scholarly journals How to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in the Agri-Food Industry during the First Pandemic Wave: Effects on Seroprevalence

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 10051
Author(s):  
Ermanno Vitale ◽  
Francesca Vella ◽  
Veronica Filetti ◽  
Luigi Cirrincione ◽  
Giuliano Indelicato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Physician ◽  
The Other ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
Wave Effects ◽  
Production And Distribution ◽  
Prevention Interventions ◽  
Positive Subject ◽  
Observational Cohort

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, many workplaces were forced to interrupt their activities or alternatively had to prefer a smart way of working, if this was compatible with their activities, to contain the spread of the virus. Some production activities, on the other hand, continued, such as those belonging to the agri-food sector. The aim of the study was to investigate seroprevalence in the workers of an Italian agri-food company following prevention interventions developed in concert with an occupational physician. An observational cohort study was conducted on a population of 328 (100%) workers of a company in the agri-food sector, located in the Sicilian region, which specialized in the production and distribution of citrus fruits. Only one worker was infected with SARS-CoV-2, which later also developed the immune response. No other worker contracted the infection. In conclusion, the measures implemented identified the positive subject for SARS-CoV-2 at an early stage. This made it possible to avoid contagion between the positive subject and the other workers. The occupational physician was also, in this case, essential in decoding and implementing the rules and guidelines useful for the protection of the health and safety of the worker.

Cognitive Functioning and Other Discriminatory Variables in Anorexic Patients

2005 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen García-Alba
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Developmental Period ◽  
The Other ◽  
Model Synthesis ◽  
Consistent Function ◽  
Current Article ◽  
Rorschach Variables ◽  
Underlying Pathology

This study is part of a larger research study (doctoral dissertation), in which a comparative study with adolescent samples is done: 50 anorexic restricting patients (ANP), 50 patients diagnosed with depression (DP) and 50 non patients (NP). The proposed objective is two-fold: 1) To try to clarify the existing relationship between Anorexia (AN) and Depression (D), investigated from diverse disciplines but without conclusive results. 2) To detect in the ANP personality different traits from those of other groups, which should, if possible, allow to detect them at an early stage for an adequate prognosis. The current article presents the Rorschach findings in relation to the cognitive functioning of the ANP. In them, the following has been detected: (1) An information processing similar to that of the other groups, even with a more complete (L ≤ .99), more complex (DQ+↑) and better discriminated (Zd↑) grasp of the stimulus; (2) Mediating processes very similar to those of the other groups, sharing with them the perceptive maladjustments (X–%↑) and an excessive individualism (Xu%↑); (3) A clearly differentiating ideation disorder. Definitely, the ANP use predominantly ideation (M↑), but their thought, usually well-adjusted (MQo↑), presents eventual operations of delusional type (MQnone↑). Above that, their thinking is marked by a great passivity (Mp↑), which makes them more vulnerable to accept ideas without criticizing them and it results in a very inefficient thinking, which spins around these concepts without finding solutions, entering into a sort of ruminating which is completely unproductive. The differences toward the obsessive pathology are established. The discriminant analysis conducted with all the Rorschach variables that resulted as significant throughout the research, provides quite a consistent function which discriminates the ANP: MQnone↑, Mp↑, FD↓, Ma↑, MQo↑, AdjD↑, Sum H↑, (H)↑. Based on this we can understand that these adolescents, being in a developmental period of big changes and disorientations in relation with their own image, confronted with life events, and possibly starting off with some biologic vulnerability: (1) Due to the alterations of their ideation, accept without criticism (Mp) irrational ideas dominating in our culture, in which slimness appears as the only model, synthesis of intelligence, beauty and success; remaining captured in this type of mental activity (MQnone), which they cannot escape nor criticize (Mp), despite they reason adequately on other topics (MQo); (2) Their alterations of self-perception [(H)] make them hide themselves in a fantasized image, which is the axis of their interests and the only thing that really matters to them; (3) The resources they have to decide on behaviors and to finish these deliberately (AdjD), and their scarce tendency to the introspection (FD) lead to their decision of not eating, based on distorted and passively accepted thinking, which has great power and thus, so difficult to modify. Finally, based on the Rorschach data obtained, the hypothesis of a personality disorder as underlying pathology is pointed out.

