cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Ultra-Low Power and Non-intrusive Wireless Monitoring for Smart Buildings
Creators: name: Balsamo, Domenico <1982>
Publisher: name: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Year: 2015
Subjects: ING-INF/01 Elettronica

description: Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) offer a new solution for distributed monitoring, processing and communication. First of all, the stringent energy constraints to which sensing nodes are typically subjected. WSNs are often battery powered and placed where it is not possible to recharge or replace batteries. Energy can be harvested from the external environment but it is a limited resource that must be used efficiently. Energy efficiency is a key requirement for a credible WSNs design. From the power source's perspective, aggressive energy management techniques remain the most effective way to prolong the lifetime of a WSN.  A new adaptive algorithm will be presented, which minimizes the consumption of wireless sensor nodes in sleep mode, when the power source has to be regulated using DC-DC converters. Another important aspect addressed is the time synchronisation in WSNs. WSNs are used for real-world applications where physical time plays an important role. An innovative low-overhead synchronisation approach will be presented, based on a Temperature Compensation Algorithm (TCA). The last aspect addressed is related to self-powered WSNs with Energy Harvesting (EH) solutions. Wireless sensor nodes with EH require some form of energy storage, which enables systems to continue operating during periods of insufficient environmental energy. However, the size of the energy storage strongly restricts the use of WSNs with EH in real-world applications. A new approach will be presented, which enables computation to be sustained during intermittent power supply. The discussed approaches will be used for real-world WSN applications. The first presented scenario is related to the experience gathered during an European Project (3ENCULT Project), regarding the design and implementation of an innovative network for monitoring heritage buildings. The second scenario is related to the experience with Telecom Italia, regarding the design of smart energy meters for monitoring the usage of household's appliances.
Bioremediation of PCB-contaminated marine sediments:
From identification of indigenous dehalorespirers to enhancement of microbial reductive dechlorination
Creators: name: Nuzzo, Andrea <1987>
Publisher: name: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Year: 2015
Subjects: CHIM/11 Chimica e biotecnologia delle fermentazioni

description: Marine sediments are the main accumulation reservoir of organic recalcitrant pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In the anoxic conditions typical of these sediments, anaerobic bacteria of the phylum Chloroflexi are able to attack these compounds in a process called microbial reductive dechlorination. Such activity and members of this phylum were detected in PCB-impacted sediments of the Venice Lagoon.  The aim of this work was to investigate microbial reductive dechlorination and design bioremediation approaches for marine sediments of the area. Three out of six sediment cultures from different sampling areas exhibited dechlorination activities in the same conditions of the site and two phylotypes (VLD-1 and VLD-2) were detected and correlated to this metabolism. Biostimulation was tested on enriched dechlorinating sediment cultures from the same site using five different electron donors, of which lactate was the best biostimulating agent; complementation of microbial and chemical dechlorination catalyzed by biogenic zerovalent Pd nanoparticles was not effective due to sulfide poisoning of the catalyst. A new biosurfactant-producing strain of Shewanella frigidimarina was concomitantly obtained from hydrocarbon-degrading marine cultures and selected because of the low toxicity of its product. All these findings were then exploited to develop bioremediation lab-scale tests in shaken reactors and static microcosms on real sediments and water of the Venice lagoon, testing i) a bioaugmentation approach, with a selected enriched sediment culture from the same area, ii) a biostimulation approach with lactate as electron donor, iii) a bioavailability enhancement with the supplementation of the newly-discovered biosurfactant, and iv) all possible combinations of the afore-mentioned approaches. The best bioremediation approach resulted to be a combination of bioaugmentation and bioremediation and it could be a starting point to design bioremediation process for actual marine sediments of the Venice Lagoon area.
On the unsteady aerodynamics of flapping wings under dynamic hovering kinematics
Creators: name: Poletti, Romain
name: Calado, Andre
name: Koloszar, Lilla K.
name: Degroote, Joris
name: Mendez, Miguel A.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Fluid Dynamics (physics.flu-dyn)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Hummingbirds and insects achieve outstanding flight performance by adapting their flapping motion to the flight requirements. Their wing kinematics can change from smooth flapping to highly dynamic waveforms, generating unsteady aerodynamic phenomena such as leading-edge vortices (LEV), rotational circulation, wing wake capture, and added mass. This article uncovers the interactions of these mechanisms in the case of a rigid semi-elliptical wing undergoing aggressive kinematics in the hovering regime at $Re\sim \mathcal{O}(10^3)$. The flapping kinematics were parametrized using smoothed steps and triangular functions and the flow dynamics were simulated by combining the overset method with Large Eddy Simulations (LES). The analysis of the results identifies an initial acceleration phase and a cruising phase. During the former, the flow is mostly irrotational and governed by the added mass effect. The added mass was shown to be responsible for a lift first peak due to the strong flapping acceleration. The dynamic pitching and the wing wake interaction generate a second lift peak due to a downwash flow and a vortex system on the proximal and distal parts of the wing's pressure side. Conversely, aerodynamic forces in the cruising phase are mainly governed by the growth and the establishment of the LEV. Finally, the leading flow structures in each phase and their impact on the aerodynamic forces were isolated using the extended Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD).
Economic and Economic-Statistical Designs of Multivariate Coefficient of Variation Chart
Creators: name: Chun Ng, Wei
name: B. C. Khoo, Michael
name: Lin Chong, Zhi
name: Ha Lee, Ming
Publisher: name: REVSTAT-Statistical Journal
Year: 2022

