2,026 results on '"D'Ilario, A."'
Search Results
2. Shaping Radio Access to Match Variable Wireless Fronthaul Quality in Next-Generation Networks
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Morini, Marcello, Moro, Eugenio, Filippini, Ilario, De Donno, Danilo, and Capone, Antonio
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Computer Science - Networking and Internet Architecture ,Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Signal Processing - Abstract
The emergence of Centralized-RAN (C-RAN) has revolutionized mobile network infrastructure, offering streamlined cell-site engineering and enhanced network management capabilities. As C-RAN gains momentum, the focus shifts to optimizing fronthaul links. While fiber fronthaul guarantees performance, wireless alternatives provide cost efficiency and scalability, making them preferable in densely urbanized areas. However, wireless fronthaul often requires expensive over-dimensioning to overcome the challenging atmospheric attenuation typical of high frequencies. We propose a framework designed to continuously align radio access capacity with fronthaul link quality to overcome this rigidity. By gradually adapting radio access capacity to available fronthaul capacity, the framework ensures smooth degradation rather than complete service loss. Various strategies are proposed, considering factors like functional split and beamforming technology and exploring the tradeoff between adaptation strategy complexity and end-to-end system performance. Numerical evaluations using experimental rain attenuation data illustrate the framework's effectiveness in optimizing radio access capacity under realistically variable fronthaul link quality, ultimately proving the importance of adaptive capacity management in maximizing C-RAN efficiency.
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- 2024
3. Optimal complexity of parameterized quantum circuits
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Correr, Guilherme Ilário, Azado, Pedro C., Soares-Pinto, Diogo O., and Carlo, Gabriel
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Quantum Physics - Abstract
Parameterized quantum circuits play a key role for the development of quantum variational algorithms in the realm of the NISQ era. Knowing their actual capability of performing different kinds of tasks is then of the utmost importance. By comparing them with a prototypical class of universal random circuits we have found that their approach to the asymptotic complexity defined by the Haar measure is faster, needing less gates to reach it. Topology has been revealed crucial for this. The majorization criterion has proven as a relevant complementary tool to the expressibility and the mean entanglement., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures
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- 2024
4. Characterizing randomness in parameterized quantum circuits through expressibility and average entanglement
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Correr, Guilherme Ilário, Medina, Ivan, Azado, Pedro C., Drinko, Alexandre, and Soares-Pinto, Diogo O.
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Quantum Physics - Abstract
While scalable error correction schemes and fault tolerant quantum computing seem not to be universally accessible in the near sight, the efforts of many researchers have been directed to the exploration of the contemporary available quantum hardware. Due to these limitations, the depth and dimension of the possible quantum circuits are restricted. This motivates the study of circuits with parameterized operations that can be classically optimized in hybrid methods as variational quantum algorithms (VQAs), enabling the reduction of circuit depth and size. The characteristics of these Parameterized Quantum Circuits (PQCs) are still not fully understood outside the scope of their principal application, motivating the study of their intrinsic properties. In this work, we analyse the generation of random states in PQCs under restrictions on the qubits connectivities, justified by different quantum computer architectures. We apply the expressibility quantifier and the average entanglement as diagnostics for the characteristics of the generated states and classify the circuits depending on the topology of the quantum computer where they can be implemented. As a function of the number of layers and qubits, circuits following a Ring topology will have the highest entanglement and expressibility values, followed by Linear/All-to-all almost together and the Star topology. In addition to the characterization of the differences between the entanglement and expressibility of these circuits, we also place a connection between how steep is the increase on the uniformity of the distribution of the generated states and the generation of entanglement. Circuits generating average and standard deviation for entanglement closer to values obtained with the truly uniformly random ensemble of unitaries present a steeper evolution when compared to others., Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures
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- 2024
5. Exploring Upper-6GHz and mmWave in Real-World 5G Networks: A Direct on-Field Comparison
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Morini, Marcello, Moro, Eugenio, Filippini, Ilario, Capone, Antonio, and De Donno, Danilo
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Computer Science - Networking and Internet Architecture ,Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Signal Processing - Abstract
The spectrum crunch challenge poses a vital threat to the progress of cellular networks and recently prompted the inclusion of millimeter wave (mmWave) and Upper 6GHz (U6G) in the 3GPP standards. These two bands promise to unlock a large portion of untapped spectrum, but the harsh propagation due to the increased carrier frequency might negatively impact the performance of urban Radio Access Network (RAN) deployments. Within the span of a year, two co-located 5G networks operating in these frequency bands were deployed at Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy, entirely dedicated to the dense urban performance assessment of the two systems. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of the measurement campaigns conducted on them, with the U6G campaign representing the first of its kind. A benchmark is provided by ray-tracing simulations. The results suggest that networks operating in these frequency bands provide good indoor and outdoor coverage and throughput in urban scenarios, even when deployed in the macro base station setup common to lower frequencies. In addition, a comparative performance analysis of these two key technologies is provided, offering insights on their relative strengths, weaknesses and improvement margins and informing on which bands is better suited for urban macro coverage.
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- 2024
6. lymph: discontinuous poLYtopal methods for Multi-PHysics differential problems
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Antonietti, Paola F., Bonetti, Stefano, Botti, Michele, Corti, Mattia, Fumagalli, Ivan, and Mazzieri, Ilario
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Mathematics - Numerical Analysis - Abstract
We present the library lymph for the finite element numerical discretization of coupled multi-physics problems. lymph is a Matlab library for the discretization of partial differential equations based on high-order discontinuous Galerkin methods on polytopal grids (PolyDG) for spatial discretization coupled with suitable finite-difference time marching schemes. The objective of the paper is to introduce the library by describing it in terms of installation, input/output data, and code structure, highlighting - when necessary - key implementation aspects related to the method. A user guide, proceeding step-by-step in the implementation and solution of a Poisson problem, is also provided. In the last part of the paper, we show the results obtained for several differential problems, namely the Poisson problem, the heat equation, the elastodynamics system, and a multiphysics problem coupling poroelasticity and acoustic equations. Through these examples, we show the convergence properties and highlight some of the main features of the proposed method, i.e. geometric flexibility, high-order accuracy, and robustness with respect to heterogeneous physical parameters.
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- 2024
7. Impact of metformin, statin, aspirin and insulin on the prognosis of uHCC patients receiving first line Lenvatinib or Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab
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Margherita Rimini, Margarida Montes, Elisabeth Amadeo, Francesco Vitiello, Masatoshi Kudo, Toshifumi Tada, Goki Suda, Shigeo Shimose, Sara Lonardi, Fabian Finkelmeier, Francesca Salani, Lorenzo Antonuzzo, Fabio Marra, Massimo Iavarone, Giuseppe Cabibbo, Francesco Giuseppe Foschi, Marianna Silletta, Rodolfo Sacco, Ilario Giovanni Rapposelli, Mario Scartozzi, Pella Nicoletta, Luca Aldrighetti, Mara Persano, Silvia Camera, Federico Rossari, Silvia Foti, Takashi Kumada, Atsushi Hiraoka, Hideki Iwamoto, Mario Domenico Rizzato, Vera Himmelsbach, Gianluca Masi, Mattia Corradi, Ciro Celsa, Conti Fabio, Giovanni Luca Frassineti, Stefano Cascinu, Andrea Casadei-Gardini, and Jose Presa
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Advanced HCC ,Atezolizumab ,Bevacizumab ,Lenvatinib BMI ,Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Abstract Recently, in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) setting, the use of metformin has been associated to a trend toward worse response rate, overall survival and progression free survival in patients who received immunotherapy. The study population included individuals from both Eastern and Western regions with a confirmed diagnosis of HCC and receiving first line treatment with Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab or Lenvatinib. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed by Cox proportional. For the analysis, patients were stratified based on their use of concomitant medication or not. At the time of database lock, 319 deaths were observed: 209 in the Lenvatinib cohort, 110 in the Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab cohort. In the Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab arm, 50 (16.5%) patients were on chronic metformin use. At the univariate analysis for OS, patients who used metformin showed significantly shorter OS compared to patients who did not use metformin (HR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1–3.2). Multivariate analysis confirmed that patients in metformin group had significantly shorter OS compared to patients in no-metformin group (HR 1.9; 95% CI 1.1–3.1). At the univariate analysis for PFS, patients in metformin group had significantly shorter PFS compared to patients in no-metformin group (HR 1.6, 95% CI 1.0–2.6). Multivariate analysis confirmed that patients in metformin group had significantly shorter PFS compared to patients in no-metformin group (HR 1.7; 95% CI 1.1–2.7; p = 0.0147). No differences were reported in terms of ORR and DCR between patients in metformin group and those in no-metformin group. In the Lenvatinib cohort, 65 (15%) patients were recorded to chronically use metformin. No statistically significant differences in terms of both OS and PFS were found between patients in metformin group and patients in no-metformin group. This analysis unveils a negative prognostic role associated with metformin use specifically within the Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab group.
