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With the increasing demand for compact, lightweight, cost‐effective, and high‐performance radiofrequency (RF) devices, the development of low‐profile antennas becomes crucial. This article presents a study of a novel carbon–cellulose‐based paste intended for screen printing RF devices. The investigation specifically explores the application of high‐reactivity carbon mixture (HRCM) particles as conductive fillers. The results demonstrate that optimal electrical conductivity values and discrete electromagnetic dipole performances can be achieved at lower concentrations of solid conductive material compared to conventional pastes, for similar applications. This offers benefits in terms of total cost, material consumption, and environmental impact. The paste formulation showcases a complex non‐Newtonian behavior, where yielding flow and thixotropicity are found to be independent and dependent on preshear conditions, respectively. This behavior can be attributed to the network orientation and rearrangement of filler structures within the paste system, which in turn are responsible for filler pattern uniformity and overall printing quality. Compared to traditional conductive materials, HRCM pastes are proven to be a viable alternative for RF devices fabrication, including printed Wi‐Fi antennas.

Purpose: This study was started on the main macroeconomic data (2010-2019), coming from the countries of the BRICS-plus group. While a significant contribution of these emerging economies to global economic output has generally been observed, this has also been accompanied by persistent domestic imbalance. Design/Methodology/Approach: Regarding the model, we state and contextualize the (long-term) risk co-incidence of the set of macroeconomic variables for this coalition of countries. Particular attention was paid to a valuation, description and forecasting model based on the calculation of the Dynamic Conditional Correlation (DCC) in a Generalized AutoRegressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (GARCH) process on the time series of credit default swaps (CDS). Findings: The empirical analysis and calculations carried out have verified the significance of the parameters and confirmed the conditional dynamic correlation between the economies of the Brics “expanded”, especially in the presence of shocks, which also involve mutual contagion (temporary increase in DCC) and even interdependence (increasing DCC leads to new, less unstable levels). Implications/Originality/Value: The research offers a look at the most current trends in terms of international economic balances and the entire global system, focusing on commodity markets, financial derivatives and the impacts of trade at the dawn of the new BRICS-plus coalition.

The "Path to the Digital Decade" features the digital transformation goals that the member states of the European Union must reach by 2030. It also highlights the need to align the digital strategy with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by use of relevant indicators for assessing progress in each single SDG. The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), published in 2022, demonstrates how new advances in the digitalisation process have filled several gaps in digital skills and infrastructures; while the DESI Country Profiles witness the lower levels of digital performance of insular territories, compared to the states’ mainland. This paper explores the way digitalisation progress might improve islands’ sustainability performance and equity concerns in the EU. Relevant achievements are assessed by the proposed Index of Islands’ Potential Equity (IIPE), i.e. a composite index, combining an Islands’ Sustainability Index (IIS) for grasping socio-economic and environmental aspects; and an Islands’ Digitalisation Index (IDI), for identifying the level of public/private digital transformation. The results obtained through the IIPE index demonstrate how powerful the strategies of island governments in digitalisation progress can prove in achieving SDGs and rendering island contexts less vulnerable and more competitive in the European scenery.

The MONITOOL project (2017–2023) was carried out to describe the relationships between total dissolved and labile metal concentrations measured in spot water samples and in concurrently deployed Diffusive Gradients in Thin-films (DGTs) passive samplers, respectively. The ultimate aim was to adapt existing marine metal Environmental Quality Standards (EQS marine water) for DGTs, enabling their use in the context of the European Directives (the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD)). Time-integrated metal concentrations provided by DGTs, representing several days, are an advantage compared to conventional spot sampling, especially in highly dynamic systems, such as transitional waters. Hence, the MONITOOL project aimed to provide a robust database of dissolved and labile metal concentrations in transitional and coastal waters, based upon co-deployments of DGTs and collection of spot water samples at several sampling sites (England, France, Ireland, Italy, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Scotland and Spain), followed subsequently by DGT and water metal analysis. Samplings were carried out in 2018 and 2022, following agreed protocols developed in the framework of the project.The MONITOOL dataset includes metal concentrations from DGTs, measured with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS: Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) and in concurrently collected spot water samples by ICP-MS (Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) and Anodic/Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry (ASV/CSV: Cd, Pb, Ni). Moreover, data on seawater physical-chemical parameters (salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, total suspended solids, dissolved organic carbon, and total organic carbon) is provided.This database presents the results obtained using, concurrently, different forms of sampling and analytical techniques, enabling the comparison of the results obtained by these strategies and allowing the adaptation of EQS in marine water (EQS marine water) to DGTs (EQS DGT), in the context of the WFD. Moreover, due to the large number of sampling sites, it could also be used for other types of research, such as those dealing with metal speciation or the determination of baseline levels.

