278 research outputs found
Formato ridotto. Libere riscritture del cinema amatoriale.
No full textRecensione al film "Formato ridotto. Libere riscritture del cinema amatoriale", di Antonio Bigini, Claudio Giapponesi, Paolo Simoni
Exploring the patterns of evolution: Core thoughts and focus on the saltational model
No full textThe Modern Synthesis, a pillar in biological thought, united Darwin's species origin concepts with Mendel's laws of character heredity, providing a comprehensive understanding of evolution within species. Highlighting phenotypic variation and natural selection, it elucidated the environment's role as a selective force, shaping populations over time. This framework integrated additional mechanisms, including genetic drift, random mutations, and gene flow, predicting their cumulative effects on microevolution and the emergence of new species. Beyond the Modern Synthesis, the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis expands perspectives by recognizing the role of developmental plasticity, non-genetic inheritance, and epigenetics. We suggest that these aspects coexist in the plant evolutionary process; in this context, we focus on the saltational model, emphasizing how saltation events, such as dichotomous saltation, chromosomal mutations, epigenetic phenomena, and polyploidy, contribute to rapid evolutionary changes. The saltational model proposes that certain evolutionary changes, such as the rise of new species, may result suddenly from single macromutations rather than from gradual changes in DNA sequences and allele frequencies within a species over time. These events, observed in domesticated and wild higher plants, provide well-defined mechanistic bases, revealing their profound impact on plant diversity and rapid evolutionary events. Notably, next-generation sequencing exposes the likely crucial role of allopolyploidy and autopolyploidy (saltational events) in generating new plant species, each characterized by distinct chromosomal complements. In conclusion, through this review, we offer a thorough exploration of the ongoing dissertation on the saltational model, elucidating its implications for our understanding of plant evolutionary processes and paving the way for continued research in this intriguing field
A non‐lethal method to assess element content in the endangered Pinna nobilis
No full textThe fan shell Pinna nobilis is the largest bivalve endemic to the Mediterranean and is actually a strongly endangered species. Due to the biological, ecological, and historical relevance of this species, the research of a non-lethal method to relate the element content in organism’s tissues and environment can provide information potentially useful to evaluate environmental pollution and organism physiological status. In this study, a screening on element concentration in the animal growing environment (seawater and sediments) and in four soft tissues (hepatopancreas, gills, mantle, and muscle), and two acellular tissues (calcite shell layer, and byssus) was performed. The comparison among these results was used to assess whether the no-lethal acellular tissue element concentration can be used to reveal the element presence in the environment and soft tissues. Elements, such as B, Ag, As, Mn, Mo, Pb, or Se, showed a possible relationship between their presence in the byssus and soft tissues. In the byssus Cr, Sb, Sn, and V have shown to be mostly related to the environment, more than the soft tissues, and might be used to draw a historical record of the exposure of the organism. The element concentration in the calcite shell layer did not relate with environmental element concentrations. Essential elements, like Cu, Fe, Ni, and Zn, were present in calcite shell layer and byssus and are likely related to their biological activity in the organism. The research also gave an overview on the presence of pollution and on the preferential intake route of the element. In summary, this study, performed on a limited number of specimens of this protected species, indicated that element concentration in the byssus can be applied as non-lethal method to monitor this endangered species and its interaction with the elements in the growing environment
Includes Knowledge of Dismantling Centers in the Early Design Phase: A Knowledge-based Design for Disassembly Approach
No full textAbstractNowadays, a large number of goods (e.g. appliances and electronic products) must be treated in dismantling centers after the conclusion of their lifecycle. Selective disassembly is necessary to accomplish environmental directives and to increase their sustainability. Dismantling centers developed internal non-standardized procedures to remove dangerous components and to minimize disassembly costs. The proposed approach aims to create a collection of the disassembly knowledge coming from dismantling centers as a repository for design actions oriented to End-of-Life. The final goal is to define a knowledge-based Design for Disassembly approach to support companies in designing products with improved disassemblability and maintainability
Design for Manufacturing and Assembly vs. Design to Cost: Toward a Multi-objective Approach for Decision-making Strategies During Conceptual Design of Complex Products
No full textAbstractDesign-for-Assembly (DfA) and Conceptual DfA criteria are used in the generation of cost-effective assembly sequences for complex products. The design freedom suggests optimal solutions in the assembly time minimization problem regardless costs and issues about materials and manufacturing processes selection. The goal of this approach is to investigate how the application of the conceptual DfA affects the material and manufacturing costs (Design-to-Cost). A complex product (tool-holder carousel of a CNC machine) is used as a case study. The outcome is an approach to support designers and engineers in the re-design process for the product development and cost reduction
A Multi-objective Design Approach to Include Material, Manufacturing and Assembly Costs in the Early Design Phase