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- 2024
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8. Effects of a supplemented diet containing 7 probiotic strains (Honeybeeotic) on honeybee physiology and immune response: analysis of hemolymph cytology, phenoloxidase activity, and gut microbiome
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Patrizia Robino, Livio Galosi, Alessandro Bellato, Silvia Vincenzetti, Elena Gonella, Ilario Ferrocino, Evelina Serri, Lucia Biagini, Alessandra Roncarati, Patrizia Nebbia, Chiara Menzio, and Giacomo Rossi
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Apis mellifera ligustica ,Probiotic ,Cellular immunity ,Intestinal microbiota ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 - Abstract
Abstract Background In this study, a probiotic mixture (Honeybeeotic) consisting of seven bacterial strains isolated from a unique population of honeybees (Apis mellifera ligustica) was used. That honeybee population was located in the Roti Abbey locality of the Marche Region in Italy, an area isolated from human activities, and genetic contamination from other honeybee populations. The aim was to investigate the effects of this probiotic mixture on the innate immunity and intestinal microbiome of healthy common honeybees in two hives of the same apiary. Hive A received a diet of 50% glucose syrup, while hive B received the same syrup supplemented with the probiotics, both administered daily for 1 month. To determine whether the probiotic altered the immune response, phenoloxidase activity and hemolymph cellular subtype count were investigated. Additionally, metagenomic approaches were used to analyze the effects on gut microbiota composition and function, considering the critical role the gut microbiota plays in modulating host physiology. Results The results revealed differences in hemocyte populations between the two hives, as hive A exhibited higher counts of oenocytoids and granulocytes. These findings indicated that the dietary supplementation with the probiotic mixture was safe and well-tolerated. Furthermore, phenoloxidase activity significantly decreased in hive B (1.75 ± 0.19 U/mg) compared to hive A (3.62 ± 0.44 U/mg, p
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- 2024
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9. A space-time discontinuous Galerkin method for coupled poroelasticity-elasticity problems
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Antonietti, Paola F., Botti, Michele, and Mazzieri, Ilario
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Mathematics - Numerical Analysis ,65M12, 65M60 - Abstract
This work is concerned with the analysis of a space-time finite element discontinuous Galerkin method on polytopal meshes (XT-PolydG) for the numerical discretization of wave propagation in coupled poroelastic-elastic media. The mathematical model consists of the low-frequency Biot's equations in the poroelastic medium and the elastodynamics equation for the elastic one. To realize the coupling, suitable transmission conditions on the interface between the two domains are (weakly) embedded in the formulation. The proposed PolydG discretization in space is then coupled with a dG time integration scheme, resulting in a full space-time dG discretization. We present the stability analysis for both the continuous and the semidiscrete formulations, and we derive error estimates for the semidiscrete formulation in a suitable energy norm. The method is applied to a wide set of numerical test cases to verify the theoretical bounds. Examples of physical interest are also presented to investigate the capability of the proposed method in relevant geophysical scenarios.
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- 2023
10. Shaping Next-Generation RAN Topologies to Meet Future Traffic Demands: A Peak Throughput Study
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Fiore, Paolo, Filippini, Ilario, and De Donno, Danilo
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Computer Science - Networking and Internet Architecture - Abstract
Millimeter-Wave (mm-Wave) Radio Access Networks (RANs) are a promising solution to tackle the overcrowding of the sub-6 GHz spectrum, offering wider and underutilized bands. However, they are characterized by inherent technical challenges, such as a limited propagation range and blockage losses caused by obstacles. Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) and Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) are two technologies devised to face these challenges. This work analyzes the optimal network layout of RANs equipped with IAB and RIS in real urban scenarios using MILP formulations to derive practical design guidelines. In particular, it shows how optimizing the peak user throughput of such networks improves the achievable peak throughput, compared to the traditional mean-throughput maximization approaches, without actually sacrificing mean throughputs. In addition, it indicates star-like topologies as the best network layout to achieve the highest peak throughputs.
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- 2023
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11. Impact of metformin, statin, aspirin and insulin on the prognosis of uHCC patients receiving first line Lenvatinib or Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab
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Rimini, Margherita, Montes, Margarida, Amadeo, Elisabeth, Vitiello, Francesco, Kudo, Masatoshi, Tada, Toshifumi, Suda, Goki, Shimose, Shigeo, Lonardi, Sara, Finkelmeier, Fabian, Salani, Francesca, Antonuzzo, Lorenzo, Marra, Fabio, Iavarone, Massimo, Cabibbo, Giuseppe, Foschi, Francesco Giuseppe, Silletta, Marianna, Sacco, Rodolfo, Rapposelli, Ilario Giovanni, Scartozzi, Mario, Nicoletta, Pella, Aldrighetti, Luca, Persano, Mara, Camera, Silvia, Rossari, Federico, Foti, Silvia, Kumada, Takashi, Hiraoka, Atsushi, Iwamoto, Hideki, Rizzato, Mario Domenico, Himmelsbach, Vera, Masi, Gianluca, Corradi, Mattia, Celsa, Ciro, Fabio, Conti, Frassineti, Giovanni Luca, Cascinu, Stefano, Casadei-Gardini, Andrea, and Presa, Jose
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- 2024
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12. Effects of a supplemented diet containing 7 probiotic strains (Honeybeeotic) on honeybee physiology and immune response: analysis of hemolymph cytology, phenoloxidase activity, and gut microbiome
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Robino, Patrizia, Galosi, Livio, Bellato, Alessandro, Vincenzetti, Silvia, Gonella, Elena, Ferrocino, Ilario, Serri, Evelina, Biagini, Lucia, Roncarati, Alessandra, Nebbia, Patrizia, Menzio, Chiara, and Rossi, Giacomo
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- 2024
