Le strategie comunicative di Cosa nostra: una ricerca empirica

The following article proposes an empirical study to explore communication strategies in Cosa Nostra. Psychological studies on the characteristics of the language used within the criminal organization are undoubtedly recent, but crucial to thoroughly understand the characteristics of the implicit and explicit communication it adopts in the various contexts it works, as well as the power and value they assume. The data we have obtained from some videos concerning interviews and police interrogations to men of honor have been analyzed through a method which refers to the grounds of qualitative research in clinical psychology, the Grounded Theory (Glaser, Strauss; 1967). The analysis we have carried out and its relevant data show us a world of Mafia where the care for linguistic choices, for both form and contents, is characterized as a crucial activity, even when words are replaced by silence or gestures

Photobioreactors as a Dynamic Shading System Conceived for an Outdoor Workspace of the State Library of Queensland in Brisbane: Study of Daylighting Performances

In the field of responsive shading systems, the use of photobioreactors (PBRs) containing microalgae seems to be a promising technology. Within this framework, this paper presents a case study where a PBR was specifically conceived as a shading system for an external workspace located on an open terrace of the State Library of Queensland (SLQ) in Brisbane. The proposed shading system makes use of PBRs as translucent screening elements, capable of regulating natural light to provide adequate visual comfort for a multi-purpose workspace, despite exposure of the site to direct sunlight and fluctuating weather conditions. The microalgae (Scenedesmus Obliquus) cultivated within the shading elements contribute to improving the environment by bio-sequestrating CO2 and producing oxygen. They are also a valuable raw material containing bioactive compounds with various applications including nutraceutical products, livestock feed, and biofuel synthesis. In addition, their green pigmentation is visually engaging and allows for the filtration of solar radiation. The paper focuses on analyzing the daylight performance in the outdoor workplace under the PBR shade. The biomass density of the PBR is adjustable across a wide range of light transmittances (10%-80%) to counter the highly variable outdoor conditions. For different Tv values, illuminance values were calculated using the simulation tool DIVA-for-Rhino and then analyzed as both point-in-time illuminance in June, September and December, and through climate-based daylight metrics such as the Daylight Autonomy and the Useful Daylight Illuminance. As a further step, the daylighting performances were compared to two other climates (Turin, Italy, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates), to verify which setting of the PBR may be suitable for different boundary conditions, thus making the system more widely applicable. The results in Brisbane showed that for clear sky conditions, higher levels of biomass saturation are needed (Tv < 20%) to remain in the 300-3000 lx 'optimal' illuminance comfort range, with lower concentrations (Tv < 30%) to remain within the 300-6000 lx 'acceptable' illuminance comfort range. Differently, in overcast sky conditions, the optimal range of illuminance is easily obtained with reduced levels of biomass saturation (Tv < 80%)

Predictors of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Titers two decades after vaccination in a cohort of students and post-graduates of the Medical School at the University of Palermo, Italy

Introduction and objective. The introduction of a vaccine against hepatitis B virus (HBV) for newborn babies in Italy in 1991, extended to 12-year-old children for the first 12 years of application, has been a major achievement in terms of the prevention of HBV infection. The objective of this study was to analyse the long-term immunogenicity and effectiveness of HBV vaccination among healthcare students with different working seniorities. Materials and method. A cross-sectional observational study of undergraduate and postgraduate students attending the Medical School of the University of Palermo was conducted from January 2014 \u2013 July 2016. HBV serum markers were performed with commercial chemiluminescence assays. Categorical variables were analyzed using the chi-square test (Mantel\u2013Haenszel), whereas means were compared by using the Student\u2019s t test. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were also calculated by a multivariable logistic regression, using a model constructed to examine predictors of anti-HBs titer above 10 mIU/mL, assumed as protective. Results. Of the 2,114 subjects evaluated \u2013 all vaccinated at infancy or at the age of 12 years and were HBsAg/anti-HBc negative \u2013 806 (38.1%) had an anti-HBs titre &lt;10 IU/L. The latter were younger, more likely to be attending a healthcare profession school (i.e., nursing and midwifery), than a medical postgraduate level school, and more likely to have been vaccinated in infancy (p &lt;0.001, 95% CI 2.63\u20135.26, adjusted OR 3.70). Conclusion. The results of the study suggest that assessment of HBV serum markers in workers potentially exposed to hospital infections is useful for identifying small numbers of unvaccinated subjects, or vaccinated subjects with low antibody titre, all of whom should be referred to a booster series of vaccinations

Critical behavior in colloid-polymer mixtures: theory and simulation

We extensively investigated the critical behavior of mixtures of colloids and polymers via the two-component Asakura-Oosawa model and its reduction to a one-component colloidal fluid using accurate theoretical and simulation techniques. In particular the theoretical approach, hierarchical reference theory [Adv. Phys. 44, 211 (1995)], incorporates realistically the effects of long-range fluctuations on phase separation giving exponents which differ strongly from their mean-field values, and are in good agreement with those of the three-dimensional Ising model. Computer simulations combined with finite-size scaling analysis confirm the Ising universality and the accuracy of the theory, although some discrepancy in the location of the critical point between one-component and full-mixture description remains. To assess the limit of the pair-interaction description, we compare one-component and two-component results.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Fluid-fluid demixing transitions in colloid--polyelectrolyte star mixtures

We derive effective interaction potentials between hard, spherical colloidal particles and star-branched polyelectrolytes of various functionalities and smaller size than the colloids. The effective interactions are based on a Derjaguin-like approximation, which is based on previously derived potentials acting between polyelectrolyte stars and planar walls. On the basis of these interactions we subsequently calculate the demixing binodals of the binary colloid--polyelectrolyte star mixture, employing standard tools from liquid-state theory. We find that the mixture is indeed unstable at moderately high overall concentrations. The system becomes more unstable with respect to demixing as the star functionality and the size ratio grow.Comment: 24 pages, 9 figures, submitted to Journal of Physics: Condensed Matte

Recent developments of the Hierarchical Reference Theory of Fluids and its relation to the Renormalization Group

The Hierarchical Reference Theory (HRT) of fluids is a general framework for the description of phase transitions in microscopic models of classical and quantum statistical physics. The foundations of HRT are briefly reviewed in a self-consistent formulation which includes both the original sharp cut-off procedure and the smooth cut-off implementation, which has been recently investigated. The critical properties of HRT are summarized, together with the behavior of the theory at first order phase transitions. However, the emphasis of this presentation is on the close relationship between HRT and non perturbative renormalization group methods, as well as on recent generalizations of HRT to microscopic models of interest in soft matter and quantum many body physics.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures. Review paper to appear in Molecular Physic

Disrupted autophagy undermines skeletal muscle adaptation and integrity

This review assesses the importance of proteostasis in skeletal muscle maintenance with a specific emphasis on autophagy. Skeletal muscle appears to be particularly vulnerable to genetic defects in basal and induced autophagy, indicating that autophagy is co-substantial to skeletal muscle maintenance and adaptation. We discuss emerging evidence that tension-induced protein unfolding may act as a direct link between mechanical stress and autophagic pathways. Mechanistic links between protein damage, autophagy and muscle hypertrophy, which is also induced by mechanical stress, are still poorly understood. However, some mouse models of muscle disease show ameliorated symptoms upon effective targeting of basal autophagy. These findings highlight the importance of autophagy as therapeutic target and suggest that elucidating connections between protein unfolding and mTOR-dependent or mTOR-independent hypertrophic responses is likely to reveal specific therapeutic windows for the treatment of muscle wasting disorders