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Spaceborne microwave radiometry provides an essential contribution to monitoring the Earth with varying spatial resolution both related to the reflector dimension and the frequency of operation. The ESA's Copernicus imaging microwave radiometer (CIMR) mission aims at collecting the geophysical observables at a spatial resolution ranging from 60 km in L band to 4 km in Ka band. This goal can be achieved by equipping CIMR with a large unfurlable mesh reflector antenna. A limitation of the antenna design is that the antenna pattern includes grating lobes that contaminate the scene measurement with contributions originated far from the nominal footprint. This effect introduces inaccuracies in brightness temperature measurements, particularly when facing radiometric discontinuities, e.g., near the coastlines and sea ice edges, which can be greater than the mission required maximum of 0.5 K. The aim of this article is to assess a technique which will be able to correct the effects of antenna pattern and obtain reliable TB measurements. The analyzed simple technique is based on a regularized deconvolution of the antenna pattern to reconstruct the actual brightness temperatures. The technique was tested over a synthetic scenario that mimics both steep and smooth variations in spatial and thermal domains.

In the last years, the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) generated significant innovations in in situ antenna measurements. UAV-mounted test sources have been exploited to characterize the radiation pattern of receiving antennas and arrays for HF radars, radio telescopes in very high-frequency (VHF) band, and up to the $X$ -band for radar characterization. A UAV test source operating in the $Q$ -band has been recently developed within the large-scale polarization explorer (LSPE) project. It will be used for the in situ validation of a ground-based cluster of coherent polarimeters for cosmology observation. This article presents the payload solution that is actually applicable to general UAV-based radiation pattern measurements in the $Q$ -band. It is based on a phase-locked loop synthesizer and an active multiplier coupled with a power detector to compensate for signal power drifts in postprocessing. Relevant system tests have been performed in both laboratory environment and operative conditions. The measured outdoor radiation patterns are in good agreement with both the anechoic chamber measurements and simulated data.

The Large Scale Polarization Explorer (LSPE) is a cosmology program for the measurement of large scale curl-like features (B-modes) in the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background. Its goal is to constrain the background of inflationary gravity waves traveling through the universe at the time of matter-radiation decoupling. The two instruments of LSPE are meant to synergically operate by covering a large portion of the northern microwave sky. LSPE/STRIP is a coherent array of receivers planned to be operated from the Teide Observatory in Tenerife, for the control and characterization of the low-frequency polarized signals of galactic origin; LSPE/SWIPE is a balloon-borne bolometric polarimeter based on 330 large throughput multi-moded detectors, designed to measure the CMB polarization at 150 GHz and to monitor the polarized emission by galactic dust above 200 GHz. The combined performance and the expected level of systematics mitigation will allow LSPE to constrain primordial B-modes down to a tensor/scalar ratio of $10^{-2}$. We here report the status of the STRIP pre-commissioning phase and the progress in the characterization of the key subsystems of the SWIPE payload (namely the cryogenic polarization modulation unit and the multi-moded TES pixels) prior to receiver integration., 8 pages, 5 figures, Accepted for publication in Journal of Low Temperature Physics

This letter presents the design strategy and the experimental results on the Ku/Ka dual-band feed-horn developed within the Phase A/B1 study of the Copernicus imaging microwave radiometer, which is one of the new six expansion missions of the European Copernicus flagship program on Earth observation operating in five frequency channels. The radiometer requirements translate into a dense focal plane composed by compact and lightweight dual-band feed horns. The optimum illumination was derived in terms of Bloch waves and the applicability of piecewise-linear profile feed-horns for its synthesis in the case of two highly separated Ku--/Ka--frequency bands (1:1.95) was investigated. The presented feed-horn design was validated up to a technological readiness level of 6. The reported performances at antenna level for the complete Ku-/Ka-band feed cluster demonstrate the feasibility of dual-band smooth-wall feed-horns focal-planes meeting all the Earth observation requirements in terms of footprints, beam- and wide-beam efficiencies, and cross-polarization.

La terza edizione del Rapporto annuale sulla Certificazione Energetica degli Edifici, risultato della collaborazione tra ENEA e CTI (Comitato Termotecnico Italiano Energia e Ambiente), fotografa l’evoluzione delle prestazioni energetiche del parco edilizio nazionale allo stato 2021, attraverso l’analisi di circa un milione e trecentomila Attestati di Prestazione Energetica (APE) trasferiti dai catasti energetici di 17 Regioni e 2 Province Autonome nel Sistema Informativo sugli Attestati di Prestazione Energetica nazionale (SIAPE).

In this paper we describe the design and characterization of the optical system of LSPE/Strip, a coherent polarimeter array that will observe the microwave sky from the Teide Observatory in Tenerife in two frequency bands centred at 43 and 95 GHz through a dual-reflector crossed-Dragone telescope of 1.5 m aperture. In general, optical systems composed by a telescopefeed array assembly have non-idealities that might limit their ability to perform high-precision measurements. It is thus necessary to understand, characterize and properly control these systematic effects. For this reason, we performed electromagnetic simulations to characterize angular resolution, sidelobes, main beam symmetry, polarization purity and feedhorns orientation. The results presented in this paper will be an essential input for further optical studies and for the LSPE/Strip data analysis. Ultimately, they will be used to assess the impact of optical systematic effects on the scientific results., 18 pages, 13 figures

