Reconstructing the funerary landscape: natural environment and topography of the necropolis

The short note illustrates the activities carried out within the ‘Alma Idea’ project of the University of Bologna for the reconstruction of the ancient funerary landscape of the Davanzali necropolis in Numana. While waiting for new geological-geomorphological research aimed at the acquisition of data at a territorial scale, the landscape shapes, reconstructed so far on the basis of published data, are recalled for the contextualization of the necropolis sector under study. Attention is focused on geomatic techniques for the documentation of the different ancient topographical plans, the starting point for subsequent topographical reconstructions of the evolution of the landscape of the necropolis over the centuries

Distributed Control, Optimization, Coordination of Smart Microgrids:Passivity, Output Regulation, Time-Varying and Stochastic Loads

Microgrids are power distribution systems which are typically classified by Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC) networks. Nowadays, renewable generation sources and new loads such as Electric Vehicles (EVs) are largely used in power systems. Thus, due to the increased share of renewable generations and large scale introduction of new loads such as EVs, new control strategies are required to address the uncertainties of power networks. Due to the random and unpredictable diversity of load patterns, it is more realistic to consider dynamical or stochastic differential load models. In DC networks, in order to guarantee a proper and safe functioning of the overall network, the main goal is the voltage regulation. Thus, we propose controller schemes achieving voltage regulation and ensuring the stability of the overall DC network. Moreover, an important operational objective of AC networks is frequency regulation. Hence, we propose controller schemes achieving frequency regulation and ensuring the stability of the overall AC network. Furthermore, we propose an Energy Management Strategy (EMS) taking into account the load, power flow, and system operational constraints in a distribution network such that the cost of the Distributed Generations (DGs), Distributed Storages (DSs) and energy purchased from the main grid are minimized and the customers' demanded load are provided where the loads are considered stochastic generated by time-homogeneous Markov chain. Finally, we solve a microgird optimal control problem with taking into account the social behavior of the EV drivers via a corresponding real data set

Approaching Skyscape Archaeology: A Note on Method and Fieldwork for the Case Study of Pompeii

The urban layout of Pompeii presents several orientations, possibly due to an uneven bare ground plateau. However, its main east-west axes have the same orientation of Herculaneum ones, suggesting that not only geomorphological constrains acted as topographical factors. Starting from a hypothesis by Nissen (1906), the method of skyscape archaeology was applied to Pompeii urban grid and temples, testing digital models with fieldwork measurements. The results show that the main east-west axes aligned with the rising summer solstice sun above the local horizon. Furthermore, the Doric Temple was oriented with the sunset on the same time of the year, suggesting an intentional design

Reconstructing the ancient urban landscape in a long-lived city: the Asculum Project, combining research, territorial planning and preventative archaeology

The Asculum Project started in 2012 by the Bologna University in agreement with the former Soprintendenza per iBeni Archeologici delle Marche and the Municipality of Ascoli Piceno, mainly as a project of urban archaeology and preventative archaeology in a city which has been inhabited for a very long period of time. A proper integrated methodology and the combination of a wide range of data, including that gathered from geophysical surveys, archaeological digs, historic cartography, bibliographic and archival data, allowed us to reconstruct the cityscape during the Roman Age and its development over the centuries. The understanding of the ancient urban landscape also included a detailed morphological study aimed at the reconstruction of the Roman paleosurface, carried out using data derived from coring samples and stratigraphic digs. In parallel, particular attention was directed to the modern 3D documentation of the historical buildings of the city, by means of laser scanner and the analysis of the stratigraphy of the surviving walls. The new surveys covered, in particular, the still extant Roman buildings, such as the temples incorporated by the churches of San Venanzio and San Gregorio Magno, as well as the Sostruzioni dell’Annunziata. These last acquisitions made it possible to reconstruct the overall layout and urban plan of the town during the Roman Age, as well as to shed new light on the conformation of the ancient landscape at the time of the oldest Piceni settlement. One of the most interesting aspects of the operating practices applied in the project was to reconcile the needs for preservation and research with the aim of a sustainable urban development

