3,762 research outputs found
sj-docx-1-psw-10.1177_14789299221138030 – Supplemental material for The Changing Structure of Political Conflicts in the South of Europe: An Analysis of Issue Voting in Four Countries
No full textSupplemental material, sj-docx-1-psw-10.1177_14789299221138030 for The Changing Structure of Political Conflicts in the South of Europe: An Analysis of Issue Voting in Four Countries by Luca Carrieri and Marco Morini in Political Studies Review</p
Development and validation of analytical methods for the determination of direct ethanol metabolites in biological matrices by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Applications in forensic toxicology
No full textL’abuso alcolico è un problema che ha rilevanti implicazioni cliniche, sociali,
economiche e amministrative. La diagnosi specifica e sensibile delle diverse forme
di abuso alcolico acuto e cronico costituisce elemento essenziale per poter
affrontare correttamente questo problema.
Recentemente, il rilievo di metaboliti minori dell’alcol, l’etil glucuronide (EtG) e l’etil
solfato (EtS), in matrici biologiche tradizionali (sangue e derivati, urina) o meno
convenzionali (capello, meconio) è stato prospettato come un approccio
potenzialmente efficace ed efficiente alla diagnosi di abuso alcolico sia per
finalità forensi, sia per finalità cliniche ed epidemiologiche.
Lo scopo di questa tesi è stato quello di (a) sviluppare e sottoporre a validazione
completa metodi analitici per la determinazione di questi metaboliti mediante
cromatografia liquida abbinata alla spettrometria di massa tandem (LC-MS/MS) in
diversi campioni biologici (urina, sangue/siero, capello - limitatamente all’EtG - e
meconio) e (b) applicare questi metodi analitici in diversi contesti diagnostici e, in
particolare: 1) studio della cinetica di eliminazione nel sangue, nonché del
rapporto sangue/siero dell’EtG e dell’EtS in soggetti alcolisti all’inizio della terapia
riabilitativa (studio condotto in collaborazione con il National Insitute of Public
Health Norvegese); 2) studio della stabilità dell’EtG e dell’EtS in campioni
cadaverici a distanza di diversi anni dall’inumazione; 3) valutazione delle
potenzialità dell’EtG nel capello (HEtG) quale marker di abuso alcolico cronico,
anche in rapporto ad altri indicatori correntemente utilizzati nella routine (CDT); 4)
applicazione della determinazione di EtG e di EtS nel meconio quali indicatori di
esposizione intrauterina all’alcol.
I risultati ottenuti nelle sperimentazioni condotte negli ambiti appena descritti
hanno dimostrato, in alcuni casi per la prima volta, ovvero confermato, il notevole
potenziale dell’EtG e dell’EtS quali indicatori specifici e sensibili di abuso alcolico.
Inoltre, hanno permesso di accertare che: l’eliminazione di EtG e EtS in soggetti
abusatori di alcool è sovrapponibile a quella osservata in bevitori moderati (con
l’importante eccezione di soggetti con patologie renali nei quali metabolismo
dell’alcol e conseguente eliminazione dei suoi metaboliti dall’organismo
appaiono rallentati); l’EtG e l’EtS si distribuiscono preferenzialmente nel siero
rispetto alla frazione corpuscolata del sangue, con potenziali implicazioni
sull’interpretazione dei risultati qualora l’analisi sia eseguita su siero/plasma
piuttosto che su sangue intero; l’EtG e l’EtS sono rilevabili in campioni biologici
prelevati da cadaveri esumati anche a distanza di molti anni dal decesso;
l’impiego di un metodo analitico specifico, sensibile (LLOQ di 3 pg/mg) e
sottoposto a validazione completa conferisce all’HEtG elevata sensibilità e
specificità diagnostica; l’HEtG appare correlato qualitativamente con altri marker
(es. il cocaetilene nei capelli di abusatori di cocaina; la CDT) pur manifestando,
rispetto a questi, una maggiore sensibilità (> 90%) nell’evidenziare un abuso
alcolico cronico; l’EtG e L’EtS sono presenti e rilevabili nel meconio (anche se la
loro concentrazione non è correlata con quella di altri indicatori di consumo di
alcol quali gli esteri etilici degli acidi grassi) ciò costituendo la premessa per una
più approfondita valutazione dell’utilità della loro determinazione in questo
substrato biologico nell’evidenziare l’esposizione intrauterina all’alcol.Alcohol abuse and misuse is a growing problem with relevant clinical, social,
economic and administrative implications. A sensitive and specific diagnosis of the
different forms of acute and chronic alcohol abuse is an essential tool to properly
face this social burden. Recently, the determination of two minor non oxidative
products of alcohol metabolism, ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulphate (EtS),
in traditional (blood and derivatives, urine) as well as alternative (hair, meconium)
biological matrices has been proposed as a promising approach to the efficient
and effective diagnosis of alcohol abuse for forensic, clinical, and epidemiological
purposes.