description: From the economic perspective, cost minimization is an important part of Statistical Process Control (SPC). The conventional approach in SPC focuses on monitoring the process mean and variance for possible shifts. In some processes, such as clinical and financial investments, the process mean and variance are not independent of one another. Thus, a separate monitoring of the mean and variance using two different control charts is not meaningful. Therefore, the coefficient of variation chart that measures the ratio of the process variance to the mean needs to be employed. In multivariate SPC, the quality characteristics that jointly control the process quality are correlated. Thus, the multivariate coefficient of variation (MCV) chart is used in process monitoring to monitor the process MCV. This work studies the economic and economic-statistical designs of the MCV chart. Optimal parameters that minimize the cost function of the MCV chart are computed. Furthermore, it is shown that adding statistical constraints to the economic design of the MCV chart improves the chart’s statistical performance with only a minimal increase in cost.
description: REVSTAT-Statistical Journal, Vol. 20 No. 1 (2022): REVSTAT-Statistical Journal
Improvement of photon transport model by including coupled photon-electron transport and kernel refinement
Creators: name: Di Giulio, Eugenio <1986>
Publisher: name: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Year: 2015
Subjects: ING-IND/18 Fisica dei reattori nucleari

description: The first part of this work deals with the inverse problem solution in the X-ray spectroscopy field. An original strategy to solve the inverse problem by using the maximum entropy principle is illustrated. It is built the code UMESTRAT, to apply the described strategy in a semiautomatic way. The application of UMESTRAT is shown with a computational example. The second part of this work deals with the improvement of the X-ray Boltzmann model, by studying two radiative interactions neglected in the current photon models. Firstly it is studied the characteristic line emission due to Compton ionization. It is developed a strategy that allows the evaluation of this contribution for the shells K, L and M of all elements with Z from 11 to 92. It is evaluated the single shell Compton/photoelectric ratio as a function of the primary photon energy. It is derived the energy values at which the Compton interaction becomes the prevailing process to produce ionization for the considered shells. Finally it is introduced a new kernel for the XRF from Compton ionization. In a second place it is characterized the bremsstrahlung radiative contribution due the secondary electrons. The bremsstrahlung radiation is characterized in terms of space, angle and energy, for all elements whit Z=1-92 in the energy range 1–150 keV by using the Monte Carlo code PENELOPE. It is demonstrated that bremsstrahlung radiative contribution can be well approximated with an isotropic point photon source. It is created a data library comprising the energetic distributions of bremsstrahlung. It is developed a new bremsstrahlung kernel which allows the introduction of this contribution in the modified Boltzmann equation. An example of application to the simulation of a synchrotron experiment is shown.
Essays on Ethnic Diversity and Development
Creators: name: Chiovelli, Giorgio <1985>
Publisher: name: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Year: 2015
Subjects: SECS-P/01 Economia politica

description: This dissertation consists of three papers. The first paper "Ethnicity, Migration and Conflict: Evidence from Contemporary South Africa” exploits some of the institutional changes intervened in South Africa during the end of apartheid to investigate the relationship between ethnic diversity and conflict. I find within-ethnic polarization to be significantly related to the intensity of armed confrontations among black-dominated groups. My investigation thus gives strong and robust empirical support to the theoretical arguments which identify ethnic diversity as one of the determinants of civil conflict. The second chapter, "Pre-Colonial Centralization, Colonial Activities and Development in Latin America", investigates the hypothesis that pre-colonial ethnic institutions shaped contemporary regional development in Latin America. I document a strong and positive relationship between pre-colonial centralization and regional development. Results are in line with the view that highly centralized pre-colonial societies acted as a persistent force of agglomeration of economic activities and a strong predictor of colonial state capacity. The results provide a first evidence of the existence of a link between pre-colonial centralization, colonial institutional arrangements and contemporary economic development. The third paper "Bite and Divide: Malaria and Ethnic Diversity” investigates the role of malaria as a fundamental determinant of modern ethnic diversity. This paper explores the hypothesis, that a large exposure to malaria has fostered differential interactions that reduced contacts between groups and increased interactions within them Results document that malaria increases the number of ethnic groups at all levels of spatial disaggregation and time periods (exploiting historical and current ethnic diversity). Regressions' results show that endogamous marriages are more frequent in areas with higher geographic suitability to malaria. The results are in line with the view that malaria increases intra-ethnic interactions while decreasing inter-ethnic ones.
Demersal communities in the Mediterranean Sea: a case study of Triglidae (Osteichthyes, Scorpaeniformes) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources
Creators: name: Montanini, Stefano <1981>
Publisher: name: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Year: 2015
Subjects: BIO/05 Zoologia