OBJECTIVE Type 2 diabetes may affect the humoral immune response after vaccination, but data concerning coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) vaccines are scarce. We evaluated the impact of diabetes on antibody response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination in older residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and tested for differences according to antidiabetic treatment. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS For this analysis, 555 older residents of LTCFs participating in the GeroCovid Vax study were included. SARS-CoV-2 trimeric S immunoglobulin G (anti-S IgG) concentrations using chemiluminescent assays were tested before the first dose and after 2 and 6 months. The impact of diabetes on anti-S IgG levels was evaluated using linear mixed models, which included the interaction between time and presence of diabetes. A second model also considered diabetes treatment: no insulin therapy (including dietary only or use of oral antidiabetic agents) and insulin therapy (alone or in combination with oral antidiabetic agents). RESULTS The mean age of the sample was 82.1 years, 68.1% were women, and 25.2% had diabetes. In linear mixed models, presence of diabetes was associated with lower anti-S IgG levels at 2 (β = −0.20; 95% CI −0.34, −0.06) and 6 months (β = −0.22; 95% CI −0.37, −0.07) after the first vaccine dose. Compared with those without diabetes, residents with diabetes not using insulin had lower IgG levels at 2- and 6-month assessments (β = −0.24; 95% CI −0.43, −0.05 and β = −0.30; 95% CI −0.50, −0.10, respectively), whereas no differences were observed for those using insulin. CONCLUSIONS Older residents of LTCFs with diabetes tended to have weaker antibody response to COVID-19 vaccination. Insulin treatment might buffer this effect and establish humoral immunity similar to that in individuals without diabetes.

The present review investigates our current knowledge of the richness and distribution of coral species inhabiting diverse habitats in Chilean coastal and marine waters, including the oceanic islands. Information, such as the spatial-temporal coverage, taxonomic resolution, and bathymetry of species, was extracted from published articles, geodatabases, and unpublished data. Our analyses of these data highlight major gaps in knowledge on corals in Chile, indicating this region remains poorly studied. The results show that the previous studies focused mostly on coastal and shallow-water habitats, with the continental slope, oceanic islands, and seamounts remaining mainly unexplored. Furthermore, high coral species richness was observed in the Magellanic Province compared with the northern Intermediate Area and Peruvian Province, and the temporal distribution of occurrence records was discontinuous, with peaks observed for the years 1876–1877, 1960–1967, and 2001–2016. We also report a new location and an extension of the known geographic distribution for Bathycyathus chilensis. Despite the progress in scientific knowledge achieved in the last decades, coral research still suffers from significant knowledge gaps, especially of the deep-sea benthic biodiversity in Chile. Further exploration of Chilean coastal and marine waters is therefore necessary to increase the knowledge of the coral biodiversity of this vast region., This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Project number CGL2011-23306), Fondecyt (Project numbers 1131039, 1150843, and 1201717), a PEW fellowship, and the Fundación San Ignacio del Huinay—Endesa—CSIC Projects 2011 and 2013. Funding to JS was provided by CONA (grant number C22 16-09), Fondecyt (Project number 1181153), and the Chilean Millennium Initiative ESMOI.

Ground-glass pulmonary opacities (GGOs) are increasingly encountered in routine clinical practice and an accurate differentiation between benign and malignant lesions is crucial. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between radiological features and the actual biological behavior of these nodules. The secondary endpoint is to identify any radiological predictors able to choose the type of surgical resection and the extent of lymphadenectomy.This single-center retrospective study included all patients, who underwent high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and surgical resection for GGOs between 2010 and 2020. Histopathological sampling focused on lesion size, histology, growth pattern, amount of lepidic component, percentage of ground-glass (GG), grade of tumor and proliferation index (Ki67).In 56 patients enrolled, 65 lesions (15 pure GG and 50 part-solid) were resected (44 lobectomies, 9 anatomical segmentectomies, 12 wedge resections). A direct significant correlation was found between: the GG at HRCT and the amount of lepidic component (p 0.0001; R = 0.305), the tumor grading and the lepidic component at HRCT (p = 0.003), the percentage of GG and the expression of Ki67 (p = 0.016), the lepidic percentage and the expression of Ki67 (p = 0.004; R = 0.223). A total of 609 lymph-nodes were removed (stations N1 and N2) and histopathological analysis was negative for nodal involvement in all cases.Pure and part-solid GGOs could benefit from less invasive and lung sparing surgery with just nodal sampling. These would reduce surgical complications and guarantee a better quality of life for the patient. The major limitations are the number of patients and the lack of a longer follow-up.

This paper reports the design, manufacturing and testing of the cluster of polarizers developed for the LSPE-Strip correlation receiver array working in the Q band (39–48 GHz). Since the LSPE experiment targets the measurement of the very faint B-mode component of the Cosmic Microwave Background, the electromagnetic design of the polarizers was conceived in view of minimizing the measurement uncertainties introduced by the polarizers in the LSPE-Strip dual-circular-polarization correlation receiving chain. To this end, the main figures-of-merit of the LSPE-Strip polarizers were derived in terms of the Mueller sub-matrices relating the relevant input and output Stokes parameters. As a result, a dual-ridge layout, in which stepped-ridge discontinuities are interleaved with grooved cavities, was selected. The heights of both the stepped discontinuities and the grooved cavities were considered as design degrees of freedom in order to minimize the differential phase-error between the two principal polarizations of the polarizer w.r.t. the ideal 90-deg value. The latter condition is the one required for converting the incoming circular polarizations into two linearly polarized ones. The polarizer design allows for a complete manufacturing route (mechanical layout, machining process and assembling) exhibiting high accuracy (< 10 μm) for all the units. As a consequence, the measured performance of the whole polarizer cluster is in tight agreement with predictions. Notably, the in-band mean value of the spurious conversion from the total intensity I to the two linearly polarized Stokes parameters Q and U introduced by the polarizers is smaller than -28 dB (mean value of fifty-one polarizers) with a standard deviation less than 1 dB.