The aim of this thesis was to (a) develop and fully validate analytical methods for
the determination of these two metabolites in different biological samples (urine,
blood/serum, meconium and, for EtG, hair) by liquid chromatography-tandem
mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and b) to apply these methods in several
diagnostic contexts and, in particular: 1) the study of the blood kinetics and
blood/serum ratio of EtG and EtS in samples of heavy drinkers at the beginning of a
withdrawal treatment (study carried out in collaboration with the Norwegian
National Institute of Health); 2) study of the stability of EtG and EtS in post-mortem
samples several years after burial; 3) evaluation of EtG in hair (HEtG) as a potential
marker of chronic alcohol abuse, in comparison with other biomarkers currently
used in the routine (i.e. CDT); 4) application of EtG and EtS in meconium as markers
of gestational alcohol exposure.
Results obtained in the different fields mentioned above showed, in some cases
for the first time, or confirmed the great potential of EtG and EtS as sensitive and
specific markers of alcohol misuse. Moreover they allowed to ascertain that: the
elimination of EtG and EtS in heavy drinkers is similar to that occurring in social
drinkers (with the important exception of subjects suffering from renal pathologies
where the ethanol metabolism and consequently the metabolites elimination
appear to be slowed down); EtG and EtS are to mainly distributed in serum than in
blood cells, with relevant implications when the analysis is carried out on
serum/plasma instead of whole blood; EtG and EtS are detectable in post-mortem
biological samples even when collected several years after death; the use of an
analytical, sensitive (LLOQ of 3 pg/mg), specific and fully validated method gives
to HEtG a high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity; HEtG appears to qualitatively
correlate with other markers ( i.e. cocaethylene in hair of cocaine users; CDT),
although it exhibits better sensitivity (>90%) in ascertaining alcohol chronic abuse;
EtG and EtS are detectable in meconium (even if their concentration doesn’t
correlate with that of other markers of alcohol consumption such as fatty acids
ethyl esters), thus offering the basis for an in-depth evaluation of the usefulness of
their determination in this matrix for the diagnosis of prenatal exposure to alcohol
Laminar Liquid Flow Through Silicon Microchannels
No full textThe present work deals with the analysis of the fully developed laminar flow through silicon microchannels. The main integral flow parameters, such as the Poiseuille number (fRe), the momentum flux correction factor, the kinetic energy correction factor, the asymptotic incremental pressure drop number and the approximate value of the hydrodynamic entrance length are numerically evaluated for trapezoidal and double-trapezoidal cross sections of the silicon microchannels. The results are quoted in tabular and in graphic form as a function of the microchannel aspect ratio. Finally, very simple polynomial representations of the integral flow parameters are given. These numerical data are a useful tool for technicians and designers involved in micro-fluidic applications and it is demonstrated that these results can be used (instead of or before a CFD simulation approach) for a first evaluation of the pressure drop for liquid flows through smooth microchannels having a hydraulic diameter greater than 30 um
The challenge to measure single-phase convective heat transfer coefficients in microchannels
Full text linkThe determination of local convective heat transfer coefficients in microfluidics is a very hard task. Due to the small dimensions of channels and walls, the use of conventional measurement techniques is only partially suitable in microfluidics. For this reason, a strong effort has been made during the last decades in order to propose innovative techniques which use internal (to microdevices) sensors of reduced dimensions and/or external conventional sensors. In this paper a review of the main experimental techniques proposed for the determination of the local near-wall fluid temperature, the local wall temperature, and the local fluid bulk temperature will be given by putting in evidence for each technique's positive and negative aspects as well as their actual limitations with the aim to stimulate and address the research on this topic in the near future. The problems and the limitations existing nowadays for the accurate measurements of the local thermal properties of a convective microflow demonstrate that for the analysis of microconvection experimental data have to be always integrated by a numerical modeling of the observed system
