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The article focuses on the reactivation and preservation of multimedia artworks, with an emphasis on the role of artist interviews in maintaining their authenticity. Topics include the challenges in preserving interactive multimedia art, the migration approach for technological obsolescence, and the reactivation process at the Centro di Sonologia Computazionale (CSC) of the University of Padua.

A binarization of a bounded variable x is obtained via a system of linear inequalities that involve x together with additional variables y1,...,yt in [0,1] so that the integrality of x is implied by the integrality of y1,...,yt. A binary extended formulation of a mixed-integer linear set is obtained by adding to its original description binarizations of its integer variables. Binary extended formulations are useful in mixed-integer programming as imposing integrality on 0/1 variables rather than on general integer variables has interesting convergence properties and has been studied from both the theoretical and practical points of view. We study the behavior of binary extended formulations with respect to sequential convexification. In particular, given a binary extended formulation and one of its variables x, we study a parameter that measures the progress made toward enforcing the integrality of x via application of sequential convexification. We formulate this parameter, which we call rank, as the solution of a set-covering problem and express it exactly for the classic binarizations from the literature. Funding: M. Aprile and M. Di Summa are supported by the University of Padova [SID 2019 Grant C94I20000280005]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-orbit servicing and on-orbit assembly represent very appealing mission concepts that could facilitate the exploitation of the space environment. Autonomy is a critical requirement for systems aimed at the execution of these operations. The development of enabling technologies for this type of missions is a focal research topic for the global space community. The AUTOMA project (University of Padua, Italy) aims at the development of technologies to enable the on-orbit assembly of a standardized modular unit by means of a robotic arm. The goal is the development of a capture interface, composed of a gripper mechanism and a suite of close-range navigation sensors (a navcam, four time-of-flight sensors, two custom matrix sensors based on a set of phototransistors), and the mock-up of a modular assembly unit. The paper prevalently focuses on the conspicuous series of tests that has been performed at subsystem level for the characterization of the two custom matrix sensors, both in terms of their resolution and range of application. In particular, the test campaign has proven how the in-plane matrix sensor provides information about lateral misalignment and relative distance with a resolution of a few millimetres while the roll matrix sensor provides information about the angular roll misalignment with a resolution dependent on the distance between the two bodies. In addition, an analytical relation for the computation of the relative distance through the information provided by the in-plane matrix has been investigated. • Capture interface composed of a gripper mechanism and a suite of close-range navigation sensors. • Design of a standardized unit mock-up for modular assembly. • Custom sensors based on a matrix of phototransistors activated by an infrared LED beacon counterpart. • Testing campaign aimed at the characterization of the custom matrix sensors. • Analysis of a relation for the retrieval of the relative distance based on the number of phototransistors activated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Augusto Bonome (1857–1922), professor at the University of Padua until 1922, was involved in a study about a particular kind of pulmonary leprosy, being the first to testify the lepromatous alterations also in the deepest parts of the respiratory tract, even though the same Gerhard Hansen (1841–1912) had denied the possibility that lungs could host Mycobacterium leprae. Objectives: It is necessary to reevaluate the research done by Bonome to also demonstrate how it can still be relevant today in further comprehension of leprosy. Methods: Bonome's advances in leprosy studies are testified by some specimens from the Morgagni Museum of Pathological Anatomy of the University of Padua. Among the specimens, there is a peculiar case of advanced tuberous leprosy in an adolescent, who died in 1908, of which the face, the larynx, the hands and genitals are still preserved today in the Museum. Results: Through autoptic and histological analysis of this specimen, Bonome succeeded in identifying a peculiar case of bone toxoid‐infectious dystrophy besides characteristic leprous laryngitis, which caused the death of the young leprosy patient. Conclusions: The results confirmed the innovative research carried on by Bonome during his medical career, being among the first to offer an important contribution to improving and revolutionary knowledge on leprosy which could still be useful today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To the best of our knowledge, dental school students have never been evaluated for stress, anxiety, burnout, physiological indexes during a 24-h working day, and executive function performance post-work and post-work after returning from vacation; therefore, this research has been conducted. Methods: Data were acquired at the Dental School of the University of Padua on 16 students in their 4th year, far from the exam session. While performing clinical activity on the dental chair and during a working day, electrodermal activity (EDA), heart rate variability (HRV), and heart rate (HR) were recorded. Participants’ stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10 scale) and anxiety with the General Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7) and State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y-2), while burnout with the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS). Executive functions were evaluated using the Tower of London test (TOL-R). Results: Three students (2F/1M) had a GAD-7 score ≥  10. Five students (4F/1M) showed trait anxiety. Moderate levels of perceived stress were reported in 85% of participants. MBI-HSS showed that 7 participants scored high on emotional exhaustion and 7 on depersonalization. TOL-R performance (M  =  15.85, SD  =  4.01) was below the normative value p  <  0.00001. A second test, after the holidays, showed normal values. EDA was higher during children’s treatment (p  <  0.05), ANOVA showed high HR during working time (p  <  0.001), and HRV was higher in males (p  <  0.001). Conclusion: Based on the sample size evaluated, it is reported that being a dental student has a moderate impact on stress, anxiety, and burnout while a strong impact on executive functions buffered by rest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Less than 2% of physicians complete a research training (PhD) after the residency with a declining trend in those pursuing a clinical scientist pathway in pediatrics. The exposure to research methodology during the clinical training may play a role in engaging the next generations of pediatric physician scientist. Herein, we describe the experience of the Padova Physician Scientist Research Training (PPSRT) of the pediatric residency program at the University of Padova. The PPSRT was addressed to residents attending PGY2 to PGY4 of the pediatric program and consisted of two cores: a general one including in person or virtual lectures about research methodology in pediatrics including design of a clinical trial, writing of a scientific paper and statistical methods, and a subspecialties core for the discussion of research challenges in each area and the scientific writing activities. The perceived barriers to a research training and an evaluation of the program were assessed by an anonymized questionnaire. Sixty-four out 150 residents registered for the research training with 62/64 completing the two cores. The major perceived barrier to research during clinical training was the absence of protected time (89%) followed by the lack of specific funds (37%). The group activities lead to the publication of 24 papers. Conclusion: This is the first experience in the Italian pediatric training of a dedicated research program within the frame of postgraduate medical education. Our report highlights the need for protected time to promote research interest and nurture a new generation of physician scientists. What is Known: • Training to medical research is not part of residency program. • The declining trend of physician scientists might be reverted by early exposure to research methodology and challenges during residency. What is New: • An early exposure to research training during pediatric residency increases the research engagement of pediatric residents. • The lack of protected time for research is perceived