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Evaluating and Mitigating Terrorist Risk in Historical Outdoor Open Areas Including User Factors
No full textTerrorist risk in historical outdoor Open Areas (OAs), such as urban squares, is one of the most relevant conditions to explore for users’ safety, considering the attractiveness of these public outdoor spaces and their architectural, morphological and use-related features. Risk assessment tasks should be linked to risk mitigation analysis to support decision-makers in understanding which most probable terrorist threats and related effects could appear and how resilience-increasing strategies could be implemented while pursuing heritage preservation and ease of application. To this end, user factors in terms of behaviours in pre-emergency and evacuation conditions should be included, indeed. Nevertheless, structured frameworks to this end seem to be still lacking. This work proposes a novel, sustainable, user-centred framework for risk assessment and mitigation analysis to be applied in historical OAs such as squares. The framework relies on a simulation-based approach and incorporates tools validated within the BE S2ECURe project for scenario creation (preferring quick-but-reliable approaches) and evacuation process analysis, incorporating users’ behaviours. The framework is showcased on a relevant historical square, by defining and simulating pre and post-retrofit scenarios. In particular, mitigation strategies aimed at emergency management are mainly considered given their compatibility with preservation tasks. Results show how the framework can support local authorities in increasing resilience against terrorist threats
From Waste to Resource: Analyzing Wood Processing Residues in X-LAM Production
No full textThis study evaluates the impact of adhesive use during X-LAM production on the quality and nitrogen content of wood processing residues and their suitability for pellet production. Samples, including virgin wood, finger-jointed wood, planing shavings, and pellets, were analyzed for moisture, ash, gross calorific value, chlorine, sulfur, and nitrogen content using standardized ISO methods. Statistical comparisons were made against the ISO 17225-2 quality classes for domestic and industrial pellets. Results indicate that while adhesives significantly increase the nitrogen content in finger-jointed wood, the derived pellets can, under certain production conditions, meet the thresholds required for mid-range domestic and industrial use. However, variability between production sessions underscores the importance of strict quality control. These findings suggest that a reassessment of current quality standards may be warranted to better accommodate the use of treated wood residues in energy applications
Bilateral Red Breast Syndrome in Prepectoral Implant-based Immediate Breast Reconstruction Using Bovine Pericardium Acellular Collagen Matrix
No full textSummary: Red breast syndrome (RBS) is a rare and intriguing clinical phenomenon that remains only partially understood. It is characterized by erythema and warmth of the breast following breast reconstructive surgery. This clinical condition is typically associated with the use of acellular dermal matrix (ADM) over breast implants. Currently, surgeons prefer using ADMs for immediate prepectoral implant-based breast reconstruction to enhance aesthetic outcomes and promote better implant integration. ADMs can induce a local inflammatory response that may mimic an actual implant infection. Although rare, the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of RBS present a significant challenge for both patients and healthcare professionals due to its enigmatic nature. We present a case of bilateral RBS following bilateral nipple-sparing mastectomy and immediate prepectoral implant-based breast reconstruction using a specific acellular collagen matrix derived from bovine pericardium. We detail our diagnostic approach and treatment strategy, which successfully resolved the syndrome while preserving both the breast implants and the ADMs
Exploring Dyadic Synchrony in Naturalistic Mother-ChildInteractions: Differences between Autistic and Neurotypical Young Children
No full textCost-Effective Vibration Monitoring for Anomaly Detection and Localization in Existing Structures
No full textThe ability to detect and predict the progressive degradation of structures, whether due to natural material aging or unexpected events such as earthquakes or explosions, is essential for ensuring safety and structural resilience. However, identifying damage through changes in modal parameters is often a challenging and resource-intensive task, particularly when external factors like environmental conditions interfere with the analysis. Promptly assessing changes in a structure's behavior is critical for protecting human lives and enabling timely interventions. Rapid responses in critical situations can minimize disruptions, reduce downtime, and facilitate faster recovery when possible. This study introduces a methodology that processes data directly from a continuous monitoring system, significantly reducing computational demands. By bypassing the extraction of modal characteristics, the proposed approach delivers near-instant feedback on changes in dynamic behavior. This capability is key to advancing sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient monitoring practices, ensuring timely and reliable structural assessments
Research Handbook on Accounting and Organizational Change
No full textThis Research Handbook explores how accounting is evolving to meet new business needs, driven by social, environmental, and technological change. It highlights how trends like globalization, sustainable development, digital transformation, and major global events, like pandemics and conflicts, are reshaping both the purpose and practice of accounting
Qualitative Evaluation of Inflatable Wing Deformations Through Infrared Thermography and Piezoelectric Sensing