The Application of UX Research in New Energy Vehicle Innovation

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Menghan TAO ◽  
Ning XIAO ◽  
Xingfu ZHAO ◽  
Wenbin LIU
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
The Other ◽  
Innovative Product ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
New Energy ◽  
New Energy Vehicle ◽  
The One ◽  
New Energy Vehicles ◽  
Degree Of Innovation

New energy vehicles(NEV) as a new thing for sustainable development, in China, on the one hand has faced the rapid expansion of the market; the other hand, for the new NEV users, the current NEVs cannot keep up with the degree of innovation. This paper demonstrates the reasons for the existence of this systematic challenge, and puts forward the method of UX research which is different from the traditional petrol vehicles research in the early stage of development, which studies from the user's essence level, to form the innovative product programs which meet the needs of users and being real attractive.

scholarly journals Food System Resilience during COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of Roman Solidarity Purchasing Groups

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 156
Author(s):  
Simona Tarra ◽  
Giampiero Mazzocchi ◽  
Davide Marino
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Food System ◽  
Limited Extent ◽  
Important Food ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
Supply Channel ◽  
Production And Distribution ◽  
System Resilience ◽  
Depth Interviews

The restriction measures linked to the COVID-19 shock suddenly highlighted the vulnerability of most socioeconomic systems, including the food sector. In a context in which the limitation to the movement of people and goods has put the longer and more structured supply chains in serious difficulty, many experiences and initiatives have emerged as viable alternatives. The aim of the research was to understand if and how the Solidarity Purchasing Groups (SPG) of Rome have contributed to the resilience of the food system of the metropolitan city during the lockdown. The research was based on the results of a questionnaire administered to the SPGs of Rome during the first period of the pandemic (April–July 2020), enriched by some in-depth interviews carried out by the authors. What emerged was that, despite the limited extent in terms of products conveyed within the whole food system, the SPGs represented an important food supply channel during the lockdown period, for two main reasons: a greater flexibility and agility in moving and in handling goods and the possibility of remunerating local farms, contributing to the resilience of the local agri-food fabric. The analysis of the results confirms the strong vitality of such Food Movements in Rome and, at the same time, allows for the identification of a series of interventions that the institutions could adopt to favor the spread of a food environment more compatible with more sustainable and fairer forms of food production and distribution.

scholarly journals Relative COVID-19 Viral Persistence and Antibody Kinetics

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 752
Author(s):  
Chung-Guei Huang ◽  
Avijit Dutta ◽  
Ching-Tai Huang ◽  
Pi-Yueh Chang ◽  
Mei-Jen Hsiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Serum Antibody ◽  
Viral Persistence ◽  
Viral Clearance ◽  
The Other ◽  
Cytokines And Chemokines ◽  
Virus Clearance ◽  
Antibody Kinetics ◽  
Deceased Patient

A total of 15 RT-PCR confirmed COVID-19 patients were admitted to our hospital during the in-itial outbreak in Taiwan. The average time of virus clearance was delayed in seven patients, 24.14 ± 4.33 days compared to 10.25 ± 0.56 days post-symptom onset (PSO) in the other eight pa-tients. There was strong antibody response in patients with viral persistence at the pharynx, with peak values of serum antibody 677.2 ± 217.8 vs. 76.70 ± 32.11 in patients with delayed versus rapid virus clearance. The patients with delayed viral clearance had excessive antibodies of compromised quality in an early stage with the delay in peak virus neutralization efficacy, 34.14 ± 7.15 versus 12.50 ± 2.35 days PSO in patients with rapid virus clearance. Weak antibody re-sponse of patients with rapid viral clearance was also effective, with substantial and comparable neutralization efficacy, 35.70 ± 8.78 versus 41.37 ± 11.49 of patients with delayed virus clearance. Human Cytokine 48-Plex Screening of the serial sera samples revealed elevated concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in a deceased patient with delayed virus clear-ance and severe disease. The levels were comparatively less in the other two patients who suf-fered from severe disease but eventually survived.

