3,032 research outputs found
An assessment of the impact of possible CAP reform scenarios on Romanian agriculture
No full textUsing a simplified model, with key-variable the prices of two different possible scenarios of CAP reform after 2013 (moderate and radical), this paper present a comparison between the price effects of implementation of each reform scenario at 2015 horizon on Romanian agriculture. This short analysis shows that, under the presented hypotheses, the net welfare effect, due to the price changes, for the selected products, is positive in both reform scenarios, yet greater in the case of the radical reform. Integrated in the large context of Romanian development, it seems that the influence of CAP reform upon agriculture and rural areas will be most likely a gradual one: an interpenetration between the two scenarios is foreseeable, starting with the moderate reform that will dominate the period around 2013, the reform measures acquiring a more radical character afterwards.CAP reform, Romania, welfare effects, Agricultural and Food Policy,
Rich, Sturmian, and trapezoidal words
No full textIn this paper we explore various interconnections between rich words, Sturmian words, and trapezoidal words. Rich words, first introduced by the second and third authors together with J. Justin and S. Widmer, constitute a new class of finite and infinite words characterized by having the maximal number of palindromic factors. Every finite Sturmian word is rich, but not conversely. Trapezoidal words were first introduced by the first author in studying the behavior of the subword complexity of finite Sturmian words. Unfortunately this property does not characterize finite Sturmian words. In this note we show that the only trapezoidal palindromes are Sturmian. More generally we show that Sturmian palindromes can be characterized either in terms of their subword complexity (the trapezoidal property) or in terms of their palindromic complexity. We also obtain a similar characterization of rich palindromes in terms of a relation between palindromic complexity and subword complexity
Differential Leaf Age-Dependent Thermal Plasticity in the Keystone Seagrass Posidonia oceanica
No full textIntroduction: Gene-expression patterns and their upstream regulatory mechanisms (e.g. epigenetic) are known to modulate plant acclimatability and thus tolerance to heat stress. Within species, thermal plasticity (i.e. temperature-sensitive phenotypic plasticity) and differential thermo-tolerance are recognized among different genotypes, development stages, organs or tissues. Leaf age and lifespan have been demonstrated to strongly affect photosynthetic thermo-tolerance in terrestrial species, whereas there is no information available for marine plants. Materials and Methods: Here, we investigated how an intense warming event affects molecular and photo-physiological functions in the large-sized seagrass Posidonia oceanica, at fine spatial resolution. Plants were exposed for one week at 34°C in a controlled-mesocosm system. Subsequent variations in the expression of 12 target genes and global DNA methylation level were evaluated in three leaf-age sections (i.e. basal, medium and high) established along the longitudinal axis of youngest, young and fully mature leaves of the shoot. Targeted genes were involved in photosynthesis, chlorophyll biosynthesis, energy dissipation mechanisms, stress response and programmed cell death. Molecular analyses paralleled the assessment of pigment content and photosynthetic performance of the same leaf segments, as well as of plant growth inhibition under acute warming. Results: Our data revealed, for the first time, the presence of variable leaf age-dependent stress-induced epigenetic and gene-expression changes in seagrasses, underlying photo-physiological and growth responses to heat stress. An investment in protective responses and growth arrest was observed in immature tissues; while mature leaf sections displayed a higher ability to offset gene down-regulation, possibly through the involvement of DNA methylation changes, although heat-induced damages were visible at photo-physiological level. Discussion: Overall, mature and young leaf tissues exhibited different strategies to withstand heat stress and thus a variable thermal plasticity. This should be taken in consideration when addressing seagrass response to warming and other stressors, especially in large-sized species, where sharp age differences are present within and among leaves, and other gradients of environmental factors (e.g. light) could be at play. Molecular and physiological evaluations conducted only on adult leaf tissues, as common practice in seagrass research, could give inadequate estimates of the overall plant state, and should not be considered as a proxy for the whole shoot
Ultrasound and three-dimensional image reconstruction angio-computed tomography scan for hybrid surgical tracheostomy in patient with abnormal neck vascularization
No full textPercutaneous dilatational tracheostomy is a common and safe ICU procedure. However, neck anatomy variations can cause bleeding. Pre-procedural ultrasound should be carried out to detect abnormalities in neck structures. A 3D image reconstruction angio-computed tomography scan of the epiaortic vessels should be performed for precise planning of actions. We describe a hybrid tracheostomy technique required following an anomalous vascularization of the neck discovered preoperatively by echography and imaging method
Characterization Results for the Poset Based Representation of Topological Relations - I: Introduction and Models
No full text@article{DBLP:journals/informaticaSI/ForlizziN99,
author = {Luca Forlizzi and
Enrico Nardelli},
title = {Characterization Results for the Poset Based Representation
of Topological Relations - I: Introduction and Models.},
journal = {Informatica (Slovenia)},
volume = {23},
number = {2},
year = {1999},
bibsource = {DBLP, http://dblp.uni-trier.de}
Characterization Results for the Poset Based Representation of Topological Relations - II: Intersection and Union
No full text@article{DBLP:journals/informaticaSI/ForlizziN00,
author = {Luca Forlizzi and
Enrico Nardelli},
title = {Characterization Results for the Poset Based Representation
of Topological Relations - II: Intersection and Union.},
journal = {Informatica (Slovenia)},
volume = {24},
number = {1},
year = {2000},
bibsource = {DBLP, http://dblp.uni-trier.de}
System-on-chip Computing and Interconnection Architectures for Telecommunications and Signal Processing
No full textThis dissertation proposes novel architectures and design techniques targeting SoC building blocks for telecommunications and signal processing applications.