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13. Insect live larvae as a new nutritional model in duck: effects on gut health
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Colombino, Elena, Gariglio, Marta, Biasato, Ilaria, Ferrocino, Ilario, Pozzo, Sara, Fragola, Emma, Battisti, Elena, Zanet, Stefania, Ferroglio, Ezio, Capucchio, Maria Teresa, and Schiavone, Achille
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- 2024
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14. Correction to: A phase II/III randomized clinical trial of CisPlatin plUs Gemcitabine and Nabpaclitaxel (GAP) as pReoperative chemotherapy versus immediate resection in patIents with resecTable BiliarY tract cancers (BTC) at high risk for recurrence: PURITY study
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Niger, Monica, Nichetti, Federico, Fornaro, Lorenzo, Pircher, Chiara, Morano, Federica, Palermo, Federica, Rimassa, Lorenza, Pressiani, Tiziana, Berardi, Rossana, Gardini, Andrea Casadei, Sperti, Elisa, Salvatore, Lisa, Melisi, Davide, Bergamo, Francesca, Siena, Salvatore, Mosconi, Stefania, Longarini, Rafaella, Arcangeli, Giuseppina, Corallo, Salvatore, Delliponti, Laura, Tamberi, Stefano, Fea, Elena, Brandi, Giovanni, Rapposelli, Ilario Giovanni, Salati, Massimiliano, Baili, Paolo, Miceli, Rosalba, Ljevar, Silva, Cavallo, Ilaria, Sottotetti, Elisa, Martinetti, Antonia, Busset, Michele Droz Dit, Sposito, Carlo, Di Bartolomeo, Maria, Pietrantonio, Filippo, de Braud, Filippo, and Mazzaferro, Vincenzo
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- 2024
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15. A phase II/III randomized clinical trial of CisPlatin plUs Gemcitabine and Nabpaclitaxel (GAP) as pReoperative chemotherapy versus immediate resection in patIents with resecTable BiliarY Tract Cancers (BTC) at high risk for recurrence: PURITY study
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Niger, Monica, Nichetti, Federico, Fornaro, Lorenzo, Pircher, Chiara, Morano, Federica, Palermo, Federica, Rimassa, Lorenza, Pressiani, Tiziana, Berardi, Rossana, Gardini, Andrea Casadei, Sperti, Elisa, Salvatore, Lisa, Melisi, Davide, Bergamo, Francesca, Siena, Salvatore, Mosconi, Stefania, Longarini, Raffaella, Arcangeli, Giuseppina, Corallo, Salvatore, Delliponti, Laura, Tamberi, Stefano, Fea, Elena, Brandi, Giovanni, Rapposelli, Ilario Giovanni, Salati, Massimiliano, Baili, Paolo, Miceli, Rosalba, Ljevar, Silva, Cavallo, Ilaria, Sottotetti, Elisa, Martinetti, Antonia, Busset, Michele Droz Dit, Sposito, Carlo, Di Bartolomeo, Maria, Pietrantonio, Filippo, de Braud, Filippo, and Mazzaferro, Vincenzo
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- 2024
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16. AeroSPEED: a high order acoustic solver for aeroacoustic applications
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Artoni, Alberto, Antonietti, Paola F., Corradi, Roberto, Mazzieri, Ilario, Parolini, Nicola, Rocchi, Daniele, Schito, Paolo, and Semeraro, Francesco F.
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Mathematics - Numerical Analysis ,Physics - Fluid Dynamics - Abstract
We propose AeroSPEED, a solver based on the Spectral Element Method (SEM) that solves the aeroacoustic Lighthill's wave equation. First, the fluid solution is computed employing a cell centered Finite Volume method. Then, AeroSPEED maps the sound source coming from the flow solution onto the acoustic grid, where finally the Lighthill's wave equation is solved. An ad-hoc projection strategy is adopted to apply the flow source term in the acoustic solver. A model problem with a manufactured solution and the Noise Box test case are used as benchmark for the acoustic problem. We studied the noise generated by the complex flow field around tandem cylinders as a relevant aeroacoustic application. AeroSPEED is an effective and accurate solver for both acoustics and aeroacoustic problems.
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- 2023
17. Numerical modelling of wave propagation phenomena in thermo-poroelastic media via discontinuous Galerkin methods
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Bonetti, Stefano, Botti, Michele, Mazzieri, Ilario, and Antonietti, Paola F.
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Mathematics - Numerical Analysis ,35L05, 65M12, 65M60, 74F05, 76S05 - Abstract
We present and analyze a high-order discontinuous Galerkin method for the space discretization of the wave propagation model in thermo-poroelastic media. The proposed scheme supports general polytopal grids. Stability analysis and $hp$-version error estimates in suitable energy norms are derived for the semi-discrete problem. The fully-discrete scheme is then obtained based on employing an implicit Newmark-$\beta$ time integration scheme. A wide set of numerical simulations is reported, both for the verification of the theoretical estimates and for examples of physical interest. A comparison with the results of the poroelastic model is provided too, highlighting the differences between the predictive capabilities of the two models.
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- 2023
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18. A hybrid finite volume -- spectral element method for aeroacoustic problems
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Artoni, Alberto, Antonietti, Paola F., Mazzieri, Ilario, Parolini, Nicola, and Rocchi, Daniele
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Mathematics - Numerical Analysis ,Mathematical Physics - Abstract
We propose a hybrid Finite Volume (FV) - Spectral Element Method (SEM) for modelling aeroacoustic phenomena based on the Lighthill's acoustic analogy. First the fluid solution is computed employing a FV method. Then, the sound source term is projected onto the acoustic grid and the inhomogeneous Lighthill's wave equation is solved employing the SEM. The novel projection method computes offline the intersections between the acoustic and the fluid grids in order to preserve the accuracy. The proposed intersection algorithm is shown to be robust, scalable and able to efficiently compute the geometric intersection of arbitrary polyhedral elements. We then analyse the properties of the projection error, showing that if the fluid grid is fine enough we are able to exploit the accuracy of the acoustic solver and we numerically assess the obtained theoretical estimates. Finally, we address two relevant aeroacoustic benchmarks, namely the corotating vortex pair and the noise induced by a laminar flow around a squared cylinder, to demonstrate in practice the effectiveness of the projection method when dealing with high order solvers. The flow computations are performed with OpenFOAM [46], an open-source finite volume library, while the inhomogeneous Lighthill's wave equation is solved with SPEED [31], an opensource spectral element library.