as the major barrier to research training during residency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prof. Ugo Carraro reached 80 years of age on 23 February 2023, and we wish to celebrate him and his work by reviewing his lifetime of scientific achievements in Translational Myology. Currently, he is a Senior Scholar with the University of Padova, Italy, where, as a tenured faculty member, he founded the Interdepartmental Research Center of Myology. Prof. Carraro, a pioneer in skeletal muscle research, is a world-class expert in structural and molecular investigations of skeletal muscle biology, physiology, pathology, and care. An authority in bidimensional gel electrophoresis for myosin light chains, he was the first to separate mammalian muscle myosin heavy chain isoforms by SDS-gel electrophoresis. He has demonstrated that long-term denervated muscle can survive denervation by myofiber regeneration, and shown that an athletic lifestyle has beneficial impacts on muscle reinnervation. He has utilized his expertise in translational myology to develop and validate rehabilitative treatments for denervated and ageing skeletal muscle. He has authored more than 160 PubMed listed papers and numerous scholarly books, including his recent autobiography. Prof. Carraro founded and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Translational Myology and Mobility Medicine. He has organized more than 40 Padua Muscle Days Meetings and continues this, encouraging students and young scientists to participate. As he dreams endlessly, he is currently validating non-invasive analyses on saliva, a promising approach that will allow increased frequency sampling to analyze systemic factors during the transient effects of training and rehabilitation by his proposed Full-Body in- Bed Gym for bed-ridden elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large fraction of spacecraft external surfaces or appendages often consists of solar arrays, which can be subjected to space debris impacts as in the case of the Sentinel 1 A event of August 2016. Therefore, it is of interest to understand how solar arrays respond to hypervelocity impacts and to investigate the generated fragments population. In this context, the University of Padova performed an impact experiment on a solar array consisting in a composite sandwich panel, coated with a Kapton layer, and provided with solar cells: a nylon cylinder of 0.039 g collided with the solar panel at a velocity of 4.86 km/s with an impact angle of 45 deg, detaching a solar cell and damaging the panel structure. More than 4500 fragments larger than 0.2 mm were collected and classified after the impact. In this paper the impact experiment is described and the fragments analysis is presented in terms of size and shape distributions; a comparison with a test on a composite sandwich panel shows that the distributions are strongly affected by material and manufacturing choices, in particular regarding the fragments generated by delamination. • An impact experiment was performed on a solar array sample. • More than 4500 fragments larger than 0.2 mm were collected and classified. • Fragments size and shape distributions were obtained and compared with older experiments. • Distributions are strongly affected by material and manufacturing choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is one of the most widely used species for sports fields in temperate climates because of its high wear tolerance. However, wear tolerance of cultivars may vary according to local environmental conditions and turfgrass management. In this study, we evaluated the wear tolerance of six perennial ryegrass cultivars (Adagio, Apple SGL, Equate, Firebird, Principal 2, Tetradark) under two fertility treatments (100 or 200 kg N-ha21-yr21) over 2 years. The field trial was performed at the Experimental Agricultural Farm at the University of Padova in northeastern Italy in a silty loam soil. Plots were arranged in a randomized complete block with three replications and subjected to three traffic events per week using a sports field wear simulator. Turfgrass quality (TQ), percent green cover (PGC), and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were recorded every 2 weeks and averaged over each month. Although perennial ryegrass cultivars responded differently to wear stress, the higher nitrogen (N) rate positively affected the TQ of them all. 'Tetradrak' and 'Equate' had the lowest TQ, especially during the active growing seasons (spring and autumn). However, 'Tetradark' was particularly negatively affected during the cool fall months. The impact of a higher N fertilization rate on PGC and NDVI appeared to be more pronounced in spring than in fall. Furthermore, slight differences among cultivars and treatments were observed in summer and winter when temperatures were a limiting growth factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lichen sclerosus is a chronic, progressive, inflammatory skin disease that presents unique challenges, particularly in the pediatric population, where limited data exist regarding its manifestation and optimal management. This retrospective observational monocentric study aims to provide insights into the clinical characteristics and therapeutic strategies employed, in a cohort of children and adolescents with genital lichen sclerosus. Methods: A comprehensive analysis was conducted involving a cohort of 60 pediatric patients ranging from 1 to 15 years old, all diagnosed with lichen sclerosus. These cases were referred to the Pediatric Dermatology Regional Center of the University of Padua, Italy, between January 2018 and January 2022. Moreover, we propose a treatment protocol that showed beneficial outcomes in all of our patients. Specifically, the initial use of mid-potency topical corticosteroids has proven effective in addressing severe acute flares. Following this acute phase, transitioning to long-term treatment with topical calcineurin inhibitors, such as tacrolimus or pimecrolimus, has demonstrated effectiveness in maintaining remission of the disease and also shown efficacy in treating mild cases. The therapeutic effectiveness was assessed by considering various clinical aspects, including erythema, paleness, skin erosions, and specific symptoms such as itching, burning, and pain. Results: Erythema emerged as the predominant clinical sign, reported in 43 (78.3%) patients, followed by paleness, reported in 17 (28.3%) patients. Pruritus was observed in 25 girls (58.1% of females) and 2 boys (11.8% of males), while pain and burning sensations were predominantly reported in female children. Among females, we observed a higher prevalence of cutaneous comorbidities, such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, alopecia areata, and linear scleroderma, as opposed to autoimmune systemic diseases, that were more prevalent in males. Regarding therapeutic approaches, 21 (35.0%) patients applied topical corticosteroids, 28 (46,7%) applied topical tacrolimus and 21 (35,0%) applied topical pimecrolimus. All treated patients experienced notable benefits following the initiation of treatment proposed by our protocol. Conclusions: This study provides further insights into the clinical presentation and management of lichen sclerosus in the pediatric population, shedding light on potential therapeutic pathways for optimizing patient outcomes in this specific demographic. The proposed protocol appears to be a promising strategy, especially when the onset of the disease occurs during childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The post-prostatectomy incontinence is influenced by multiple elements, anatomic components and biological factors. The bladder neck preservation, more accurate during robot assisted radical prostatectomy, works on two anatomic components responsible for post-prostatectomy continence. The bladder neck preservation spares the internal sphincter, which is responsible for passive continence, and results in earlier return to continence and lower rates of post-prostatectomy incontinence. Moreover, this surgical technique spares the zone of urothelium coaptation and provides primary resistance to the urine to maintain postprostatectomy continence. The potential risk of bladder neck positive surgical margins (PSM) may prevent the usage of the bladder neck preservation. Aim: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the surgical and pathological outcome in prostate cancer patients underwent robot assisted radical prostatectomy with bladder neck preservation. Materials and methods: Prospectively, we have collected demographic, clinical, surgical and pathological data of prostate cancer patients underwent robot assisted radical prostatectomy with bladder neck preservation, from January 2014 to December 2016, in Urological Clinic of the University of Padua. Moreover, it was valued the presence of alterations or continuous solutions of specimen external capsule, attributable to the surgical technique of bladder neck preservation, by microscopic and