description: An appropriate management of fisheries resources can only be achieved with the continuous supply of information on the structure and biology of populations, in order to predict the temporal fluctuations. This study supports the importance of investigating the bio-ecology of increasingly exploited and poorly known species, such as gurnards (Osteichthyes, Triglidae) from Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean), to quantify their ecological role into marine community. It also focuses on investigate inter and intra-specific structuring factor of Adriatic population. These objectives were achieved by: 1) investigating aspects of the population dynamics; 2) studying the feeding biology through the examination of stomach contents; 3) using sagittal otoliths as potential marker of species life cycle; 4) getting preliminary data on mDNA phylogeny. Gurnards showed a specie-specific “critical size” coinciding with the start of sexual maturity, the tendency to migrate to greater depths, a change of diet from crustaceans to fish and an increase of variety of food items eaten. Distribution of prey items, predator size range and depth distribution were the main dimensions that influence the breadth of trophic niche and the relative difference amongst Adriatic gurnards. Several feeding preferences were individuated and a possible impact among bigger-size gurnards and other commercial fishes (anchovy, gadoids) and Crustacea (such as mantis prawn and shrimps) were to be necessary considered. Otolith studies showed that gurnard species have a very fast growth despite other results in other areas; intra-specific differences and the increase in the variability of otolith shape, sulcus acusticus shape, S:O ratios, sulcus acusticus external crystals arrangement were shown between juveniles and adults and were linked to growth (individual genetic factors) and to environmental conditions (e.g. depth and trophic niche distribution). In order to facilitate correct biological interpretation of data, molecular data were obtained for comparing morphological distance to genetic ones.
Sfide familiari e disabilita'. Il ruolo educativo dei padri
Family challenges and disability. The educational role of fathers
Creators: name: Cinotti, Alessia <1984>
Publisher: name: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Year: 2015
Subjects: M-PED/03 Didattica e pedagogia speciale

description: Il progetto si pone in sintonia con i nuovi scenari di ricerca – sia in ambito nazionale che internazionale - della Pedagogia Speciale per l’inclusione e la piena e attiva partecipazione all’interno della società delle persone con disabilità e delle loro famiglie (Convenzione Onu, 2006). La riflessione sul ruolo educativo del padre riguardo alla disabilità di un/una figlio/a è una questione complessa e controversa che necessita di una premessa che ponga al centro dell’attenzione pedagogica la funzione paterna in senso ampio. L’obiettivo principale del progetto è quello di indagare il ruolo educativo del padre – nelle situazioni di disabilità -  con riflessioni più ampie riguardanti le funzioni parentali, i modelli di genitorialità e l’educare nella nostra società.I risultati attesi potranno gettare luce su alcune Linee Guida - riguardo alla presa in carico della famiglia e del sostegno alla genitorialità - utili ai professionisti impegnati in quest’area e agli educatori dei servizio socio-educativi e sanitari.
description: The research is aligned with new research scenarios, such as special needs education for inclusion and the active and full participation of people with disabilities and their families in societies (UN Convention, 2006), both at international and national level. Reflections on the educational role of fathers in relation to the disability of their sons or daughters is a very complex and controversial issue and it requires the positioning of the father role as the focus of the educational action. The main objective of the research is to investigate the educational role of the father – in relation to disability – including broader considerations about parental functions, models of parenting and educating.The expected results could provide guidelines related to this area of study for social and health services educators.
Conflict Resolution in Vertical Collaborations in the Agri-food Sector
Creators: name: Belaya, Vera
name: Hanf, Jon Henrich
Publisher: name: CentMA
Year: 2016
Subjects: conflict; supply chains; power; Russia; vertical collaboration

description: Vertical collaborations in supply chains imply the achievement of mutual benefits for the participating partners such as increasing sales, reducing costs and risks and improving the overall performance. However, the benefits are sometimes difficult to gain due to existing differences in interests and goals of the individual chain members. Thus, conflicts are inevitable. Power can be seen as one of the mechanisms to resolve conflicts in supply chains. By and large, the findings provide support that power could have a profound impact on conflict resolution in vertical collaborations. However, in order to successfully resolve conflicts the knowledge of different power types is essential.
description: International Journal on Food System Dynamics, Vol 7, No 1 (2016)
The Effect of Different Types of Diet on Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Greece
Creators: name: Abeliotis, Konstadinos
name: Costarelli, Vassiliki
name: Anagnostopoulos, Konstadinos
Publisher: name: CentMA
Year: 2016
Subjects: diet; scenario; GHG; Greece