The assessment of the Metop-SG MicroWave Imager (MWI) radiometric performance is based on a complete set of thermal vacuum tests. Such an extensive experimental campaign requires the development of large calibration targets (black bodies) with controlled systematics and low residual uncertainties. The significant size of such targets, which are based on pyramidal emitting surfaces, does not allow for a complete minimization of the thermal gradients below the required accuracy level. This work presents the modeling approach that has been developed to deal with both such thermal gradients and the proximity of the baffle. Results on the frequency dependence of the cold target brightness temperature (ECCOSORB CR-117) are reported between 18.7 and 183 GHz. The complete uncertainty budget provides 1-sigma errors levels lower than 0.22 K. The systematic effect of thermal coupling with the Earth Target has been found as relevant as the coupling to the chamber. This interdependence requires a look-up-table approach to maintain the low uncertainty levels mentioned above.

The Chilean Patagonia is a complex puzzle of numerous fords, channels, bays, estuaries, and islands. The largest part of it is very remote, hampering the generation of scientifc knowledge and efective management planning that could balance conservation of the marine resources with the increasing development of aquaculture activities. The present study focuses on the deep-water emergent cold-water coral Desmophyllum dianthus, dwelling in Chilean Patagonia, with the aim to illustrate its population genetic structure, demography and adaptation of the species along this coast. Microsatellite loci analysis included D. dianthus individuals from twelve sampling localities along bathymetric and oceanographic gradients from the latitude 40°S to 48°S. The results showed a lack of genetic structure with an asymmetric dispersion of individuals, and relevant heterozygosity defciency in some populations. This study also analyses the natural and human impacts afecting the region (e.g., climate change, increasing salmon farming activities), and stresses the importance of including genetic information in the process of management and conservation of marine resources. In particular, the relevance of using interdisciplinary approaches to fll the gaps in scientifc knowledge especially in remote and pristine areas of western Patagonia. Therefore, information on genetic spatial distribution of marine fauna could become pivotal to develop a holistic ecosystem-based approach for marine spatial planning., Tis work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CGL2011-23306), Fondecyt (Projects 1150843 and 1201717), and the Fundación San Ignacio del Huinay and CSIC Projects 2011 and 2013.

This study investigates the knowledge and attitudes of the Greek public towards marine plastic pollution and the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive by interpreting the results of a questionnaire. In Greece, the issue of marine plastic pollution has been highlighted by scientists. Public consultation processes about the implementation of the Directive into the national law have been also carried out. However, the results of our study showed that participants were not informed about the issue of marine plastic pollution nor the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive. Nevertheless, they expressed positive attitudes towards it including their willingness to pay and act in order to reduce their plastic waste. Thereby, it is recommended that more initiatives should support the publicity of the Directive so that the Greek public would be able to participating in the decision-making process and support its implementation. In addition, the current study suggests that the topic of microplastics should be integrated into the context of formal education.

The majority of commercial heavy-lift Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is equipped with carbon fiber propellers. This paper analyzes the impact of such conductive rotating parts on UAV-based antenna measurements in the VHF band. The simulated results show a significant increase of both measurement noise and systematics.

Since its third phase (dated 2016), EMODnet Chemistry's scope of attention has been expanded with gathering data and developing access to data and data products for Marine Litter. This document gives background information about EMODnet strategy for marine litter (beach and seafloor) data collection, its synergy with existing information systems and achievements of EMODnet Chemistry so far. Thereafter it gives detailed information on how to deal with marine litter data from beaches and seafloor trawlings and, in particular, the formats to be used for gathering and describing this type of marine litter data sets by EMODnet Chemistry participants on a European scale. Published We acknowledge the fundamental contribution of EMODnet Chemistry Steering Committee and Technical Working Group, MSFD Technical Subgroup on Marine Litter, Regional Sea Conventions (OSPAR, HELCOM, UNEP/MAP Barcelona Convention, BSCS Black Sea Commission), ICES, ARPA FVG, CEFAS. We also acknowledge the contribution of the following EU-projects: BASEMAN, PERSEUS, MEDITS, DeFishGear, EMBLAS. Refereed Current 14.1 Marine debris Mature International Method Specification of criteria

Since its third phase (dated 2016), EMODnet Chemistry's scope of attention has been expanded with gathering data and developing access to data and data products for Marine Litter. This document gives background information about EMODnet strategy for marine litter (beach and seafloor) data collection, its synergy with existing information systems and achievements of EMODnet Chemistry so far. Thereafter it gives detailed information on how to deal with marine litter data from beaches and seafloor trawlings and, in particular, the formats to be used for gathering and describing this type of marine litter data sets by EMODnet Chemistry participants on a European scale. Published We acknowledge the fundamental contribution of EMODnet Chemistry Steering Committee and Technical Working Group, MSFD Technical Subgroup on Marine Litter, Regional Sea Conventions (OSPAR, HELCOM, UNEP/MAP Barcelona Convention, BSCS Black Sea Commission), ICES, ARPA FVG, CEFAS. We also acknowledge the contribution of the following EU-projects: BASEMAN, PERSEUS, MEDITS, DeFishGear, EMBLAS. Refereed Current 14.1 Marine debris Mature International Method Specification of criteria