macroscopic pathological analysis. Results: According to D'Amico risk classification, 40 patients (45.4%) had a low risk neoplasia, 35 patients (39.8%) had an intermediate risk neoplasia, 13 patients (14.8%) had an high risk neoplasia. The median prostatic volume, valued on specimen, was 30.84 cc (21.5-44.75 cc). The median prostatic weight, valued on specimen, was 51 gr (36-67 gr). The pathological stage of disease was pT2a in 11 cases (12.5%), pT2b in 37 cases (42.1%), pT3a in 28 cases (31.8%), pT3b in 12 cases (13.6%). The pathological stage of lymph node involvement was pNx in 17 cases (19.3%), pN0 in 66 cases (75%), pN1 in 5 cases (5.7%). The prostate cancers diagnosed had a Gleason score at specimen of 6 in 10 cases (10.4%), 7 (3+4) in 30 cases (34.1%), 7 (4+3) in 20 cases (22.7%), 8 in 19 cases (21.6%) and 9 in 9 cases (10.2%). The prostatic base was involved by neoplasia in 14 patients (15.9%); of these, 5 patients (35.7%) had bladder neck PSM. The patients with bladder neck PSM had: a pathological stage of disease as pT3a in 2 cases (40%) and pT3b in 3 cases (60%); a pathological stage of lymph node involvement as pN0 in 2 cases (40%) and pN1 in 3 cases (60%); a Gleason score at specimen of 8 in 3 cases (60%) and 9 in 2 cases (40%); multiple PSM. Nobody had alterations or continuous solutions of specimen external capsule, attributable to surgical technique of bladder neck preservation. Conclusions: The bladder neck preservation, during robot assisted radical prostatectomy, is a safe oncological procedure resulting in a good functional outcome, about post-prostatectomy continence, working on two anatomic components responsible for post-prostatectomy continence. The bladder neck PSM are linked to neoplasia with adverse pathological features, rather than the bladder neck preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Symposium on Myofascial Pain, Fibromyalgia, and Fascial Pain Disorders was held at the University of Padua, Padua, Italy in June of 2023. This report presents a summary of the presentations from scientists and clinicians from around the world who presented to the symposium. The purpose of this symposium and resultant paper is improve health professional’s recognition and understanding of the clinical characteristics, co-morbidities, mechanisms, and treatment strategies for these common conditions to better understand and manage their pain, dysfunction, and quality life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Full-field thermomechanical data and pointwise moisture profiling of mural paintings can be achieved on-site using DHSPI, SIRT, NMR, and THz. • DHSPI and SIRT represent first-line on-field structural diagnostic techniques of large painted surfaces. • DHSPI-SIRT full-field scanning of mural paintings can guide techniques based on point-wise scanning. This paper explores the potential synergy of DHSPI, SIRT, THz and NMR combined application. These innovative non-destructive diagnostic techniques for on-field examination were implemented in a study performed on the famous Giotto frescoes in San Antonio Cathedral of Padova, Italy. In this on-field work the aim was to investigate on the enigma represented by a missing fresco by the Master in the chapel house hidden under a Baroque plaster, as it is assumed that portions of Giotto's original fresco may still be present. In general, to this goal, the research coordinated by the CIRCe center of the University of Padua implemented various NDT techniques with additional scientific and technical support by the instrumentation and staff of the advanced mobile laboratory (MOLAB). Here, we present data extracted from surface/subsurface to identify deformations (provided by portable interferometry system, DHSPI), along with in-depth data from thermal diffusion inside the fresco layers by thermography (SIRT), combined with relevant NMR and THz spectroscopy. Thus, this study provides an exemplar application of a novel diagnostic approach based on the mentioned complementary techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediterranean region is expected to experience increased extreme precipitation events with the risk of inland flooding because of climate change. This may adversely affect the establishment of warm‐season turf species, usually selected for low water consumption. A simulated waterlogging experiment was conducted at the University of Padua in northeastern Italy during the summers of 2017 and 2018. Four bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) cultivars (La Paloma, Transcontinental, SR 9554, and Jackpot), 'Pure Dynasty' seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum Swartz), and 'SWI 2000' buffalograss [Buchloë dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.] were compared under waterlogging conditions. The response of the three warm‐season species to four waterlogging events during establishment at two different seeding rates was investigated. The number of seedlings, percentage green coverage, and NDVI were measured. At the end of the experimental periods, the dry weights of the above‐ground biomass and roots were also determined. All the cultivars tested demonstrated high tolerance to waterlogging in the early stages of establishment. Moreover, they produced a significantly higher number of seedlings per unit area when sown at the higher seeding rate. Core Ideas: Due to climate change, inland flooding may adversely affect the establishment of warm‐season turfgrasses.The three warm‐season turf species studied tolerated flash waterlogging in the early stages of establishment.Bermudagrass seeded at a rate of 5.0 g m−2 produced significantly better green cover than when seeded at 2.5 g m−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, political communication has been affected by a process of disintermediation thanks to the appropriation of social media not only by the networked citizens, but also by politicians, who are increasingly interested in exploring new forms of engagement and participation in the Res Publica (see among others Parisi and Rega, 2010). The opportunities hidden within these new forms of direct communication appeared more clearly during the pandemic crisis when citizens primarily were looking for correct information, practical instructions, and a kind of control of collective anxiety and fear (Jain et al., 2021). The paper aims at presenting the main results of a wider research project conducted by the University of Padua, focused on the role of visual communication in social media platforms of Italian mayors. The study was based on the visual analysis of 54 mayors' profiles on Instagram between the 21st of April and the 21st of June. Moreover, we carried out 25 in-depth interviews with a subsample of local administrators. Among other goals, we identified the use (pragmatic vs. ideological one) of communicative threads about the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanadium Flow Batteries (VFBs) are a stationary energy storage technology, that can play a pivotal role in the integration of renewable sources into the electrical grid, thanks to unique advantages like power and energy independent sizing, no risk of explosion or fire and extremely long operating life. The first part of this paper presents the main features and the basic performance parameters of VFB, which determine their electric, hydraulic, thermal, and aging feature. The latter part outlines the strengths and weaknesses of the technology, the services that it can provide to the grid, and a short economic analysis. After presenting the fundaments of the technology, prospects and trends of VFBs deployment are outlined. Most of the considerations highlighted in this paper are inspired to studies performed on an industrial-size VFB operated at the Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion Lab (EESCoLab) at the University of Padua (Italy). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we argue that Raphael has hidden a geometric shape called a vesica piscis in his fresco The School of Athens (1510-1511). The vesica piscis, and several findings which can be interpreted as suggesting the presence of a vesica piscis in the fresco, are presented. Several of these suggestions relate to the vesica piscis drawn in the construction of an equilateral triangle in the first proposition of Euclid's Elements. Based on findings in the fresco, we suggest that the vesica piscis should be interpreted in light of a philosophical and theological controversy which took place in Italy in the decades around 1500, between the Catholic Church and philosophers at the University of Padua. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC) as a genetically determined desmosomal disease started since the original discovery by Lancisi in a four-generation family, published in 1728. Contemporary history at the University of Padua started with Dalla Volta, who haemodynamically investigated patients with "auricularization" of the right ventricle, and with Nava, who confirmed familiarity. The contemporary knowledge advances consisted of (a) AC as a heart muscle disease with peculiar electrical instability of the right ventricle; (b) the finding of pathological substrates, in keeping with a myocardial dystrophy; (c) the inclusion of AC in the cardiomyopathies classification; (d) AC as the main cause of sudden death in athletes; (e) the discovery of the culprit genes coding proteins of the intercalated disc (desmosome); (f) progression in clinical diagnosis with specific ECG abnormalities, angiocardiography, endomyocardial biopsy, 2D echocardiography, electron anatomic mapping and cardiac magnetic resonance; (g) the discovery of left ventricular AC; (h) prevention of SCD with the invention and application of the lifesaving implantable cardioverter defibrillator and external defibrillator scattered in public places and playgrounds as well as the ineligibility for competitive sport activity for AC patients; (i) genetic screening of the proband family to unmask asymptomatic carriers. Nondesmosomal ACs, with a phenotype overlapping desmosomal AC, are also treated, including genetics: Transmembrane protein 43, SCN5A, Desmin, Phospholamban, Lamin A/C, Filamin C, Cadherin 2, Tight junction protein 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fascial pathological pain is the main type of chronic pain in older adults today, and studying the relationship between fascia and pain can help in the clinical search for effective treatments. However, in the face of the vast amount of research findings, there is no systematic assessment of the relationship between fascia and pain in a bibliometric analysis. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze studies on fascia and pain using CiteSpace and VOSviewer to identify research hotspots and future directions.Materials and Methods: A total of 744 papers related to fascia and pain from 2013 to 2022 were collected from the core collection database of Web of Science, and the authors, countries, institutions, keyword co-occurrence, keyword clustering, and keyword emergence were analyzed by CiteSpace and VOSviewer to construct a knowledge map.Results: Literature publication has shown an overall upward trend over the past decade, but there have been some fluctuations. Carmelo Pirri, Caterina Fede, and Raffaele De Caro are the top three authors with the most articles. The United States, China, and Spain are major contributors to fascial and pain research. The University of Padua, Universidad Complutense and Harvard Medical School are leading institutions in this field. However, it is noteworthy that the collaboration between authors, countries and institutions is not active. Keyword analysis showed that hot spots and trends in research on fascia and pain focused on hot diseases, major interventions, and mechanism exploration.Conclusion: This analysis identifies the most influential authors, institutions, and countries in the field of fascial and pain research and provides a reference for assessing their academic impact. The analysis of keywords and co-cited literature is useful for analyzing research hotspots and their evolution, as well as for predicting future trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nested buildings today represent an efficient alternative to traditional recovery interventions in terms of cost-effectiveness, sustainability and compatibility with the existing building. The Italian territory has many disused industrial buildings on which it is necessary to operate with new recovery and re-market strategies. This article presents the results of the research, currently in progress, carried out by the ICEA department (University of Padua). The research concerns the recovery of industrial buildings in reinforced concrete from the 20th century. In these buildings the prefabrication allows a considerable optimization of the recovery interventions focused on modularity and prefabrication to fasten the construction times together with flexibility and reversibility. The analysis of the functional, structural and construction types made it possible to identify general intervention criteria which - as the identification of the average span dimensions - led to two design scenarios of wooden housing modules, following nested-building strategy. After a phase of study and critical analysis, criteria and guidelines for intervention were identified which - as the identification of the average span dimensions - led to two design scenarios of wooden housing modules, following nestedbuilding strategy. The ex-Manifattura Tabacchi factory in Verona was chosen as a case study on which the results of the research were tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying abroad in general is beneficial academically, socially, and linguistically for students. This qualitative study is using narrative inquiry to uncover personal experiences of three Indonesian undergraduate students as they sail to study abroad through IISMA to the University of Padua, Italy in 2021. The experiences and meaning the students develop are discussed through interviews and personal notes. The data is categorized based on the research questions about what and how the experiences of study abroad influence cross-cultural understanding and English skills development. Before departing, aiming to study abroad and the preparation is the most critical. Meanwhile, during the program, cultural and academic obstacles is inevitable. Upon returning to Indonesia, students developed a stronger sense of self-confidence to pursue another degree and career advancement. This study concludes that individual narratives is an important tool to empower learning process for students studying abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most pressing emergent educational issues addressed by the international research literature concerns the effects that excessive or problematic smartphone use can have on students' academic performance. An exploratory study was thus carried out with 46 students enrolled in a five-year degree program at the University of Padova (Italy) who were asked to provide their perceptions of their level of smartphone dependence and academic performance. Findings seem to indicate a significant correlation between high levels of smartphone addiction, difficulty concentrating while studying, and a frequent tendency to procrastinate on completing assigned tasks. Responses regarding smartphone distraction during in-person classes were particularly interesting: over 75% of respondents reported using their smartphones frequently in class. In order of importance, their reasons for doing so were to view and answer social media messages (61%), "boredom" due to the teaching strategies employed by some teachers in presenting lessons (41%), and the need to take a break from concentrating in class (35%). Lastly, smartphone use and its effects on academic performance involve three principal components: usage time, distraction in class, and frequency of smartphone checks. Smartphone usage time seems to have a direct negative effect on exam grades. Distraction in class is most significant for respondents who use their smartphones for messaging, while the frequency with which respondents check their smartphones is inversely proportional to their age. To limit these problems, we suggest that proven educational and teaching strategies be used to raise students' awareness of smartphone addiction, encourage students to participate actively, and use the smartphone as a teaching tool. As the study's findings are based on a self-report questionnaire, they reflect students' perceptions. To more accurately assess and confirm these findings, planned future fieldwork will monitor smartphone dependence during class and determine the actual amount of time students spend on their smartphones and how it correlates with academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High energy in-space collisions may lead to the catastrophic fragmentation of entire spacecraft. Current empirical models employed to predict spacecraft breakup are based on ground experiments and observation of debris cloud generated by collision events. Due to the continuous growth of the number of resident objects orbiting the Earth and the risk they pose to operational satellites, in the last years the interest in collecting new test data on spacecraft collisions has increased, as well as the request to improve current breakup models and develop new ones. In this context the University of Padova performed a set of impact simulations, with a custom fragmentation algorithm, on satellites mock-ups consisting of cubic, cylindrical, and parallelepiped shapes with internal boxes representing on-board components. The considered scenarios include several targets and impactors masses and sizes and different impact geometries (in terms of velocity, impact angle and location). Simulations results consist in the generated fragments characteristic length cumulative distributions. It was observed that all distributions show different sections that can be attributed to