description: Diet modifications are explored for the mitigation of greenhouse gases emissions worldwide. The current paper aims at estimating the carbon footprint of the diet of the Greek consumers in 2011. Based on food items consumption data, equivalent CO2 emission factors, the total carbon footprint associated with the per capita Greek diet patterns is calculated. Data for this task are retrieved from readily available resources of existent literature. The per capita carbon footprint resulting from the consumption of food items in Greece in 2011 for the reference scenario is calculated to be 1,827.4 kg CO2/y. In addition, alternative diet scenarios are proposed, their carbon footprint is calculated and suggestions are made for possible sustainable dietary changes. The results indicate that transition to a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet constitutes a very drastic change towards mitigating greenhouse gases. However its acceptance by the public is very questionable. Thus, the second alternative scenario, which anticipates the substitution of beef by mainly pork and chicken, becomes more relevant. These results could serve as a yardstick for policy interventions aiming at reducing GHG emissions via diet modifications in Greece.
description: International Journal on Food System Dynamics, Vol 7, No 1 (2016)
Regulatory networks of Neisseria meningitidis and their implications for pathogenesis
Creators: name: Golfieri, Giacomo <1985>
Publisher: name: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Year: 2015
Subjects: BIO/11 Biologia molecolare

description: Neisseria meningitidis, the leading cause of bacterial meningitis, can adapt to different host niches during human infection. Both transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory networks have been identified as playing a crucial role for bacterial stress responses and virulence. We investigated the N. meningitidis transcriptional landscape both by microarray and by RNA sequencing (RNAseq). 
Microarray analysis of N. meningitidis grown in the presence or absence of glucose allowed us to identify genes regulated by carbon source availability. In particular, we identified a glucose-responsive hexR-like transcriptional regulator in 
N. meningitidis. Deletion analysis showed that the hexR gene is accountable for a subset of the glucose-responsive regulation, and in vitro assays with the purified protein showed that HexR binds to the promoters of the central metabolic operons of meningococcus, by targeting a DNA region overlapping putative regulatory sequences.  Our results indicate that HexR coordinates the central metabolism of meningococcus in response to the availability of glucose, and N. meningitidis strains lacking the hexR gene are also deficient in establishing successful bacteremia in a mouse model of infection. 
In parallel, RNAseq analysis of N. meningitidis cultured under standard or iron-limiting 
in vitro growth conditions allowed us to identify novel small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) potentially involved in N. meningitidis regulatory networks. Manual curation of the RNAseq data generated a list of 51 sRNAs, 8 of which were validated by Northern blotting. Deletion of selected sRNAs caused attenuation of N. meningitidis infection in a murine model, leading to the identification of the first sRNAs influencing meningococcal bacteraemia. Furthermore, we describe the identification and initial characterization of a novel sRNA unique to meningococcus, closely associated to genes relevant for the intracellular survival of pathogenic Neisseriae. 
Taken together, our findings could help unravel the regulation of N. meningitidis adaptation to the host environment and its implications for pathogenesis.
Flexibility and firm value: the role of inventories
Creators: name: Bianco, Marco <1982>
Publisher: name: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Year: 2015
Subjects: SECS-P/09 Finanza aziendale

description: In the present thesis I study the contribution to firm value of inventories management from a risk management perspective. I find a significant contribution of inventories to the value of risk management especially through the operating flexibility channel. In contrast, I do not find evidence supporting the view of inventories a reserve of liquidity. Inventories substitute, albeit not perfectly, derivatives or cash holdings. The substitution between hedging with derivatives and inventory is moderated by the correlation between cash flow and the underlying asset in the derivative contract. Hedge ratios increase with the effectiveness of derivatives. The decision to hedge with cash holdings or inventories is strongly influenced by the degree of complementarity between production factors and by cash flow volatility. In addition, I provide a risk management based explanation of the secular substitution between inventories and cash holdings documented, among others, in Bates et al. (2009), Journal of Finance. In a sample of U.S. firms between 1980 and 2006, I empirically confirm the negative relation between inventories and cash and provide evidence on the poor performance of investment cash flow sensitivities as a measure of financial constraints also in the case of inventories investment. This result can be explained by firms' scarce reliance on inventories as a reserve of liquidity. Finally, as an extension of my study, I contrast with empirical data the theoretical predictions of a model on the integrated management of inventories, trade credit and cash holdings.
Patterning soft matter for cell culturing
Creators: name: Tortorella, Silvia <1985>
Publisher: name: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Year: 2015
Subjects: CHIM/07 Fondamenti chimici delle tecnologie