The Chilean fjord region includes many remote and poorly known areas where management plans for the marine living resources and conservation strategies are urgently needed. Few data are available about the spatial distribution of its marine invertebrate fauna, prevalently influenced by complex interactions between biotic and abiotic factors, animal behavior and human activities. Patagonian fjords are a hotspot for finfish aquaculture, elevating Chile to the world’s second producer of farmed salmon, after Norway, a condition that emphasizes the necessity to develop strategies for a sustainable aquaculture management. The present study focuses on the emblematic cold-water coral Desmophyllum dianthus, dwelling the Comau Fjord from shallow to deep waters, with the aim to illustrate population structure, demography and adaptation of the species and its potential use for the development of a sustainable conservation and management plan for human activities. The analyses of microsatellite loci of D. dianthus individuals from four sampling localities along horizontal and vertical gradients of Comau Fjord, lead to identify them as a panmictic population. The results also contributed to consider a careful examination of the synchrony between the temporal and spatial variations of environmental factors and the biological cycle of the species as key role player in the inference of autecology of the species. The discussion stresses the importance of molecular analyses as extremely helpful tools for studies focusing on remote areas and non-model organisms, where logistic difficulties and limited scientific knowledge hamper a better management and conservation of marine resources, and in particular the relevance of multidisciplinary approaches to reduce the extensive knowledge gap on the remote fjord ecosystems of Patagonia. This study also highlights the importance of oceanographic information in the entire process of the analyses and interpretation of genetic results., This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CGL2011-23306), Fondecyt (Projects 1150843 and 1201717), and the Fundación San Ignacio del Huinay-Endesa & CSIC Projects 2011 and 2013.

1.When considering widely distributed marine organisms with low dispersal capabilities, there is often an implication that the distribution of cosmopolitan species is an artefact of taxonomy, constrained by the absence of characters for delimiting either sibling or cryptic species. Few studies have assessed the relationship among populations across the global range of the species' distribution, and the presence of oceanographic barriers that might influence gene flow among populations are underestimated. 2.In this study, evolutionary and ecological drivers of connectivity patterns have been inferred among populations of the cold-water coral Desmophyllum dianthus, a common and widespread solitary scleractinian species, whose reproduction strategy and larval dispersal are still poorly unknown. 3.The genetic structure of D. dianthus was explored using 30 microsatellites in 347 specimens from 13 localities distributed in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. 4.Results clearly reveal genetically differentiated populations in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres (F = 0.16, F = 0.01, F = 0.15, P-values highly significant), and Chilean and New Zealand populations with independent genetic profiles. 5.Marine connectivity patterns at different spatial scales are discussed to characterize larval dispersal and gene flow through the Northern and Southern Hemispheres., This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CGL2011‐23306), and EU CoCoNET—“Towards COast to COast NETworks of marine protected areas (from the shore to the high and deep sea), coupled with sea‐based wind energy potential”—from FP7‐KKBE of the European Commission (project ID: 287844). This scientific contribution commits to EESF Cocarde, Italian Flag Ritmare, and Region Apulia Biomap programmes. This is scientific publication no. 1888 Ismar‐CNR Bologna. Funding to VH was partially provided through Fondecyt project nos. 1131039 and 1161699.

In this paper, a Ka/K-band antenna-feeding network in dual-circular polarization is reported. The design of the system was carried out in view of its monolithic manufacturing through selective laser melting in AlSi10Mg alloy. As a proof-of-concept for satellite telecommunication multi-beam applications, the feeding network operates in the K band (19.25, 20.75) GHz and in the Ka band (27.0, 29.0) GHz. The system provides four rectangular-waveguide ports and a common dual-polarized circular-waveguide port to be connected to the feed horn. The prototype exhibits measured values of in-band return loss better than 28 dB and a port-to-port isolation better than 19 dB (in polarization) and 50 dB (in frequency). The cross-polar discrimination is higher than 20 dB. In this regard, an elliptical-waveguide line was specifically designed and manufactured to recover a value higher than 30 dB in both frequency bands. The line can be easily integrated in the feed horn to be connected to the feeding-network thanks the ease of customization provided by 3D printing. The insertion losses are lower than 0.5 and 0.2 dB in the K and Ka bands, respectively. The weight of the prototype is approximately 130 g.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is exploited to characterize in situ the high-band antennas (HBAs) of the low-frequency array (LOFAR) CS302 station located in Exloo, The Netherlands. The size of an HBA array is about 30 m. The Fraunhofer distance (a few kilometers) is not reachable in the frequency band (120 to 240 MHz) within the flight regulation limits. Therefore, far-field patterns cannot be directly measured. The UAV, equipped with an radio frequency synthesizer and a dipole antenna, flies in the near-field region of the considered array. Measurement of three different frequencies (124, 150, and 180 MHz) is efficiently made during the same UAV flight. The near-field focusing method is exploited to validate the far-field pattern of the array under test within an angular range around the beam axis. Such a technique avoids both the time consuming λ / 2 sampling of the aperture field and the further application of computationally heavy near-field to far-field transformations. The array beam is well reconstructed in the main lobe and first sidelobes within a 2D scan plane sampled with a radial raster. A further postprocessing technique is proposed and validated on a subarray of HBAs. It suggests efficient ways for the future characterization of regular aperture arrays for SKA-MID Phase 2.