Direct Nucleation of Crystalline SiGe on Substrates by Reactive Thermal CVD with Si2H6 and GeF4

1997 ◽  
Vol 467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fumio Yoshizawa ◽  
Kunihiro Shiota ◽  
Daisuke Inoue ◽  
Jun-ichi Hanna
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Gas Phase ◽  
Heterogeneous Nucleation ◽  
Homogeneous Nucleation ◽  
Film Growth ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Gaseous Mixture ◽  
The Other ◽  
Thermal Cvd ◽  
Initial Deposition

ABSTRACTPolycrystalline SiGe (poly-SiGe) film growth by reactive thermal CVD with a gaseous mixture of Si2H6 and GeF4 was investigated on various substrates such as Al,Cr, Pt, Si, ITO, ZnO and thermally grown SiO2.In Ge-rich film growth, SEM observation in the early stage of the film growth revealed that direct nucleation of crystallites took place on the substrates. The nucleation was governed by two different mechanisms: one was a heterogeneous nucleation on the surface and the other was a homogeneous nucleation in the gas phase. In the former case, the selective nucleation was observed at temperatures lower than 400°C on metal substrates and Si, where the activation of adsorbed GeF4 on the surface played a major role for the nuclei formation, leading to the selective film growth.On the other hand, the direct nucleation did not always take place in Si-rich film growth irrespective of the substrates and depended on the growth rate. In a growth rate of 3.6nm/min, the high crystallinity of poly-Si0.95Ge0.05in a 220nm-thick film was achieved at 450°C due to the no initial deposition of amorphous tissue on SiO2 substrates.

Recovery of subjective visual horizontal after unilateral vestibular deafferentation by intratympanic instillation of gentamicin

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 69-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshinari Takai ◽  
Toshihisa Murofushi ◽  
Munetaka Ushio ◽  
Shinichi Iwasaki
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Subjects ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Ccd Camera ◽  
The Other ◽  
Spontaneous Nystagmus ◽  
Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials ◽  
Normal Range ◽  
Intratympanic Gentamicin ◽  
Unilateral Vestibular Deafferentation

The time course of the recovery of subjective visual horizontal (SVH) after unilateral vestibular deafferentation by intratympanic instillation of gentamicin was studied. Six patients who underwent intratympanic gentamicin instillation therapy for Meniere's disease (1 man and 5 women, 32 to 69 years of age) were enrolled in this study. For comparison, SVH in 23 healthy subjects (12 men and 11 woman, 23 to 48 years of age) was also measured. The mean ± SD of SVH in healthy subjects was 0.0 ± 1.1 deg. All of the 6 patients showed significantly deviated SVH toward the injected side-down at the early stage after the therapy. Although one patient showed recovery of SVH to the normal range 25 days after the injection, the other patients required more time for recovery. Three patients did not show recovery to the normal range after 1 year. On the other hand, spontaneous nystagmus observed using an infrared CCD camera in total dark disappeared after 35 days (median). Patients who had normal vestibular evoked myogenic potentials before the therapy showed a tendency of delay of recovery of SVH. The reasons why the recovery of SVH took longer than the disappearance of spontaneous nystagmus are discussed in this report.

Paratexts, Italian style

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Barra ◽  
Massimo Scaglioni
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Professional Practices ◽  
International Trends ◽  
Production Processes ◽  
Production And Distribution ◽  
Main Production ◽  
The One ◽  
Original Practices ◽  
Tv Show ◽  
Depth Interviews

In recent years, the completed transition towards a fully developed multichannel environment and the growth of non-linear offers has brought to the Italian television (TV) landscape unprecedented attention on the ways in which programmes are communicated to the audience and their images and identities are carefully built. The preparation and circulation of promos have therefore grown in importance and relevance in the national TV industry, as new original practices emerged and a long-lasting tradition was challenged by new formats and goals. Building on a set of in-depth interviews with professionals involved in the writing, production and distribution of promos, and analysis of other production materials, the article reconstructs the ‘promotional cultures’ of Italian broadcasters, analysing the main production processes, the different kinds of promos and the various skills involved, and the logics and constraints involved in the making of these ephemeral paratexts that more and more are pervading both the structure of programming flow and the experience of national TV viewers. Thus, the article investigates the professional practices and logics of contemporary commercial and pay TV programme promotion in Italy, defining the role played by national private broadcasters and transnational groups in shaping an Italian promotional space on TV. The ‘Italian style’ of TV show promotion emerges as a constant negotiation between local historical traditions and clichés, on the one hand, and international trends in promo production and aesthetics, on the other, with a solid path shared with other countries and broadcasters, and some peculiar specificities.