No full textThe aim of this work is to evaluate the influence of the surface deformations of an open inflatable wing section on aerodynamic performance and boundary layer separation phenomena. The inflation/deflation processes are allowed by an air intake placed on the bottom side of the model. Due to its low rigidity, non-contact measurements are required. Therefore, an infrared thermography technique was applied in order to detect local surface deformations and local separation phenomena. Additionally, the inflation and deflation of the whole wing were studied through an innovative approach, introduced by the authors, based on a piezoelectric sensor. It is important to note that open and closed wing sections exhibit very different aerodynamic behavior. For these reasons, both cases were investigated in the following research. The impact of deformation on the wing’s aerodynamic performance was assessed by means of wind tunnel tests. The inflatable wing presented lower lift and higher drag than the corresponding rigid wing due to the fabric’s deformations. Furthermore, the lift and moment coefficient curves were strongly related to the wing’s inflation. In particular, there was a change in the slope of the lift curve and a drop in the moment coefficient when the wing inflated. Lastly, the results provided evidence that a thermographic approach can be used to qualitatively detect local deformations of an inflatable wing and that a piezoelectric sensor can be used feasibly in detecting the inflation and deflation phases of a wing
Towards an Integrated Multi-Omic Approach to Improve the Diagnostic Accuracy of Fine-Needle Aspiration in Thyroid Nodules with Indeterminate Cytology
No full textThyroid nodules are accidentally found in up to 68% of people undergoing neck ultrasound (US) examination, and fine needle aspiration (FNA) is the current gold standard to discriminate between malignancy and benign lesions. Unfortunately, one-third of FNAs are classified as indeterminate, requiring surgery for definitive diagnosis. This leads to high costs and health risks of unnecessary procedures, since malignancies are observed in less than half of operative specimens. This narrative review aims to describe the most innovative multi-omics approach techniques, including genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, aimed at making the preoperative evaluation of indeterminate thyroid nodules more accurate. The advantages and disadvantages of the techniques are described in detail, and a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis of the multi-omic approach is provided
Regional technological profiles and collaborations: An empirical analysis of joint patents and EU-funded projects
No full textThe aim of this paper is to determine the factors affecting technological collaborations among EU regions, focusing on the role of their technological profiles. We consider the population of EU NUTS2 regions and analyse the inter-regional collaborations in EPO patent applications and in EU projects in the Seventh Framework Programme in the period 2007–2013. We overcome the limitations related to the mono-dimensionality of technological proximity by explicitly considering the distinction between technological similarity and technological complementarity. We further distinguish between horizontal complementarity, related to the degree to which technologies are fruitfully combined in R&D, and vertical complementarity, the degree to which technology developers (leaders) are related to technology adopters (followers). To measure ‘horizontal’ technology complementarity, we develop an original dyad-level indicator based on the concept of technological relatedness. The empirical analysis shows that technological complementarity has a statistically significant effect on the number of collaborations between regions, even when controlling for the degree of similarity. While horizontal complementarity positively affects only collaborations in EU projects, vertical complementarity negatively affects both joint patents and EU projects. Notwithstanding the relevance of complementarity, technological similarity seems to have a larger impact on the intensity of inter-regional collaboration. We also find dissimilarities in the factors affecting joint patents and EU projects due to the inner differences in the nature of these two types of innovative collaborations. The results are robust to different specifications and to the use of different methodologies for measuring similarity and complementarity. Given the rising interest in promoting technological inter-regional collaborations in the EU (e.g. in the Smart Specialisation Strategy), this paper provides novel insights about the determinants of two very different forms of inter-regional collaborations in innovation: joint patents and EU projects
Causes of Sleep Disturbance in Early ASAS Spondyloarthritis: A Retrospective Long-Term Experience
No full textIntroduction: Sleep disturbance (SD) in the second half of the night due to inflammatory pain was included in the 2009 ASAS classification criteria of Spondyloarthritis (SpA), even though its definition is uncertain. Aim: We aimed to investigate SD in early- SpA (e-SpA) patients at T1 (2010–2013), comparing them to long-term SpA (l-SpA) patients at T2 (2023–2024) after at least 10 years of follow-up. Methods: At T1, in e-SpA and l-SpA cases, SD, classified as “difficulty in initiating sleep” (DIS), “difficulty in maintaining sleep” (DMS) and “early awakening” (EA), was compared to clinical parameters (ASDAS-CRP, BASDAI, m-HAQ-S, BASMI, MASES, 68/66 joint count, tenderness of sacroiliac joints, fatigue [FACIT] and HADS for anxiety [A] and depression [D]). At T2, e-SpA patients were re-evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Results: At T1, 45% of 166 SpA patients had SD; in e-SpA patients (60), SD correlated with sacroiliac pain (DMS) BASDAI, FACIT and HADS-D (EA); in l-SpA patients (106), it correlated with HADS-A (DIS), BASDAI and FACIT (DMS). At T2, e-SpA patients showed a high PSQI in 51.5% of cases, correlated with T2-ASDAS-CRP and T2-BASDAI. Moreover, T1-ASDAS-CRP was predictive of T2-PSQI. Conclusions: SD is more specific for inflammatory pain in e-SpA and might be influenced by disease activity also in long-term disease