description: In the search to understand the interaction between cells and their underlying substrates, life sciences are beginning to incorporate micro and nano-technology based tools to probe, measure and improve cellular behavior. In this frame, patterned surfaces provide a platform for highly defined cellular interactions and, in perspective, they offer unique advantages for artificial implants. For these reasons, functionalized materials have recently become a central topic in tissue engineering.
Nanotechnology, with its rich toolbox of techniques, can be the leading actor in the materials patterning field. Laser assisted methods, conventional and un-conventional lithography and other patterning techniques, allow the fabrication of functional supports with tunable properties, either physically, or topographically and chemically. Among them, soft lithography provides an effective (and low cost) strategy for manufacturing micro and nanostructures.
The main focus of this work is the use of different fabrication approaches aiming at a precise control of cell behavior, adhesion, proliferation and differentiation, through chemically and spatially designed surfaces.
Il libro di spese diverse di Lorenzo Lotto. Analisi e commento
Libro di spese diverse by Lorenzo Lotto. Analysis and commentary
Creators: name: De Carolis, Francesco <1982>
Publisher: name: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Year: 2015
Subjects: L-ART/02 Storia dell'arte moderna

description: Il progetto si concentra sull’analisi ed il commento del libro dei conti di Lorenzo Lotto. Esso viene conservato nell’Archivio storico della Santa Casa di Loreto, ed è meglio conosciuto con il nome apocrifo di Libro di spese diverse. Possiamo considerarlo uno dei più significativi documenti del Rinascimento italiano: infatti esso ci parla dei rapporti che l’artista ha intessuto con committenti, colleghi ed amici, rivelando tanto la sua condotta di vita che la sua attività. È una ricerca che tenta di concentrarsi sull’artista attraverso una lettura più corretta di questa fonte: infatti in passato il Libro di spese diverse era considerato un diario e studiato attraverso una visione non consona al genere di riferimento.
description: Regarding my doctoral project, I am conducting research on the analysis and the commentary of the account book by Lorenzo Lotto. It is held at historical archive in Loreto, and it is better known as Libro di spese diverse, an apocryphal name which we find on the front page. We can consider it as one of the most important document for the Italian Renaissance studies: indeed, the Lotto’s document refers to meetings with patrons, colleagues and friends, showing his lifestyle as well as his professional activity. This research focuses the attention on the artist reading this source more correctly: in the past times the Libro di spese diverse was considered a diary and it was studied by a wrong point of view.
Rationale for an adjunctive therapy with fenofibrate in pharmacoresistant
nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (NFLE).
Razionale sull'impiego del fenofibrato come terapia aggiuntiva nell'epilessia frontale notturna (NFLE) farmacoresistente
Creators: name: Puligheddu, Monica Maria Francesca <1969>
Publisher: name: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Year: 2015
Subjects: MED/26 Neurologia

description: Nocturnal Frontal Lobe Epilepsy (NFLE) is characterized by onset during infancy or childhood with persistence in adulthood, family history of similar nocturnal episodes simulating non-REM parasomnias (sleep terrors or sleepwalking), general absence of morphological substrates, often by normal interictal electroencephalographical recordings (EEGs) during wakefulness. A family history of epilepsy may be present with Mendelian autosomal dominant inheritance has been described in some families. Recent studies indicate the involvement of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the molecular mechanisms of NFLE. Mutations in the genes encoding for the α4 (CHRNA4) and ß2 (CHRNB2) subunits of the nAChR induce changes in the biophysical properties of nAChR, resulting generally in a “gain of function”. Preclinical studies report that activation of a nuclear receptor called type peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR-α) by endogenous molecules or by medications (e.g. fenofibrate) reduces the activity of the nAChR and, therefore, may decrease the frequency of seizures. Thus, we hypothesize that negative modulation of nAChRs might represent a therapeutic strategy to be explored for pharmacological treatment of this form of epilepsy, which only partially responds to conventional antiepileptic drugs. In fact, carbamazepine, the current medication for NFLE, abolishes the seizures only in one third of the patients.
The aim of the project is: 
1)_to verify the clinical efficacy of adjunctive therapy with fenofibrate in pharmacoresistant NFLE and ADNFLE patients; focousing on the analysis of the polysomnographic action of the PPAR- agonist (fenofibrate).
2)_to demonstrate the subtended mechanism of efficacy by means of electrophysiological and behavioral experiments in an animal model of the disease: particularly, transgenic mice carrying the mutation in the nAChR 4 subunit (Chrna4S252F) homologous to that found in the humans. Given that a PPAR-α agonist, FENOFIBRATE, already clinically utilized for lipid metabolism disorders, provides a promising therapeutic avenue in the treatment of NFLE\ADNFLE.
Determinants of Sustainable Relationships in the Albanian Apple Production Sector
Creators: name: Gërdoçi, Blendi
name: Skreli, Engjell
name: Imami, Drini
Publisher: name: CentMA
Year: 2016
Subjects: relational governance; verbal contra; channel choice