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- 2023
19. Insect live larvae as a new nutritional model in duck: effects on gut health
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Elena Colombino, Marta Gariglio, Ilaria Biasato, Ilario Ferrocino, Sara Pozzo, Emma Fragola, Elena Battisti, Stefania Zanet, Ezio Ferroglio, Maria Teresa Capucchio, and Achille Schiavone
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Black soldier fly ,Yellow mealworm ,Hermetia illucens ,Tenebrio molitor ,Microbiota ,Volatile fatty acid ,Veterinary medicine ,SF600-1100 ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Abstract
Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Hermetia illucens (Black soldier fly-BSF) and Tenebrio molitor (Yellow mealworm-YMW) live larvae as a new nutritional model on duck’s gut health, considering gut histomorphometry, mucin composition, cytokines transcription levels, and microbiota. A total of 126, 3-days-old, females Muscovy ducks were randomly allotted to three dietary treatments (6 replicates/treatment, 7 birds/pen): (i) C: basal diet; (ii) BSF: C + BSF live larvae; (iii) YMW: C + YMW live larvae. BSF and YMW live larvae were administered on top of the basal diet, based on the 5% of the expected daily feed intake. The live weight, average daily gain, average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio were evaluated for the whole experimental period. On day 52, 12 ducks/treatment (2 birds/replicate) were slaughtered and samples of duodenum, jejunum, ileum, spleen, liver, thymus and bursa of Fabricius were collected for histomorphometry. Mucin composition was evaluated in the small intestine through histochemical staining while jejunal MUC-2 and cytokines transcription levels were evaluated by rt-qPCR. Cecal microbiota was also analyzed by means of 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. Results Birds’ growth performance and histomorphometry were not influenced by diet, with a proximo-distal decreasing gradient from duodenum to ileum (p
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- 2024
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20. A phase II/III randomized clinical trial of CisPlatin plUs Gemcitabine and Nabpaclitaxel (GAP) as pReoperative chemotherapy versus immediate resection in patIents with resecTable BiliarY Tract Cancers (BTC) at high risk for recurrence: PURITY study
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Monica Niger, Federico Nichetti, Lorenzo Fornaro, Chiara Pircher, Federica Morano, Federica Palermo, Lorenza Rimassa, Tiziana Pressiani, Rossana Berardi, Andrea Casadei Gardini, Elisa Sperti, Lisa Salvatore, Davide Melisi, Francesca Bergamo, Salvatore Siena, Stefania Mosconi, Raffaella Longarini, Giuseppina Arcangeli, Salvatore Corallo, Laura Delliponti, Stefano Tamberi, Elena Fea, Giovanni Brandi, Ilario Giovanni Rapposelli, Massimiliano Salati, Paolo Baili, Rosalba Miceli, Silva Ljevar, Ilaria Cavallo, Elisa Sottotetti, Antonia Martinetti, Michele Droz Dit Busset, Carlo Sposito, Maria Di Bartolomeo, Filippo Pietrantonio, Filippo de Braud, and Vincenzo Mazzaferro
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Biliary tract cancers ,Cholangiocarcinoma ,Neoadjuvant chemotherapy ,Cisplatin gemcitabine nabpaclitaxel ,Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology. Including cancer and carcinogens ,RC254-282 - Abstract
Abstract Background Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are rare and lethal cancers, with a 5-year survival inferior to 20%(1–3). The only potential curative treatment is surgical resection. However, despite complex surgical procedures that have a remarkable risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality, the 5-year survival rate after radical surgery (R0) is 20–40% and recurrence rates are up to ~ 75%(4–6). Up to ~ 40% of patients relapse within 12 months after resection, and half of these patient will recur systemically(4–6). There is no standard of care for neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in resectable BTC, but retrospective reports suggest its potential benefit (7, 8). Methods PURITY is a no-profit, multicentre, randomized phase II/III trial aimed at evaluating the efficacy of the combination of gemcitabine, cisplatin and nabpaclitaxel (GAP) as neoadjuvant treatment in patients with resectable BTC at high risk for recurrence. Primary objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant GAP followed by surgery as compared to upfront surgery, in terms of 12-month progression-free survival for the phase II part and of progression free survival (PFS) for the phase III study. Key Secondary objectives are event free survival (EFS), relapse-free survival, (RFS), overall survival (OS), R0/R1/R2 resection rate, quality of life (QoL), overall response rate (ORR), resectability. Safety analyses will include toxicity rate and perioperative morbidity and mortality rate. Exploratory studies including Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) in archival tumor tissues and longitudinal ctDNA analysis are planned to identify potential biomarkers of primary resistance and prognosis. Discussion Considering the poor prognosis of resected BTC experiencing early tumor recurrence and the negative prognostic impact of R1/R2 resections, PURITY study is based on the rationale that NAC may improve R0 resection rates and ultimately patients’ outcomes. Furthermore, NAC should allow early eradication of microscopic distant metastases, undetectable by imaging but already present at the time of diagnosis and avoid mortality and morbidity associated with resection for patients with rapid progression or worsening general condition during neoadjuvant therapy. The randomized PURITY study will evaluate whether patients affected by BTC at high risk from recurrence benefit from a neoadjuvant therapy with GAP regimen as compared to immediate surgery. Trial registration PURITY is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06037980) and EuCT(2023–503295-25–00).
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- 2024
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21. Mixed Virtual Element approximation of linear acoustic wave equation
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Dassi, Franco, Fumagalli, Alessio, Mazzieri, Ilario, and Vacca, Giuseppe
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Mathematics - Numerical Analysis - Abstract
We design a Mixed Virtual Element Method for the approximated solution to the first-order form of the acoustic wave equation. In absence of external load, the semi-discrete method exactly conserves the system energy. To integrate in time the semi-discrete problem we consider a classical theta-method scheme. We carry out the stability and convergence analysis in the energy norm for the semi-discrete problem showing optimal rate of convergence with respect to the mesh size. We further study the property of energy conservation for the fully-discrete system. Finally, we present some verification tests as well as engineering application of the method.
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- 2022
22. Morphotextural, microbiological, and volatile characterization of flatbread containing cricket (Acheta domesticus) powder and buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) flour
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Belleggia, Luca, Foligni, Roberta, Ferrocino, Ilario, Biolcati, Federica, Mozzon, Massimo, Aquilanti, Lucia, Osimani, Andrea, and Harasym, Joanna
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- 2023
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23. Mobility-Aware Resource Allocation for mmWave IAB Networks: A Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning Approach
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Zhang, Bibo and Filippini, Ilario
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Computer Science - Networking and Internet Architecture - Abstract
MmWaves have been envisioned as a promising direction to provide Gbps wireless access. However, they are susceptible to high path losses and blockages, which directional antennas can only partially mitigate. That makes mmWave networks coverage-limited, thus requiring dense deployments. Integrated access and backhaul (IAB) architectures have emerged as a cost-effective solution for network densification. Resource allocation in mmWave IAB networks must face big challenges to cope with heavy temporal dynamics, such as intermittent links caused by user mobility and blockages from moving obstacles. This makes it extremely difficult to find optimal and adaptive solutions. In this article, exploiting the distributed structure of the problem, we propose a Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) framework to optimize user throughput via flow routing and link scheduling in mmWave IAB networks characterized by user mobility and link outages generated by moving obstacles. The proposed approach implicitly captures the environment dynamics, coordinates the interference, and manages the buffer levels of IAB relay nodes. We design different MARL components, considering full-duplex and half-duplex IAB-nodes. In addition, we provide a communication and coordination scheme for RL agents in an online training framework, addressing the feasibility issues of practical systems. Numerical results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach., Comment: B. Zhang, I. Filippini, "Mobility-Aware Resource Allocation for mmWave IAB Networks: A Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning Approach", to appear on IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking
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- 2022
24. Lipidomics reveals the reshaping of the mitochondrial phospholipid profile in cells lacking OPA1 and mitofusins
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Andrea Castellaneta, Ilario Losito, Vito Porcelli, Serena Barile, Alessandra Maresca, Valentina Del Dotto, Valentina Losacco, Ludovica Sofia Guadalupi, Cosima Damiana Calvano, David C. Chan, Valerio Carelli, Luigi Palmieri, and Tommaso R.I. Cataldi
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glycerophospholipids ,lipidomics ,mitochondria ,phospholipids ,phospholipids/biosynthesis ,OPA1 ,Biochemistry ,QD415-436 - Abstract
Depletion or mutations of key proteins for mitochondrial fusion, like optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) and mitofusins 1 and 2 (Mfn 1 and 2), are known to significantly impact the mitochondrial ultrastructure, suggesting alterations of their membranes’ lipid profiles. In order to make an insight into this issue, we used hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization–high resolution MS to investigate the mitochondrial phospholipid (PL) profile of mouse embryonic fibroblasts knocked out for OPA1 and Mfn1/2 genes. One hundred sixty-seven different sum compositions were recognized for the four major PL classes of mitochondria, namely phosphatidylcholines (PCs, 63), phosphatidylethanolamines (55), phosphatidylinositols (21), and cardiolipins (28). A slight decrease in the cardiolipin/PC ratio was found for Mfn1/2-knockout mitochondria. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were subsequently used to further process hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography–ESI-MS data. A progressive decrease in the incidence of alk(en)yl/acyl species in PC and phosphatidylethanolamine classes and a general increase in the incidence of unsaturated acyl chains across all the investigated PL classes was inferred in OPA1 and Mfn1/2 knockouts compared to WT mouse embryonic fibroblasts. These findings suggest a reshaping of the PL profile consistent with the changes observed in the mitochondrial ultrastructure when fusion proteins are absent. Based on the existing knowledge on the metabolism of mitochondrial phospholipids, we propose that fusion proteins, especially Mfns, might influence the PL transfer between the mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum, likely in the context of mitochondria-associated membranes.