BackgroundMotor Imagery (MI) is a cognitive process consisting in mental simulation of body movements without executing physical actions: its clinical use has been investigated prevalently in adults with neurological disorders.ObjectivesReview of the best-available evidence on the use and efficacy of MI interventions for neurorehabilitation purposes in common and rare childhood neurological disorders.Methodssystematic literature search conducted according to PRISMA by using the Scopus, PsycArticles, Cinahl, PUBMED, Web of Science (Clarivate), EMBASE, PsychINFO, and COCHRANE databases, with levels of evidence scored by OCEBM and PEDro Scales.ResultsTwenty-two original studies were retrieved and included for the analysis; MI was the unique or complementary rehabilitative treatment in 476 individuals (aged 5 to 18 years) with 10 different neurological conditions including, cerebral palsies, stroke, coordination disorders, intellectual disabilities, brain and/or spinal cord injuries, autism, pain syndromes, and hyperactivity. The sample size ranged from single case reports to cohorts and control groups. Treatment lasted 2 days to 6 months with 1 to 24 sessions. MI tasks were conventional, graded or ad-hoc. MI measurement tools included movement assessment batteries, mental chronometry tests, scales, and questionnaires, EEG, and EMG. Overall, the use of MI was stated as effective in 19/22, and uncertain in the remnant studies.ConclusionMI could be a reliable supportive/add-on (home-based) rehabilitative tool for pediatric neurorehabilitation; its clinical use, in children, is highly dependent on the complexity of MI mechanisms, which are related to the underlying neurodevelopmental disorder.

Remote work has represented ‘the’ alternative to office work during the COVID-19 pandemic as it has (while enabling employees to fulfill tasks from home) prevented or broken contagion chains. Though not a new approach to work, the recent emphasis on telework has come with pleas to reduce the wages of remote workers. By means of a logical-analytical approach, the article analyzes why such policies are not only unjustifiable in terms of keeping average wages at an at least stable level, but even more if the final sales prices would not shrink accordingly and would boost the share of corporate profits to GDP. Even cutting wages and final sales could be “deflationary” first and “recessionary” then (i.e., impoverish the economy). The article preliminarily analyzes the economic impact of such proposals on countries with a large ICT sector contributing to GDP (i.e., where remote work is facilitated due to the wide diffusion of tools such as Internet connections, computer devices, etc., enabling it) and an underperforming labor market in terms of female participation.

Magnetic scaffolds (MagSs) are magneto-responsive devices obtained by the combination of traditional biomaterials (e.g., polymers, bioceramics, and bioglasses) and magnetic nanoparticles. This work analyzes the literature about MagSs used as drug delivery systems for tissue repair and cancer treatment. These devices can be used as innovative drugs and/or biomolecules delivery systems. Through the application of a static or dynamic stimulus, MagSs can trigger drug release in a controlled and remote way. However, most of MagSs used as drug delivery systems are not optimized and properly modeled, causing a local inhomogeneous distribution of the drug’s concentration and burst release. Few physical–mathematical models have been presented to study and analyze different MagSs, with the lack of a systematic vision. In this work, we propose a modeling framework. We modeled the experimental data of drug release from different MagSs, under various magnetic field types, taken from the literature. The data were fitted to a modified Gompertz equation and to the Korsmeyer–Peppas model (KPM). The correlation coefficient (R2) and the root mean square error (RMSE) were the figures of merit used to evaluate the fitting quality. It has been found that the Gompertz model can fit most of the drug delivery cases, with an average RMSE below 0.01 and R2>0.9. This quantitative interpretation of existing experimental data can foster the design and use of MagSs for drug delivery applications.

Carasau bread is a typical Sardinian baking product, with great commercial potential, due to its long shelf life. Nowadays, its production is performed, in most cases, in small or medium size factories, where the working conditions and quality properties of the product are set on an empirical basis. Thus, the processing know-how lacks quantitative information, and the product is still far from standardization. As a result, industrial-scale manufacturing is hindered. The literature presents some studies devoted to better explaining the effect of semolina doughs' main constituents (gluten, starch, etc.) on their rheological properties or to infer the latter through in-line measurement. However, it is still necessary to understand the role of each working parameter in conditioning the dough rheology. This work investigated the role of five working parameters: yeast amount, salt amount, water temperature, kneading time, and leavening time. The water amount was kept constant to avoid covering other effects because its role can be predominant in most cases. A Design of Experiments (DOE) was performed, in order to plan the experimental campaign. First, the dough samples were tested through a parallel plate rheometer (Anton Paar, model MCR 102), applying both creep and frequency sweep tests. Moreover, the same samples were subjected to Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) to highlight possible correlations between theoretical rheological model parameters and TPA ones, which can be obtained in shorter times, so being more suitable for process monitoring purposes.