different damage modes: the smaller fragments are generated by the spacecraft components fragmentation, the intermediate ones by the detached internal boxes, and the largest ones consisting in intact pieces of the spacecraft separated from the main structure. The limits, extent and slope of these sections depend on the impact conditions, the satellite structure and the impact point; a piecewise analytical model is derived for the simulation data, showing a good accordance with the fragments distribution trends. • 22 impact simulations were performed with the CSTS fragmentation tool. • Simulation models included targets with different geometries and sizes. • Characteristic length distributions were generated for each simulation case. • Lc distribution were divided in three sections due to different damage phenomena. • An analytical breakup model was derided from simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In Italy, on December 2020, workers in the education sector were identified as a priority population to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The first authorised vaccines were the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA (BNT162b2) and the Oxford-AstraZeneca adenovirus vectored (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) vaccines. Aim: To investigate the adverse effects of two SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in a real-life preventive setting at the University of Padova. Methods: Vaccination was offered to 10116 people. Vaccinated workers were asked to voluntarily report symptoms via online questionnaires sent to them 3 weeks after the first and the second shot. Results: 7482 subjects adhered to the vaccination campaign and 6681 subjects were vaccinated with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine and 137 (fragile subjects) with the BNT162b2 vaccine. The response rate for both questionnaires was high (i.e., >75%). After the first shot, the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine caused more fatigue (p < 0.001), headache (p < 0.001), myalgia (p < 0.001), tingles (p = 0.046), fever (p < 0.001), chills (p < 0.001), and insomnia (p = 0.016) than the BNT162b2 vaccine. After the second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine, more myalgia (p = 0.033), tingles (p = 0.022), and shivers (p < 0.001) than the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine were elicited. The side effects were nearly always transient. Severe adverse effects were rare and mostly reported after the first dose of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine. They were dyspnoea (2.3%), blurred vision (2.1%), urticaria (1.3%), and angioedema (0.4%). Conclusions: The adverse effects of both vaccines were transient and, overall, mild in severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strained relations between the University of Padua and the nearby Jesuit college exploded in 1591: university students vandalized the Jesuit campus, shot muskets, and ran around naked. University professor Cesare Cremonini blamed the Jesuits and successfully lobbied the government to restrict the college to Jesuit novices. This article analyzes works by Paolo Sarpi, Cesare Cremonini, Antonio Possevino, and other Jesuit apologists to argue that Venetian ideals advocated for an education that reflected the religious and political necessities of the local government as one of the foundations of a stable society. Influential Venetians distrusted Jesuit instruction because it was a universal program that was not tailored to the needs of the Venetian government; in reality, however, university education did not entirely fulfill the republic’s goals either. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Il riferimento alle radici culturali della capacità d’attrazione dello Studio di Padova presuppone ripercorrerne la plurisecolare storia. La reputazione internazionale dello Studio si basava anche sull’invenzione di una tradizione imperiale nella fondazione, sull’idea di una continuità fra il mito di Atene e Padova, sull’atmosfera di libertà e tolleranza per gli studenti stranieri a Padova nel secondo Cinquecento. L’esplorazione archivistica del fondo Riformatori dello Studio riletta attraverso la letteratura critica elaborata dal Centro per lo studio della storia dell’Università di Padova ha consentito di cogliere, e precisare, la complessità di queste radici. Non si trattava di espedienti retorici ma di forme culturali che accrescevano il prestigio del ceto dei dottori leggenti e la legittimazione culturale dell’Università e che trovavano riscontro nelle politiche culturali della Repubblica di Venezia. L’esempio degli illustri studenti, come il polacco Jan Zamoyski, e la tradizione regale francese e imperiale contribuiscono a spiegare un’innovazione istituzionale, come la creazione di speciali collegi per la concessione per i gradi accademici per autorità della Repubblica, estesa pure agli studenti poveri, ebrei, greci e non cattolici.

Space debris represent a threat to satellites in orbit around Earth. In the case of impact, satellites can be subjected to damage spanning from localized craterization to subsystem failure, to complete loss of the vehicle; large collision events may lead to fragmentation of the spacecraft. Simulating and testing debris impacts may help in understanding the physics behind these events, modelling the effects, and developing dedicated protection systems and mitigation strategies. In this context, the Space Debris group at the University of Padova investigates in-space collisions with experimental campaigns performed in a dedicated Hypervelocity Impact Facility and with numerical simulations with commercial and custom software. In this paper, an overview is given of the last 10 years of research activities performed at the University of Padova. First, the hypervelocity impact testing facility is described and the main experimental campaigns performed in the last few years are summarized. The second part of this work describes impact modelling research advances, focusing on the simulation of complex collision scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To validate an Italian version of the Rasch-Built Overall ALS Disability Scale (ROADS) in a broad population of patients and assess its longitudinal performance over time. Methods: 270 ALS patients referring to the Motor Neuron Disease Clinic of the University of Padova and Modena (Italy) accepted to compile the Italian version of the ROADS and results were correlated with the ALSFRSr and ALSAQ-40 scores, FVC values, and creatinine or albumin blood levels. To verify test–retest reliability, patients were asked to fill in a second copy of the scale within 5–7 days. Thirty-nine patients compiled a further copy of questionnaire during the follow up visit (after 133 days on average) which allowed us a longitudinal assessment of the scale. Results: We found a good external construct validity between ROADS and either ALSFRS-R (correlation coefficient = 0.85) or ALSAQ-40 (correlation coefficient = − 0.84). Test–retest reliability was excellent with a concordance-correlation coefficient of 0.93. Yet, we observed a significant correlation between changes over time of the ROADS normalised sum score (− 2.18 point loss per month) and those of both the ALSFRS-R (positive correlation; Rho = 0.64, p ≤ 0.0001) or the ALSAQ-40 (negative correlation; Rho = − 0.60, p = 0.014). Conclusions: The Italian version of ROADS proved to be a reliable marker to monitor overall disability in ALS patients. Further studies are necessary to assess its longitudinal performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite breakup models rely on laboratory tests and in-space collision observations; current models can match fragments distributions generated by traditional satellites but may need to be improved for small spacecraft and modern satellites employing new configurations and materials. In the last years, ground tests have been employed to assess the influence of dimensions, materials and internal configurations on fragments distributions and to define the limits of the current models. In this context, an impact test was performed at the impact facility of the University of Padova to characterize the fragmentation of a picosatellite mock-up; more than 7000 fragments were collected, classified and analysed with automatic image recognition algorithms. It was observed that the experimental characteristic length distribution is line with the prediction of the NASA SBM even for the smallest size classes, while the fragments shape distribution is strongly affected by the materials employed in the picosatellite manufacturing. The subset of the collected fragments larger than 2 mm was recently subjected to a more detailed analysis: each fragment was individually weighed, and its three main dimensions were measured. In this paper, resulting fragments distributions are compared with literature data and the NASA Standard Breakup Model; in particular, an analytic relation between fragments