Le Energy Service Company (ESCo) nel Mercato Italiano dell’Energia
No full textIn questo capitolo viene illustrato il ruolo svolto nell’ambito del mercato del risparmio energetico in Italia dalle Energy Service Companies (E.S.Co.). Nell’articolo viene illustrato il principio virtuoso su cui le E.S.Co. basano il loro funzionamento, le tipologie di contratto più diffuse basate sul finanziamento tramite terzi utilizzate attualmente dalle E.S.Co. italiane e i settori nei quali i margini di intervento ai fini della riduzione dei consumi di energia primaria sono maggiormente promettenti. Viene inoltre discusso il ruolo che i Titoli di Efficienza Energetica istituiti dai DM del 20 luglio 2004 possono avere nello sviluppo delle E.S.Co. in Italia e i possibili interventi che lo Stato e/o gli Enti Locali possono mettere a punto al fine di favorire la penetrazione delle E.S.Co. nel mercato dell’energy-saving italiano
The simulation of transients in thermal plant. Part II: Applications
No full textThis paper deals with the simulation of the transients of thermal plant with control systems. In the companion paper forming part I of this article [G.L. Morini, S. Piva, The simulation of transients in thermal plant. Part I: Mathematical model, Applied Thermal Engineering 27 (2007) 2138-2144] it has been described how a ‘‘thermal-library’’ of customised blocks can be built and used, in an intuitive way, to study the transients of any kind of thermal plant. Each component of plant such as valves, boilers, and pumps, is represented by a single block. In this paper, the ‘‘thermal-library’’ approach is demonstrated by the analysis of the dynamic behaviour of a central heating plant of a typical apartment house during a sinusoidal variation of the external temperature. A comparison of the behaviour of such a plant with three way valve working either in flow rate or in temperature control, is presented and discussed. Finally, the results show the delaying effect of the thermal capacity of the building on the performance of the control system
Prendersi (il) gioco: la prospettiva della co-progettazione contro l’egemonia dei sistemi chiusi nei giochi educativi
No full textL'articolo contestualizza l'adozione, l'uso e la progettazione di Serious Games in contesti educativi, problematizzando alcuni argomenti di senso comune sul loro impiego e affrontando alcune questioni legate all'uso strumentale dei giochi. Come alternativa, l'articolo delinea un paradigma per la concettualizzazione e la co-progettazione di Serious Games, basato sul riconoscimento delle tensioni e delle opportunità inerenti alle dimensioni collegate, ma distinte, del gioco sociale/culturale (play) e formale/sistemico (game), sottolineando il valore della promozione dell'autonomia dello studente attraverso il suo coinvolgimento diretto nella creazione di attività e artefatti ludici.The article contextualises the adoption, use and design of Serious Games in educational contexts, problematising some common sense arguments about their deployment, and articulating some general issues with the instrumental use of games. As an alternative, the article outlines a paradigm for the conceptualisation of and co-design of Serious Games, grounded in acknowledging the tensions and opportunities inherent to the linked but distinct dimensions of play (social/cultural) and game (formal/systemic), emphasising the value of promoting the autonomy of learner through their direct involvement in the creation of playful activities and artefacts
The Changing Structure of Political Conflicts in the South of Europe: An Analysis of Issue Voting in Four Countries
No full textThis research analyses the demand-side of politics in Southern European countries, investigating
how three relevant voting determinants have changed throughout time. The focus is on Greece,
Italy, Portugal and Spain, and the examined variables are the European Union, immigration and
state intervention in the economy. The period of analysis is 2009–2019 and we identify the
structure of political conflicts from the point of view of voters. We find that the electoral support
of parties has been increasingly influenced by party positions on immigration (with the partial
exception of Portugal), but not on the European Union. Moreover, the issue of ‘state control and
regulation of the economy’ is boosting its explanatory power in all the countries investigated in
this study. Thus, new issue determinants have gradually reshaped the system of voting preferences
across Southern Europe, with voter demands becoming more likely to match party supply on
immigration and economic interventionism
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