This thesis was scanned from the print manuscript for digital preservation and is copyright the author. Researchers can access this thesis by asking their local university, institution or public library to make a request on their behalf. Monash staff and postgraduate students can use the link in the References field.

This paper presents a preliminary set of results for the LOFAR High-Band Antenna (HBA) Array. The high signal-to-noise ratio and scan capability of the UAV-based measurement system allowed the array verification at both element and tile level. Such data could not have been obtained with astronomical sources. The reported results confirm both pointing angle and beamwidth of the HBA tiles from 120 to 180 MHz.

Castanea sativa is particularly exploited in the Mediterranean basin, for fruit and wood production. Several authors studied the possible effects of C. sativa compounds as interesting ingredients f...

As part of the 3rd phase of EMODnet Chemistry, the scope of attention has been expanded with gathering data and developing access to data and data products for marine litter. This document gives background information about EMODnet strategy for marine litter data collection, its synergy with existing information systems and achievements of EMODnet Chemistry so far. Thereafter it gives detailed information on how to deal with marine litter data for the scope of the EMODnet Chemistry 3 project and, in particular, the formats to be used for gathering and describing marine litter data sets by EMODnet Chemistry participants on a European scale. Published We acknowledge the fundamental contribution of EMODnet Chemistry Steering Committee and Technical Working Group, MSFD Technical Subgroup on Marine Litter, Regional Sea Conventions (OSPAR, HELCOM, UNEP/MAP Barcelona Convention, BSCS Black Sea Commission), ICES, ARPA FVG, CEFAS. We also acknowledge the contribution of the following EU-projects: BASEMAN, PERSEUS, MEDITS, DeFishGear, EMBLAS. Current 14.1 TRL 1 Basic principles observed and reported Manual (incl. handbook, guide, cookbook etc)

A spherical bandpass filter is presented. The main feature of the proposed filter is the use of the spherical mode TE 101 , which presents a higher unloaded Q-factor than the fundamental mode and its proximate higher order modes. As a result, in this work, the mode TE 101 has been exploited in the design of a 2-pole filter with a central frequency at 10 GHz and fractional bandwidth 1.2%. The fabrication has been carried out using the selective laser melting technology in order to exploit the flexibility of additive manufacturing. In particular, two monolithic prototypes have been manufactured. Good agreement between measurements and simulations have been observed, with almost identical results between the two manufactured prototypes, thus proving the repeatability of the process. No tuning screws have been used.

La tutela della posizione soggettiva dell'azionista innanzi a modificazioni dei relativi diritti � stata indagata ripercorrendo gli studi della dottrina e gli arresti della giurisprudenza, cercando di volgere uno sguardo oltre i confini nazionali, ma soprattutto mettendo a sistema le norme del nostro ordinamento. In un primo momento, lo studio si � orientato alla ricerca dei limiti al potere della maggioranza e dell'esistenza di un'area di intangibilit� della posizione dell'azionista. Ripercorrendo le teorie tradizionali sui diritti soggettivi e sulla parit� di trattamento, alla luce dell'odierno contesto normativo, si � individuato un primo limite nel carattere precettivo delle norme inderogabili che disciplinano i diritti amministrativi non accrescibili ed un secondo nel principio di non discriminazione dei diritti sulla base di un criterio differente dal possesso azionario, in considerazione del ruolo tipologico delle azioni quale strumento di imputazione delle situazioni giuridiche nella societ� per azioni. La protezione dell'azionista, in caso di violazione di tali limiti, � dotata di particolare forza, in quanto potr� fare valere la nullit� della relativa clausola statutaria. In un secondo momento, l'indagine si � rivolta alla tutela che residua a disposizione del socio a fronte di modifiche dello statuto che siano legittimamente adottate dalla maggioranza e che incidano sulla sua posizione giuridica. Si tratta dello scenario pi� frequente considerato che il potere della maggioranza � risultato rafforzato dalla Riforma del diritto societario del 2003 e che, proprio per tale ragione, il legislatore ha tracciato un nuovo punto di equilibrio con i diritti individuali, attribuendo rilievo centrale all'istituto del diritto di recesso. La tutela, evidentemente gradata rispetto alla nullit� che colpisce le modificazioni poste in violazione dei limiti al potere della maggioranza, � di tipo latamente indennitario e ha vissuto un importante ampliamento dell'ambito applicativo, imponendosi come presidio primario per l'azionista. L'emblematica ed ambigua causa inderogabile di recesso in caso di modificazioni dello statuto concernenti i diritti di voto o di partecipazione, di cui all'art. 2437, I comma, lett. g. c.c., � stata interpretata alla luce del dato letterale, della ratio della norma e della complessiva disciplina dei rapporti tra i diritti del socio e i poteri della maggioranza. Ne � risultato che, oltre al diritto di voto, la locuzione dei diritti di partecipazione non poteva che riferirsi ai soli diritti modificabili dall'assemblea, ovvero quelli accrescibili di natura patrimoniale. Inoltre, le modifiche rilevanti ai fini della legittimazione al diritto di recesso sono sia quelle che hanno ad oggetto l'alterazione dei diritti incorporati nelle azioni, sia quelle che raggiungono indirettamente tale effetto attraverso una modifica che riguardi aspetti organizzativi e strutturali della societ�. L'ordinamento non riconosce alcuna tutela, invece, solo qualora sia alterata in via di fatto la posizione personale dell'azionista in conseguenza non della modifica oggettivamente considerata, bens� di un elemento soggettivo, come la percentuale di azioni detenuta da un determinato socio, che esula dalla fattispecie della causa di recesso. Infine, rispetto a modifiche che incidono illegittimamente sui diritti dell'azionista, costui dispone del potere di impugnarle e, in virt� all'elaborazione dottrinale e giurisprudenziale, anche in ipotesi di abuso della maggioranza. Questa tutela residuale, del resto, si � sviluppata proprio rispetto alle modifiche dello statuto nei cui confronti il legislatore non abbia previsto il rimedio del recesso o altro presidio.