characteristic length and size is found. In addition, results show that characteristic length and area-to-mass distributions are affected by the target materials and are clearly influenced by the size resolution of the analysed fragments. • An impact test with EMR of about 80 J/g was performed on a picosatellite. • All fragments larger than 2 mm were individually weighed and measured. • Characteristic length distributions are compatible with the NASA SBM. • A power law can be employed to relate mass and characteristic length. • Materials choice affects area-to-mass distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent debates on 'graphic' geographies and the reinterpretation of the notion of 'democratic experimentalism' in local development suggest the rise of a new 'representational experimentalism' that explores graphic methods for place‐based approaches. Graphic methods of research can assist geographers in conducting and presenting the results of place‐based research to wider audiences. Graphic products of research function as tools for storytelling and spatial planning. They can also provide intersubjective dialogue between researchers, local communities, and local governments to create more inclusive place‐based narratives. In this paper, we present a verbo‐visual manifesto and an illustrated fieldwork journal as two empirical examples of possible ways to engage with graphic methods and realise the potential graphic outputs of research. These graphic products are the result of a collaboration between geographers, students in Local Development and Sustainable Territorial Development (at the University of Padua), two professional illustrators, and a group of local stakeholders; they used scribing and observational drawing as place‐based graphic methods during a residential seminar at the Po Delta, in north‐eastern Italy. This paper contributes to both recent debates on creative methods in local development and the study of the use graphic and visual methods in geography. It proposes graphic methods as a way for embracing place‐based approaches to local development in peripheral, fragile, and contested areas, making hidden voices visible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this opinion article we explore the link between regular wine consumption and human health, starting from the teachings that Alvise Cornaro, a Scholar at the University of Padova, left us, especially on his "La Vita Sobria", a treatise published in Padova in 1558. A key role in his suggested diet is reserved for wine, an alcoholic beverage that, he advocated, should be consumed regularly, a concept that fits well with the central role that wine played in the Middle age society. Indeed, at that time, wine was consumed in large quantities, and it was generally mixed with water to make the latter safer for consumption. Monks and doctors also used wine as a medicine, as this was regularly administered to sick people of all ages to cure their illnesses. Wine maintained a similar role until the middle of the 20th Century, shifting from a source of energy to a pleasure, even if moderate wine consumption has been reported by epidemiological studies as having health benefits, particularly in relation to cardiovascular diseases. Conversely, any level of alcohol intake has recently been recognized as harmful, an occurrence that the modern wine industry is tackling by increasing the production of wines with reduced alcohol content. Nevertheless, nowadays, wine continues to be consumed for the pleasure it can provide and for its role as a social catalyzer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a seminar held at the University of Padua in May 1999, where Helen Barolini, a renowned author, was invited as a guest lecturer. The students had read some of Barolini's works and were familiar with her contributions to Italian American literature. Barolini's novel, Umbertina, which was initially considered niche, has now gained mainstream recognition. The article highlights Barolini's impact on the students and her efforts to ensure they had access to her novel. The author, William Boelhower, provides his perspective on the memorable visit. [Extracted from the article]

Several challenges prevent extracting knowledge from biomedical resources, including data heterogeneity and the difficulty to obtain and collaborate on data and annotations by medical doctors. Therefore, flexibility in their representation and interconnection is required; it is also essential to be able to interact easily with such data. In recent years, semantic tools have been developed: semantic wikis are collections of wiki pages that can be annotated with properties and so combine flexibility and expressiveness, two desirable aspects when modeling databases, especially in the dynamic biomedical domain. However, semantics and collaborative analysis of biomedical data is still an unsolved challenge. The aim of this work is to create a tool for easing the design and the setup of semantic databases and to give the possibility to enrich them with biostatistical applications. As a side effect, this will also make them reproducible, fostering their application by other research groups. A command-line software has been developed for creating all structures required by Semantic MediaWiki. Besides, a way to expose statistical analyses as R Shiny applications in the interface is provided, along with a facility to export Prolog predicates for reasoning with external tools. The developed software allowed to create a set of biomedical databases for the Neuroscience Department of the University of Padova in a more automated way. They can be extended with additional qualitative and statistical analyses of data, including for instance regressions, geographical distribution of diseases, and clustering. The software is released as open source-code and published under the GPL-3 license at https://github.com/mfalda/tsv2swm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Administering cancer drugs is a high-risk process, and mistakes can have fatal consequences. Failure Mode, Effect and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) is a widely recognized method for identifying and preventing potential risks, applied in various settings, including healthcare. The aim of this study was to recognize potential failures in cancer treatment prescription and administration, with a view to enabling the adoption of measures to prevent them. Methods: This study consists of a FMECA. A team of resident doctors in public health at the University of Padua examined the cancer chemotherapy process with the support of a multidisciplinary team from the Veneto Institute of Oncology (an acknowledged comprehensive cancer center), and two other provincial hospitals. A diagram was drafted to illustrate 9 different phases of chemotherapy, from the adoption of a treatment plan to its administration, and to identify all possible failure modes. Criticality was ascertained by rating severity, frequency and likelihood of a failure being detected, using adapted versions of already published scales. Safety strategies were identified and summarized. Results: Twenty-two failure modes came to light, distributed over the various phases of the cancer treatment process, and seven of them were classified as high risk. All phases of the cancer chemotherapy process were defined as potentially critical and at least one action was identified for a single high-risk failure mode. To reduce the likelihood of the cause, or to improve the chances of a failure mode being detected, a total of 10 recommendations have been identified. Conclusions: FMECA can be useful for identifying potential failures in a process considered to be at high risk. Safety strategies were devised for each high-risk failure mode identified. Key points: FMECA is a proactive risk assessment tool that has proved useful in identifying potential failures in the process of prescribing and administering cancer treatments, which is a high-risk process. The analysis evidenced 22 failures modes, distributed over the various phases of the process. In order to reduce the likelihood of the cause, or to improve the chances of a failure mode being detected, this work identified a number of recommendations to be adopted in the administration of cancer treatment in an outpatient setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Calcium uptake research has a long history. However, the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) protein was first discovered in 2011. As investigations of mitochondrial calcium uniporter represent a new research hotspot, a comprehensive and objective perspective of the field is lacking. Hence, this bibliometric analysis aimed to provide the current study status and trends related to mitochondrial calcium uniporter research in the past decade. Methods: Articles were acquired from the Web of Science Core Collection database. We quantified and visualized information regarding annual publications, journals, cocited