scholarly journals THE MODELING OF SPILLS RESULTING FROM THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF ABOVE GROUND STORAGE TANKS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF MITIGATION

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 (1) ◽  
pp. 949-956
Author(s):  
W. Atherton ◽  
J. W. Ash ◽  
R. M. Alkhaddar
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
The Other ◽  
Catastrophic Failure ◽  
Storage Tanks ◽  
Modes Of Failure ◽  
Mode Of Failure ◽  
Mitigation Technique

ABSTRACT The risk of accidents involving the catastrophic failure of storage tanks is estimated to be low, in the region of 5 × l0−6 per tank year. However, recent accidents involving major oil spills at storage facilities located in Belgium (2004) along with USA and England (2005) have shown that tank failures do nevertheless occur. Causalities of such events vary; the consequences however are ordinarily the same, incurring environmental, financial and infrastructure losses. The normal mitigation technique employed to prevent such losses is secondary containment, usually in the form of a bund wall or earthen dyke. Researchers have investigated the reliability of such methods, examining the effects of tank failure, both theoretically and experimentally in terms of loss of containment. A United Kingdom Health and Safety Executive (HSE) review conducted in 1997 concluded that the then available data was limited and focussed attention on the work of Greenspan and Johansson (1981) and the later work of Trobojevic and Slater (1989). This led to the HSE commissioning Liverpool John Moores University (LIMU) in 2003 to undertake a large-scale spill-modelling program with the aim of quantifying the level of overtopping and the magnitudes of the dynamic pressures on the bunds. The study examined the effect of axisymmetric releases on a total of 96 tank and bund arrangements. Such losses have proven to be significant and in some cases the nature of the dynamic pressures has brought in to question the structural integrity of the bunds themselves. Research has since concentrated on modelling alternative modes of failure, such as directional releases, which could be considered to be the more common mode of failure likely to be encountered. The conclusions to this work have generated additional research to investigate possible methods of mitigation that could be incorporated into the design of facilities with the ultimate aim of further reducing losses in the event of tank failure. Two promising methods have been identified, one involving modification to the primary containment (tank) with the other being a change to the design of the profile of the secondary containment (bund wall).

scholarly journals Ocena efektu Harbergera-Laursena-Metzlera w polskim sektorze rolno-żywnościowym

2019 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-50
Author(s):  
Jacek Strojny
Keyword(s):  
Current Account ◽  
Vector Autoregression ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Terms Of Trade ◽  
The Other ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
Exogenous Factor ◽  
Trade Shocks ◽  
Gross Value Added ◽  
The Current Account

The aim of the study was to asses the Harberger-Laursen-Metzler effect in Polish agro-food sector. The analysis covers period of 2002-2017. There was applied the vector autoregression (VAR) methodology. The outcome of the research revealed that permanent deterioration in terms of trade contributed to the current account of Polish agribusiness sector improvement. The temporary effect of terms of trade shocks was not indentified. Additionally, the research enabled recognition of gross value added (GVA) as the most exogenous factor of the VAR system. On the other hand most endogenous factor of the model is the current account. The variable permanent terms of trade is more exogenous factor than the current account.

scholarly journals MÓZGOWE PODŁOŻE ROZWOJU MOWY W AUTYZMIE

2021 ◽  
pp. 39-51
Author(s):  
Krystyna Rymarczyk
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Speech Development ◽  
The Other ◽  
Arcuate Fasciculus ◽  
Foetal Life ◽  
Behavioural Research ◽  
Speech Development Disorders ◽  
Structure And Activity ◽  
Atypical Brain Development

Although in a majority of cases, autistic children face difficulties communicating verbally, the valid diagnostic classifi cations do not identify them as the main symptoms of the disorder. The adoption of such a position has been supported by results of (mainly behavioural) research, which imply that language and speech development in the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is extremely variable and individually diversifi ed and the observed delay of its development is not unique to autism. On the other hand, the research conducted by means of neuroimaging methods shows that an atypical structure and activity of Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas, which are important for language processes, exist in the ASD. A weak structural and functional connectivity in the arcuate fasciculus, which connects these structures, has also been discovered. It is assumed that the changes arise from neurodevelopmental irregularities occurring at an early stage of foetal life and their causes are probably genetic. This study characterises speech development disorders and atypical brain development in autism referring to results of both behavioural and neuroimaging research.

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