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The effect of inclusion-fluid fractionation on different isotopic systems used to date diamonds
No full textCobot Integration for Large Parts Picking in Assembly
No full textCobots are increasingly used as co-workers, relieving human workers from performing physically demanding tasks, commonly encountered in assembly systems. Assembly processes generally consist of two primary tasks: the picking-and-placing of components and the actual assembly. While the latter adds value to the final product, the former does not and should be minimized wherever possible. This paper focuses on the integration of a cobot into an assembly station for the picking-and-placing of large and heavy components. Such components are often stored in locations far from the operator’s workstation, resulting in increased task execution times. A three-step methodological approach is proposed, considering the physical characteristics of the components, with the goal of minimizing the overall makespan by optimizing task allocation between human operators and the cobot through a mathematical model. The proposed approach is then applied to a case study, comparing a fully manual scenario with a collaborative scenario, achieving an 18.6% reduction in makespan in the collaborative scenario, thereby validating the industrial viability of the proposed methodology. Additionally, an economic feasibility analysis of the investment was conducted, resulting in a payback period of 2.24 years, which falls within the acceptable range for financial viability in industrial systems
Acque termali. Medicina, religione, ecologia nell'Italia di età moderna
No full textThis thesis investigates the attitudes towards hot mineral water in early modern Italy, by defining how different groups and actors perceived this element. This analysis deepens our understanding on different aspects of the early modern medical, religious and cultural field. During this period, medical and religious discourses normatively guided the practices of individuals and groups in the use of thermal waters, showing both continuities and caesuras in the thinking about the relationship with this element. The mid-sixteenth century was a central period for the medicalisation of spas and the development of medical knowledge. While the representation of baths and thermal waters was linked to literary and historical-antiquarian interests during the Renaissance, the publication of two important printed treatises marked a significant turning point in medical reflection on thermal waters. However, the early modern approach to hot mineral waters was not exclusively limited to the medical aspect. Some waters, such as those of Monteortone, were conceived as sacred elements, in which religious and medical practices were intertwined, due to the multi-layered concept of healing. Some hot mineral waters became the focus of local devotion during the Counter-Reformation, and were intrinsically part of local identity. The relationship between thermal waters to individuals and communities is well documented, while their interaction with other actors is underrepresented in the historiographical literature. The presence of animals at baths reflects their status in the early modern society, as guides and mediators for people, or as inferior beings separated from humans by material and symbolic walls. At the same time, the analysis of these natural elements and their perception reveals the role of human intervention in the environment. By reclaiming wetlands, the Republic of Venice profoundly altered ecosystems and, consequently, the balance between centre and periphery, a factor that was mirrored in the use of hot springs. Local elites benefited from the new management of the landscape, as hot mineral springs, and the associated investment in leisure infrastructures, became particularly profitable.
Overall, the relationship between humans and thermal waters reveals a number of overlapping and intertwined layers, such as the advancement of medical knowledge, healing purposes, economic interests, social practices, self-representation, identity construction and the relationship with the sacred, which involved both humans and non-humans. In this sense, the analysis of hot mineral springs sheds light on the impact of nature and the element of hot mineral water on the early modern culture and society
Body composition, bone mineral density, and functional impairment in axial spondyloarthritis: a 36-month longitudinal study
No full textBackground: Axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the axial skeleton, peripheral joints, And entheses, often leading to pain, stiffness, And extra-articular complications. Its impact on muscle and bone health has gained attention, as chronic inflammation, reduced physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and glucocorticoid therapy, may alter body composition, particularly lean mass and adipose tissue distribution. This study explores the association between disease activity, body composition, and bone parameters in ax-SpA patients over a 36-month period. Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted at Padua University Hospital (Italy). The following data was collected at baseline And 36 months: medical history, phospho-calcium metabolism, anthropometric measurements, handgrip strength (using hand dynamometer), sit-to-stand test, and Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry assessments. Patients completed Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). Correlations between questionnaire scores and clinical variables were analysed, and changes from baseline to follow-up were assessed using paired comparisons. Results: Twenty participants (10 ax-SpA, 10 matched controls) were enrolled. At baseline, no significant differences in bone and body composition were found between groups. In ax-SpA patients, BASFI correlated with BMI (r = 0.800, p < 0.01), fat percentage (r = 0.808, p < 0.01), and fat mass index (r = 0.903, p < 0.01), while BASDAI correlated with sit-to-stand performance (r = 0.677, p < 0.05) and fat percentage (r = 0.700, p < 0.05). After 36 months, significant improvements were observed in sit-to-stand scores [from 17.37 (7.47) to 11.98 (3.81), p = 0.02] and femoral neck BMD [from 0.89 (0.13) to 1.02 (0.14), p = 0.01]. Sit-to-stand improvements correlated with BASFI (r = 0.78, p < 0.01), and ASMMI changes correlated with HAQ (r = 0.92, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that greater muscle mass and physical performance are associated with lower disease activity and improved quality of life in ax-SpA patients. These associations support integrating pharmacologic treatment with structured exercise, although causal inferences cannot be drawn from this observational design. Further studies are needed to clarify the directionality and underlying mechanisms. Trial registration: Not applicable
Le nullità intermedie e le nullità relative nel processo penale
No full textRiflessioni sulle nullità intermedie e relative nel processo penal
Word-order information in the Lexicon
Get PDFWe propose that crosslinguistic word-order variation (Greenberg 1963; Cinque 2005; Abels 2016) reflects information stored in the lexicon in the format of Lexical Items, and that the operations yielding word-order are the same that guide lexicalisation more generally in Nanosyntax (Starke 2009). We show that this lexicalisation-based approach shares the empirical coverage of current analyses (Cinque 2005; Abels & Neeleman 2012; Cinque 2023) without making reference to traditional syntactic movement. This spares the system from stipulating semantically vacuous structural dependencies triggering movement, and correctly separates subtypes of movements subject to different constraints. The proposal also favours a novel perspective on how the relevant Lexical Items are acquired and activated during processing, shedding new light on the different typological frequency of word-order patterns and structural priming
Once upon a glass mosaic in the apse of S. Sabina's Basilica in Rome. Interdisciplinary study of a Late Antique/Medieval lost decoration
Get PDFThe present interdisciplinary study examines the glass tesserae from the apse mosaic of S. Sabina , part of a wider research project on Early Medieval wall paintings and mosaics in Rome. The tesserae in different green shades (pale green, green and dark green), the sole remnants of the original mosaic now lost and replaced by 16th-century frescoes, were analysed using various techniques (OM, SEM-EDS, EPMA, XRPD) to identify raw materials and production technologies, aiming to date the mosaic (5th, 9th, or 12th century AD). The analyses identified various glassy matrices, comparable to known compositional groups such as 'Roman', 'HIMT', 'Foy 2.1' , and 'Foy 3.2' , as well as opacifiers/pigments like lead antimonate and lead stannate. These results indicate that the green and most pale green tesserae were specifically produced for this mosaic. The dark green tesserae show greater variability, suggesting the reuse and recycling of preexisting materials. The archaeometric analyses support a dating between the 5th and 9th centuries AD, aligning with art-historical assessments. The comparison with the 5th-century AD counter-fa & ccedil;ade mosaic of S. Sabina revealed significant differences in the composition of the glass matrices and opacifiers/pigments, indicating that the counter-fa & ccedil;ade mosaic was primarily made from reused tesserae. Comparisons with green tesserae of other Roman mosaics highlighted a general trend of recycling and reusing tesserae, except for the 7th-century AD S. Agnese fuori le mura mosaic, where newly produced and reused tesserae coexisted. These data reinforce the hypothesis of a 5th to 9th-century AD dating for the S. Sabina apse mosaic, providing new insights into the production and use of glass tesserae in Late Antique and Early Medieval Rome. (c) 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
L'impatto della corona proteica sulla cattura e la funzionalità delle nanoparticelle
No full text‘Protein corona’ is the term used to define the outer layer of endogenous proteins that forms on the surface of nanoparticles as soon as they contact with biological fluids. Despite being overlooked for several years, this is the first step that affects nanoparticle pharmacokinetics and clearance by the mononuclear phagocyte system. However, reliably understanding nanoparticle-protein interactions and how the subsequent corona influences their fate relies on choosing appropriate methodology and protein source.
This work demonstrates the importance of using species-specific and fit-for-purpose materials when studying the formation of the protein corona and respective functional effects. Using human serum, we show that poly(2-oxazoline)-coated nanoparticles exhibit a completely different behaviour compared to non-human models, being selectively uptaken by dendritic cells. Furthermore, we identify two different components mediating this uptake, namely the complement system and type A scavenger receptors, competing with naturally occurring oxidized LDL. Then, by using different MXenes, we show how the constitution of corona can be directly correlated with effects on the intrinsic coagulation system and the complement pathways. Finally, we illustrate the need for improving and standardizing methodology with two case studies. Ultimately, our findings reveal that studying the protein corona using relevant models is crucial, and neglecting it can lead to misinterpretation of in vitro screenings