Hardware implementation of Low-Density Parity-Check decoders is approached at both the algorithmic and the architecture level. Low-Density Parity-Check codes are a promising coding scheme for future communication standards due to their outstanding error correction performance.
This work proposes a methodology for analyzing effects of finite precision arithmetic on error correction performance and hardware complexity. The methodology is throughout employed for co-designing the decoder. First, a low-complexity check node based on the P-output decoding principle is designed and characterized on a CMOS standard-cells library. Results demonstrate implementation loss below 0.2 dB down to BER of 10^{-8} and a saving in complexity up to 59% with respect to other works in recent literature. High-throughput and low-latency issues are addressed with modified single-phase decoding schedules. A new "memory-aware" schedule is proposed requiring down to 20% of memory with respect to the traditional two-phase flooding decoding. Additionally, throughput is doubled and logic complexity reduced of 12%. These advantages are traded-off with error correction performance, thus making the solution attractive only for long codes, as those adopted in the DVB-S2 standard. The "layered decoding" principle is extended to those codes not specifically conceived for this technique. Proposed architectures exhibit complexity savings in the order of 40% for both area and power consumption figures, while implementation loss is smaller than 0.05 dB.
Most modern communication standards employ Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing as part of their physical layer. The core of OFDM is the Fast Fourier Transform and its inverse in charge of symbols (de)modulation. Requirements on throughput and energy efficiency call for FFT hardware implementation, while ubiquity of FFT suggests the design of parametric, re-configurable and re-usable IP hardware macrocells. In this context, this thesis describes an FFT/IFFT core compiler particularly suited for implementation of OFDM communication systems. The tool employs an accuracy-driven configuration engine which automatically profiles the internal arithmetic and generates a core with minimum operands bit-width and thus minimum circuit complexity. The engine performs a closed-loop optimization over three different internal arithmetic models (fixed-point, block floating-point and convergent block floating-point) using the numerical accuracy budget given by the user as a reference point. The flexibility and re-usability of the proposed macrocell are illustrated through several case studies which encompass all current state-of-the-art OFDM communications standards (WLAN, WMAN, xDSL, DVB-T/H, DAB and UWB). Implementations results are presented for two deep sub-micron standard-cells libraries (65 and 90 nm) and commercially available FPGA devices. Compared with other FFT core compilers, the proposed environment produces macrocells with lower circuit complexity and same system level performance (throughput, transform size and numerical accuracy).
The final part of this dissertation focuses on the Network-on-Chip design paradigm whose goal is building scalable communication infrastructures connecting hundreds of core. A low-complexity link architecture for mesochronous on-chip communication is discussed. The link enables skew constraint looseness in the clock tree synthesis, frequency speed-up, power consumption reduction and faster back-end turnarounds. The proposed architecture reaches a maximum clock frequency of 1 GHz on 65 nm low-leakage CMOS standard-cells library. In a complex test case with a full-blown NoC infrastructure, the link overhead is only 3% of chip area and 0.5% of leakage power consumption.
