 30 January - 2 February 200