description: This paper analyses the behaviour of Albanian apple growers and their relations with buyers based on a structured survey. We develop a model of relational governance that highlights the importance of sustainable (lasting) relationships and draws upon different theoretical frameworks such as transaction cost economics and social network theory and focuses on determinants of relational exchange. The findings support the social network argument that the presence of verbal agreements between business partners strongly and positively affects exchange relationships. Asset specificity and competition among buyers also affects such relationships. The results and their implications at the management and policy-making level are discussed in detail
description: International Journal on Food System Dynamics, Vol 7, No 1 (2016)
Dissociation line and driving force for nucleation of the nitrogen hydrate from computer simulation. II. Effect of multiple occupancy
Creators: name: Torrejón, Miguel J.
name: Algaba, Jesús
name: Blas, Felipe J.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: In this work, we determine the dissociation line of the nitrogen (N$_{2}$) hydrate by computer simulation using the TIP4P/Ice model for water and the TraPPE force field for N$_{2}$. This work is the natural extension of our previous paper in which the dissociation temperature of the N$_2$ hydrate has been obtained at $500$, $1000$, and $1500\,\text{bar}$ [\emph{J. Chem. Phys.} \textbf{159}, 224707 (2023)] using the solubility method and assuming single occupancy. We extend our previous study and determine the dissociation temperature of the N$_2$ hydrate at different pressures, from $500$ to $4500\,\text{bar}$, taking into account single and double occupancy of the N$_{2}$ molecules in the hydrate structure. We calculate the solubility of N$_2$ in the aqueous solution, as a function of temperature, when it is in contact with a N$_{2}$-rich liquid phase and when in contact with the hydrate phase with single and double occupancy via planar interfaces. Both curves intersect at a certain temperature that determines the dissociation temperature at a given pressure. We observe a negligible effect of the occupancy on the dissociation temperature. Our findings are in very good agreement with the experimental data taken from the literature. We have also obtained the driving force for nucleation of the hydrate as a function of the temperature and occupancy at several pressures. As in the case of the dissociation line, the effect of the occupancy on the driving force for nucleation is negligible. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the effect of the occupancy on the driving force for nucleation of a hydrate that exhibits sII crystallographic structure is studied from computer simulation.
description: 15 pages, 13 figures
A Comprehensive Review on Cislunar Expansion and Space Domain Awareness
Creators: name: Baker-McEvilly, Brian
name: Bhadauria, Surabhi
name: Canales, David
name: Frueh, Carolin
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
subject: Chaotic Dynamics (nlin.CD)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The Cislunar region is crucial for expanding human presence in space in the forthcoming decades. This paper presents a comprehensive review of recent and anticipated Earth-Moon missions, and ongoing space domain awareness initiatives. An introduction to the dynamics as well as periodic trajectories in the Cislunar realm is presented. Then, a review of modern Cislunar programs as well as smaller missions are compiled to provide insights into the key players pushing towards the Moon. Trends of Cislunar missions and practices are identified, including the identification of regions of interest, such as the South Pole and the Near-rectilinear halo orbit. Finally, a review of the current state and short-comings of space domain awareness (SDA) in the region is included, utilizing the regions of interest as focal points for required improvement. The SDA review is completed through the analysis of the Artemis 1 trajectory.
description: Progress in Aerospace Sciences, July 2024
Il sistema della pesca nel lago di Galilea al tempo di Gesù. Indagine sulla base dei papiri documentari e dei dati archeologici e letterari.
The fishing industry in the lake of Galilee at the time of Jesus. A reasearch based in documentary papyri, and archaeological and literary data.
Creators: name: Troche, Facundo Daniel <1985>
Publisher: name: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Year: 2015
Subjects: M-STO/07 Storia del Cristianesimo e delle Chiese