journals, countries/regions, institutions, authors, and cocited authors by using CiteSpace 5.8. R3 and VOSviewer. In addition, we analysed the citation and keyword bursts related to mitochondrial calcium uniporter studies. Results: From 2011 to 2022, 1,030 articles were published by 5,050 authors from 1,145 affiliations and 62 countries or regions. The country with the most published articles was the United States. The institution with the most published articles was the University of Padua. Rosario Rizzuto published the most articles and was also the most cocited author. Cell Calcium published the largest number of articles, whereas Journal of Biological Chemistry had the most cocitations. The top 5 keywords related to pathological processes were oxidative stress, cell death, permeability transition, apoptosis, and metabolism. MICU1, calcium, ryanodine receptor, ATP synthase and cyclophilin D were the top 5 keywords related to molecules. Conclusion: mitochondrial calcium uniporter research has grown stably over the last decade. Current studies focus on the structure of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter complex and its regulatory effect on mitochondrial calcium homeostasis. In addition, the potential role of mitochondrial calcium uniporter in different diseases has been explored. Current studies mostly involve investigations of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Our analysis provides guidance and new insights into further mitochondrial calcium uniporter research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In times of crisis, connections among people, cultures, and societies seem to be the main antidotes available against the risks of individualism, auto-referentiality, and a revenge culture. Connectivity offers opportunities to nurture human generativity (Santi, 2021) in the service of better futures and cosmopolitan scenarios, contrasting the delusion of autarchical economies, the rhetoric of political nationalism, and the reinforcement of social polarization by way of competition/marginalization, which applies to education as well. The pandemia that occurred in 2020 brought both risks of isolation and opportunities for connection: it has been a paradoxical and even paroxysmal situation that has challenged us to think about forms of dependence, especially in instructional contexts. The stimulus for an inquiry that was carried out with 817 students at the University of Padova was the provocative title of an album by well-known musicians: "Declaration of Dependence." The aim was to think about dependencies in the form of regular roles such as "study/student" that are important for our human existence, and which were profoundly upset by the "sindemia" (Singer, 2009). Our aspiration was to explore what it means to belong to a thriving university whose over-arching goal is to serve the dependencies of people in a generative community of future horizons. Our efforts led to the drafting of the "Declaration of Dependence," a shared manifesto by the research group that enumerated a thorough list of the students' self-declared dependencies, and which was later shared with the university community in multiple languages. This led, in turn, to the use of the Declaration to launch multiple focus groups, which discussed these dependencies in a setting devoted to dialogue and the practice of complex thinking. Subsequently, in a workshop carried out in 2020 at the 20th Biennial Conference of the International Council of Philosophical Inquiry with Children (ICPIC) in Tokyo, we opened an international dimension on the reflections that had preoccupied us in the Padova University context. Here, the aim was to reflect on the personal, collective and educational dependencies of the present historical moment through the practice of community of philosophical inquiry, which offers a paradigmatic time and space for sharing, listening, questioning, and gaining perspective. The conference workshop offered an international group of scholars and practitioners from various socio-political contexts the opportunity to deliberate on how the pandemic has impacted both their local and the global community. Considering the new educational and philosophical challenges presented by the pandemic, the group expressed an urgent need to deconstruct established boundaries and return to "origins." Invoking metaphors taken from the natural world (Roversi et al, 2022), an inquiry into the nature and scope of our fundamental dependencies reminds us that we are part of a socio-cultural ecology that is grounded and nurtured in our relationship with others. A community that understands its dependencies as gifts that call us to the design of a better future could in fact represent a foreshadowing of a better tomorrow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Res Rhetorica is the property of Polish Rhetoric Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In GNSS-based navigation onboard Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, typical accuracy requirements are 10 cm and 0.1 mm/s for 3D position and velocity, respectively. Previous works have shown that such performance is achieved by including Galileo measurements in the estimation process. Here, we aim to evaluate the impact of employing State Space Representation (SSR) corrections, i.e., GNSS satellite orbit, clock, and biases, to be applied to the broadcast ephemerides. In this framework, the Precise Onboard Orbit Determination (P2OD) software (SW) tool developed at the University of Padua (UNIPD) is used to investigate the needs of onboard navigation. The UNIPD SW employs an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) using a reduced-dynamics approach. The force model implemented is adapted to onboard processing, and empirical accelerations are included to take into account residual force mismodeling. Actual observation data from the LEO Sentinel-6A satellite are processed along with SSR corrections from the CNES service. Galileo-based solutions are compared to ground-based POD reference orbits. The analysis suggests that the use of SSR corrections provides sub-decimeter and below 0.1 mm/s accuracies in 3D position and velocity, respectively. Such results indicate a P2OD solution quality close to that achievable by adopting precise orbits and clocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Masonry buildings in historic centres are prone to seismic damage, due to either construction features or effects of changes over the time. Systematic studies on built heritage need to be updated, aimed at providing large number of data to identify recursive aspects affecting vulnerability and damage. In this study, over 2300 case studies (i.e., structural units/buildings) belonging to 20 villages struck by the 2016 Central Italy earthquake were analysed by a multi-level survey procedure recently upgraded at the University of Padova. The effect of damage was examined with respect to the local macroseismic intensity and computed by comparing the influence of features such as: settlements configuration, buildings aggregation, geometrical and architectural details, horizontal and vertical structural components, and constituent materials. This study lays the groundwork for new approaches to the analysis of construction parameters of existing masonry buildings, in view of their typological categorization and validation on a statistical base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cochlear implants (CI) have been developed to enable satisfying verbal communication, while music perception has remained in the background in both the research and technological development, thus making CI users dissatisfied by the experience of listening to music. Indications for clinicians to test and train music abilities are at a preliminary stage compared to the existing and well-established hearing and speech rehabilitation programs. The main aim of the present study was to test the utility of the application of two different patient reporting outcome (PRO) measures in a group of CI users. A secondary objective was to identify items capable of driving the indication and design specific music rehabilitation programs for CI patients. Materials and Methods: A consecutive series of 73 CI patients referred to the Audiology Unit, University of Padova, was enrolled from November 2021 to May 2022 and evaluated with the audiological battery test and PRO measures: Musica e Qualità della Vita (MUSQUAV) and Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ) Italian version. Results: The reliability analysis showed good consistency between the different PRO measures (Cronbach's alpha = 0.873). After accounting for the epidemiological and clinical variables, the PRO measures showed a correlation with audiological outcomes in only one case (rho = −0.304; adj. p = 0.039) for NCIQ-T with the CI-pure tone average. A willingness for musical rehabilitation was present in 63% of patients (Rehab Factor, mean value of 0.791 ± 0.675). Conclusions: We support the role of the application of MUSQUAV and NCIQ to