Information Spreading in Stationary Markovian Evolving Graphs

Markovian evolving graphs are dynamic-graph models where the links among a fixed set of nodes change during time according to an arbitrary Markovian rule. They are extremely general and they can well describe important dynamic-network scenarios. We study the speed of information spreading in the "stationary phase" by analyzing the completion time of the "flooding mechanism". We prove a general theorem that establishes an upper bound on flooding time in any stationary Markovian evolving graph in terms of its node-expansion properties. We apply our theorem in two natural and relevant cases of such dynamic graphs. "Geometric Markovian evolving graphs" where the Markovian behaviour is yielded by "n" mobile radio stations, with fixed transmission radius, that perform independent random walks over a square region of the plane. "Edge-Markovian evolving graphs" where the probability of existence of any edge at time "t" depends on the existence (or not) of the same edge at time "t-1". In both cases, the obtained upper bounds hold "with high probability" and they are nearly tight. In fact, they turn out to be tight for a large range of the values of the input parameters. As for geometric Markovian evolving graphs, our result represents the first analytical upper bound for flooding time on a class of concrete mobile networks.Comment: 16 page

Making simple proofs simpler

An open partition \pi{} [Cod09a, Cod09b] of a tree T is a partition of the vertices of T with the property that, for each block B of \pi, the upset of B is a union of blocks of \pi. This paper deals with the number, NP(n), of open partitions of the tree, V_n, made of two chains with n points each, that share the root

Third order open mapping theorems and applications to the end-point map

This paper is devoted to a third order study of the end-point map in sub-Riemannian geometry. We first prove third order open mapping results for maps from a Banach space into a finite dimensional manifold. In a second step, we compute the third order term in the Taylor expansion of the end-point map and we specialize the abstract theory to the study of length-minimality of sub-Riemannian strictly singular curves. We conclude with the third order analysis of a specific strictly singular extremal that is not length-minimizing

Treatment with lipid therapy to resuscitate a patient suffering from toxicity due to local anesthetics

Recently, although without a universal recognition, the use of lipid emulsions as a rescue therapy for the bupivacaine cardiac toxicity has been proposed. In this article we report a successful resuscitation of a patient after the injection of bupivacaine in emergency room and a commented review of the related literature. The patient is a 73 years old man that, after a subcutaneous injection of bupivacaine (0.5%, i.e. 0.5 mL/h), developed circulatory arrest. After the failure of the initial treatment based on the advanced life support protocol, we have successfully performed a therapy with lipid emulsion. The bupivacaine intravascular injection, together with its interaction with amitriptyline and carbamazepine, could lead to cardiac depression, severe arrhythmias, hypotension, and/or cardiac arrest. In the case of failure of traditional life support treatment, intravenous lipid emulsion proves to be the best therapy to treat bupivacaine systemic toxicity

Projecting Changes in Tanzania Rainfall for the 21st century: Scenarios, Downscaling & Analysis

A Non-Homogeneous hidden Markov Model (NHMM) is developed using a 40-years record (1950-1990) of daily rainfall at eleven stations in Tanzania and re-analysis atmospheric fields of Temperature (T) at 1000 hPa, Geo Potential Height (GPH) at 1000 hPa, Meridional Winds (MW) and Zonal Winds (ZW) at 850 hPa, and Zonal Winds at the Equator(ZWE) from 10 to 1000 hPa. The NHMM is then used to predict future rainfall patterns under a global warming scenario (RCP8.5), using predictors from the CMCC-CMS simulations from 1950-2100. The model directly considers seasonality through changes in the driving variables thus addressing the question of how future changes in seasonality of precipitation can be modeled. The future downscaled simulations from NHMM, with predictors derived from the simulations of the CMCC-CMS CGM, in the worst conditions of global warming as simulated by RCP8.5 scenario, indicate that, Tanzania may be subjected to to a reduction of total annual rainfall; this reduction is concentrated in the wet seasons, OND, mainly as a consequence of decreasing of seasonal number of wet days. . Frequency and Intensity of extreme events don’t show any evident trend during the 21 century

A strange case of Evans syndrome

Evans syndrome is a rare autoimmune disease presenting hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia and/or neutropenia. It may be associated with other autoimmune or lymphoproliferative diseases. It can have an extremely serious disease course and, in rare cases, this can even be life-threatening. First-line treatment consists of steroids and/or immunoglobulin. Further therapy with rituximab, vincristine, cyclophosphamide and other immunosuppressive drugs can be considered in unresponsive patients. We report a case of Evans syndrome in a 54-year old woman admitted to the Emergency Department (ED) for asthenia. Etiopathogenic, clinical, therapeutic and evolutive aspects are discussed. In contrast to many cases described in the literature, our patient had a satisfactory response to corticoids. We also discuss how to make a specific diagnosis, even in a suburban ED with limited resources, in order to admit patients to the appropriate hospital department and allow the correct therapy to be started as early as possible

The down-regulation of pank2 gene in zebrafish as a model of Pantothenate Kinase Associated Neurodegeneration.