A reverse coupled self-diplexing feed-system operating in the extended C-band is addressed in this paper. Strict requirements in terms of electromagnetic performances, power handling and mass/envelope have driven the selected configuration. The design, validated through the measurement over a flight H/W, demonstrates the validity of the solution, making this product appealing for telecom reflector shaped space antennas.

In this letter, the design and the three-dimensional (3-D) printing of high-performance feed horns operating within Ku- and V-bands are presented. A smooth-wall architecture has been preferred in order to ease the manufacturing and to enhance the 3-D printing quality. A suitable design procedure has been developed for the synthesis of dual-band smooth-wall feeds. Single-band and dual-band all-metal prototypes have been manufactured through the selective laser melting technology. A remarkable agreement between the predicted and measured performances has been achieved also for the higher frequency Q/V-band feed horn with measured return-loss higher than 33 dB, cross-polarization lower than -28 dB, and peak gain of 25 dBi.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is emerging as a key technology for the minimization and integration of microwave antenna systems. Among the several AM processes, selective laser melting (SLM) is rather convenient for waveguide components, since it allows for all-metal parts with a mechanical accuracy within 30–60 $\mu \text{m}$ and an equivalent surface electrical resistivity in the range of 10–20 $\mu \Omega \text {cm}$ . This paper reports on the assessment of the SLM applicability to the manufacturing of dual-polarization waveguide components operating in Ka-band, namely, a septum polarizer, a smooth-wall feed horn integrated with the septum polarizer, and an orthomode transducer (OMT). In order to achieve high electromagnetic performance in the Ka-band, the architectures have been optimized for the manufacturing process, above all in terms of orientation on the building platform and minimization of supporting structures. As a consequence, the corresponding prototypes exhibit measured performances in significant agreement with the predicted values. As an example, the return loss of all the components has been measured to be as high as 25 dB, while the measured isolation between the rectangular waveguide ports of the OMT is better than 47 dB.

Front-end amplifiers with high input impedance are exploited to build active array elements for modern low-frequency radio telescopes. The combination of such loading and mutual coupling between adjacent elements is responsible for the deep nulls that are present in some embedded element patterns (EEPs) of the Low-Frequency Array. This paper quantifies this phenomenon with both models and experimental data. The full-wave array simulations and the measured amplifier scattering parameters are combined to obtain the EEP models. These models are in good agreement with the in situ measurements that have been performed with a micro unmanned aerial vehicle carrying a field source.

Additive manufacturing technologies have been increasingly applied to the development of radio frequency components in the past few years. Indeed, the free-form capability of these processes allows for the design of novel components, whose actual implementation through conventional machining is rather complex or even not possible. This paper describes a monolithic WR51 component integrating three radio frequency functionalities, namely, bending, twisting, and filtering. Three aluminum prototypes with different bending/twisting radii have been manufactured through the selective laser melting process. They exhibit a measured rejection higher than 60 dB in 17.5 and 21.2 GHz, and a measured return loss better than 20 dB in 12.5 and 15 GHz. Significant mass and envelope reductions (higher than 60% depending on the bending/twisting radius) with respect to the reference subsystem with distinct waveguide components are achieved. These results assess the effectiveness of 3-D metal printing in the miniaturization and integration of waveguide systems.

This study describes an experimental research activity on the manufacturing of passive waveguide components by means of two additive technologies, namely the selective-laser melting and the stereo-lithography processes. The former is a power-bed fusion process, for which aluminium, titanium, and steel powders have been considered in this study. The latter is based on the photopolymerisation of a resin vat. This technology has been applied in conjunction with an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene-like polymer and a subsequent electrolytic copper plating for the metallisation of the internal channels. Wideband filters operating in Ku/K band have been developed as benchmarks, for which detailed comparisons between simulations and measurements are reported.

The genus Teucrium (Lamiaceae) includes 300 species widespread all around the world, which are perennial herbs or shrubs commonly, named germanders. In Italy, Teucrium flavum L., Teucrium fruticans L., and Teucrium siculum Rafin are mostly present in Liguria, Sicily, and Sardegna. Teucrium species are characterized by mono and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, flavonoids, fatty acid esters, and essential oils. Many species of this genus show antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antifungal activities, rendering them useful as natural preservative ingredients. In view of the interesting biological properties reported for Teucrium spp., in this study we determined the total phenol and flavonoid content of inflorescence extracts of T. flavum L., T. fruticans L., and T. siculum Rafin. In addition, we investigated the in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activities of inflorescence extracts against pathogenic bacteria. Obtained results demonstrated that extracts had in vitro antioxidant activity and showed antim...