improve the clinical and audiological evaluation of CI patients. Moreover, we proposed a derivative item, called the rehab factor, which could be used in clinical practice and future studies to clarify the indication and priority of specific music rehabilitation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: A growing body of studies related to antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) have been published in recent years. Nevertheless, there is a lack of visualized and systematic analysis in the literature on APS. Hence, this study sought to conduct a bibliometric analysis to identify research status and discover frontiers in the field. Methods: Articles and reviews concerning APS were acquired from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. CiteSpace, VOSviewer and a bibliometric online analysis platform were employed to conduct a visualization and knowledge-map analysis. Results: A total of 1,390 publications regarding APS were identified. Globally, Italy contributed the most publications. The University of Padua was the most productive institution. Lupus ranked first in both the most published and most co-cited journals. Savino Sciascia and Spiros Miyakis were the most prolific and most co-cited authors, respectively. "Vitamin K antagonists (VKA)" and "immunoglobulin A (IgA)" were current research foci. Burst analysis of keywords suggested that "neutrophil extracellular trap (NET)," "direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC)," "open label," "outcome," "hydroxychloroquine (HCQ)," and "arterial thrombosis (AT)" were significant future research frontiers. Conclusion: The scientific literature on APS has increased steadily in the past 10 years. The clinical studies on the treatment and mechanism research of APS are recognized as promising research hotspots in the domain of APS. The research status and trends of APS publications from the bibliometric perspective can provide a practical guide and important reference for subsequent studies by researchers and physicians in the domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work focuses on the establishment of the teaching of Sociology at the end of the 19th century at the University of Padua, trying to fill a gap with respect to the initial history of the discipline in this University through archive research and literature analysis. In particular, periods of discontinuity as concerns the presence of teaching from the late 1800s to the 1940s are emphasized, attempting to reconstruct and differentiate their contexts. Finally, we examine the figure of Achille Loria (1857-1943), the first professor to hold a free course in Sociology in Padua in 1894, highlighting some aspects related to both the academic and cultural relations that contributed to his calling and to the themes of his teaching, so different and distant from current sociology. This discussion offers the opportunity to provide a preliminary interpretative framework about the institutionalization and cultural diffusion of Sociology during the period of Positivism up to the criticism, very destabilizing for the discipline, moved by Croce and by Idealism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to marine mammals' demonstrated susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2, based upon the homology level of their angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) viral receptor with the human one, alongside the global SARS-CoV-2 occurrence and fecal contamination of the river and marine ecosystems, SARS-CoV-2 infection may be plausibly expected to occur also in cetaceans, with special emphasis on inshore species like bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Moreover, based on immune and inflammatory responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans, macrophages could also play an important role in antiviral defense mechanisms. In order to provide a more in-depth insight into SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility in marine mammals, we evaluated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and the expression of ACE2 and the pan-macrophage marker CD68. Aliquots of tissue samples, belonging to cetaceans stranded along the Italian coastline during 2020-2021, were collected for SARS-CoV-2 analysis by real-time PCR (RT-PCRT) (N = 43) and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) (N = 59); thirty-two aliquots of pulmonary tissue sample (N = 17 Tursiops truncatus, N = 15 Stenella coeruleoalba) available at the Mediterranean Marine Mammal Tissue Bank (MMMTB) of the University of Padua (Legnaro, Padua, Italy) were analyzed to investigate ACE2 expression by IHC. In addition, ACE2 and CD68 were also investigated by Double-Labeling Immunofluorescence (IF) Confocal Laser Microscopy. No SARS-CoV-2 positivity was found in samples analyzed for the survey while ACE2 protein was detected in the lower respiratory tract albeit heterogeneously for age, gender/sex, and species, suggesting that ACE2 expression can vary between different lung regions and among individuals. Finally, double IF analysis showed elevated colocalization of ACE2 and CD68 in macrophages only when an evident inflammatory reaction was present, such as in human SARS-CoV-2 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing number of man-made objects in near-earth space is becoming a serious problem for future space missions around the Earth. Among the proposed strategies to face this issue, and due to the passive and propellant-less character, electrodynamic tethers appear to be a promising option for spacecraft in low Earth orbits thanks to the limited storage mass and the minimum interface requirements to the host spacecraft. This work presents the roadmap that the Electrodynamic Tether Technology for Passive Consumable-less Deorbit Kit (E.T.PACK) is following to develop a prototype of a deorbit device based on electrodynamic tether technology with Technology Readiness Level 4 by the end of 2022. The paper illustrates the roadmap of the activities carried out at the University of Padova, where software and hardware have been prepared to validate some of the critical elements of the deorbit device. Specifically, the software tools include: (a) the software called "DEPLOY" that allows the computation of a reference trajectory for the deployment of the tether and the completion of sensitivity analysis of the deployment trajectory to key error sources; (b) the software called "FLEXSIM" that predicts the performances of electrodynamic tethers as a function of the system configuration employed; and (c) the software called "FLEX" that includes the dynamical effects of tether flexibility and provides important information on the dynamic stability of the system during deployment and deorbiting phase. The paper describes in detail the three software tools and provides results of a simulation showing how it is possible to deorbit a 24-kg satellite from an initial orbital altitude of 600 km in less than 100 days using a 500-m long tape-like bare tether. The team has also developed laboratory mock-ups and performed experimental activities to: (a) determine the tether mechanical properties; (b) test the functionality of mechanisms used to deploy the tether; (c) test the functionality of the attitude control assembly used during the deployment phase; and (d) validate a passive damper designed for dissipating the longitudinal oscillations of the tether and thus guarantee the stability of the system during both deployment and deorbiting phase. The paper provides a description of both the laboratory setup and the experimental activities performed to validate EDT technologies, including the damping capability of a compact passive-damping mechanism, showing how it can reduce consistently the peak forces up to about 80%. • Optimization of full-length deployment trajectory. • High fidelity simulations of deorbiting with electrodynamic tethers. • Experimental validation of technologies for tape electrodynamic tethers. • Close-proximity deployment testing with frictionless table and trajectory control. • Development and testing of passive in-line damper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a microbiological voyage throughout the main discoveries and research activities of scholars who studied or taught in this field at Padova University during its 800-year history. The ancient practice of variolization, the so-called miracle of Legnaro and the pellagra debate, whose observations and investigations were driven at Padova even before microbiology was established as a scientific discipline, along with the modern era research activities in the field of agricultural, environmental and food microbiology, undoubtedly suggest the hallmark and everyday role played by microbes in overwhelmingly global, but profoundly human, adventures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Santo: Rivista Francescana di Storia Dottrina Arte is the property of Associazione Centro Studi Antoniani and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)