1,721,607 research outputs found
The sense of impact assessment through the lens of Civil Economy
No full textIn this growing awareness of environmental and social impacts by consumers, investors, and institutions, it is fundamental to provide tools to companies to make impact assessment processes quick and efficient to manage risks in time. The method we developed in this research project is a framework to measure impacts based on the principles of the Civil Economy. There are different frameworks nowadays, some are very popular, but none of the existing ones is related to the Civil Economy; this tool will help enterprises to approach this economic paradigm step by step. The new methodology for the impact assessment will be tested on different kinds of firms and two value chains to verify the new metrics' effectiveness and the tool's overall goodness both in single enterprises and in companies’ network
Wireless multimedia through heterogeneous satellite networks
No full textThe transmission of multimedia services through heterogeneous satellite networks is analyzed by means of measures over a real test-bed inside the Telecommunication Laboratory at CSITE-CNR, University of Bologna, Italy. An IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network (WLAN) is integrated with a wired LAN and connected to a video on demand (VoD) server through the ITALSAT II Ka-band satellite link made available by CNIT (Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Telecomunicazioni). At first, the WLAN radio link is characterized in terms of mean received power for different terminal locations. After that, MPEG-1 video streams with different data-rate are transmitted from the VoD server to many wireless stations. A traffic characterization, for both the single source and the aggregated traffic, is carried out, and quality of service is measured, in terms of average dropped ratio, as a function of channel conditions, data-rate, and the number of wireless terminals requiring the service
Wireless Network Analytics for the New Era of Spectrum Patrolling and Monitoring
No full textThe importance of networks in modern-day society is experiencing rapid and extensive growth, thanks to remarkable technological advancements. Next-generation wireless networks will confront a scenario where densely interconnected devices demand high data rates, at least 99.999 percent reliability, and extremely low latency for transmissions. In this context, securing the radio spectrum becomes a crucial task. While adopting artificial intelligence-based technologies can make networks more intelligent and self-governing, it also exposes them to new vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, while the networks evolve at a dramatic pace and the spectrum becomes increasingly crowded, the way we monitor its usage appears inadequate and sporadic. Therefore, the need for methods and procedures for large-scale autonomous spectrum monitoring seems inevitable to face future challenging scenarios. In this article, we present our perspective on a set of tools suitable for efficient spectrum monitoring, which we refer to as wireless network analytics
Investigating gender dynamics in forensic toxicology: The role of masculinity and femininity in alcohol and drug abuse
Full text linkThe concept of “gender” refers to the socially constructed characteristics that define feminine or masculine behavior, which are constantly changing and can influence access to healthcare and patterns of help-seeking. These factors significantly impact forensic toxicology, a key area within the medicolegal landscape, forcing the adoption of a gender-sensitive approach to better understand the differing impacts of substances on men and women. Research indicates significant disparities in drug use between genders; men are more likely to abuse alcohol and illicit drugs, while women tend to use prescription medications. Although men typically show higher rates of driving under influence (DUI) related to alcohol, significant alcohol-related DUI cases also exist among women. In postmortem toxicology, gender affects drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, with a pressing need for more research focused on women’s specific toxic and fatal ranges. The rise of new psychoactive substances (NPS..
Misure Agro-ambientali e PSR regionali: I set-aside ecocompatibili - "Biodiversità: un'agricoltura per l'Ape"
No full textL'Umbria è da sempre considerata il "Cuore Verde d'Italia", una regione con alta qualità ambientale e una notevole ricchezza di biodiversità. Negli ultimi decenni, tuttavia, si è assistito ad una improvvisa perdita di diversità biologica, che ha colpito principalmente il settore dell’agro-biodiversità. L'agricoltura ha sempre più semplificato l’agro-ecosistema, riducendo il numero di varietà coltivate fino alla monocultura e all'abbandono di pratiche agricole tradizionali in favore di attività agricole di tipo intensivo. E’ in questo contesto che il Piano di Sviluppo Rurale 2007-1013 della Regione Umbria, ha attivato misure agro-ambientali (misura 214 – “Pagamenti agro-ambientali” Azione “C” – tipologia “C3”), per la conservazione della biodiversità, finanziando le aziende agricole che intendono realizzare “Set-aside ecocompatibili”, anticipando così il “greening” previsto dalla Nuova PAC 2014-2020,. La Misura prevede che le superfici messe a riposo (set-aside), possano essere seminate con varietà di piante che forniscono un pabulum continuo agli insetti selvatici ed alle api, con la continua fioritura di specie di leguminose in miscugli (trifoglio pratense, erba medica, lupinella, trifoglio nano, ginestrino dei prati) e colza. Nel corso della sperimentazione, effettuata dal Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali dell’Università degli Studi di Perugia e della durata di un quinquennio, è stato effettuato il monitoraggio di aree (ex set-aside) poste nel Comune di Bastia Umbra (PG), attraverso la valutazione della capacità di permanenza e di attrattività per gli insetti pronubi delle specie seminate a partire dall'anno 2007. Inoltre è stata valutata la scalarità della loro fioritura e la capacità delle specie vegetali, impiegate in miscuglio, di fornire cibo sufficiente per i pronubi selvatici e per le api.
