219 research outputs found
Trade-offs between leaf hydraulic capacity and drought vulnerability: morpho-anatomical bases, carbon costs and ecological consequences
No full textDetecting and Quantifying Xylem Embolism by Synchrotron-Based X-Ray Micro-CT
No full textThe vulnerability to xylem embolism is a key trait underlying species-specific drought tolerance of plants, and hence is critical for screening climate-resilient crops and understanding vegetation responses to drought and heat waves. Yet, accurate determination of embolism in plant’s xylem is challenging, because most traditional hydraulic techniques are destructive and prone to artefacts. Hence, direct and in vivo synchrotron-based X-ray micro-CT observation of xylem conduits has emerged as a key reference technique for accurate quantification of vulnerability to xylem embolism. Micro-CT is nowadays a fundamental tool for studies of plant hydraulic architecture, and this chapter describes the fundamentals of acquisition and processing of micro-CT images of plant xylem
LTES with PCM and metal foam in convergent and divergent shell and tube configurations assuming external heat loss
No full textThermal energy storage (TES) systems have become highly relevant due to the need to cut carbon emissions, and one of the most promising TES systems is the latent heat one (LTES) based on phase change materials (PCMs). However, the low thermal conductivity and poor heat transfer capabilities of PCMs limit their performance. The LTES, which in this study incorporate phase change materials (PCMs) and metal foams, offer key benefits over traditional sensible heat storage options. The inclusion of metal foams increases the thermal conductivity of PCMs. This research examines a vertical shell-and-tube setup with a non-uniform internal tube cross-section, considering two different configurations: convergent internal tube and divergent one. It is also considered an inclination angle variation of the internal tube. In addition, it is made the assumption of external heat losses on the lateral surface. Heat transfer and phase change processes are analyzed using the Brinkman-Forchheimer-extended Darcy model and the enthalpy-porosity approach. The numerical solutions are performed through Ansys-Fluent. Findings indicate that LTES systems using metal foam and PCM have improved heat transfer, particularly in configurations with converging tube sections. Although higher heat loss during the melting, the convergent configuration has the faster melting time at each inclination angle
Metabolic and anthropometric alterations in a population of HIV infected patients with a high prevalence of lipodystrophy: associations with HCV coinfection
No full textData are still fragmentary so as to characterized the wide range of metabolic alterations in HIV-HCV co-infected patients in relation with their behavioural and anthropometric peculiarities
The role of virological and immunological parameters on the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome in HIV-associated lipodystrophy
No full textThe aim of our study is to analyse metabolic syndrome (MS) prevalence in a cohort of HIV patients and to apply a statistical model to HIV viro-immunological and MS parameters to explore relations among variables
Efficacy and safety of medical and surgical interventions for treating HIV-related lipodystrophy in women
No full textHIV-related lipodistrophy syndrome in women is rarely described, and its progression is not well characterized
Threefold translation of the body of Christ: concepts of the Eucharist and the body translated in the early modern missionary context
No full textFlüchter A, Nardini G. Threefold translation of the body of Christ: concepts of the Eucharist and the body translated in the early modern missionary context. Humanties & social sciences communication. 2020;7.This article tests the usefulness of concepts from translation studies to understand the dynamics and mechanisms of cultural translation. It asks what is happening when people translate. What do they do when they translate? From a historical perspective, we apply translation theories as analytical kit on the cultural translation process created by the Jesuit missionaries teaching the Eucharist in contact zones during early modern times. In a first part, we present the conceptual tool box borrowed from translation studies (Lefevere, Venuti, Nida). In the analytical part, we apply this instrument to Jesuit translation: How did the Jesuits translate the concept of body in the sacrament of Eucharist for a general audience in the multilingual and transcultural missionary contexts? It is generally difficult to transfer knowledge by translation. The translation of the Eucharist is not only difficult regarding the aim of a true translation, its fidelity to the source, but it can become a question of orthodoxy or heresy. The translation of Eucharist concerns the theology of transubstantiation, real presence or a symbolic understanding of the body; a crucial topic in the early modern European context. The semantics of the body are closely related to this theological issue as are the different cultural practices and understanding of them, particularly in non-European cultural settings. In this Jesuit case study, the dynamics of the cultural translation process are unearthed: Which methods and technics did missionaries apply to translate theological concepts? How did they accommodate and negotiate the knowledge transfer with the local cultural grids? How did they create dynamic equivalence in order to be understood? To what degree was the translation adopted by the intended audience? With the developed tool kit we unravel a complex, multi-layered translating process that was influenced by the translator, the audience, the cultural and linguistic context as well as the power asymmetries inherent to the process
A vision-based control scheme for safe navigation in a crowd
No full textThis paper proposes a vision-based control scheme for safe robot navigation in crowded environments. Unlike traditional methods relying on LiDAR or laser rangefinders, our approach leverages an RGB-D camera to capture rich visual information about the surroundings, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the scene. We address the challenge of predicting human motion in dynamic environments by combining a vision-based human detection module with a crowd prediction module. This allows the robot to anticipate potential collisions and generate safe motions. Additionally, we introduce an adaptive camera control strategy to enhance human detection performance by following their movement within the field of view of the camera. The proposed control scheme utilizes Control Barrier Functions (CBFs) to enforce safety constraints. By incorporating information about both robot-human relative position and velocity, CBFs ensure collision avoidance even in dynamic scenarios. The effectiveness of the method is evaluated by comparing the performance of different human detection algorithms, and by demonstrating the benefits of the adaptive camera control strategy and the overall safety achieved through the proposed vision-based control scheme
Detectable HIV viral load is associated with metabolic syndrome
No full textBACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to assess the association between HIV viral load (HIV-VL) and metabolic syndrome (MS) in a cohort of HIV-infected patients. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study including 1324 consecutive HIV-infected patients on stable antiretroviral therapy regimens. RESULTS: Variables significantly associated with MS in univariate analysis were: age [mean +/- SD: 47.04 +/- 7.41 vs 44.07 +/- 6.82, (P or =3.8 [OR: 2.77; P < 0.0001]. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent viremia is a significant predictor for the development of MS. Viral control through effective antiretroviral therapy is paramount not only for the control of HIV disease progression but also for the prevention of MS and associated cardiovascular disease
Human amniotic membrane: an improvement in the treatment of Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ)? A case–control study
No full textThe aim of this article is to report the results obtained by the use of HAM in surgical wound healing and the reduction of relapse in patients affected by Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ).The study involved patients with the diagnosis of MRONJ, surgically treated between October 2016 and April 2019, in a case-control setting. Enrolled patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group will be treated with resective surgery and with the insertion of HAM patch (Group A), while the second group had been treated exclusively with resective surgery (Group B).The patients underwent MRONJ surgical treatment with the placement of amniotic membrane patches at the wound site. Data regarding the long-term complications/functions were evaluated at 3, 6, 12, and 24months after surgery. Pain measurements were performed before the intervention (T0), 7(T1) and 30(T2) days after surgery. 49 patients were included in the study. 2 patients of GROUP A after 30days since they were surgically treated showed persistent bone exposure. 5 patients of group B demonstrated a lack of healing of the surgical wound with the persistence of bone exposed to 30days after surgery. Statistical analysis ruled out any difference in OUTCOME (relapse) between GROUP A and B (p=0.23). However, the Fisher test highlighted a significant difference between the use of HAM and only surgical treatment in pain at rest (p=0.032). The use of amniotic membrane implement the patient's quality of life and reduce pain perception. has a learning curve that is fast enough to justify its routine use
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