This paper discusses the impedance and front-to-back ratio performance of asymmetric dipoles. These parameters are very important when the antennas are placed over a conductive ground plane and should operate over multi-octave frequency bands. The operation of these antennas is usually described relying on analogies with more classical structures such as symmetric dipoles and tapered slot antennas. To provide a solid theoretical background to this intuition, this work presents the application of characteristic mode analysis to multi-octave dipole antennas. Firstly, a brief review of the main characteristic mode content is presented. Then, characteristic mode analysis is applied to three antenna concepts to emphasize how their geometry impacts on the relevant figures of merit. This allows to draw some conclusions on the achievable performance by different designs.

Additive manufacturing (AM) technology has great potential in manufacturing complex internal channels for several applications such as satellite-communication microwave systems. These systems can have complex shapes and make traditional finishing processes a challenge for additive parts. Therefore, it is desirable that the internal surfaces are as close as possible to the tolerance of the field of application. In this study, a complex component, a unique waveguide device with bending, twisting and filtering functionalities, has been designed and manufactured in AlSi10Mg alloy through laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process. Three different prototypes with three different curvature (R of 50 mm, 40 mm and 30 mm), operating in Ku/K band, have been manufactured and tested showing a very good agreement with the desired performances. Using 3D scan data, the internal deviations from the CAD model have been evaluated showing an average deviation of the internal areas of about 0.08 mm, 0.046 mm and 0.023 mm from the CAD model for the R of 50 mm, 40 mm and 30 mm respectively The surface roughness measured in the internal channel is about Ra (arithmetic average roughness) of 8 μm ± 1.3 μm and Rz (average maximum height of the roughness profile) of 62.3 μm ± 0.34 μm.

Walnut (Juglans regia L.) is considered to be a 'superfood' for its multiple protective actions on human health. Walnut extracts have proven antitumor activity in different cancer cell lines. However, the efficacy of septum extract against glioblastoma has still not been investigated. Glioblastoma is the most difficult type of brain cancer to treat. The standard therapy, based on temozolomide, causes several side effects, including neutropenia and lymphocytopenia, which often favor the onset of opportunistic infections. In the present study, the chemical profile of the Sicilian walnut septum ethanolic extract was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-diode array detection and HPLC-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The potential cytostatic activity of the extract against the human A172 glioblastoma cell line was investigated and the results showed that the extract could decrease cancer cell proliferation and migration. Using cytofluorimetric analyses and caspase-3 assays, the pro-apoptotic action of walnut extract was demonstrated. Furthermore, the evaluation of the antibacterial activity high-lighted the efficacy of the extract in reducing Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial growth, most of which were resistant to the antibiotic, ciprofloxacin. Finally, Prediction of Activity Spectra for Substances analysis showed the predicted antitumor and antibacterial activity of HPLC detected compounds. The promising results could provide novel perspective in the field of chemotherapeutic co-adjuvants.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing, additive manufacturing (AM), digital manufacturing, and free-form fabrication are some of the synonymous expressions commonly used to identify the new class of processes through which objects are built by selectively adding material, usually layer by layer, instead of subtracting material, as in conventional machining techniques like chemical etching, laser-cutting, milling, and electroerosion [1].

Symbiosis and coloniality are ecologically important traits for corals of the order Scleractinia. Symbiotic (zooxanthellate) species are highly successful in shallow waters of tropical and subtropical seas and most of them are colonial. On the other hand, azooxanthellate species present wide distribution ranges and expand to the deep-sea at more than 6,000 m depth. These are mostly solitary, with only few species colonial that form extensive deep reefs. Each ecologically distinctive group encompasses half of the biodiversity of the order and they are not grouped into differentiated monophyletic clades. Paleontologists and evolutionary biologists have debated for decades whether modern scleractinian corals have evolved from symbiotic or colonial ancestors and how these traits have evolved and being involved in the diversification process in corals. Previous comparative analyses throw evidence in favor of coevolution of these characters and toward repetitive loss of symbiosis and coloniality. Nevertheless, the discovery of the origin of the group deep in the Paleozoic, with a deep divergent clade composed of only azooxanthellate corals has questioned these findings. With this work, we disentangle the patterns in the evolution of symbiosis and coloniality, testing if they are correlated and if they follow a gradual or episodic mode of evolution. To this end, we first produce the most complete time-calibrated phylogenetic tree for the order Scleractinia, including new sequences of never-before sampled species and genera. These novel sequences contribute to alleviate the current molecular under sampling of azooxanthellate species. Incorporating phylogenetic uncertainty, we obtained strong evidence in favor of a correlated and episodic model of evolution. This model led to the inference of an azooxanthellate and solitary most recent ancestor of scleractinians. Transition rates between the four different combinations of the two traits showed that while coloniality is gained and lost multiple times, symbiosis first appears around 282 Ma and is never lost. Also, coloniality seems to have appeared before symbiosis in azooxanthellate lineages. Thus, azooxanthellate corals, and especially colonial lineages, have been acting as a source of biodiversity for shallow zooxanthellate coral communities, highlighting the uniqueness of shallow and deep species and the need to preserve them., This work was funded by the ANID doctoral fellowship 21170577. FONDECYT supported this research through grants 1170815, 1201506 (CH), and 1200843 (MR). CV was supported by the RPG-20 Leverhulme Trust17-071.