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- 2024
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25. Microbiota characterization throughout the digestive tract of horses fed a high-fiber vs. a high-starch diet
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Federica Raspa, Stefania Chessa, Domenico Bergero, Paola Sacchi, Ilario Ferrocino, Luca Cocolin, Maria Rita Corvaglia, Riccardo Moretti, Damiano Cavallini, and Emanuela Valle
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horse ,16S rRNA ,microbiota ,nutrition ,welfare ,Veterinary medicine ,SF600-1100 - Abstract
IntroductionDiet is one of the main factors influencing the intestinal microbiota in horses, yet a systematic characterization of the microbiota along the length of the digestive tract in clinically healthy horses, homogenous for age and breed and receiving a specific diet is lacking.MethodsThe study used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to characterize the microbiota of the intestinal tracts of 19 healthy Bardigiano horses of 14.3 ± 0.7 months of age fed one of two diets. Nine horses received a high-starch diet (HS), and ten horses received a high-fiber diet (HF). After 129 days, the horses were slaughtered, and samples were collected from the different intestinal tract compartments.Results and discussionThe microbiota alpha diversity indices were lower in the caecum, pelvic flexure and right dorsal colon of the horses fed the HS diet (False Discovery Rate, FDR
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- 2024
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26. The dynamics of internal electric field screening in hybrid perovskite solar cells probed using electroabsorption
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Moia, Davide, Gelmetti, Ilario, Calado, Philip, Hu, Yinghong, Li, Xiaoe, Docampo, Pablo, de Mello, John, Maier, Joachim, Nelson, Jenny, and Barnes, Piers R. F.
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Physics - Applied Physics ,Condensed Matter - Materials Science ,Physics - Chemical Physics - Abstract
Electric fields arising from the distribution of charge in metal halide perovskite solar cells are critical for understanding the many weird and wonderful optoelectronic properties displayed by these devices. Mobile ionic defects are thought to accumulate at interfaces to screen electric fields within the bulk of the perovskite semiconductor on application of external bias, but tools are needed to directly probe the dynamics of the electric field in this process. Here we show that electroabsorption measurements allow the electric field within the active layer to be tracked as a function of frequency or time. The magnitude of the electroabsorption signal, corresponding to the strength of the electric field in the perovskite layer, falls off for externally applied low frequency voltages or at long times following voltage steps. Our observations are consistent with drift-diffusion simulations, impedance spectroscopy, and transient photocurrent measurements. They indicate charge screening/redistribution on time-scales ranging from 10 ms to 100 s depending on the device interlayer material, perovskite composition, dominant charged defect, and illumination conditions. The method can be performed on typical solar cell structures and has potential to become a routine characterization tool for optimizing hybrid perovskite devices., Comment: 65 pages, 41 figures
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- 2022
27. SIUMB recommendations on the use of ultrasound in neoplastic lesions of the gallbladder and extrahepatic biliary tract
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de Sio, Ilario, D’Onofrio, Mirko, Mirk, Paoletta, Bertolotto, Michele, Priadko, Kateryna, Schiavone, Cosima, Cantisani, Vito, Iannetti, Giovanni, Vallone, Gianfranco, and Vidili, Gianpaolo
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- 2023
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28. Effects of partially defatted larvae meal of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) on caecal microbiota and volatile compounds of Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata domestica)
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Andrés L. Martínez Marín, Marta Gariglio, Sara Pozzo, Maria Teresa Capucchio, Ilario Ferrocino, Ilaria Biasato, and Achille Schiavone
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poultry ,insects ,caecum ,microbiota ,volatile compounds ,Animal culture ,SF1-1100 - Abstract
The present study explored the effects of substituting maize gluten meal with increasing levels of partially defatted black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) in Muscovy ducks’ diets on their caecal microbiota and organic volatile compounds. The ducks were divided into four groups, each receiving a diet containing 0%, 3%, 6%, or 9% BSFLM (HI0, HI3, HI6, and HI9, respectively). At slaughter (50 days of age), caecal samples were collected and analysed. The alpha diversity indexes were lower in the HI9 than in the HI0 and HI3 treatments that did not differ between them. Bacteroidetes in the HI0 and Firmicutes in the HI6 treatment showed a higher abundance than in the HI9 treatment. Faecalibacterium and Megamonas were more abundant in the HI6 than in the HI9 treatment. Abundance of Clostridium and unclassified Coriobacteriaceae were higher and lower, respectively, in the HI9 than in the HI0 treatment. Canonical discriminant analysis revealed that Faecalibacterium, unclassified Victivallaceae and Megamonas in relation to Ruminococcus would separate the HI6 and HI9 treatments, while unclassified Coriobacteriaceae in relation to Streptococcus and Faecalibacterium would distinguish the HI0 and HI3 from the HI6 and HI9 treatments. Eleven volatile compounds were more abundant HI9 than in the HI6 treatment. Five of them were negatively correlated with Faecalibacterium and two with Megamonas. These findings indicate that diets with 6% and 9% BSFLM alter the caecal microbiota in Muscovy ducks, while a diet with 3% BSFLM has no effect. The distinct abundance of several volatile compounds in the 6% and 9% BSFLM treatments suggests a relationship between their characteristic microbiota profile and those compounds that warrants further investigation.
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- 2023
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29. A discontinuous Galerkin time integration scheme for second order differential equations with applications to seismic wave propagation problems
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Antonietti, Paola F., Mazzieri, Ilario, and Migliorini, Francesco
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Mathematics - Numerical Analysis ,65M12 (primary) 65M60 (secondary) - Abstract
In this work, we present a new high order Discontinuous Galerkin time integration scheme for second-order (in time) differential systems that typically arise from the space discretization of the elastodynamics equation. By rewriting the original equation as a system of first order differential equations we introduce the method and show that the resulting discrete formulation is well-posed, stable and retains super-optimal rate of convergence with respect to the discretization parameters, namely the time step and the polynomial approximation degree. A set of two- and three-dimensional numerical experiments confirm the theoretical bounds. Finally, the method is applied to real geophysical applications.