The Compound Muscle Action Potential as Neurophysiological Marker for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Objectives: To definite the peripheral nervous involvement in ALS through the repeated use of the compound motor action potential (CMAP) to test the progression of disease, to determine different change of phrenic CMAP and forced vital capacity (FVC) in spinal and bulbar onset, and to establish clinical and neurophysiological features of patients with poor prognosis. Material & Methods: CMAP from phrenic, ulnar, and medial plantar nerves, Medical Research Council (MRC) score, revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R) and FVC were evaluated in 117 ALS patients every three months in one year-period. Results: Bulbar onset patients had lower FVC but similar amplitude of phrenic CMAP at baseline compared to spinal onset patients. The patients with poor prognosis had lower phrenic CMAP and FVC at baseline. CMAP values, when compared to the rate found in the previous visit, reduced significantly in both poor and good prognosis groups during the entire follow-up period, while the FVC reduced significantly only in the first three months. Conclusions: CMAP is a reproducible sensitive marker for motor neurons loss and collateral reinnervation in ALS also in a short period of time. The changes in CMAP, MRC, FVC and ALSFRS-R score resulted correlated, but CMAP is the only parameter with the advantage to demonstrate objectively the progression of disease in both patients with poor and good prognosis for the entire period of follow-up. It should be used as clinical outcome of ALS in clinical trials, taking advantage of its objectivity and selectivity for peripheral nervous system study

Reduced empathic responses for sexually objectified women: An fMRI investigation

Sexual objectification is a widespread phenomenon characterized by a focus on the individual's physical appearance over his/her mental state. This has been associated with negative social consequences, as objectified individuals are judged to be less human, competent, and moral. Moreover, behavioral responses toward the person change as a function of the degree of the perceived sexual objectification. In the present study, we investigated how behavioral and neural representations of other social pain are modulated by the degree of sexual objectification of the target. Using a within-subject fMRI design, we found reduced empathic feelings for positive (but not negative) emotions toward sexually objectified women as compared to non-objectified (personalized) women when witnessing their participation to a ball-tossing game. At the brain level, empathy for social exclusion of personalized women recruited areas coding the affective component of pain (i.e., anterior insula and cingulate cortex), the somatosensory components of pain (i.e., posterior insula and secondary somatosensory cortex) together with the mentalizing network (i.e., middle frontal cortex) to a greater extent than for the sexually objectified women. This diminished empathy is discussed in light of the gender-based violence that is afflicting the modern society

Reduced shared emotional representations toward women revealing more skin

Extensive experimental research has been conducted to investigate how individuals empathise with others depending on contextual and motivational factors. However, the effect of sexual objectification (i.e. focus on the individual's physical appearance over his/her mental state) on empathy is scarce at best thus far. The aim of this work is to shed light on whether objectification modulates empathic responses toward humans and human-like objects. In Experiment 1, participants either underwent visuo-tactile stimulation or witnessed another person (a mannequin, a sexualized or a non-sexualized female confederate) being stimulated with pleasant or unpleasant objects. Participants were then asked to report either their own or the other's emotional experience. Results showed that shared representations (i.e. similarity between self-other emotional ratings) are significantly lower for the mannequin, intermediate for the sexualized woman, and reach the highest values for the non-sexualized woman. In Experiment 2, shared representations were assessed during a ball-tossing game in which the participants or one of the two confederates (sexualized or non-sexualized woman) were excluded from the game. Again, results showed reduced similarity between self-other emotional ratings toward sexualized as compared to non-sexualized women. The findings suggest that interacting with sexually objectified women reduces empathic responses typically observed within human relations

NGF-response of EGF-dependent progenitor cells obtained from human sympathetic ganglia

SIGNALLING molecules are thought to play a significant role in determining the fate of neural crest progenitor cells. The human sympathetic chain was identified at 6.5, 7.5, 8.2, 10.2 and 11.4 postconception (PC) weeks demonstrating low affinity nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors, and was processed for tissue culture. In the presence of epidermal growth factor (EGF), floating spheres of proliferating progenitor cells were developed in vitro. In the absence of EGF progenitor cells differentiated into tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive neuronal and TH-negative flat cells. NGF treatment significantly increased neurite outgrowth and survival of TH-immunoreactive cells. The multipotent cells we isolated differ from previously reported sympathoadrenal progenitors in that they give rise to TH immunoreactive neurones precociously sensitive to NGF