open9siThe increased iron deposition is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, but its pathogenic role is still unclear. A strong link between iron and neurodegeneration is evident in a set of heterogeneous neurological disorders, known as Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA). The most common form of inherited NBIA is associated with mutations in hPank2 gene (PKAN). Pank2 is the rate limiting enzyme in CoA biosynthesis and its downregulation in mammalian cells leads to perturbation of cellular iron homeostasis. Here we explore Pank2 biological function in Danio rerio, and propose this system as an important new tool for the study of PKAN disease.openZizioli, Daniela; Tiso, Natascia; Busolin, Giorgia; Khatri, Deepak; Giuliani, Roberta; Borsani, Giuseppe; Monti, Eugenio; Argenton, Francesco; Finazzi, DarioZizioli, Daniela; Tiso, Natascia; Busolin, Giorgia; Khatri, Deepak; Giuliani, Roberta; Borsani, Giuseppe; Monti, Eugenio; Argenton, Francesco; Finazzi, Dari

Microstructural evolution of René N4 during high temperature creep and aging

The main scope of this work is to describe the microstructure evolution of single-crystal (SX) superalloy René N4 during creep and static aging at high temperatures, in function of time, stress and temperature. During creep at high temperatures, SX microstructure evolves from a dense and ordered distribution of cuboidal γ′ particles to a configuration characterized by alternate rafts of γ′ phase and γ matrix, through a process known as rafting. The microstructural evolution of superalloys is very important to derive models able to predict service conditions of a component through microstructural analysis. In this work two microstructural parameters were identified and analyzed for René N4: matrix channels width w along the [001] lattice direction and periodicity width λ, given by the sum of w and the width of the γ′ precipitates along [001]. Both parameters were measured on some creep-damaged and some statically aged specimens, as well as on the virgin material to analyze their trends in function of time, temperature and stress. In particular, the parameter Δλ looks independent of both the stress level and the microstructural morphology and could be used in future works to develop microstructural evolution model of René N4 in function of service time and temperature. Keywords: Single-crystal, Superalloy, Microstructure, René N

Phrasal-Quest: Designing a Game-Based Storytelling Approach to Teach English Verbal Multi-Word Expressions.

This paper presents the experiences from both students and coaches of a project between Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (Porvoo Campus, Finland) and NHL StendenUniversity of Applied Sciences (Emmen Campus, Finland) and 50 students from the universities and 20 companies. Year one, saw the project focused on implementing pedagogical approaches of Haaga-Helia and NHL Stenden (inquiry learning and problem-based learning) and on developing the meta-competences in the students, including ability to work in teams, leadership, project management, intercultural competences, peer teaching etc. However, during this edition, it was felt these competences were not sufficient, the 21st Century Skills were not fully represented.The project created an international business environment where the majority of communication was virtual. The focus was on empowering students to design and lead project tasks and to be responsible for their project outcomes in the form of a reflective learning diary. Two project managers were chosen democraticall by the students, after a pitch to fellow students to lead the project. To give a setting for the students to work on transversal skills, students met at Porvoo campus to finalise and present their project. Once the project got underway the students also became aware of the challenges of online communication: miscommunication, lack of courtesy in some cases or even no-shows leading to holdups in the research process. However, the project also showed that online communication can be efficient in international business once the different parties commit to following a mutual agenda. With the introduction of digital tools, the need of physical meetings was seen to be decreasing, however, once a physical meeting is organised, it should bring extra value in terms of human interaction. This question was also addressed in the project and this paper looks at these outcomes. During the period of physical meeting students were involved in a variety of lectures, visits and practical sessions. This paper will look at how the introduction of “Business Ballet” introduced presentation skills and body language interpretation to students. Using Erasmus+ mobility funding, for industrial partners, the opportunity to collaborate with ExpLearn, a company that was known to them for developing and delivering exemplary bespoke experiential learning activities arose. ExpLearn also assisted in the feedback session on the student company research projects which proved invaluable for the students greater understanding of what will be demanded of them in the business environment. The Experiential Learning activity delivered on several different levels, which we shall explore in this paper and show where collaboration with external partners can create a learning environment that cannot be achieved through conventional Teacher/Student interaction. This paper explores the importance of reflective learning diaries in delivering on Transversal Skills through innovative learning activities including Business Ballet and Experiential Learning

Is the Trend your Friend? An Analysis of Technology 4.0 Investment Decisions in Agricultural SMEs

Smart Agriculture and 4.0 Technologies have brought several benefits to agricultural small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Nonetheless, the penetration of such digital technologies is still poor and slow. This study addresses the issue and provides some insights on the reasons related to the still limited adoption of 4.0 technologies within agricultural SMEs. Authors do not simply focus on the adoption per se, but rather devote attention to the SMEs owners/managers' subjective perception of the opportunity behind the technology adoption, and of the incentives or constraints given by the external environment as well as the organizational capabilities as embedded in the owners/managers\u2019 skills and organizational routines. Authors analyze data collected by surveying 96 Italian agricultural SMEs owners/managers, and empirically confirm the relevance of managerial capabilities, managerial cognition, and managerial perception of the external environment for the adoption of 4.0 technologies in agricultural SMEs. The results of this research support the conclusion that organizational capabilities related to the search for evidence-based knowledge by the SME\u2019s decision-maker are crucial for the technology\u2019s adoption. In addition, we show the statistical significance relevance of the managerial perception of technological usefulness and of the availability of a supporting business environment either in the form of professional services or institutional support, on the technology\u2019s adoption. The article ends by discussing the results and highlighting relevant managerial implications