description: Dopo un’introduzione sull’economia nel mondo antico e nella Galilea, la tesi affronta una rappresentazione storica de “Il Mare di Galilea tra l’antichità e oggi” (cap. 3). Seguono i capitoli sulle “Tecniche e le attrezzature di pesca” (cap.4) e su “Città, villaggi e aree di pesca” (Cap. 5). Due capitoli riguardano più particolarmente l’attività economica in senso stretto: “L’organizzazione dell’attività” (cap. 6) e  “Commercio ed esportazione” (cap. 7).  Chiudono la tesi due capitoli di carattere più metodologico: una rappresentazione degli agenti sociali della pesca (“i pescatori”) condotta ispirandosi alla network Analysis e un’analisi antropologica del loro sistema di vita (capitolo finale).La tesi è basata essenzialmente su tre corpi di documentazione: papiri documentari, dati archeologici, fonti storiche e letterarie. Molti dei documenti reperiti, in lingua greca, non erano mai stati tradotti in lingue moderne.La tesi consta – oltre ai diversi capitoli – anche  di un’appendice documentaria molto estesa
description: The thesis regards different aspects of the fishing infustry in the lake of Galilee during the first century. It addresses practical issues such as the fishing techniques and the tackle used, the fishing grounds and seasons, the organization and regulations of the industry, the taxation, the fish commerce and the socio-economic level of fishermen.It is based in documentary papyri, inscriptions, literary and arcaeological data as well as social sciences theories, anthropological studies and ethnograpical data.
Interfacial interactions, charge transport and growth phenomena in Organic Field Effect Transistors
Creators: name: Kyndiah, Adrica <1987>
Publisher: name: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Year: 2015
Subjects: CHIM/07 Fondamenti chimici delle tecnologie

description: Organic electronics is an emerging field with a vast number of applications having high potential for commercial success. Although an enormous progress has been made in this research area, many organic electronic applications such as organic opto-electronic devices, organic field effect transistors and organic bioelectronic devices still require further optimization to fulfill the requirements for successful commercialization. The main bottle neck that hinders large scale production of these devices is their performances and stability. The performance of the organic devices largely depends on the charge transport processes occurring at the interfaces of various material that it is composed of. As a result, the key ingredient needed for a successful improvement in the performance and stability of organic electronic devices is an in-depth knowledge of the interfacial interactions and the charge transport phenomena taking place at different interfaces. The aim of this thesis is to address the role of the various interfaces between different material in determining the charge transport properties of organic devices. In this framework, I chose an Organic Field Effect Transistor (OFET) as a model system to carry out this study as it An OFET offers various interfaces that can be investigated as it is made up of stacked layers of various material. In order to probe the intrinsic properties that governs the charge transport, we have to be able to carry out thorough investigation of the interactions taking place down at the accumulation layer thickness. However, since organic materials are highly instable in ambient conditions, it becomes quite impossible to investigate the intrinsic properties of the material without the influence of extrinsic factors like air, moisture and light. For this reason, I have employed a technique called the in situ real-time electrical characterization technique which enables electrical characterization of the OFET during the growth of the semiconductor.
Multimodal (EEG-fMRI) functional connectivity study of levodopa effect in Parkinson’s disease
Creators: name: Pittau, Francesca <1978>
Publisher: name: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Year: 2015
Subjects: MED/26 Neurologia

description: Aim: To assess if the intake of levodopa in patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) changes cerebral connectivity, as revealed by simultaneous recording of hemodynamic (functional MRI, or fMRI) and electric (electroencephalogram, EEG) signals. Particularly, we hypothesize that the strongest changes in FC will involve the motor network, which is the most impaired in PD. 
Methods: Eight patients with diagnosis of PD “probable”, therapy with levodopa exclusively, normal cognitive and affective status, were included. Exclusion criteria were: moderate-severe rest tremor, levodopa induced dyskinesia, evidence of gray or white matter abnormalities on structural MRI. Scalp EEG (64 channels) were acquired inside the scanner (1.5 Tesla) before and after the intake of levodopa. fMRI functional connectivity was computed from four regions of interest: right and left supplementary motor area (SMA) and right and left precentral gyrus (primary motor cortex). Weighted partial directed coherence (w-PDC) was computed in the inverse space after the removal of EEG gradient and cardioballistic artifacts. 
Results and discussion: fMRI group analysis shows that the intake of levodopa increases hemodynamic functional connectivity among the SMAs / primary motor cortex and: sensory-motor network itself, attention network and default mode network. w-PDC analysis shows that EEG connectivity among regions of the motor network has the tendency to decrease after the intake the levodopa; furthermore, regions belonging to the DMN have the tendency to increase their outflow toward the rest of the brain. These findings, even if in a small sample of patients, suggest that other resting state physiological functional networks, beyond the motor one, are affected in patients with PD. The behavioral and cognitive tasks corresponding to the affected networks could benefit from the intake of levodopa.
Persulfide-Responsive Transcription Factor SqrR Regulates Gene Transfer and Biofilm Formation via the Metabolic Modulation of Cyclic di-GMP in Rhodobacter capsulatus
Creators: name: Shimizu, Takayuki
name: Aritoshi, Toma
name: Beatty, J. Thomas, 1949-
name: Masuda, Tatsuru
Publisher: name: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Year: 2022