No full textAbstractConceptual design is a crucial activity in the product development process. The design freedom must consider a trade-off analysis among several aspects such as assembly, manufacturing, and costs. The goal of this approach is to define a multi-objective design approach for the determination of feasible design options. The approach is grounded on the concept of functional basis for the analysis of product modules and the theory of Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach for the assessment of the best design option. A complex product (tool-holder carousel of a machine tool) is used as a case study to validate the approach
Digital Logic Based on Superconducting Gate-Controlled Transistors
No full textA novel superconducting device based on voltage controlled critical current suppression has been demonstrated, with the capability of being employed as a superconducting three terminal gate-assisted transistor: the EF-Tron. In this work, we explore the potential of the EF-Tron for building superconducting logic elements. We have developed a continuous Verilog-A model and performed SPICE simulations of different logical circuits, including examples of combinatorial, sequential circuits, and ring oscillator. The simulation results will provide guidance for device
design, manufacturing, and experimental testing. The obtained
results and developed circuits can be used as logical building blocks
for an Arithmetic-Logic Unit (ALU) and further scaled to more
complex digital design
A simple smartphone-based thermochemiluminescent immunosensor for valproic acid detection using 1,2-dioxetane analogue-doped nanoparticles as a label
No full textPoint-of-care testing devices for companion diagnostic applications is a growing area in immunobiosensor technology. With the widespread diffusion of smartphones and improved enclosed photocamera technology, fast and accurate point-of-care diagnosis could be developed for delivering optical biosensing abilities to the general population. Herein, we propose a smartphone-based immunosensor employing a paper-based format coupled with thermochemiluminescence (TCL) detection, that was optimized for valproic acid (VPA) detection in blood and saliva samples. TCL is a chemical luminescence phenomenon in which photons are emitted upon thermally-induced fragmentation of a suitable molecule, with production of a moiety in its singlet electronically excited state. The latter emits a photon while decaying to its ground state. TCL peculiar characteristics combine high detectability and reagent-less nature of the measurement. A one-step competitive immunoassay for VPA detection based on vertical flow immunoassay (VFIA) format was developed, employing silica nanoparticles doped with a TCL 1,2-dioxetane derivative as a label. The VFIA sensor is a stack of paper-based layers functionalized with reagents stored in a stable form, allowing to complete the test in 12 min simply upon sample addition. By 3D printing, simple accessories were produced to turn a smartphone into a biosensing device that provides a power source for the heat shock required to trigger the TCL reaction and a sensitive camera for measuring emitted photons. The developed biosensor allowed VPA detection in blood and saliva, with limits of detection (4 and 0.05 μg mL−1 respectively) and dynamic ranges (4–300 and 0.05–20 μg mL-1) suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring. The integrated device offers an innovative analytical platform for rapid one-step biosensors exploitable in a variety of point-of-care applications
Miradas Al Sur: a criação mitológica do bairro sur na obra de Jorge Luis Borges
No full textDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Literatura, Florianópolis, 2014Este estudo investiga como Jorge Luis Borges constrói o Sur como espaço mítico, em seus três primeiros livros de poesia. Para tanto, analisou-se de que forma a representação de tal espaço torna-o simbólico e, posteriormente, mítico, tanto no conjunto da obra do autor, como também, a partir desse movimento individual de Borges, no imaginário coletivo da cidade. Estudou-se ainda como a memória própria e o imaginário criaram espaços afetivos, que permeiam a totalidade dos textos do autor.Abstract: This study investigates how Jorge Luis Borges builds Sur neighborhood as mythic space in his first three books of poetry. To this end, we analyzed how the representation of such a space make of it a symbolic and later a mythical space, both in the overall work of the author, but also that individual movement of Borges that achieve the collective imagination of the city. Still we have studied how the personal memory and the imagery is able to create emotional spaces, which constitute the totality of texts by the author
How and when should companies retain their human capital? Contracts, incentives and human resource implications
No full textThe increasing competition in the labor market for human capital pushes firms to create better incentives to manage talented individuals. In this article, we model the optimal employment contract when two features of human capital are present: (i) private information of the employee about his skills; and (ii) the inability to contract on the output of the employment activity. Our model shows how firms can use delegation (i.e., the employee's job autonomy) to provide the incentives to a privately informed employee. The model novelty resides in turning a classic source of potential inefficiency like asymmetric information into a factor that firms can use to design incentives. Our model provides a new explanation of why, in technologically dynamic environments, one observes more intense formations of start-ups and a greater inter-firm mobility of human capital. Our setting also suggests how established companies can use their complementary assets to provide better incentives to their skilled employees. Copyright 2010 The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Associazione ICC. All rights reserved., Oxford University Press.
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