Cities play a pivotal role in achieving worldwide carbon neutrality due to their significant contribution to global energy consumption and carbon emissions. Therefore, planning effective strategies and guiding evidence-based policymaking at the city scale becomes even more crucial. Composite indices serve as a valuable tool for monitoring urban energy transition trends. This paper aims to present a novel approach, robust and flexible even under conditions of data scarcity, for tracking the energy transition trend of a city by means of a composite index (UETI). The Turin case study is introduced to test the applicability of the proposed approach. Additionally, to demonstrate the robustness of the composite index framework, the paper includes the findings of correlation and sensitivity analyses. This study reveals a significant improvement in Turin’s environmental and energy domains, while the socio-economic domain shows more modest improvement. Furthermore, the study highlights the need to address the shortage of urban data to enhance the accuracy and reliability of metric-based frameworks and to extend the assessment to a larger sample of cities.

In order to understand the distribution of fluorine in surface environments, also linked to fluoride deposits, this paper discusses the role of rift systems in fluorine enrichment of surface waters, with two examples: the Sardinia Island and the East African Rift. The main goal of this study is aimed to highlighting the areas that could potentially host fluorine in the surface waters in order to make it easier the lecture also for people to search and read not experts in the field, such as the biomedical field. Furthermore, potentialities and limitations of the currently available defluoridation techniques were examined, in order to identify the best intervention technology. From a careful review of the literature, to the addition of the extensive field observations in Sardinia and Ethiopia carried by the authors in the previous decades, we highlight the origin, processes and evolution of F-migration in Rift systems. The given examples of Sardinia and Ethiopia show that the origin and consequent behaviour of fluorine is strictly controlled by the rift systems. In this framework, the availability of fluorine for surface waters depends on two possible types of sources: a direct supply and an indirect supply. Directly from spring waters and ground waters fed by hydrothermal systems related to rifting, and indirectly from the leaching of products of rift-related activities, such as fluorite-bearing deposits, sedimentary or meta-sedimentary rift-related sequences, and volcanic or metavolcanic complexes emplaced along rift structures. The whole geological history of a given area must be taken into account in interpreting its present fluorine geochemistry. In conclusion, we underline the aspects of a possible control of these areas where fluoride exposure might lead to a long-term harm to local communities and we point out the nowadays best remediation-technologies, discussing their pro and cons in their applicability to different scales and social-contexts.

In this paper, we analyzed the role of credit consortia in supporting SMEs of the Italian region of Sardinia around and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic crisis. Credit consortia (or credit guarantee schemes) are financial companies whose institutional role is to support small firms needing bank lending who are individually weak in the bank–firm relationship. Credit consortia are particularly relevant in Italy, where they mitigate credit restrictions for SMEs by supplying guarantees to the bank, allowing for partial coverage of potential losses, providing peer-monitoring activity, and collectively negotiating more favorable interest rates and other conditions with banks. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, credit consortia had a crucial role in supporting Sardinian SMEs with guarantees and obtaining government financial support. The evolution of Sardinian companies' financial structures during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic shows that the confidi-supported firms have low capitalization and are financially fragile yet capable of good returns. The liquidity provided by the government during the pandemic loosened these constraints, boosting the available liquidity, which translated, in short, into higher investment and higher sales. The demographics of Sardinian companies in 2019–2022 and the volumes of loans and savings showed a strengthening of debt capital payments, increased collections, and a progressive improvement of the Sardinian companies' net financial positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing demand for compact, lightweight, cost‐effective, and high‐performance radiofrequency (RF) devices, the development of low‐profile antennas becomes crucial. This article presents a study of a novel carbon–cellulose‐based paste intended for screen printing RF devices. The investigation specifically explores the application of high‐reactivity carbon mixture (HRCM) particles as conductive fillers. The results demonstrate that optimal electrical conductivity values and discrete electromagnetic dipole performances can be achieved at lower concentrations of solid conductive material compared to conventional pastes, for similar applications. This offers benefits in terms of total cost, material consumption, and environmental impact. The paste formulation showcases a complex non‐Newtonian behavior, where yielding flow and thixotropicity are found to be independent and dependent on preshear conditions, respectively. This behavior can be attributed to the network orientation and rearrangement of filler structures within the paste system, which in turn are responsible for filler pattern uniformity and overall printing quality. Compared to traditional conductive materials, HRCM pastes are proven to be a viable alternative for RF devices fabrication, including printed Wi‐Fi antennas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing building stock is globally responsible for 17.5% of greenhouse gas emissions due to their operation to achieve occupant satisfaction, thus requiring a vast intervention. However, reducing building stock emissions and optimizing building energy performance cannot be considered independently by the users’ well-being. The thermal comfort conditions and their monitoring represent a central issue that could optimize building energy usage while achieving good indoor environmental conditions. This document describes the first findings of ongoing research focused on the development of a building monitoring system, based on the integration of Building Information Modeling tools and sensor technology through Dynamo Visual Programming. Starting from the development of an Asset Information Model, which represents the virtual replica of a building that currently hosts the administrative offices of the municipality of Cagliari, the first step presented in this contribution shows a thermal comfort monitoring system, scalable and modular, that allows effective gathering and elaboration of data about comfort levels in each of the building’s rooms. The system proves to be a helpful support for facility managers to control building thermal comfort conditions and HVAC systems to assure their best operative status or plan suitable interventions to achieve it.