Background Global longitudinal strain (LS) is a sensitive marker of ischemic myocardial damage and predicts adverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling and outcome, independently of infarct size. In healthy subjects, regional LS increases from LV base to apex and enhances under physical or pharmacological stress, while in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), response to dobutamine depends on transmurality of necrosis. It is known that coronary flow reserve during adenosine (ADN) is impaired both in ischemic and remote myocardium, but effect of ADN on strain reserve has never been investigated. Similarly, LS response to ADN in ischemic (iLS) and remote (rLS) myocardium and their relative contribution to LV function and remodeling are still unknown. Methods 61 consecutive patients with first STEMI (26 anterior, 29 inferior, 6 lateral), treated by successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) followed by PCI of non-culprit coronary arteries, underwent rest and stress ADN (140 mcg/kg/minutes in 90 seconds) echocardiography at discharge (7 ± 2 days after admission). LV end-diastolic volume indexed for body surface area (EDV), ejection fraction (EF) and wall motion score index (WMSI) were measured at rest, while GLS, iLS and rLS analysis was performed both at rest and during stress. Ischemic and remote myocardium was allocated, by standard LV segmentation, basing on the culprit coronary artery. Results Significant differences existed among anterior, inferior and lateral STEMI in median (iQr) EDV [52 (45-59) vs 45 (36-51) vs 48 (45–56) ml, respectively, p=.034 overall], EF [47 (37-58) vs 58 (53–61) vs 56 (46-60)%, respectively, p=.002 overall], WMSI [1.63 (1.38–2) vs 1.25 (1.19-1.47) vs 1.41 (1.30-1.75), respectively, p=.001 overall]. GLS differed among anterior, inferior and lateral STEMI both at rest [13.75 (11.63-16.1) vs 19.5 (17.15-22.4) vs 17.85 (17.02-19), respectively, p Conclusions In the subacute phase of STEMI, GLS, iLS and rLS are heterogeneous and depend on infarct site. After ADN, there is no strain reserve in ischemic neither in remote myocardium. This may reflect regional differences in the response of microcirculation and myocardium to ischemia or may underlie pre-existing pathophysiological differences in the coronary circulation

This report presents an ecosystem assessment covering the total land area of the EU as well as the EU marine regions. The assessment is carried out by Joint Research Centre, European Environment Agency, DG Environment, and the European Topic Centres on Biological Diversity and on Urban, Land and Soil Systems. This report constitutes a knowledge base which can support the evaluation of the 2020 biodiversity targets. It also provides a data foundation for future assessments and policy developments, in particular with respect to the ecosystem restoration agenda for the next decade (2020-2030). The report presents an analysis of the pressures and condition of terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems using a single, comparable methodology based on European data on trends of pressures and condition relative to the policy baseline 2010. The following main conclusions are drawn: - Pressures on ecosystems exhibit different trends. - Land take, atmospheric emissions of air pollutants and critical loads of nitrogen are decreasing but the absolute values of all these pressures remain too high. - Impacts from climate change on ecosystems are increasing. - Invasive alien species of union concern are observed in all ecosystems, but their impact is particularly high in urban ecosystems and grasslands. - Pressures from overfishing activities and marine pollution are still high. - In the long term, air and freshwater quality is improving. - In forests and agroecosystems, which represent over 80% of the EU territory, there are improvements in structural condition indicators (biomass, deadwood, area under organic farming) relative to the baseline year 2010 but some key bio-indicators such as tree-crown defoliation continue to increase. This indicates that ecosystem condition is not improving. - Species-related indicators show no progress or further declines, particularly in agroecosystems. The analysis of trends in ecosystem services concluded that the current potential of ecosystems to deliver timber, protection against floods, crop pollination, and nature-based recreation is equal to or lower than the baseline value for 2010. At the same time, the demand for these services has significantly increased. A lowered potential in combination with a higher demand risks to further decrease the condition of ecosystems and their contribution to human well-being. Despite the wide coverage of environmental legislation in the EU, there are still large gaps in the legal protection of ecosystems. On land, 76% of the area of terrestrial ecosystems, mainly forests, agroecosystems and urban ecosystems, are excluded from a legal designation under the Bird and Habitat Directives. Freshwater and marine ecosystems are subject to specific protection measures under the Water Framework and Marine Strategy Framework Directives. The condition of ecosystems that are under legal designation is unfavourable. More efforts are needed to bend the curve of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation and to put ecosystems on a path to recovery. The progress that is made in certain areas such as pollution reduction, increasing air and water quality, increasing share of organic farming, the expansion of forests, and the efforts to maintain marine fish stocks at sustainable levels show that a persistent implementation of policies can be effective. These successes should encourage us to act now and to put forward an ambitious plan for the restoration of Europe’s ecosystems., JRC.D.3-Land Resources

Kriminalität konstituiert sich in Diskursen und Praktiken. In den sozialen Arenen entwickeln sich wirkmächtige Bedeutungsaufladungen, die in Bezug auf das, was aktuell unter Kriminalität gefasst wird, bearbeitet werden: von politischen Entscheidungen zur Förderpraxis in der Sicherheitsforschung über Präventions- und Interventionsprogramme bis zu den Bedingungen und Eigensinnigkeiten institutioneller Praxis. Diese Vielfalt und Verwobenheit standen im Fokus der ersten Tagung des Netzwerks „Kriminologie in NRW“. Hierbei wurde der Raum insbesondere Nachwuchswissenschaftler*innen eröffnet, ihre Forschungsvorhaben in ganz unterschiedlichen Stadien zu präsentieren und interdisziplinäre Rückmeldungen zu erhalten. Neben der Nachwuchsförderung ist ein zentrales Anliegen des Netzwerks, den Austausch zwischen Forschung, Lehre und Praxis anzuregen, ihre vielfältigen Konzepte zu bündeln und Aktivitäten sichtbar zu machen.