Geomorphological evolution of western Sicily, Italy

This paper proposes a morphoevolutionary model for western Sicily. Sicily is a chain–foredeep–foreland ­system still being built, with tectonic activity involving uplift which tends to create new relief. To reconstruct the ­morphoevolutionary model, geological, and geomorphological studies were done on the basis of field survey and aerial photographic interpretation. The collected data show large areas characterized by specific geological, geomorphological, and topographical settings with rocks, landforms, and landscapes progressively older from south to north Sicily. The achieved results display: (1) gradual emersion of new areas due to uplift, its interaction with the Quaternary ­glacio-eustatic oscillations of the sea level, and the following production of a flight of stair-steps of uplifted marine ­terraces in southern Sicily, which migrates progressively upward and inwards; in response to the uplift (2) triggering of down-cutting processes that gradually dismantle the oldest terraces; (3) competition between uplift and down-cutting processes, which is responsible for the genesis of river valleys and isolated rounded hills in central Sicily; (4) continuous deepening over time that results in the exhumation of older and more resistant rocks in northern Sicily, where the higher heights of Sicily are realized and the older forms are retained; (5) extensional tectonic event in the northern end of Sicily, that produces the collapse of large blocks drowned in the Tyrrhenian Sea and sealed by coastal-marine deposits during the Calabrian stage; (6) trigger of uplift again in the previously subsiding blocks and its interaction with coastal processes and sea level fluctuations, which produce successions of marine terraces during the Middle–Upper Pleistocene stages

smARTworks: A Multi-sided Context-aware Platform for the Smart Museum

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Molecular characterisation of k-casein gene in Girgentana dairy goat breed and identification of two new alleles

The k-casein fraction plays an important role in the formation, stabilisation and aggregation on casein micelles and thus affects technological and nutritional properties of milk. In this study, exon 4 of k-casein (CSN3) gene was sequenced and analysed in Girgentana goat breed. Analyses of the obtained sequences showed the presence of A, B, D, and G known alleles and two new genetic variants, named D’ and N. The new D’ allele differs from D in one transition, G284→A284, which did not cause amino acid change. The new N allele differs from A in five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): T245/C245, G284/A284, G309/A309, G471/A471 and T591/C591, while it differs from C in one transition, i.e. T583→C583. Comparing the amino acid sequences of N and A alleles, the first two SNPs caused no amino acid change, whereas the other SNPs produced changes (Val65/Ile65, Val119/Ile119, and Ser159/Pro159, respectively). Comparison of N allele with C revealed theamino acid change Val156→Ala156. The most frequent allele was A (0.480) followed by B (0.363), D (0.112), and N (0.034). The D’ and G alleles were identified only in two animals and in heterozygous conditions with a very low frequency (0.005). The most common genotype was AB (39.5%) followed by AA (19.5%), AD (12.7%), and BB (11.7%). Homozygous D’D’, GG, and NN individuals were not found. Further analysis will be performed in order to establish associations among genotypes and quantitative and qualitative milk traits

Impact of Users' Beliefs in Text-Based Linguistic Interaction

Linguistic interaction between humans and machines is one of the most challenging fields in the development of next-generation User Interfaces. In this work, we investigate the role of beliefs about the interlocutor in human-computer linguistic interaction. First, we introduced an experimental setup that makes use of filtered and post-processed web content to generate a realistic, generic linguistic interaction. Then, we collected dialogues from two different sets α and β, corresponding to users being unaware or aware of the artificial nature of the interlocutor, respectively. The results thus obtained, analyzed using a standard t-test procedure (N=30), demonstrate a statistically significant difference between the two sets in some of the linguistic features selected, i.e., sentence length and the number of adjectives, providing further insights to expand some of the evidence previously found in the literature

Computer Vision Based Indoor Navigation: A Visual Markers Evaluation

The massive diffusion of smartphones and the exponential rise of location based services (LBS) have made the problem of localization and navigation inside buildings one of the most important technological challenges of the last years. Indoor positioning systems have a huge market in the retail sector and contextual advertising; moreover, they can be fundamental to increase the quality of life for the citizens. Various approaches have been proposed in scientific literature. Recently, thanks to the high performances of the smartphones’ cameras, marker-less and marked-based computer vision approaches have been investigated. In a previous paper, we proposed a technique for indoor navigation using both Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and a 2D visual markers system deployed into the floor. In this paper, we present a qualitative performance evaluation of three 2D visual markers suitable for real-time applications

Methodological approach for evaluating the geo-exchange potential: VIGOR Project

In the framework of VIGOR Project, a national project coordinated by the Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (CNR-IGG) and sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Development (MiSE), dedicated to the evaluation of geothermal potential in the regions of the Convergence Objective in Italy (Puglia, Calabria, Campania and Sicily), is expected to evaluate the ability of the territory to heat exchange with the ground for air conditioning of buildings. To identify the conditions for the development of low enthalpy geothermal systems collected and organized on a regional scale geological and stratigraphic data useful for the preparation of a specific thematic mapping, able to represent in a synergistic and simplified way the physical parameters (geological, lithostratigraphic, hydrogeological, thermodynamic) that most influence the subsoil behavior for thermal exchange. The litho-stratigraphic and hydrogeological database created for every region led to the production of different cartographic thematic maps, such as the thermal conductivity (lithological and stratigraphical), the surface geothermal flux, the average annual temperature of air, the climate zoning, the areas of hydrogeological restrictions. To obtain a single representation of the geo-exchange potential of the region, the different thematic maps described must be combined together by means of an algorithm, defined on the basis of the SINTACS methodology. The purpose is to weigh the contributions of the involved parameters and to produce a preliminary synthesis map able to identify the territorial use of geothermal heat pump systems, based on the geological characteristics and in agreement with the existing regulatory constraints

Shared genetic risk between eating disorder- and substance-use-related phenotypes:Evidence from genome-wide association studies

First published: 16 February 202

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research