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- 2021
30. On mathematical and numerical modelling of multiphysics wave propagation with polytopal Discontinuous Galerkin methods
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Antonietti, Paola F., Botti, Michele, and Mazzieri, Ilario
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Mathematics - Numerical Analysis ,35L05, 65M12, 65M60, 74F10 - Abstract
In this work we review discontinuous Galerkin finite element methods on polytopal grids (PolydG) for the numerical simulation of multiphysics wave propagation phenomena in heterogeneous media. In particular, we address wave phenomena in elastic, poro-elastic, and poro-elasto-acoustic materials. Wave propagation is modeled by using either the elastodynamics equation in the elastic domain, the acoustics equations in the acoustic domain and the low-frequency Biot's equations in the poro-elastic one. The coupling between different models is realized by means of (physically consistent) transmission conditions, weakly imposed at the interface between the subdomains. For all models configuration, we introduce and analyse the PolydG semi-discrete formulation, which is then coupled with suitable time marching schemes. For the semi-discrete problem, we present the stability analysis and derive a-priori error estimates in a suitable energy norm. A wide set of verification tests with manufactured solutions are presented in order to validate the error analysis. Examples of physical interest are also shown to demonstrate the capability of the proposed methods., Comment: 28 pages, 21 figures
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- 2021
31. Elasto-acoustic modelling and simulation for the seismic response of structures: The case of the Tahtal{\i} dam in the 2020 \.Izmir earthquake
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Mazzieri, Ilario, Muhr, Markus, Stupazzini, Marco, and Wohlmuth, Barbara
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Mathematics - Numerical Analysis ,Physics - Geophysics ,65M60, 65Z05, 74S05 - Abstract
As a mean to assess the risk dam structures are exposed to during earthquakes, we employ an abstract mathematical, three dimensional, elasto-acoustic coupled wave-propagation model taking into account (i) the dam structure itself, embedded into (ii) its surrounding topography, (iii) different material soil layers, (iv) the seismic source as well as (v) the reservoir lake filled with water treated as an acoustic medium. As a case study for extensive numerical simulations we consider the magnitude 7 seismic event of the 30$^{\rm th}$ of October 2020 taking place in the Icarian Sea (Greece) and the Tahtali dam around 30 km from there (Turkey). A challenging task is to resolve the multiple length scales that are present due to the huge differences in size between the dam building structure and the area of interest, considered for the propagation of the earthquake. Interfaces between structures and highly non-conforming meshes on different scales are resolved by means of a discontinuous Galerkin approach. The seismic source is modeled using inversion data about the real fault plane. Ultimately, we perform a real data driven, multi-scale, full source-to-site, physics based simulation based on the discontinuous Galerkin spectral element method, which allows to precisely validate the ground motion experienced along the Tahtali dam, comparing the synthetic seismograms against actually observed ones. A comparison with a more classical computational method, using a plane wave with data from a deconvolved seismogram reading as an input, is discussed., Comment: 26 pages, 16 figures
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- 2021
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32. Virtual Reality Integration for Enhanced Engineering Education and Experimentation: A Focus on Active Thermography
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Ilario Strazzeri, Arnaud Notebaert, Camila Barros, Julien Quinten, and Anthonin Demarbaix
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virtual reality (VR) ,serious games ,simulations ,active thermography ,Electronic computers. Computer science ,QA75.5-76.95 - Abstract
The interconnection between engineering simulations, real-world experiments, and virtual reality remains underutilised in engineering. This study addresses this gap by implementing such interconnections, focusing on active thermography for a carbon fibre plate in the aerospace domain. Six scenarios based on three parameters were simulated using ComSol Multiphysics 6.2 and validated experimentally. The results were then integrated into a virtual reality serious game developed with Unreal Engine 5.3.2 and aimed at educating users on thermography principles and aiding rapid experimental condition analysis. Users are immersed in a 3D representation of the research laboratory, allowing interaction with the environment, understanding thermographic setups, accessing instructional videos, and analysing results as graphs or animations. This serious game helps users determine the optimal scenario for a given problem, enhance thermography principle comprehension, and achieve results more swiftly than through real-world experimentation. This innovative approach bridges the gap between simulations and practical experiments, providing a more engaging and efficient learning experience in engineering education. It highlights the potential of integrating simulations, experiments, and virtual reality to improve understanding and efficiency in engineering.
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- 2024
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33. Does Microbiome Matter in Chronic Intestinal Failure Due to Type 1 Short Bowel Syndrome in Adults?
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Marta Ossola, Ilario Ferrocino, Irene Franciosa, Umberto Aimasso, Leila Cravero, Ambra Bonciolini, Vladimiro Cardenia, Fabio Dario Merlo, Marta Anrò, Alessia Chiarotto, Clara Bosa, Luca Cocolin, and Simona Bo
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chronic intestinal failure ,metabolome ,short chain fatty acids ,small bowel syndrome ,volatile organic compounds ,Nutrition. Foods and food supply ,TX341-641 - Abstract
The exact microbiome composition and function of patients with Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS) and Chronic Intestinal Failure (CIF) are still unknown. Patients with type I SBS-CIF (end-jejunostomy/ileostomy) are little represented in available studies. The aim of this study is to evaluate the microbiome characteristics of adult type 1 SBS-CIF patients according to their clinical features. Fecal microbiota was studied by amplicon-based sequencing and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were assessed by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. A total of 44 adult type 1 SBS-CIF patients were enrolled. At the family level, Lactobacillaceae (38% of the relative frequency) and Streptococcaceae (24%) were predominant; at the genus level, Streptococcus (38% of the relative frequency) and Lactobacillus (24%) were the dominant amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). Patients with increased stomal output showed higher ASVs for Lactobacillus (Rho = +0.38; p = 0.010), which was confirmed after adjusting for small bowel length (OR = 1.04; 95% CI 1.01–1.07, p = 0.023). Hyperphagia was associated with higher concentrations of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) esters, such as butanoic acid ethyl ester (p = 0.005) and hexanoic acid ethyl ester (p = 0.004). Dietary fiber intake was directly correlated with most VOCs. Hyperphagia was associated with dietary fiber, after adjusting for small bowel length (OR = 1.35; 95% CI 1.01–1.81; p = 0.040). In type 1 SBS-CIF patients, a greater frequency of Lactobacilli was associated with increased stomal outputs, while increased fiber intake and concentrations of SCFA esters were associated with hyperphagia. These results might have implications for clinical practice.
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- 2024
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34. Polynomial calculus for optimization
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Bonacina, Ilario, Bonet, Maria Luisa, and Levy, Jordi
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- 2024
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35. Lipidomics reveals the reshaping of the mitochondrial phospholipid profile in cells lacking OPA1 and mitofusins
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Castellaneta, Andrea, Losito, Ilario, Porcelli, Vito, Barile, Serena, Maresca, Alessandra, Del Dotto, Valentina, Losacco, Valentina, Guadalupi, Ludovica Sofia, Calvano, Cosima Damiana, Chan, David C., Carelli, Valerio, Palmieri, Luigi, and Cataldi, Tommaso R.I.
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- 2024
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36. Correction to: A phase II/III randomized clinical trial of CisPlatin plUs Gemcitabine and Nabpaclitaxel (GAP) as pReoperative chemotherapy versus immediate resection in patIents with resecTable BiliarY tract cancers (BTC) at high risk for recurrence: PURITY study
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Monica Niger, Federico Nichetti, Lorenzo Fornaro, Chiara Pircher, Federica Morano, Federica Palermo, Lorenza Rimassa, Tiziana Pressiani, Rossana Berardi, Andrea Casadei Gardini, Elisa Sperti, Lisa Salvatore, Davide Melisi, Francesca Bergamo, Salvatore Siena, Stefania Mosconi, Rafaella Longarini, Giuseppina Arcangeli, Salvatore Corallo, Laura Delliponti, Stefano Tamberi, Elena Fea, Giovanni Brandi, Ilario Giovanni Rapposelli, Massimiliano Salati, Paolo Baili, Rosalba Miceli, Silva Ljevar, Ilaria Cavallo, Elisa Sottotetti, Antonia Martinetti, Michele Droz Dit Busset, Carlo Sposito, Maria Di Bartolomeo, Filippo Pietrantonio, Filippo de Braud, and Vincenzo Mazzaferro
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Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology. Including cancer and carcinogens ,RC254-282 - Published
- 2024
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37. Exploring the link between hedonic overeating and prefrontal cortex dysfunction in the Ts65Dn trisomic mouse model
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Fructuoso, Marta, Fernández-Blanco, Álvaro, Gallego-Román, Ana, Sierra, Cèsar, de Lagrán, María Martínez, Lorenzon, Nicola, De Toma, Ilario, Langohr, Klaus, Martín-García, Elena, Maldonado, Rafael, Dairou, Julien, Janel, Nathalie, and Dierssen, Mara
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- 2023
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38. Methyl carbamates of phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylserines reveal bacterial contamination in mitochondrial lipid extracts of mouse embryonic fibroblasts
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Castellaneta, Andrea, Porcelli, Vito, Losito, Ilario, Barile, Serena, Maresca, Alessandra, Del Dotto, Valentina, Guadalupi, Ludovica Sofia, Calvano, Cosima Damiana, Carelli, Valerio, Palmieri, Luigi, and Cataldi, Tommaso R. I.