I risultati ottenuti nel corso del monitoraggio, hanno dimostrato che i “Set-aside ecocompatibili”, se opportunamente seminati, sono in grado di disseminarsi spontaneamente e di salvaguardare la biodiversità dei territori, oltre che di incrementare le popolazioni di pronubi selvatici, api incluse e degli altri insetti utili agli agro-ecosistemi
Density Estimation in Randomly Distributed Wireless Networks
Full text linkNetworks of randomly distributed nodes appear in various fields, including forestry and wireless communications, and can often be modeled, using stochastic geometry theory, as Poisson point processs (PPPs). In these contexts, estimation of nodes density is important for monitoring and optimizing the network. Originally, this problem has been addressed in forestry where the trees are the nodes and, assuming these are distributed according to an infinite two-dimensional homogeneous PPP, the spatial density can be estimated by measuring the distances from one reference tree to its neighbors. However, in many other scenarios, nodes could result invisible with some probability, for example depending on distance. In this paper, we derive the Cramér-Rao bounds and new estimators for the node spatial density, taking into account a limited capability in sensing neighbors. As an example, we provide estimators of the spatial density of transmitting devices in wireless networks with links affected by thermal noise, path loss, and shadowing
Domestic violence in the era of COVID-19 pandemic: A national and international analysis
No full textThe risk of an exacerbation of domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic has been reported in national and international contexts. Through a review of official sources, scientific literature and press reports, the phenomenon has been investigated in order to identify its peculiarities with regard to health-related and medico-legal issues, as well as to highlight the counteracting measures introduced at national and international level. Our study allows to affirm that during the pandemic there has been an increase in cases of domestic violence compared to a reduction in new requests for help. A lack of evidence emerged particularly for child and elder abuse, under-reported even before the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 pandemic and counteracting measures may cause a change in the characteristics of domestic violence, with the development of “new” elements of interest for healthcare professionals and, particularly, for forensic specialists, who will in the future intervene and provide evaluation of domestic violence cases. It is essential not only to strengthen the already existing measures of contrast, but also to introduce new counteracting tools, such as the creation of new multimedia platforms to inform and report cases of domestic abuse, the reorganization of shelters and safe houses, the employment of law enforcement officers for preventive purposes and the involvement of the community with awareness campaigns on this public health issue
A track-before-detect algorithm for UWB radar sensor networks
Full text linkPrecise localization and tracking of moving non-collaborative persons and objects using a network of ultra-wideband (UWB) radar nodes has been shown to represent a practical and effective approach. In UWB radar sensor networks (RSNs), existence of strong clutter, weak target echoes, and closely spaced targets are obstacles to achieving a satisfactory tracking performance. Using a track-before-detect (TBD) approach, the waveform obtained by each node during a time period are jointly processed. Both spatial information and temporal relationship between measurements are exploited in generating all possible candidate trajectories and only the best trajectories are selected as the outcome. The effectiveness of the developed TBD technique for UWB RSNs is confirmed by numerical simulations and by two experimental results, both carried out with actual UWB signals. In the first experiment, a human target is tracked by a monostatic radar network with an average localization error of 41.9 cm with no false alarm trajectory in a cluttered outdoor environment. In the second experiment, two targets are detected by a multistatic radar network with localization errors of 25.4 cm and 19.7 cm, a detection rate of the two targets of 88.75%, and no false alarm trajectory
Clinical oncological applications of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) using fluorine-18-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose
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