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JTutor: JSON Schema Validation Explained
No full textJSON Schema validators are essential tools in the JSON ecosystem. However, today’s validators are primarily designed to be used pro-grammatically. Even web-based tools are not didactic in their feedback regarding the oftentimes subtle interactions between schemas and JSON instances. We present JTutor, a validation framework specifically designed with humans in mind, that lets users explore the mutual dependencies between a schema and a candidate instance in JSON Schema validation: Users explore schemas and candidate instances interactively, by navigating between subschemas and the JSON instance based on a detailed proof tree that is generated by a well-principled and rule-based validator. JTutor comes with a “Smart Format” feature that generates a focused view of the proof tree. “Smart Format” highlights branches that are relevant for understanding why an instance is valid or invalid, while deemphasizing others. This focused view can serve as an explanation of the validation. Although JTutor is designed to be educational, it can also help developers debug schemas. In this paper, we explain the internals of JTutor and demonstrate the tool itself
Identification and Characterization of Insect Peptides with Antibacterial Activity
Full text linkAntimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constitute a chemically and structurally heterogeneous family of molecules produced by a wide range of living organisms, including plants, fish, amphibians, mammals, and insects. Their expression is particularly high in organisms that are frequently exposed to microbial invasions, where they play a key role in innate immune responses. Insects, in particular, represent one of the richest natural sources of AMPs. Over their long evolutionary history, they have developed a highly efficient immune system in which AMPs play a central role in defense against pathogens, allowing them to colonize a wide range of habitats. In recent years, interest in AMPs has significantly increased due to the rise in bacterial strains resistant to conventional antibiotics, positioning these peptides as potential therapeutic alternatives for infections caused by resistant pathogens. In this study, we investigated the antimicrobial activity of peptides extracted from the hemolymph of Hermetia illucens larvae (Diptera, Stratiomyidae), an insect known for its high expression
of AMPs. Hemolymph samples were collected from larvae infected with Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Micrococcus flavus(Gram-positive), as well as from uninfected larvae, and subsequently treated by organic solvent precipitation. Antimicrobial activity was assessed through microbiological assays, including agar diffusion tests and microdilution assays, which the peptides demonstrated significant activity against pathogenic bacterial strains, including antibiotic-resistant strains. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) were determined for each experimental condition. Mass spectrometry analysis identified 33 antimicrobial peptides, 13 of which were differentially expressed in response to bacterial infection. The two selected peptides, MO_Ab1Lin and MO_Ab4, were chemically synthesized via solid-phase synthesis, which enabled their structural and functional characterization. The synthesized peptides demonstrated significant inhibitory potential in antimicrobial activity assays. Additionally, sequence analysis of the synthesized peptides showed a high degree of homology with peptides from the defensin family. In parallel, a cloning approach was developed to express two other peptides in a heterologous system (Pichia pastoris), with the goal of enhancing production and enabling a more detailed characterization of their biological activity. The results of this study highlight the potential of AMPs from H. illucens, both natural and synthetic, as promising candidates for the development of new antimicrobial therapies, particularly in the fight against antibiotic-resistant pathogens
An innovative and multidisciplinary approach to face kiwifruit vine decline syndrome (KVDS)
No full textIn the last three years, the spread of the so-called kiwifruit vine decline syndrome (KVDS) in Italy also involved SunGold (G3) production. Preliminary indications from the research financed by Zespri pointed out water excess, stagnation, soil compaction or soil structure disruption associated with hypoxia or hyper oxidation as a potential cause in the emergence of KVDS. To face and contain the spreading of the problem, Zespri is coordinating five projects, considering plants as an integrated system with soil and atmosphere, and where microbial communities play a key role in modulating and translating environmental factors, with a “one health” approach. The approach of these new projects is clearly oriented, other than on research, toward extension and communication. Thanks to the wide network of Zespri teams, technicians and growers that Zespri is involving in this “task force” approach, we are supporting growers and the rest of the industry with the “learning by doing” strategy. Using soil science as the base for the agronomic management, we’re investigating and validating processes capable of creating stable soil biological porosity, decreasing soil compaction and hypoxia, increasing soil microbiome diversity, improve water and nutrient management and consequently increasing fruit yield and quality. The implementation of novel management and monitoring strategies can improve kiwifruit growth, vine productivity and reduce KVDS symptoms in impacted vineyards, contributing to the socio-economic sustainability of farms, and increasing the ecosystem services, according to a sustainable, integrated, modern and multifactorial concept of kiwifruit growing
Particle fluxes and gross erosion at limiters in JET low-confinement mode plasmas measured with visible cameras
No full textShake-table tests for seismic performance assessment of glass-aluminium partition walls with viscoelastic dissipative devices
No full textThis study illustrates the experimental validation of an innovative aluminium-glass partition wall designed to withstand strong horizontal accelerations without damage. The proposed solution features a high-dissipative rubber interface between the aluminium frame and the glass panels, enabling a dissipative mechanism activated by their relative motion. The testing campaign includes small-scale material characterization and full-scale shake-table tests on three-dimensional assemblies. The obtained experimental results are discussed and compared to numerical predictions, demonstrating that the proposed solution ensures damage-free performance, offering a safer solution for glazing partition walls in seismic areas when compared to conventional partition walls of the same typology