description: Bacterial phage-like particles (gene transfer agents—GTAs) are widely employed as a crucial genetic vector in horizontal gene transfer. GTA-mediated gene transfer is induced in response to various stresses; however, regulatory mechanisms are poorly understood. We found that the persulfide-responsive transcription factor SqrR may repress the expression of several GTA-related genes in the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus. Here, we show that the sqrR deletion mutant (ΔsqrR) produces higher amounts of intra- and extracellular GTA and gene transfer activity than the wild type (WT). The transcript levels of GTA-related genes are also increased in ΔsqrR. In spite of the presumption that GTA-related genes are regulated in response to sulfide by SqrR, treatment with sulfide did not alter the transcript levels of these genes in the WT strain. Surprisingly, hydrogen peroxide increased the transcript levels of GTA-related genes in the WT, and this alteration was abolished in the ΔsqrR strain. Moreover, the absence of SqrR changed the intracellular cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP) levels, and the amount of c-di-GMP was correlated with GTA activity and biofilm formation. These results suggest that SqrR is related to the repression of GTA production and the activation of biofilm formation via control of the intracellular c-di-GMP levels.
Non Invasive Tools for Early Detection of 
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Creators: name: Orlandi, Silvia <1985>
Publisher: name: Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Year: 2015
Subjects: ING-INF/06 Bioingegneria elettronica e informatica

description: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) describe a set of neurodevelopmental disorders. ASD represents a significant public health problem. Currently, ASDs are not diagnosed before the 2nd year of life but an early identification of ASDs would be crucial as interventions are much more effective than specific therapies starting in later childhood. To this aim, cheap an contact-less automatic approaches recently aroused great clinical interest. Among them, the cry and the movements of the newborn, both involving the central nervous system, are proposed as possible indicators of neurological disorders. This PhD work is a first step towards solving this challenging problem.
An integrated system is presented enabling the recording of audio (crying) and video (movements) data of the newborn, their automatic analysis with innovative techniques for the extraction of clinically relevant parameters and their classification with data mining techniques. New robust algorithms were developed for the selection of the voiced parts of the cry signal, the estimation of acoustic parameters based on the wavelet transform and the analysis of the infant’s general movements (GMs) through a new body model for segmentation and 2D reconstruction. In addition to a thorough literature review this thesis presents the state of the art on these topics that shows that no studies exist concerning normative ranges for newborn infant cry in the first 6 months of life nor the correlation between cry and movements.
Through the new automatic methods a population of control infants (“low-risk”, LR) was compared to a group of “high-risk” (HR) infants, i.e. siblings of children already diagnosed with ASD. A subset of LR infants clinically diagnosed as newborns with Typical Development (TD) and one affected by ASD were compared. The results show that the selected acoustic parameters allow good differentiation between the two groups. This result provides new perspectives both diagnostic and therapeutic.
North American evangelical Christian responses to the Holocaust
Creators: name: Ney, Angela Winter
Publisher: name: Maryland Shared Open Access Repository
Year: 2016

description: This project examines some of the ways the evangelical Christian community views the Holocaust by comparing the positions of four seminal mainline Protestant Holocaust theologians to those of five evangelical theologians, observing theological differences which affect the two groups' positions. The project compares evangelical and mainline Protestant responses to charges of Christian theological and actual complicity in the Holocaust. It further compares responses of the two groups, primarily in the United States, to requests by post-Holocaust theologians for specific theological or doctrinal changes from contemporary Christianity. Critical differences emerge between the mainline Protestant and evangelical responses. Significant differences also emerge within the evangelical responses examined. Commonalities which affect the evangelical response to the Holocaust include evangelicalism’s Holocaust rescuer hagiography and its view of the Bible as an authoritative, objective revelation from God. An essential question remains the limitation of theological boundaries for orthodox Protestants in the re-examination of faith.
description: http://library.towson.edu/cdm/ref/collection/etd/id/46480
JetUnit: Rendering Diverse Force Feedback in Virtual Reality Using Water Jets
Creators: name: Zhang, Zining
name: Li, Jiasheng
name: Yan, Zeyu
name: Nishida, Jun
name: Peng, Huaishu
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Human-Computer Interaction (cs.HC)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: We propose JetUnit, a water-based VR haptic system designed to produce force feedback with a wide spectrum of intensities and frequencies through water jets. The key challenge in designing this system lies in optimizing parameters to enable the haptic device to generate force feedback that closely replicates the most intense force produced by direct water jets while ensuring the user remains dry. In this paper, we present the key design parameters of the JetUnit wearable device determined through a set of quantitative experiments and a perception study. We further conducted a user study to assess the impact of integrating our haptic solutions into virtual reality experiences. The results revealed that, by adhering to the design principles of JetUnit, the water-based haptic system is capable of delivering diverse force feedback sensations, significantly enhancing the immersive experience in virtual reality.