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- 2023
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39. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, lactiplantibacillus pentosus and inulin meal inclusion boost the metagenomic function of broiler chickens
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Ferrocino, Ilario, Biasato, Ilaria, Dabbou, Sihem, Colombino, Elena, Rantsiou, Kalliopi, Squara, Simone, Gariglio, Marta, Capucchio, Maria Teresa, Gasco, Laura, Cordero, Chiara Emilia, Liberto, Erica, Schiavone, Achille, and Cocolin, Luca
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- 2023
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40. CONSTIPATION SCORING SYSTEM VALIDATED FOR THE PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE (ÍNDICE DE GRAVIDADE DA CONSTIPAÇÃO INTESTINAL): IS IT RELIABLE IN ASSESSING THE SEVERITY OF INTESTINAL CHRONIC CONSTIPATION IN OUR POPULATION?
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Ilario FROEHNER JUNIOR, José Marcio Neves JORGE, Carlos Frederico Sparapan MARQUES, Vera Lúcia Conceição de Gouveia SANTOS, and José JUKEMURA
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Constipation ,Validation Study ,Indicators of Quality of Life ,Severity of Illness Index ,Surgery ,RD1-811 ,Diseases of the digestive system. Gastroenterology ,RC799-869 - Abstract
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: There is a lack of valid and specific tools to measure chronic constipation severity in Brazil. AIMS: To validate the Constipation Scoring System for Brazilian spoken Portuguese. METHODS: Translation, cultural adaptation, and validation itself (reliability and convergent and divergent validation). Translation: definitive version from the original version’s translation and evaluation by specialists. Cultural adaptation: score content analysis of the definitive version, as an interview to patients. Interobserver reliability: application by two researchers on the same day. Intraobserver reliability: same researcher at different times, in a 7-day interval. Divergent validation: non-constipated volunteers. Convergent validation: two groups, good response to clinical treatment and refractory to treatment. RESULTS: Cultural adaptation: 81 patients, 89% female, with mean age of 55 and seven years of schooling, and overall content validity index was 96.5%. Inter and intraobserver reliability analysis: 60 patients, 86.7% female, mean age of 56 and six years of schooling, and the respective intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.991 and 0.987, p
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- 2024
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41. UAV-Based Search and Rescue in Avalanches using ARVA: An Extremum Seeking Approach
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Azzollini, Ilario Antonio, Mimmo, Nicola, Gentilini, Lorenzo, and Marconi, Lorenzo
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Computer Science - Robotics - Abstract
This work deals with the problem of localizing a victim buried by an avalanche by means of a drone equipped with an ARVA (Appareil de Recherche de Victimes d'Avalanche) sensor. The proposed control solution is based on a "model-free" extremum seeking strategy which is shown to succeed in steering the drone in a neighborhood of the victim position. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposed algorithm is tested in Gazebo simulation environment, where a new flight mode and a new controller module have been implemented as an extension of the well-known PX4 open source flight stack. Finally, to test usability, we present hardware-in-the-loop simulations on a Pixhawk 2 Cube board.
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- 2021
42. A Virtual Element Method for the wave equation on curved edges in two dimensions
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Dassi, Franco, Fumagalli, Alessio, Mazzieri, Ilario, Scotti, Anna, and Vacca, Giuseppe
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Mathematics - Numerical Analysis - Abstract
In this work we present an extension of the Virtual Element Method with curved edges for the numerical approximation of the second order wave equation in a bidimensional setting. Curved elements are used to describe the domain boundary, as well as internal interfaces corresponding to the change of some mechanical parameters. As opposite to the classic and isoparametric Finite Element approaches, where the geometry of the domain is approximated respectively by piecewise straight lines and by higher order polynomial maps, in the proposed method the geometry is exactly represented, thus ensuring a highly accurate numerical solution. Indeed, if in the former approach the geometrical error might deteriorate the quality of the numerical solution, in the latter approach the curved interfaces/boundaries are approximated exactly guaranteeing the expected order of convergence for the numerical scheme. Theoretical results and numerical findings confirm the validity of the proposed approach.
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- 2021
43. Boosting 5G mm-Wave IAB Reliability with Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces
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Fiore, Paolo, Moro, Eugenio, Filippini, Ilario, Capone, Antonio, and De Donno, Danilo
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Computer Science - Networking and Internet Architecture - Abstract
The introduction of the mm-Wave spectrum into 5G NR promises to bring about unprecedented data throughput to future mobile wireless networks but comes with several challenges. Network densification has been proposed as a viable solution to increase RAN resilience, and the newly introduced Integrated-Access-and-Backhaul (IAB) is considered a key enabling technology with compelling cost-reducing opportunities for such dense deployments. Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) have recently gained extreme popularity as they can create Smart Radio Environments by EM wave manipulation and behave as inexpensive passive relays. However, it is not yet clear what role this technology can play in a large RAN deployment. With the scope of filling this gap, we study the blockage resilience of realistic mm-Wave RAN deployments that use IAB and RIS. The RAN layouts have been optimised by means of a novel mm-Wave planning tool based on MILP formulation. Numerical results show how adding RISs to IAB deployments can provide high blockage resistance levels while significantly reducing the overall network planning cost., Comment: 2022 IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference (WCNC) (IEEE WCNC 2022)
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- 2021
44. Planning Mm-Wave Access Networks With Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces
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Moro, Eugenio, Filippini, Ilario, Capone, Antonio, and De Donno, Danilo
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Computer Science - Networking and Internet Architecture - Abstract
With the capability to support gigabit data rates, millimetre-wave (mm-Wave) communication is unanimously considered a key technology of future cellular networks. However, the harsh propagation at such high frequencies makes these networks quite susceptible to failures due to obstacle blockages. Recently introduced Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) can enhance the coverage of mm-Wave communications by improving the received signal power and offering an alternative radio path when the direct link is interrupted. While several works have addressed this possibility from a communication standpoint, none of these has yet investigated the impact of RISs on large-scale mm-Wave networks. Aiming to fill this literature gap, we propose a new mathematical formulation of the coverage planning problem that includes RISs. Using well-established planning methods, we have developed a new optimization model where RISs can be installed alongside base stations to assist the communications, creating what we have defined as Smart Radio Connections. Our simulation campaigns show that RISs effectively increase both throughput and coverage of access networks, while further numerical results highlight additional benefits that the simplified scenarios analyzed by previous works could not reveal.