Stem Heating Enhances Growth but Reduces Earlywood Lumen Size in Two Pine Species and a Ring-Porous Oak
Full text linkClimate models forecast warmer winter conditions, which could lead to an earlier spring xylem phenology in trees. Localized stem heat experiments mimic this situation and have shown that stem warming leads to an earlier cambial resumption in evergreen conifers. However, there are still few comprehensive studies comparing the responses to stem heating in coexisting conifers and hardwoods, particularly in drought-prone regions where temperatures are rising. We addressed this issue by comparing the responses (xylem phenology, wood anatomy, growth, and sapwood concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates—NSCs) of two pines (the Eurosiberian Pinus sylvestris L., and the Mediterranean Pinus pinaster Ait.) and a ring-porous oak (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.) to stem heating. We used the Vaganov-Shashkin growth model (VS model) to simulate growth phenology considering several emission scenarios and warming rates. Stem heating in winter advanced cambial phenology in P. pinaster and Q. pyrenaica and enhanced radial growth of the three species 1–2 years after the treatment, but reduced the transversal lumen area of earlywood conduits. P. sylvestris showed a rapid and high growth enhancement, whereas the oak responded with a 1-year delay. Heated P. pinaster and Q. pyrenaica trees showed lower sapwood starch concentrations than non-heated trees. These results partially agree with projections of the VS model, which forecasts earlier growth onset, particularly in P. pinaster, as climate warms. Climate-growth correlations show that growth may be enhanced by warm conditions in late winter but also reduced if this is followed by dry-warm growing seasons. Therefore, forecasted advancements of xylem onset in spring in response to warmer winters may not necessarily translate into enhanced growth if warming reduces the hydraulic conductivity and growing seasons become drier
Search for resonant pair production of Higgs bosons in the bb ̄bb ̄ fnal state using large-area jets in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV
No full textA search is presented for the resonant production of a pair of standard model-like Higgs bosons using data from proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in 2016–2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb−1. The final state consists of two b quark-antiquark pairs. The search is conducted in the region of phase space where at least one of the pairs is highly Lorentz-boosted and is reconstructed as a single large-area jet. The other pair may be either similarly merged or resolved, the latter reconstructed using two b-tagged jets. The data are found to be consistent with standard model processes and are interpreted as 95% confidence level upper limits on the product of the cross sections and the branching fractions of the spin-0 radion and the spin-2 bulk graviton that arise in warped extradimensional models. The limits set are in the range 9.74–0.29 fb and 4.94–0.19 fb for a narrow radion and a graviton, respectively, with masses between 1 and 3 TeV. For a radion and for a bulk graviton with widths 10% of their masses, the limits are in the range 12.5–0.35 fb and 8.23–0.23 fb, respectively, for the same masses. These limits result in the exclusion of a narrow-width graviton with a mass below 1.2 TeV, and of narrow and 10%-width radions with masses below 2.6, and 2.9 TeV, respectively
La necropoli indigena (fine VII – inizio del VI sec. a.C.) di loc. Sant’Antonio Abate (Ferrandina, MT): i risultati preliminari della campagna di scavo 2024
No full textThe 2024 excavation campaign at the indigenous necropolis of Sant’Antonio Abate in Ferrandina (MT) marked the
fifth phase of systematic archaeological investigations conducted as part of the FARCH – Ferrandina Archeologica
project. This campaign focused on the southern sector of the necropolis, uncovering six previously unknown burials
(TT. 30–35), which significantly enhance our understanding of funerary practices during the transition between the
late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE.
The newly identified graves, predominantly simple pit burials, display different states of preservation, primarily influenced
by modern agricultural activities and root intrusions. Notably, for the first time at the site, two burials (T. 30
and T. 32) featured a supine position with flexed legs—an arrangement that deviates from the more commonly attested
contracted lateral posture so far observed in the necropolis.
The accompanying grave goods confirm the continuity of established ceramic traditions, while variations in vessel
forms and their assemblages offer new perspectives on social stratification and ritual behavior. Furthermore, evidence
of post-depositional ritual activity and later occupation phases, tentatively dated to the 4th–3rd centuries BCE,
suggests a longterm and complex diachronic use of the area.
This paper presents a preliminary overview of the 2024 campaign, outlining the principal stratigraphic contexts, burial
characteristics, and associated material culture. The findings discussed herein contribute to the broader interpretation
of funerary customs and the evolving patterns of land use at the Sant’Antonio Abate necropolis within the wider framework
of indigenous settlement dynamics in Southern Italy
Search for γH production and constraints on the Yukawa couplings of light quarks to the Higgs boson
No full textA search for γH production is performed with data from the CMS experiment at the LHC corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb−1 at a proton-proton center-of-mass collision energy of 13 TeV. The analysis focuses on the topology of a boosted Higgs boson recoiling against a high-energy photon. The final states of H →→bbˉ and H →4l are analyzed. This study examines effective HZγ and Hγγ anomalous couplings within the context of an effective field theory. In this approach, the production cross section is constrained to be σγH <16.4 fb at 95% confidence level (CL). Simultaneous constraints on four anomalous couplings involving HZγ and Hγγ are provided. Additionally, the production rate for H →4l is examined to assess potential enhancements in the Yukawa couplings between light quarks and the Higgs boson. Assuming the standard model values for the Yukawa couplings of the bottom and top quarks, the following simultaneous constraints are obtained: κu =(0.0 ±1.5) ×10^3, κd =(0.0+6.7−6.8) ×10^2, κs =0+30−32, and κc =0.0+2.3−2.8. This rules out the hypothesis that up- or down-type quarks in the first or second generation have the same Yukawa couplings as those in the third generation, with a CL greater than 95%