Finally, a new methodology, named metacoding, is proposed. Metacoding generates correct-by-construction technology independent RTL codebases for NoC building blocks. The RTL coding phase is abstracted and modeled with an Object Oriented framework, integrated within a commercial tool for IP packaging (Synopsys CoreTools suite). Compared with traditional coding styles based on pre-processor directives, metacoding produces 65% smaller codebases and reduces the configurations to verify up to three orders of magnitude
SENTINEL LYMPH NODE BIOPSY IN THE TREATMENT OF BREAST CANCER. EXPERIENCE IN 527 CASES
No full textKnowledge of axillary lymph node status is a key aid to staging and prognosis and it represents a guideline for adjuvant therapy in breast cancer. Despite the morbidity it causes, complete axillary dissection was long the mainstay of treatment. Sentinel lymph node biopsy has proved so reliable in the evaluation of node involvement that axillary node dissection is now generally performed when sentinel node biopsy tests negative. METHODS: In this 3-phase study, 50 patients were enrolled to evaluate the learning curve of sentinel node biopsy (phase 1, September 1997-January 1998); 256 patients (age range 27-81 years) with infiltrative breast cancer (T <3 cm, clinical N0) underwent level 1 lymph node dissection when the sentinel node tested negative at histopathology (phase 2, February 1998-March 2001); 221 patients with T <3 cm underwent dissection of the sentinel node when it tested negative for metastasis (phase 3, April 2001-March 2005). RESULTS: The sentinel node was preoperatively detected in 98.6% of cases after peritumoral and intradermic injection of the radionuclide tracer and intraoperatively in 99% (90% with radio-guided surgery, 10% with vital staining). The sentinel node was positive in 15% of patients with T1 and metastatic in 65%. CONCLUSIONS: Our results are in line with the published data; therefore, the study will go forward to examine the role of the micrometastasis in the sentinel node and of in-transit tumoral cells
VATS anatomic resections for lung cancer: insights from the Italian VATS Group
No full textBackground: The VATS Group and the National Register for VATS Lobectomy were set up in 2013.
Both quality and quantity of collected data within the database are two fundamental tools for scientific and
statistical purposes, similar to other important databases, such as the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons
(ESTS) Database, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database (STS GTSD) and
the Danish Lung Cancer Registry (DLCR).
Methods: Four thousand seven hundred and four VATS lobectomy patients have recruited to date. Several
parameters were recorded, such as preoperative clinical condition, surgical treatment as far as technical
details, postoperative course and follow-up.
Results: The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status was 0.27. Uniportal
approach was used in 332 patients, three-portal approach in 3,825 and bi-portal approach in 547.
Lymphadenectomy was performed in 4,704 patients: a sampling nodal dissection in 1,180 patients and a
radical nodal dissection in 3,524 cases. Conversion rate was in 9.99% of cases. Adenocarcinoma is the most
common histologic type (53.34%), followed by squamous carcinoma (15.53%).
Conclusions: The structure of the Italian Registry of VATS Lobectomy makes it a valid source to draw on
for statistical studies for scientific purposes
Riqualificazione dell'area industriale di Porta Volta : isolato di via Procaccini
No full textLAUREA MAGISTRALERiqualificazione dell’area industriale ex-Enel di P
orta Volta: isolato di via
Procaccini.
Il progetto si trova a Milano via Giulio Cesare Pro
caccini, nel centro storico della città di fronte
al Cimitero Monumentale. Negli ultimi 100 anni ques
ta zona era una zona industriale della
società Enel.
Nell'ultimo secolo la città ha rafforzato il propri
o ruolo economico e produttivo, divenendo il
maggiore mercato finanziario italiano. Inoltre è un
a delle capitali mondiali della moda,
del disegno industriale ed uno dei poli universitar
i italiani più importanti.
Nel corso degli anni, la città ha subito una grande
crescita e tutte le attività industrali situate
all’interno del centro storico, sono state spostate
verso la periferia lasciando questa zona
abbandonata e pronta ad assumere un nuovo ruolo.
L'idea del progetto è quella di attirare la gente i
n questa zona confortevole dove vivere,
lavorare e divertirsi.
L'edificio principale di 5 piani, compreso il piano
interrato, è stato conservato, restaurato
(sono state mantenute tutte le facciate originarie
che si affacciano sulla strada mentre le altre
sono state completamente risistemate) e trasformato
in un edificio prevalentemente
residenziale, con funzione di studentato. I tre pia
ni superiori sono residenziali e al piano terra
trova posto una zona commerciale; mentre il piano
interrato ospita alcuni locali tecnici e
servizi di lavanderia. Inoltre è stata predisposta,
all’interno del cortile, una nuova area di
parcheggio fruibile sia dai residenti che dagli ute
nti della nuova mediateca. Questa è stata
posta all’interno di un vecchio capannone industria
le appartenente al vecchio complesso
industriale dell’Enel che si situa proprio al centr
o del cortile interno. Una parte dei capannoni
piu bassa è stata demolita per dare più spazio all’
interno per Ie manovre e per fare entrare
una maggior quantità di luce; invece l’altra parte,
con un’altezza di 11 metri, offre due livelli di
area espositiva, biblioteca, zona wi-fi, bar e caff
etteria.
Su via Giovanni Battista Niccolini è stato aperto u
n nuovo ingresso che permette l’accesso
pedonale diretto al cortile interno e di conseguenz
a alla Mediateca, in particolare dal Cimitero
Monumentale. Su via Procaccini si trova l’accesso p
edonale e carrabile
- …