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- 2021
45. Methyl carbamates of phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylserines reveal bacterial contamination in mitochondrial lipid extracts of mouse embryonic fibroblasts
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Andrea Castellaneta, Vito Porcelli, Ilario Losito, Serena Barile, Alessandra Maresca, Valentina Del Dotto, Ludovica Sofia Guadalupi, Cosima Damiana Calvano, Valerio Carelli, Luigi Palmieri, and Tommaso R. I. Cataldi
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Abstract The occurrence of methyl carbamates of phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylserines in the lipid extract of mitochondria obtained from mouse embryonic fibroblasts was ascertained by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization single and multi-stage mass spectrometry, performed using sinergically a high resolution (quadrupole-Orbitrap) and a low resolution (linear ion trap) spectrometer. Two possible routes to the synthesis of methyl carbamates of phospholipids were postulated and evaluated: (i) a chemical transformation involving phosgene, occurring as a photooxidation by-product in the chloroform used for lipid extraction, and methanol, also used for the latter; (ii) an enzymatic methoxycarbonylation reaction due to an accidental bacterial contamination, that was unveiled subsequently on the murine mitochondrial sample. A specific lipid extraction performed on a couple of standard phosphatidyl-ethanolamines/-serines, based on purposely photo-oxidized chloroform and deuterated methanol, indicated route (i) as negligible in the specific case, thus highlighting the enzymatic route related to bacterial contamination as the most likely source of methyl carbamates. The unambiguous recognition of the latter might represent the starting point toward a better understanding of their generation in biological systems and a minimization of their occurrence when an artefactual formation is ascertained.
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- 2023
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46. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, lactiplantibacillus pentosus and inulin meal inclusion boost the metagenomic function of broiler chickens
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Ilario Ferrocino, Ilaria Biasato, Sihem Dabbou, Elena Colombino, Kalliopi Rantsiou, Simone Squara, Marta Gariglio, Maria Teresa Capucchio, Laura Gasco, Chiara Emilia Cordero, Erica Liberto, Achille Schiavone, and Luca Cocolin
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Lactic acid bacteria ,Probiotic ,Prebiotic ,Inulin ,microbiota ,Broiler chickens ,Veterinary medicine ,SF600-1100 ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Abstract
Abstract Background The inclusion of alternative ingredients in poultry feed is foreseen to impact poultry gut microbiota. New feeding strategies (probiotics/prebiotics) must be adopted to allow sustainable productions. Therefore, the current study aimed to use metagenomics approaches to determine how dietary inclusion of prebiotic (inulin) plus a multi-strain probiotic mixture of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lactiplantibacillus pentosus affected microbiota composition and functions of the gastro-intestinal tract of the broilers during production. Fecal samples were collected at the beginning of the trial and after 5, 11 and 32 days for metataxonomic analysis. At the end of the trial, broilers were submitted to anatomo-pathological investigations and caecal content was subjected to volatilome analysis and DNAseq. Results Probiotic plus prebiotic inclusion did not significantly influence bird performance and did not produce histopathological alterations or changes in blood measurements, which indicates that the probiotic did not impair the overall health status of the birds. The multi-strain probiotic plus inulin inclusion in broilers increased the abundance of Blautia, Faecalibacterium and Lachnospiraceae and as a consequence an increased level of butyric acid was observed. In addition, the administration of probiotics plus inulin modified the gut microbiota composition also at strain level since probiotics alone or in combination with inulin select specific Faecalibacterium prausnitzi strain populations. The metagenomic analysis showed in probiotic plus prebiotic fed broilers a higher number of genes required for branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis belonging to selected F. prausnitzi strains, which are crucial in increasing immune function resistance to pathogens. In the presence of the probiotic/prebiotic a reduction in the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes belonging to aminoglycoside, beta-lactamase and lincosamide family was observed. Conclusions The positive microbiome modulation observed is particularly relevant, since the use of these alternative ingredients could promote a healthier status of the broiler’s gut.
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- 2023
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47. Rheology of active emulsions with negative effective viscosity
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Favuzzi, Ilario, Carenza, Livio Nicola, Corberi, Federico, Gonnella, Giuseppe, Lamura, Antonio, and Negro, Giuseppe
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Condensed Matter - Soft Condensed Matter - Abstract
We numerically study by lattice Boltzmann simulations the rheological properties of an active emulsion made of a suspension of an active polar gel embedded in an isotropic passive background. We find that the hexatic equilibrium configuration of polar droplets is highly sensitive to both active injection and external forcing and may either lead to asymmetric unidirectional states which break top-bottom symmetry or symmetric ones. In this latter case, for large enough activity, the system develops a shear-thickening regime at low shear rates. Importantly, for larger external forcing a regime with stable negative effective viscosity is found. Moreover, at intermediate activity a region of multistability is encountered and we show that a maximum entropy production principle holds in selecting the most favorable state.
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- 2021
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48. The conforming virtual element method for polyharmonic and elastodynamics problems: a review
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Antonietti, Paola Francesca, Manzini, Gianmarco, Mazzieri, Ilario, Scacchi, Simone, and Verani, Marco
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Mathematics - Numerical Analysis ,65L10, 65L20, 65L60 - Abstract
In this paper, we review recent results on the conforming virtual element approximation of polyharmonic and elastodynamics problems. The structure and the content of this review is motivated by three paradigmatic examples of applications: classical and anisotropic Cahn-Hilliard equation and phase field models for brittle fracture, that are briefly discussed in the first part of the paper. We present and discuss the mathematical details of the conforming virtual element approximation of linear polyharmonic problems, the classical Cahn-Hilliard equation and linear elastodynamics problems., Comment: 30 pages, 7 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1912.07122
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- 2021
49. Development of a New Binary Matrix for the Comprehensive Analysis of Lipids and Pigments in Micro- and Macroalgae Using MALDI-ToF/ToF Mass Spectrometry
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Mariachiara Bianco, Giovanni Ventura, Davide Coniglio, Antonio Monopoli, Ilario Losito, Tommaso R. I. Cataldi, and Cosima D. Calvano
- Subjects
MALDI MS/MS ,chlorophylls ,lipids ,alga ,binary matrix ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 ,Chemistry ,QD1-999 - Abstract
While edible algae might seem low in fat, the lipids they contain are crucial for good health and preventing chronic diseases. This study introduces a binary matrix to analyze all the polar lipids in both macroalgae (Wakame—Undaria pinnatifida, Dulse—Palmaria palmata, and Nori—Porphyra spp.) and microalgae (Spirulina—Arthrospira platensis, and Chlorella—Chlorella vulgaris) using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). The key lies in a new dual matrix made by combining equimolar amounts of 1,5-diaminonaphthalene (DAN) and 9-aminoacridine (9AA). This combination solves the limitations of single matrices: 9AA is suitable for sulfur-containing lipids and acidic phospholipids, while DAN excels as an electron-transfer secondary reaction matrix for intact chlorophylls and their derivatives. By employing the equimolar binary matrix, a wider range of algal lipids, including free fatty acids, phospholipids, glycolipids, pigments, and even rare arsenosugarphospholipids were successfully detected, overcoming drawbacks related to ion suppression from readily ionizable lipids. The resulting mass spectra exhibited a good signal-to-noise ratio at a lower laser fluence and minimized background noise. This improvement stems from the binary matrix’s ability to mitigate in-source decay effects, a phenomenon often encountered for certain matrices. Consequently, the data obtained are more reliable, facilitating a faster and more comprehensive exploration of algal lipidomes using high-throughput MALDI-MS/MS analysis.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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50. Clique Is Hard on Average for Regular Resolution
- Author
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Atserias, Albert, Bonacina, Ilario, de Rezende, Susanna F., Lauria, Massimo, Nordström, Jakob, and Razborov, Alexander
- Subjects
Computer Science - Computational Complexity - Abstract
We prove that for $k \ll \sqrt[4]{n}$ regular resolution requires length $n^{\Omega(k)}$ to establish that an Erd\H{o}s-R\'enyi graph with appropriately chosen edge density does not contain a $k$-clique. This lower bound is optimal up to the multiplicative constant in the exponent, and also implies unconditional $n^{\Omega(k)}$ lower bounds on running time for several state-of-the-art algorithms for finding maximum cliques in graphs.
- Published
- 2020
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